Project Associate

UNDP's mandate is to end poverty, build democratic governance, rule of law, and inclusive institutions. We advocate for change, and connect countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has partnered with Bangladesh ever since its birth and through its remarkable journey from a war-ravaged economy to a middle-income country. It remains a catalyst in Bangladesh’s journey from Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. UNDP assists in building institutions and helps strengthen institutional capacities through people-centric, pro-poor, inclusive and sustainable policy making and development governance.

Bangladesh stands at a critical juncture in its social development journey, where heightened socio-political tension, civic uncertainty, and social fragmentation pose significant challenges to social cohesion and inclusive development. It also exposed—and in some cases deepened—interreligious and intercultural tensions, while increasing digital harms such as online hate speech and misinformation, with minority groups facing renewed discrimination, social isolation, and threats to their religious and cultural identities.

These challenges have strained the social fabric, creating an urgent need for inclusive, community-based initiatives that promote peace, mutual respect, and build resilience against divisive narratives.

In response, UNDP Bangladesh has been working to prevent and mitigate digital harms, promote inclusive civic participation, and address the root causes of social tensions. This includes engaging civil society actors and youth platforms in facilitating public dialogues on social cohesion and peacebuilding across all eight divisions. By creating safe and participatory spaces for intergroup dialogue, UNDP aims to rebuild trust, counter harmful narratives, and foster resilient, inclusive communities.

At the given outset, UNDP Bangladesh is looking for young talent with passion to contribute to the effective implementation of initiatives promoting social cohesion and inclusive governance. This role is essential to ensuring timely and efficient execution of project deliverables, fostering collaboration across partners, and maintaining operational coherence. The incumbent’s support will enable the program team and stakeholders to focus on strategic interventions that enhance civic engagement, participatory governance, and inclusive development outcomes.

Objectives:

The overarching objective of this assignment is to support the rollout of the initiatives in a coordinated manner that strengthens social cohesion while engaging key stakeholders and partners at the national and sub-national levels. The incumbent will :

• To facilitate inclusive community dialogues on social cohesion and peacebuilding in all eight divisions of Bangladesh, engaging civil society, youth leaders, and marginalized communities.
• To strengthen the capacity of a civil society/youth platform to recognize and address information pollution (e.g., misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech), especially as it relates to interreligious and intercultural tensions.
• To support the research, development and dissemination of targeted communication and knowledge products, that promote tolerance, inclusion, and social harmony among diverse audiences.

Under the direct supervision of Program Specialist, the UN National Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

Stakeholder Engagement & Capacity Building:

• Provide technical input for the development of training materials related to social cohesion, digital literacy, and democratic governance.
• Facilitate multi-stakeholder consultations involving government counterparts, civil society, NGOs/INGOs, journalists, academia, and community representatives.

Research and Analysis:

• Contribute to analysis of the disinformation and misinformation landscape across Bangladesh’s broader information integrity ecosystem, with a particular focus on the digital space.

Communications & Knowledge Sharing:

• Support the development of communication and knowledge products that promote messages of peace, social cohesion, and inclusion.
• Contribute to the documentation of lessons learned, success stories, and community feedback, to be used in reports, advocacy materials, and public outreach.

Coordination & Support:

• Coordinate field activities and ensure timely delivery of project outputs in selected locations.
• Support logistical planning and execution of key activities—including workshops, dialogues, and content development by coordinating with UNDP colleagues and local partners.
• Contribute to monitoring and evaluation processes, data collection, and reporting.