Research and Documentation Assistant

As the United Nations lead agency on international development, UNDP works in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities, and to build resilience to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Our work is concentrated in three focus areas; sustainable development, democratic governance and peace building, and climate and disaster resilience. 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.

The UNDP, in partnership with the Government of India, aims to fast-track development in difficult geographies inhabited by tribal populations by strengthening capacities, options and opportunities for them to move out of deprivation. Within the tribal portfolio, the primary objective is to strengthen implementation and monitoring of national/state programmes and schemes. Additionally, we aim to demonstrate innovative, scalable, integrated development solutions in tribal dominated regions.

The Tribal portfolio is anchored in Pillar 2 on the UNDP Country Programme Document (CPD) 2023-2027. Under the umbrella of the SDG Acceleration Unit, the tribal portfolio encompasses multiple interventions spread across the country. The overarching goal of the portfolio is to establish synergy and coordination between the central and state governments, thereby facilitating the effective implementation of schemes and programs for tribal development. UNDP serves as a catalyst for collaboration, facilitating improved coordination to ensure the intended beneficiaries receive the benefits of various initiatives through proper implementation.

Under the portfolio, there are several projects being implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and various State Tribal Departments. These projects are focused on enhancing the operational effectiveness of the tribal development programmes, strengthening the capacities of the tribal department and functionaries, promoting data-driven decision-making, and advancing knowledge management.

UNDP is looking for a Research and Documentation Assistants to support the work of the Tribal Development team, UNDP Country Office, New Delhi and with Odisha Tribal Project Management Unit based in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha.

The Research and Documentation Assistant will work under the direct supervision of Project Analyst-Tribal Rights.

Under the direct supervision of Project Analyst-Tribal Rights, the UN University Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:
• Assist in collecting and compiling data and support the preparation of socio-economic profile of selected Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in Odisha within the framework of the PM-JANMAN and DA-JGUA initiatives.
• Support in identification and compilation of women community champions who are managing and governing their land and forest resources recognized under Forest Rights Act (FRA).
• Contribute to the development of factsheets, case studies, flyers, and other documentation showcasing good case studies related to tribal development.
• Contribute to the curation of visual content, including infographics, videos, and social media stories, highlighting the outcomes and impact of tribal development initiatives.
• Contribute to research and documentation efforts focused on Odisha’s tribal education initiatives that promote access to quality education for tribal children, especially girls.
• Assist in maintaining a repository of tribal development data, reports, audio-visuals, and knowledge products, to ensure accessibility and knowledge continuity across interventions.
• Undertake any other related tasks as assigned by the supervisor, to support the overall implementation, research, monitoring, and visibility of the tribal development portfolio within UNDP’s SDG Acceleration framework


Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to:
• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for in-stance in events that mark International Volunteer Day);
• Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country;
• Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities;
• Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
• Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers;
• Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.