General
Description of assignment title: Support to Review for Technological Innovations and Human Development Nexus
Assignment country: Türkiye
Expected start date: Invalid Date
Sustainable Development Goal: 9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure
For how many hours per week will the volunteer be required?
11 – 15
Host entity: UNDP
Type: Online
Duration: 12 weeks
Number of assignments: 2
Details
Mission and objectives
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.
Context
The design of products and services has profound and complex relationships with human capabilities. Indeed, many products and services – from technological innovations to social innovations – are developed with the aim of expanding valuable freedoms and powers and have indeed made important positive contributions. Examples include medical technologies that enable people to lead longer and healthier lives, ICTs empowering people to play a more active role in shaping their social and political environment, organizational forms such as cooperatives that can likewise empower people and open networks that enable people to pursue a common mission. Other products and innovations are more questionable in capability terms—social networks’ dark side include widespread of fake news, attention manipulation and dark UX/UI practices. Investigating the nexus of human capabilities, technology, design and social innovation require contributions from many academic disciplines, since questions in this area touch upon other themes such as governance, individual versus collective choice, participation, power, ideology, culture, values and norms, cognitive frames, economy, and ecosystems. All these also need to be set in the context of global dynamics such as between the global North and global South. Hence, it calls for a transdisciplinary approach that also includes collaboration between academia and non-academic partners for conducting research appropriately. It requires bringing together researchers and practitioners of diverse disciplinary backgrounds for discussion, exchange of information and joint project development. The purpose of this review is threefold: (i) review and update bibliography database to include most recent developments in 2022-23; (ii) scan for emerging practices in the areas of Technological Innovations and Human Development and lessons learned; (iii) review and update list of researchers and practitioners in the area. Participation in this review will help online volunteer to obtain good understanding of Technological Innovations and Human Development, connect with practitioners and researchers in the area, and use innovative visualization and analysis techniques.
Task description
The online volunteers will conduct review of literature and emerging practices in the areas of Technological Innovations and Human Development. More specifically this includes: 1. Review and update bibliography database to include most recent developments in 2022-23. 2. Scan for emerging practices in the areas of Technological Innovations and Human Development and lessons learned 3. Review and update list of researchers and practitioners in the area
Requirements
Required experience
Bachelor’s (or higher) in Development, Economics, Management, or related field with strong interest in technologies, innovations, design, and human development.
Languages
English, Level: Fluent, Required
Other information
Inclusivity statement
United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.
