Information Integrity Specialist

Mission and objectives

UNDP is the UN’s global development network, an organization that advocates for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience, and resources to help build resilient nations and improve the livelihoods of people. UNDP Gambia was established in 1975 as a development partner to provide technical assistance through advice, access to its global knowledge networks and financial support to implement government development frameworks to boost capacity development and promote national efforts to eradicate poverty and attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In The Gambia, UNDP supports national efforts for sustainable human development in line with the Gambian National Development Plan (NDP) 2018 – 2021 which is aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development/SDGs and the African Union Agenda 2063. To deliver on its mandate, UNDP partners with key government institutions and employs different means of actions including institutional capacity strengthening, harnessing strategic linkages, support to evidence-based policy formulation, planning and implementation, resource mobilization, support to national planning processes and mainstreaming of relevant issues.

Context

The Gambia is entering a critical phase of its electoral cycle as preparations intensify towards the 2026–2027 general elections. The electoral environment is increasingly shaped by digital and social media, creating opportunities for civic engagement while also increasing exposure to misinformation, disinformation, hate speech and other harmful electoral narratives. Timely, credible and accessible electoral information is therefore essential to strengthening public confidence and supporting informed participation. The INSPIRE Project, implemented by UNDP in partnership with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and other national stakeholders, responds to recommendations of the 2024 United Nations Electoral Needs Assessment Mission and priorities identified in the IEC Strategic Plan 2025–2029. The project seeks to strengthen institutional capacity, electoral integrity, inclusive civic participation and stakeholder collaboration to support transparent, inclusive and credible elections. Within this framework, information integrity and strategic communication are key components of the project. INSPIRE will support the IEC to identify emerging information risks, communicate proactively, and provide accurate, timely and non-partisan information to the public. The project will use data analytics and social listening to monitor misinformation, disinformation, hate speech and other harmful narratives, with findings informing evidence-based communication, voter education, stakeholder engagement and appropriate electoral risk management measures. To support this objective, UNDP will deploy eMonitor+, a digital media monitoring platform designed to establish a sustainable mechanism for monitoring and analysing the online information environment throughout the 2026–2027 electoral cycle. The platform will combine automated content collection and preliminary analysis with human verification and contextual interpretation across social and traditional media, including Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube. Monitoring will focus on misinformation and disinformation, hate speech and harmful narratives, online violence against women in politics, and broader trends that may affect the electoral information environment and public trust. Evidence generated through eMonitor+ will support the IEC and relevant stakeholders to understand emerging information risks and inform strategic communication, voter education, electoral risk management and other appropriate responses. The Information Integrity Specialist will support the operationalisation and day-to-day functioning of eMonitor+, including digital media monitoring, data collection and cleaning, classification, translation, analysis and quality assurance. The Specialist will also support the interpretation of emerging narratives and information risks and contribute to timely analytical outputs for strategic communication, civic education and electoral risk prevention. The Specialist will work closely with the UNDP Governance and electoral support team, IEC, WANEP and other relevant stakeholders under the technical guidance of designated UNDP and WANEP focal points. The assignment will strengthen national capacity for continuous digital media monitoring and analysis, improve access to timely evidence on electoral information risks, and support stronger coordination among the IEC, civil society, media and development partners.

Task Description

Under the direct supervision of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Programme Specialist, Governance, and with technical guidance from the designated UNDP and West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) focal points, the Information Integrity Specialist will:

• Support all aspects of the operationalisation and day-to-day functioning of the UNDP eMonitor+ platform, including maintaining the required in-person presence;
• Undertake social media monitoring, data collection, data cleaning, classification, translation, analysis, and quality assurance, as required;
• Support the receipt, verification, classification, and referral of crowdsourced reports, in close coordination with the eMonitor+ Coordinator;
• Analyse emerging narratives and information risks, including misinformation, disinformation, hate speech, harmful narratives, and online violence against women in politics;
• Prepare concise analytical products, including weekly monitoring and impact reports, to inform strategic communication, civic and voter education, stakeholder engagement, and electoral risk management;
• Support ad hoc information integrity analysis and coordination requests under the guidance of UNDP;
• Attend all mandatory training concerning the eMonitor+ platform and related information integrity functions;
• Support coordination with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), government institutions, civil society organisations, media organisations, women’s and youth organisations, organisations of persons with disabilities, and other project stakeholders;
• Maintain updated activity, deliverable, deadline, and follow-up trackers;
• Document and disseminate lessons learned, good practices, and implementation experience arising from the operation of the eMonitor+ platform;
• Compile relevant performance and impact metrics and support monitoring, evaluation and learning functions under the guidance of the UNDP Programme Specialist, Governance;
• Perform other related duties assigned by the supervisor in support of the effective implementation of the INSPIRE Project.

Competencies and values

Accountability

• Adaptability and flexibility
• Creativity
• Judgement and decision-making
• Planning and organising
• Professionalism
• Self-management

Living conditions and remarks

The duty station is UNDP The Gambia in Banjul. The Volunteer will be based primarily the WANEP office in Fajara and may undertake travel within The Gambia in support of project activities. The Volunteer is expected to comply with UNDP security arrangements and applicable security instructions, demonstrate cultural awareness, and maintain flexibility during periods of intensified electoral activity. As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be esponsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials. As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials. National UN Volunteers are covered by the applicable medical insurance plan.