Organization Mission

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognizes youth as key actors of change in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Yet, across Asia and the Pacific, young people continue to face barriers to social, economic, and political inclusion. Despite being more connected, informed, and innovative than ever, many are disproportionately affected by economic insecurity and remain excluded from decision-making spaces.

In response, the UNDP Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific (RBAP) launched the Regional Youth Empowerment Portfolio for Asia and the Pacific (YEP-AP). The portfolio brings together a growing body of programming across the region focused on the interlinked pillars: Youth Entrepreneurship, Youth and Climate Action, 21st Century and Digital Skills, and Youth Civic Engagement and Political Participation, with Leave No One Behind as a cross-cutting agenda across the portfolio.

Context

Urban governance across Asia and the Pacific is under mounting pressure. With 54% of the region’s population living in urban areas—and projections of 89.5 million internal “climate migrants” by 2050—local authorities face increasingly complex demands for sustainable and inclusive development. These pressures are further compounded by rapid urbanization and climate-related risks, while persistent inequalities continue to leave the most marginalized furthest behind.

Young people are advancing innovative approaches to urban challenges, from grassroots climate action to digital tools that improve access to public services. This assignment supports a regional mapping exercise to better understand how youth engage with urban governance in Asia and the Pacific. It will document both obstacles and promising practices, with the goal of identifying practical pathways toward governance that is more inclusive, evidence-informed, and reflective of young people’s realities. Building on UNDP’s longstanding expertise, the exercise aims to capture how youth are helping to shape resilient and sustainable cities for the future.

Key Responsibilities

Under the supervision of YEP-AP, the Online Volunteers will support a rapid mapping of urban governance initiatives across Asia and the Pacific. This research will directly contribute to a broader landscape analysis that lays the foundation for future programming and knowledge development.

Specifically, the Online Volunteers will:
– Conduct desk research to identify youth-led or youth-targeted initiatives in urban governance.
– Categorize and label each initiative using a tagging framework.
– Enter findings into a shared template with consistent, accurate documentation (links, descriptions, sources).

This assignment does not require advanced academic expertise. We will provide clear guidance and resources to help you learn the mapping approach step by step. What matters most is your motivation, attention to detail, and willingness to learn. As the mapping exercise will be conducted rapidly, you will work in close collaboration with our team and receive ongoing feedback throughout.

Online Volunteers who demonstrate initiative, consistency, and high-quality outputs may be invited to participate in later phases of the project, including co-developing knowledge products and contributing to analytical research. Those with prior mapping experience or familiarity with urban governance issues will be especially well-positioned to take on more advanced roles in future phases (through another Online Volunteer assignment). In this sense, the assignment serves as an early entry point into a collaborative and evolving research community within the Youth Empowerment Portfolio.

Motivation Statement:

In addition to your overall motivation statement, please also include in same section specifically a short reflection (2–3 sentences) responding to the following question: “In your view, what makes youth perspectives unique in urban governance in Asia and the Pacific?”

Time Commitment:

Volunteers are expected to contribute about 15 hours per week for 2 weeks. We understand schedules may vary, and encourage you to indicate your typical availability. In your application under “Additional Remarks,” please indicate your typical availability, specifying:
– Weekday availability (e.g., hours/day and preferred time slots)
– Weekend availability (e.g., hours/day and preferred time slots)

Remarks:

– Please note that recruitment will proceed on a rolling basis. We encourage you to apply as early as possible if you are interested.
– Selected Online Volunteers will be required to attend a short virtual onboarding session at the start of the assignment. Details will be communicated in advance.

Required Skills and Experience

We welcome applicants from diverse academic and professional backgrounds. No advanced qualifications are required — we will guide you in the mapping methodology. What we value most is motivation, reliability, and a genuine commitment to youth empowerment.

Minimum Requirements:
– Strong interest in youth issues, governance, or urban development.
– Ability to work independently, while also being responsive in a collaborative team setting.
– Availability to contribute around 15 hours per week for 2 weeks.

Preferred (Not Mandatory)
– Prior experience with desk research or mapping exercises is a strong asset and will be highly valued.
– Familiarity with urban governance themes (e.g. participation, planning, transport, housing, climate resilience, digital governance) or youth-led civic initiatives is a big plus, since it can support deeper analysis in future phases of the work.
– Background in social sciences, urban studies, development, or related fields.

We particularly encourage early-career professionals, students, and recent graduates who are eager to learn, contribute, and grow in this field to apply. Exceptional Online Volunteers may also be considered for future opportunities to engage in deeper research and knowledge co-creation (through another Online Volunteer assignment).