Media Monitoring Assistant, Short-Term (multiple post)

Background

Social cohesion remains an important challenge in the Republic of Moldova, influenced by disparities between urban and rural areas, intergenerational differences, and diverse geopolitical and political viewpoints. These factors shape how communities interact and how individuals relate to one another.

Levels of public trust in state institutions, particularly political institutions and the judiciary, remain modest, and perceptions of personal and community security vary. In this context, strengthening both horizontal cohesion (relations among individuals and groups) and vertical cohesion (trust between people and public institutions) is essential for fostering inclusive governance, institutional credibility, and long-term societal resilience.

In response, UNDP has piloted a range of initiatives focused on social tension monitoring, community dialogue, intergenerational exchange, and youth engagement. These interventions have generated evidence, strengthened local capacities, and identified practical approaches that foster constructive engagement and enhance community resilience.

Building on these experiences, UNDP is initiating a scaled-up phase (SCPI-II) to consolidate and extend previous interventions. The project will reinforce monitoring mechanisms, expand capacity-building on mediation and social cohesion methodologies, and further institutionalize data-driven tools. It will also strengthen participatory mechanisms, including Social Cohesion Pledges integrated into local strategies and budgets, while promoting scalable models for community participation, intergenerational collaboration, and cross-regional dialogue.

The project addresses vertical cohesion by supporting more responsive, inclusive, and evidence-informed public institutions, and horizontal cohesion by strengthening relationships among individuals and communities through cross-regional civil society initiatives.
To achieve this, the use of the eMonitor+ system represents a hybrid approach combining artificial intelligence capabilities with human expertise and oversight for monitoring mainstream and social media content. The platform screens content from traditional media and social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, X and other sources) based on keywords linked to civic contentiousness, requiring expert human monitors to provide contextual analysis, quality assurance, and culturally appropriate interpretation of AI-generated findings.

The monitoring will focus on three primary areas: Intergroup Cohesion (hate speech and identity-based violence), Disinformation and Manipulation and Institutional Trust and Democratic Resilience, aligned with STMM indicators and national priorities.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Media Monitoring Assistants will ensure the accurate validation of AI-flagged content, as well as robust data management and comprehensive reporting on emerging social tensions.

The specific duties and responsibilities of the Media Monitoring Assistants during the assignment will include, but not be limited to, the following:

Digital Media Monitoring and Content Validation

• Monitor digital media platforms (Facebook, X, YouTube, news websites, blogs and other sources) using the eMonitor+ platform, screening for content linked to civic contentiousness and social tensions.
• Manually review flagged content identified by AI-based classifiers, applying cultural and linguistic competencies to ensure AI-generated categorizations accurately reflect local context, slang and cultural nuances.
• Identify, tag and classify flagged content into the project's primary focus areas, including: misinformation and disinformation; hate speech, incitement and identity-based violence; political polarization and institutional trust erosion; and online violence against women, journalists and marginalized groups.
• Monitor and flag emerging social tensions, coordinated disinformation campaigns or novel hate speech terminology that the AI may not yet recognize.
• Provide continuous feedback to the team regarding the AI's accuracy (e.g., identifying false positives and negatives) to help calibrate and improve the eMonitor+ machine learning models.
• Contribute to the regular review and refinement of monitoring methodology and keyword dictionaries to ensure they reflect the rapidly evolving socio-political and media landscape.

Data Classification, Management and Quality Control

• Classify content according to UNDP-defined coding frameworks, ensuring accuracy, neutrality and consistency across all analysis.
• Manually analyse large volumes of media content on a regular basis, meeting monthly targets as defined by the project team.
• Provide day-to-day support to UNDP in consolidating and organizing existing data sources, using common categories and formats to improve consistency in reporting.
• Maintain secure, organized and accessible digital archives and datasets within eMonitor+, ensuring strict compliance with data privacy and protection guidelines.

Analysis and Reporting Support

• Assist in drafting regular analytical reports, compiling media monitoring findings, highlighting key trends in disinformation, hate speech and social tensions, and providing insights to inform UNDP's social cohesion interventions and community dialogue initiatives.
• Contribute inputs to internal monitoring briefs and analytical summaries, and support the preparation of weekly or ad hoc situation reports.
• Flag emerging trends and risks related to the information environment to the project team in a timely manner.
• Assist in visualizing findings via dashboards and summary tables to support evidence-informed decision-making.

Knowledge Sharing and Coordination

• Document lessons learned, operational challenges and best practices encountered during the monitoring process to contribute to the project's institutional knowledge.
• Participate in internal exchanges to continuously enhance the project team's capacities in media literacy, digital monitoring methodologies and the intersection of media and social cohesion.
• Coordinate with UNDP staff, national institutions and civil society partners as required, upholding UNDP principles of political neutrality, data protection and freedom of expression.
• Perform other related tasks as assigned by the supervisor.

Institutional Arrangements

The Media Monitoring Assistants will work under the direct supervision of the Project Manager and in close collaboration with the project team. The incumbents will coordinate regularly with project staff responsible for social cohesion analysis, monitoring and evaluation, communications, and knowledge management to ensure the consistency, quality, and timely delivery of media monitoring outputs and reports.

The Media Monitoring Assistants will support the implementation of the project's digital monitoring activities through the eMonitor+ platform, contributing to data validation, quality assurance, analysis, and reporting. The incumbents will maintain effective working relationships with relevant UNDP personnel, implementing partners, national institutions, civil society organizations, and technical experts, as required for the successful implementation of project activities.

Throughout the assignment, the Media Monitoring Assistants are expected to exercise full compliance with UNDP programming, financial, procurement, administrative, and operational policies and procedures, as well as applicable standards related to data protection, confidentiality, impartiality, and ethical conduct. The incumbents will contribute to knowledge sharing and continuous improvement processes, ensuring that lessons learned and emerging trends identified through media monitoring are effectively communicated to the project team.

Competencies

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 Management - Working with Evidence and Data:

• Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions.

Business Management - Digital Awareness and Literacy:

• Knowledge of the usage of digital technologies and emerging trends.
• Ability and inclination to rapidly adopt new technologies, either through skillfully grasping their usage or through understanding their impact.

Business Management - Communication:

• Ability to communicate in a clear, concise, and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience.
• Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels.

Communications - Writing and Editing:

• Ability to create and/or edit written content in different UN languages.

Digital - Data Collection:

• Being skilled in Data Sorting, Data Cleaning, Survey Administration, Presentation and Reporting including collection of Real-Time Data.

Digital - Misinformation:

• Knowledge of how misinformation works, understanding of the opportunities and challenges for governments and society.

2030 Agenda: People - Gender:

• Communication and Advocacy for Gender Equality

Required Skills and Experience

Minimum education requirements:

• Secondary education is required, or
• University Degree (Bachelor's) in Journalism, Communication, Public Relations, Sociology, International Relations, or another relevant field is required, or an equivalent field will be given due consideration.

Minimum years of relevant work experience:

• Minimum of 5 years (with high school diploma) or 2 years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible communication support or social media monitoring experience is required.

Required skills:

• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc) including data organization, data analysis and reporting.

Desired skills:

• Experience or demonstrated interest in human rights, social cohesion, prevention of hate speech and harmful online content, countering disinformation, or analysis of social tensions and grievances, including through academic studies, research, volunteering, or professional experience.
• Experience or strong interest in media monitoring, fact-checking, content moderation, journalism or digital rights.
• Proven experience in a similar position at UN Agencies or other development partners will be an asset;
• Experience in development assistance or related work for a development organization, consulting company, or NGO will be an asset.

Required Languages:

• Fluency in English, Romanian and Russian.
• Working knowledge of one or more minority languages relevant for Moldova, including Romani, Gagauzian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian and sign language, would be an asset.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Use of AI by candidates

Applicants are invited to read UNDP’s guidance for candidates on using AI responsibly in UNDP recruitment and selection

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