Background

The Global Centre for Public Service Excellence (GCPSE) in Singapore seeks to enlist 2-3 full-time interns to support the programme of the Centre during the summer academic break. GCPSE interns will be given the opportunity to work on a research subject that complements their academic studies and connects with the thematic focus of the GCPSE through direct practical work assignments. Please see http://bit.ly/GCPSEevidence for details on the GCPSE and our thematic focus. They will also be engaged in the convening hub activities of the Centre which include workshops, conferences, talks and training programmes (http://bit.ly/eventsGCPSE).

 

Duties and Responsibilities

The intern will be responsible for the following:

  • Follow one or several mutually agreed research projects which are aligned with the research agenda of the Centre and in the academic interest of the intern. The topic(s) will be agreed upon before the start of the internship. Each research project would have a final deliverable in the form of one or several knowledge products (e.g. case study, discussion paper, web story, blog post). The final product may be published by GCPSE, if found to be of acceptable quality;
  • Identify sources for high quality research and case studies to strengthen the GCPSE’s evidence building agenda through desk or web-based research;
  • Contribute to GCPSE’s convening activities / events (e.g. internal & external communications, ad-hoc research in response to requests from partners, prepare GCPSE knowledge sharing initiatives, and event management) by the GCPSE team.

 

Conditions:

  • Internships within the UN system are unpaid and subject to conditions with which applicants should become familiar with prior to signing an internship agreement. For information visit?http://bit.ly/2mSRuSN 
  • Costs for work-related local travel will be reimbursed as long as they have been cleared beforehand by the GCPSE Director. Costs for the daily commute are not reimbursable;
  • UNDP accepts no responsibility for the medical and life insurance of the intern or costs arising from accidents and illness incurred during an internship. The Intern must provide proof of enrolment in a health insurance plan;
  • UNDP does not provide assistance with travel and/or housing and the Intern will be responsible for obtaining the necessary visas and arranging travel to and from the duty station where the internship will be performed;
  • The purpose of the Internship Programme is not to lead to further employment within the UN System, but to complement an intern’s studies. Therefore, there should be no expectation of employment at the end of an internship. The Intern will not be eligible to apply for, or be appointed to, any post in UNDP during the period of internship or for the six months immediately following the expiration date thereof;
  • Interns will need to use their own laptop/notebook. A workstation with wireless internet access will be provided at the Centre’s facilities and supervisory support provided by the Centre staff;

 

Once the candidate has been selected, the following additional documents need to be submitted (prior to joining):

  • Letter from the university confirming current enrollment and graduation date;
  • Copy of passport and Singapore visa (or visa status);
  • A copy of his/her school transcript;
  • Proof of medical insurance including provision for medical evacuation and removal of mortal remains or life insurance;
  • A signed?UNDP Internship Agreement.http://www.my.undp.org/content/dam/malaysia/docs/Procurement/UNDP%202015%20Interns%20Application%20Form.doc?download?

Competencies

Candidate should have the following competencies:

  • Self-starter; organized and reliable;
  • Able to multitask and balance multiple responsibilities;
  • Demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and sensitivity to differing opinions and views.

Required Skills and Experience

  • Preferable fields of study are public administration/policy, development studies, political science as well as visual communication /graphic design.

 

Interns are selected on a competitive basis. Applicants to UNDP internships must at the time of application meet one of the following academic requirements:

  • be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher);
  • have graduated with a university degree (as defined in (a) and (b) above) and, if selected, must start the internship within one-year of graduation.

Contrary to UNDP’s general internship policy, the UNDP Global Centre for Public Service Excellence, does not accept applicants who are “enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent)”. Potential candidates for whom this applies may want to review other internship openings at: http://jobs.undp.org.

 

Experience:

  • Experience in the development sector and/or civil service is desirable;
  • Computer literacy in standard office software applications;
  • Experience with social media and graphic design software is an added advantage;
  • Familiar with international development and public service challenges.

 

Languages:

  • Excellent English language skills.

 

Application Process: