Youth Engagement and Governance Officer

During the past decade, Viet Nam attained low middle-income country status as a result of impressive economic growth. However, progress in social development, including education and health, has been less rapid contributing to slower growth in human development, indicating remaining governance system challenges to keep pace with economic development. UNDP Viet Nam’s governance work focuses on four main pillars: human rights, rule of law and access to justice; innovative, agile and responsive governance; diversity and inclusion; and peace and security.

In 2022, the Youth Empowerment Project in Asia and the Pacific (YEP-AP) was approved as a regional programme in the Asia-Pacific region. It aims to invest in and empower young people across the region, to accelerate the implementation of SDGs. YEP-AP believes that youth can be leaders who create inclusive and equitable societies free of discrimination and can make a positive difference by taking on the challenges through social innovation, mobilising their peers and communities, and creating adaptive and innovative solutions. YEP-AP focuses on youth political, social, and economic empowerment by building the capacities of young people and key stakeholders and creating safe, inclusive, and enabling environments for youth participation and civic engagement, especially for women and those from marginalised groups. 

YEP-AP in the Viet Nam plans to deliver selected outputs and activities based on the regional programme document, especially the Movers Programme, a grassroots movement that aims to equip youth with the tools to take action in their community by raising awareness about the SDGs, 21st century skills and entrepreneurship. With UNDP’s strong network of partners dedicated to youth empowerment and a mission to leave no one behind, it aims to reach the most vulnerable groups and to empower them by using a training-of-trainer approach. 

Since 2020, the Movers Programme in Viet Nam has reached over 13,200 workshop participants and 421 volunteer sign-ups nationwide, 61% of which are female. Through its curriculum, the Movers Programme empowers young Vietnamese with 21st century skills and a working knowledge the SDGs and its cross-cutting themes. This is an ongoing effort to expand the YEP-AP community across the region. 

With this context, UNDP Viet Nam will engage a Youth Engagement and Governance Coordinator who will act as the coordinator for the Movers Programme in Viet Nam. As coordinator, responsibilities include expanding the network of partners, strengthening the community engagement, mobilize financial and in-kind resources, as well as supporting the implementation of YEP-AP at national level (Youth Co:Lab, Youth Empowerment in Climate Action Platform (YECAP), Youth Digitalization for Employability and Entrepreneurship Program (YDEEP) and other youth initiatives of the country office.

The Youth Engagement and Governance Officer will report to the Head of Inclusive Growth Unit of UNDP Viet Nam with the close collaboration with BRH Youth Unit, UNDP country office Youth Unit, and other key parties. The success of the project depends on the timely delivery of each component. The Hiring Manager should ensure timely identification of potential risks and signal any delays in deliverables. The contract will be effective immediately upon signature by UNDP. 

UNDP Viet Nam will have the following responsibilities: (i) Provide relevant documents; (ii) Discuss and agree on the methodologies of the assignment; and (iii) Monitor and evaluate the progress of the assignment. The contract and payments will be performance-based and regularly assessed by UNDP Viet Nam. 

The present ToR may be subject to modification, without changing the overall objective and the scope of work, on the basis of mutual consultations. UNDP will hold the copyright of the assignment deliverables. 

Support the UNDP Viet Nam Youth Working Group

• Support in pipeline development of and resource mobilization for youth initiatives.
• Support the implementation of regional projects such as YECAP and YDEEP at the national level.
• Work closely with the Youth Co: Lab team to enhance the #Movers4Entrepreneurs track and synergize work plans and activities.

Movers Programme

• Develop and implement the strategy and work plan of the Movers Programme.
• Support the regional and country office with financial and in-kind resource mobilization for the national expansion.
• Develop the partnerships strategy and mobilize partners to co-convene Movers Programme activities, mentorship and module design.
• Work closely with the Youth Co: Lab team to enhance the #Movers4Entrepreneurs track and synergize work plans and activities.
• Support Youth Co: Lab at the national level through enhancing #Movers4Entrepreneurs track for Aspiring Entrepreneurs.
• Support the communications and advocacy campaigns to encourage more young people to participate, exhibit accountability to stakeholders, and attract potential partners for resource mobilization.
• Coordinate with youth organizations and youth volunteers to create a robust network and community across Vietnam.
• Facilitate learning exchanges with network of partners to encourage partnerships and resource mobilization.
• Support in adapting and localizing Movers training curriculum for the Vietnamese context;
• Organise, promote and facilitate Movers Workshops for youth in Vietnam and Asia-Pacific when required.
• Manage, coordinate and track Movers Programme activities, volunteers and partners in Viet Nam.
• Manage and monitor grantees of Movers Skills Grants.
• Consolidate all the data of workshop and partners tracker of Movers Viet Nam.
• Actively research for opportunities in the youth empowerment ecosystem that the youth team can share to its stakeholders.
• Assist in document and knowledge management of YEP-AP including Movers Programme, such as, but not limited to the maintenance and improvement of the youth stakeholder directory, good practices and lessons learned.

Others

• Organise youth innovation challenges, including LGBTIQ+ regional challenge.
•  The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.               

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements. 
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible. 
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident.
• Engage and Partner:  LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies 

Business Direction & Strategy

• Entrepreneurial Thinking: Ability to create clarity around UNDP value proposition to beneficiaries and partners and to develop service offers responding to client needs based on UNDP’s organizational priorities and mandates.

Business Development           

• Collective Intelligence Design: Ability to bring together diverse groups of people, data, information or ideas, and technology, to design services or solutions.               
• Integration within the UN: Ability to identify and integrate capacity and assets of the UN system, engage in join work, knowledge of the UN system and ability to apply this knowledge to strategic and practical situations.
• Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritise and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.
• Risk Management: Ability to identify and organize action around mitigating and proactively managing risks.

2030 Agenda: Peace 

• Governance: Youth political participation and leadership; Youth socio-economic empowerment