Background UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Office/Unit/Project Description
The UNDP Global Centre for Technology, Innovation and Sustainable Development (GC-TISD) aims to identify, co-create, and share innovative and technological solutions for sustainable development. We aim to catalyse new insights, partnerships and action in the countries where UNDP works. Our areas of focus are: Sustainability and Climate Resilience, Smart Cities and Urbanisation, Digital Inclusion, Digital Sustainable Finance, and Digital Public Goods. The GC-TISD leverages Singapore’s deep expertise, solutions, knowledge, and ecosystem of Government and private sector partners, as well as knowledge from experts and partners around the globe, and across UNDPs Global Policy Network. More specifically, the GC-TISD connects policymakers, practitioners, think tanks, business, and other relevant stakeholders to each other from across the globe for learning and sharing of best practices on the themes of technology, innovation, and partnerships for sustainable development.
The GC-TISD is a joint initiative of the Singapore Government and UNDP, currently being led by a small team that is focused on programme and partnership development. Our Singapore Government partners are the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, the Public Service Division, the Ministry of Communications and Information, the Infocomm Media Development Authority, the Monetary Authority of Singapore, and the National Research Foundation. The UNDP GC-TISD was setup in 2018, and is currently at the outset of its next iteration – to run between 2022 and 2025. We collaborate with governments worldwide through the following:
Agile Policy Development Support: Supporting governments in defining the policies and regulations needed for the digital and innovation economy, and providing guidance and methodologies to assist governments on agile policymaking. Research and Thought Leadership: Providing research, analysis, and insights on emerging technologies, including integrating the experiences of UNDP Country Offices with foresight and horizon-scanning Partnership and Global Ecosystem Building: Catalysing global and national digital and innovation ecosystems that are committed to digital inclusion and fostering collaborations with different players in the digital inclusion space Knowledge Exchange and Capacity Building: Collecting local intelligence and grassroots innovations, and ensuring that lower-income countries are equal participants in global discussions and explorations of digital inclusion Duties and Responsibilities Singapore offers a unique context as a ‘living lab’ where current and near-horizon technologies and innovations are tested, validated, and scaled as appropriate. Singapore also exemplifies a cross- ecosystem approach whereby actors from the public and private sector in different domains collaborate to address a range of challenges. The GC-TISD is well placed to harness the above assets of Singapore in support of developing countries worldwide through its focus areas of Sustainability and Climate Resilience, Smart Cities and Urbanisation, Digital Inclusion, Digital Sustainable Finance, and Digital Public Goods, and close collaboration with UNDP’s Sustainable Finance Hub, Chief Digital Office, and Climate teams.The GC-TISD has three technical leads assigned to the areas of Finance, Climate, and Urban who focus on policy development, thought leadership, partnership and knowledge exchange. Reporting to the Director of the Centre, the role of the Analyst will be to support the leads by looking to the near-horizon and far future for innovations and technologies that are - or may - emerge, consider carefully how they could impact work in the respective thematic areas, forge parternships to explore such impact, and where opportunties arise support the development of innovative initiatives. The Analyst will also focus on developing think-pieces, policy advisory notes, or other documentation to highlight the emerging issues. The Analyst will be required to quickly build relationships with with key internal and external constituencies, and to leverage their professional network and expertise to deliver the activities.
Under the supervision of the Director of the GC-TISD, the Analyst will perform the following:
I. Undertake research and support thought leadership on emerging Singaporean innovations and technologies with potential development impact
Providing research, analysis, and insights on topics related to the GC-TISD’s thematic areas of focus in the form of think pieces, blogs, and other content. Such pieces will draw on Singapore’s expertise and context, and focus specifically on emerging/near-horizon or future innovation and technologies and what the potential development impact could be. Ensure the useful and impactful dissemination of the above research and thought leadership material, including through opportunities such as webinars and creative utilization of digital and social media so as to widen appeal and uptake of the information.II. Alliance building and business development
Identify potential strategic partners for the GC-TISD that are demonstrating application current and near-horizon technologies and innovations to solve specific challenges. Conduct initial outreach to such partners to brief on UNDP and the GC-TISD, learn more about their work and interest, and establish whether parternship would create joint value for them and UNDP. Develop potential business ideas with said partners, ensuring coordination with all relevant internal UNDP counterparts, with a focus specifically on how best to showcase their knowledge and experience within a development context. Support partnership formalization efforts including due diligence and other mandatory processes as needed. Build strategic alliances of multiple partners where possible to amplify the knowledge exchange potential. Position the GC-TISD within relevant forums in Singapore and globally.III. Support the implementation of the GC-TISD workplan
Implementing priority activities for the workstreams, and in support of the GC-TISD’s broader strategy as related to future technologies and innovation. This will entail flexible support to the thematic leads of the GC-TISD in terms of inptus to events, publications, or other activities. Supporting the fielding of requests for information as related to thought leadership, research or other information published, ensuring accurate and timely reponse, and close coordination with thematic teams across UNDP.Institutional Arrangement
The Analyst will work under the supervision of the Director of the GC-TISD, and in close collaboration with the thematic leads in the GC-TISD.
This vacancy is archived.