Youth Social Entrepreneurship & Innovation Officer

UNDP – the Government of Viet Nam partnership officially started in 1978, when there was a very limited foreign presence in the country. UNDP has been working closely with the Government of Viet Nam and other partners to expand the choices for people and ensure that everyone has equal access to opportunities to realize their full potential.   

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-trainers 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 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 Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation 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.
• Support the design and implementation of the Youth Digital Citizen Challenge and other relevant youth activities.
• Engage with other country office projects and teams (i.e. Climate Change and Environment, Accelerator Labs projects) to design, implement and synergize youth initiatives.

Youth Co: Lab

• Design, implement and coordinate Youth Co: Lab Viet Nam activities, i.e. SDG Incubator, Springboard Amplifier, National Dialogue, LMS.
• Partnership development and resource mobilization for Youth Co: Lab Viet Nam programs.
• Manage and execute the Communications Plan and Strategy of Youth Co: Lab.
• Lead the documentation and knowledge management of Youth Co: Lab.
• Provide necessary finance, procurement, administrative and logistical support to UNDP Viet Nam
• Provide necessary M&E support to UNDP Viet Nam and BRH.

Springboard Programme 

• Manage and oversee Springboard Programme opportunities and activities in the Viet Nam. 
• Guide youth social entrepreneurs in Viet Nam to access appropriate training, mentoring, coaching and other supporting programmes.
• Support in adapting and localizing Springboard Programme programs, training and Learning Management System for the Viet Nam context.
• Bridge and mobilize Regional Springboard Programme resources in Viet Nam to co-convene Springboard Programme activities, mentorship and module design.
• Promote Springboard modules and develop the feedback loop.
• Travel to facilitate Springboard Programme events if and when needed.

National Springboard Amplifier and Youth Empowerment Alliance

• Design and implement the National Springboard Amplifier for entrepreneurship-support organizations.
• Develop and maintain partnerships with ecosystem partners.

Youth Co: Lab alumni engagement

• Support the creation and management of an inclusive and accessible community engagement platform for Youth Co: Lab Alumni.
• Organize and facilitate online and offline Springboard Programme learning and mentorship sessions for Youth Co: Lab Alumni.
• Contribute to the development of multimedia products such as animations, videos, and interactive content including and especially for Youth Co: Lab Alumni.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Core competencies:

• 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             

• Strategic Thinking: Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities; linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions.; Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP

Business Development           

• Knowledge Facilitation: Ability to animate individuals and communities of contributors to participate and share, particularly externally. 
• Integration within the UN: Ability to identify, and integrate capacity and assets of the UN system, and engage in joint work; knowledge of the UN System and ability to apply this knowledge to strategic and/or practical situations. 

Business Management            

• Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals. 
• Partnerships Management: Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies. 

2030 Agenda: Peace 

• Governance: Youth socio-economic empowerment

2030 Agenda: Prosperity        

Recovery Solutions and Human Mobility: Entrepreneurship