Background

Purpose

To support the work of the Resilient Development Cluster, particularly the ‘EU for Civil Protection and Disaster Resilience Strengthening in the Republic of Serbia’ Project team.

Objective

To contribute to results oriented, effective and efficient implementation of activities within EU for Civil Protection and Disaster Resilience Strengthening in the Republic of Serbia Project. 

Background Information

Disaster affect Serbia’s economic and environmental standing, diminish the country’s development potential, pose a risk to social stability, and jeopardize EU investments. The effectiveness of the disaster risk management system relies on the adequate human, physical, and financial capacities for planning, preparation, responding, and post-disaster recovery, as well as on proper vertical and horizontal coordination between all the relevant institutions.  
Global Crisis Severity Index with an average score of 3.5 places Serbia in the group of medium-risk and rather stable countries. Although the applied INFORM methodology assesses Serbian vulnerability as moderately low, it still recognizes institutional and governance shortcomings (scored with 5.2) and DRR (5.7) as having undermining impact on the overall coping capacity. The critical problem of the Serbian Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Management System is the fragmentation of the institutional framework, procedures, and insufficient capacities at the central and local level for adequate prevention, preparation, and response to disaster risk needs of the communities and population.
To support national authorities in addressing above mention challenges, the EU Delegation to the Republic of Serbia entrusted UNDP with implementation of the ‘EU for Civil Protection and Disaster Resilience Strengthening in the Republic of Serbia’ Project. Implementation period of the Project, designed to reduce vulnerability to disasters and increase the country’s resilience to climate change and to put in place the capacities for emergency management and disaster risk reduction, is March 2020 – March 2024.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall guidance of the UNDP Project Manager, the Intern will perform the following tasks:

• Provide operational support to the activities under the Project, including logistic and administrative support to trainings, workshops, conferences and other events;  
• Attend in-country conferences and events, help with their preparation, ensure invitations sending, logistical organisation, etc.
• Provide support to communication activities, related to current projects and new emerging initiatives;
• Assist in generating written content for communication materials and digital platforms;
• Assist in liaising with vendors to coordinate work and facilitate timely delivery of expected outputs;
• Establish and maintain filing system, incoming and outgoing correspondence;
• Perform any other duties within the scope of the Project, as required.

Competencies

• Analytical, writing, editing and verbal skills for communicating with broad and diverse stakeholders in Serbian and English;
• Ability to identify and use in a creative way content that has good potential for sharing and community engagement; 
• Capability to use platform built-in analytical tools for reporting on traffic and engagement;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Evidence of ability to express ideas clearly; to work independently and in teams; 
• Excellent information technology skills, including word processing, database applications, presentation software, and internet;
• Excellent organizational skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Applicants to the UNDP internship programme must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements:

• Be enrolled in a postgraduate degree programme (such as a master’s programme, or higher);
• Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (such as bachelor’s degree or equivalent);
• Have recently graduated with a university degree (as defined in (a) and (b) above) and, if selected, must start the internship within one-year of graduation;
• Be enrolled in a postgraduate professional traineeship program and undertake the internship as part of this program.

Field of study: law, economics, management, political science, media studies and other social sciences or other relevant fields.

Familiarity with digital platforms for business purposes, content management and community engagement will be considered as an asset. 

Language requirement:

• Excellent knowledge of written and oral English and Serbian. 

Internship Conditions

Status

Interns are not considered as having the status of a staff member. During the internship with UNDP, interns are subject to the Regulations Governing the Status, Basic Rights and Duties of Officials other than Secretariat Officials, and Experts on Mission (ST/SGB/2002/9). 

Interns must not represent UNDP in any official capacity or commit resources on its behalf. 

Duration

The normal duration of internship is no less than six weeks and no more than six months. Internship assignments are available on a part-time and full-time basis throughout the year, depending on the availability of meaningful assignments and the needs and capacity of offices to receive and supervise interns.

The envisaged duration of this Internship is 6 months, 50% part-time. 

Medical Insurance

Interns are responsible for securing adequate medical insurance for the duration of their internship with UNDP and must provide a medical certificate of good health prior to starting the internship. UNDP will not reimburse the medical insurance of the intern. Any costs arising from accidents and illness incurred during an internship assignment will be the responsibility of the intern.

Expenses

Where an intern is not financially supported by any institution or programme, such as a university, government, foundation or scholarship programme, a stipend intended to help cover basic daily expenses related to the internship, such as meals and transportation at the duty station, will be paid by the receiving office.

Subsequent Employment

There is no expectation of employment with UNDP following an internship.

Termination 

The internship can be terminated by either UNDP or the intern for any reason upon giving two weeks’ notice. 

Responsibilities and obligations of the office and the supervisor:

The receiving office and supervisors must create a working environment conducive to interns’ substantive learning and professional development. 

Offices must:

(a) Ensure that an intern’s assignment is at the appropriate level of complexity and variety;

(b) Ensure proper supervision of the intern;

(c)Ensure that the intern is informed of UN’s policy on Harassment, Sexual Harassment, Discrimination and Abuse of Authority and Sexual Exploitation and Abuse

(d) Prepare terms of reference describing the tasks of interns in the office; and

(e) Provide constructive feedback to the intern regarding their performance.

The shortlisted applicants will be required to submit the following documentation: 

• Copy of his/her most recent resume or curriculum vitae.
• Letter from his/her university confirming current enrolment and graduation date or copy of diploma if already graduated.
• Copy of his/her school transcript.
• Endorsement letter or letter of reference in English language from a faculty member.

The successful candidate will be asked to provide, prior to commencing work, the following documentation:

• A signed UNDP Internship Agreement.
• Medical Certificate of Good Health.
• Proof of medical insurance valid for Serbia throughout the duration of the Internship.

Applications not in accordance with the mandatory requirements will NOT be considered.

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.