Information Integrity Analyst

This United Nations Volunteers assignment is based in the United Nations Information Centre Dakar (UNIC Dakar) within the Department of Global Communications. UNIC Dakar is part of the global network of United Nations Information Centres, which serve as the principal source of information about the United Nations system at country and regional level. UNIC Dakar covers Senegal, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania. It disseminates United Nations information materials in English and French, engages local and regional partners, and promotes public understanding of and support for the aims and activities of the United Nations.

This assignment supports UNIC Dakar’s work on information integrity through a 3R approach: Research, Risk assessment and Response. The role is intended to strengthen early warning, structured monitoring, analytical reporting and practical response support related to false narratives and other information risks and threats affecting the operational space, staff safety, partnerships and credibility of the United Nations in West Africa, particularly in higher-risk information environments such as Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, as well as other contexts as required. The UN Volunteer will be based in Dakar and will report to the Director of UNIC Dakar. The incumbent will work in close coordination with Resident Coordinator Offices, United Nations Communications Groups, relevant regional and Headquarters focal points, and especially with the Information Integrity Unit in New York under the Office of the Under-Secretary-General for the Department of Global Communications, under the overall guidance of the Senior Adviser on Information Integrity and in close day-to-day collaboration with its team members. This UN Volunteer assignment contributes to strengthening evidence-based internal decision-making, crisis communications readiness and practical support to the United Nations system in addressing information risks and threats in West Africa.

Under the direct supervision of the Director of UNIC Dakar, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks: •Conduct systematic monitoring and analytical, solutions-oriented research of relevant information environments in West Africa, particularly in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, and in other contexts as required, in order to identify false narratives, emerging risks and operational implications for the United Nations, and assess practical response options, mitigation measures and communication approaches. •Design, maintain and refine keyword libraries, Boolean search strings, monitoring routines, taxonomies and alerting logic using available tools and platform-native search functions. •Apply open-source methods and digital verification techniques to assess publicly available information and support analytical findings, including source triangulation, reverse image checks, basic video verification, timeline validation and cross-platform comparison. •Maintain regular coordination with the Information Integrity Unit in New York, including on analytical priorities, methodological consistency, escalation issues and alignment of outputs with broader information integrity objectives. •Produce concise analytical outputs for internal decision support, including weekly trend snapshots, rapid alerts, incident briefs, background notes and periodic risk assessments for leadership and coordination mechanisms. •Prepare and submit a final project report for year-end, capturing key trends, risks, findings from the solutions-research component, lessons learned and practical recommendations. •Identify observable indicators of coordination, manipulation or deceptive behavior, including repeated copy-paste messaging, synchronized posting, recycled creative assets, impersonation, misuse of UN identity and cross-platform amplification. •Maintain structured internal records through incident logs and related datasets, including coding systems and tagging protocols according to internal guidelines and the broader 3R methodology, in order to support consistent analysis and decision-making. •Support crisis communications readiness and response by contributing rapid analytical briefings, internal background notes, proposed lines and evidence-based inputs for review, in line with established clearance protocols. •Support onboarding and capacity strengthening by adapting and applying existing guidance and training materials, including the draft manual on data collection, coding and use of the 3R approach, for local and regional operational use as appropriate. •Review, edit and synthesize multiple analytical inputs or draft reports into coherent, leadership-ready outputs with a clear, factual and non-escalatory tone. •Ensure the highest standards of research quality, including accuracy, disciplined documentation and careful handling of sensitive information in compliance with internal guidance. •Keep abreast of evolving information threats, online behaviors and good practices relevant to multilateral communications and information integrity. •Perform other duties as assigned. Expected deliverables: •A structured monitoring framework, including priority issues, keyword libraries, coding approach, incident log and reporting templates. •Regular analytical outputs, including weekly snapshots, alerts, incident briefs and periodic risk notes. •A maintained incident log and supporting dataset in line with agreed coding and documentation standards. •Practical guidance and onboarding support drawing on the 3R manual and related tools. •Solutions-research inputs identifying practical mitigation measures, response approaches and lessons learned. •A final analytical report for year-end, including trends, risks, solutions-research findings and recommendations. •An end-of-assignment handover package, including updated tools, methods, templates and continuity recommendations.