Background

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work, carried out at HQ, Regional, and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan.

The Effectiveness Group assists UNDP and its partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results-based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working. It seeks to do so by enabling UNDP and others to be more innovative, and knowledge and data-driven by identifying, testing, learning, sharing, and institutionalizing what works. It acts as a hub on quality UNDP programming, all aspects of results-based management and development performance monitoring and analysis, South-South cooperation, and global effectiveness partnerships.

Drawing on the comparative advantages of UNDP in strengthening country capacities to manage and coordinate development cooperation, the Effectiveness Group within the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support coordinates the Secretariat of the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) a coalition of more than ninety members including donor and partner country governments, foundations, multilateral and civil society organizations. IATI seeks to address challenges facing a range of development stakeholders in the sharing and use of information on development cooperation resources. It was launched at the Accra High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness (2008) and since September 2013, UNDP has co-hosted the IATI Secretariat in a Consortium together with UNOPS (which leads on financial management and logistics) and UK-based NGO Development Initiatives (which administers the development of the IATI Standard as well as IATI’s website, tools, and technical support). UNDP leads day-to-day management of the Secretariat and outreach and engagement with IATI stakeholders, and provides substantive support and policy advice to IATI’s governing bodies, including its annual Members’ Assembly and its Governing Board.

In 2019, IATI members approved a Strategic Plan (2020-2025 that lists the strengthening of the IATI community, as well as the initiation of a combination “Working Groups” and “Communities of Practice” model to promote knowledge-sharing and peer-learning around the publishing and use of IATI data, as key priorities. What this means in practice is that IATI would like to build on its existing, but relatively decentralized, community of practitioners to establish a stronger knowledge-sharing infrastructure and technical tools to facilitate access to guidance products, promote interactive online learning opportunities, and support collaboration to strengthen the impact and quality of IATI data worldwide.

As such, IATI, supported by UNDP as Coordinator of the IATI Secretariat and in consultation with DI, has launched a digital community platform, called IATI Connect. This platform provides a tool for community-engagement for several IATI-Communities and helps strengthen the initiative’s impact on improving the transparency of development and humanitarian resources. It is also an important tool for IATI to support community-engagement.

IATI reaches its target audiences through a range of communications channels including through its social media accounts, through its website: iatistandard.org and through regular newsletters. IATI’s Communications manages the production and publication of a range of content including blogs, videos, newsposts, reports, briefings, and guidance materials. IATI Communications also oversees the implementation of IATI’s brand across the initiative’s tools, services and publications.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall supervision of the Outreach and Partnerships Specialist and Communications Specialist, and under the day-to-day guidance of the Knowledge Management and Digital Community Specialist, and working with various team members from within the IATI Secretariat, the ‘IATI Communications and Community-Events intern’ will focus on the following:

IATI Connect / Community-Engagement (30%):

• Build ongoing and relevant content on IATI Connect, and make sure the flow of information between IATI’s communities of practice is streamlined, working closely with colleagues from across the IATI Secretariat. This could include, for example supporting engagement of practitioners through online consultations, surveys and challenges;
• Act as a focal point in the day-to-day management of IATI Connect, its online communities of practice / community-platform of practitioners, including through virtual trouble-shooting, supporting onboarding of new members, synthesis of knowledge / lessons learned, etc.; or facilitating cross-collaboration between communities, etc.;
• Spearhead the drafting of a monthly update in the IATI Newsletter including a monthly video-blog (IATI Connect Stories) with a member from the community. Video-editing / design skills are required to support the creation of digestible knowledge products.
• Help drive active engagement through IATI Connect and its Communities of Practice by, for example, supporting the implementation of IATI’s first online course, or other community-led initiatives.
• Help implement and monitor suggested improvement on IATI Connect, in close consultation with the wider IATI community. 

IATI Community-Events (40%)

• Provide logistical and substantive support to IATI’s (virtual/in-person) community-events in the first half of 2023. Primarily the Members’ Assembly and Community-Event taking place in Copenhagen in March 2023.
• Assist in the coordination of community-led sessions, event-registration, overall logistical support, designing communications products and spearheading a social media campaign for the community-event.  
• Provide support to various IATI events, such as workshops, trainings etc. For example by re-designing presentations, drafting a communications-plan and logistical support;
• Support the overall social media planning and external communications for IATI Events;
• Therefore it is required to have extensive social media experience and graphic design-skills (using tools as InDesign / Photoshop to produce event communications assets, e.g. logo’s, banners);

General IATI Communications (30%)

• In close collaboration with the Communications Specialist assist in drafting and posting content, including news and events on IATI’s website and through IATI’s social media accounts;
• Draft IATI newsletters (using the platform Mailchimp);
• Update IATI Membership contacts on IATI’s CRM (customer relationship management system) and on Mailchimp;
• Design IATI branded publications;

Competencies

• Proven skills in community-building and engagement, with track record in producing (online) knowledge products such as newsletters, blogs etc.;
• Strong service and team-work orientation; evident cultural sensitivity and ability to work in a fast-paced multi-national environment;
• Demonstrated enthusiasm and commitment to learning; and
• Commitment to UNDP vision, mission, and values and knowledge of the UN work environment an advantage.

Required Skills and Experience

Required Skills and Experience:

Eligibility:

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);
• Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent);
• 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.
• be enrolled in a postgraduate professional traineeship program and undertake the internship as part of this program.

Education:

In addition to meeting the requirement above under eligibility, the preferred fields of study for this internship is in development related fields such as economics, public administration, public policy, or international relations/international development studies.

Experience:

Required:

• Demonstrated experience in graphic design and video-production, using tools such as Canva, InDesign, Photoshop to produce event communications assets (e.g. logo’s, banners);
• Demonstrated experience in project and/or event-management, e.g. through logistical support;
• Demonstrated experience with social media and external communications, to raise awareness;
• Strong track record of producing knowledge products (e.g. webinars, blogs, think pieces, discussion papers, etc.) and excellent online research skills;
• Demonstrated experience delivering projects under tight deadlines with competing commitments, especially those including input from multiple stakeholders or groups;

Desirable:

• Previous experience in the development and humanitarian sectors;
• Previous experience building / managing virtual communities and / or platforms;
• Experience working in / with developing countries;

Assets:

• Knowledge of, or direct experience working with transparency of development cooperation data and/or other development cooperation issues;
• Previous experience working with the United Nations or an international initiative.

Language skills:

• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English. Competency in other UN language(s), especially French and / or Spanish, is a strong asset.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE/ HOW TO APPLY: THE APPLICATION SHOULD CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING UPLOADED AS ONE FILE:

1. Current CV
2. Share (or create) a creative example of a promotional communications asset using a graphic design or video-production tool such as Canva, InDesign, Photoshop;

Conditions of internship:

Internships within the UN system are subject to following conditions, which the candidates should familiarise themselves with prior to applying:

• Starting from January 2020 interns will receive stipends according to UN rules and regulations.
• Any further costs associated with the internship must be borne by the nominating institution, related institution or government, which may provide the required financial assistance to its students; or by the student, who will have to obtain financing for subsistence and make his or her arrangements for travel, accommodation and other costs.
• 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.
• Interns are not staff members and may not represent UNDP in any official capacity.
• UNDP only accepts interns for a minimum of 6 weeks and a maximum of 6 months

Selected candidates will be asked to submit the following documents prior to joining:

• A duly completed UNDP Internship Application Form
• A signed UNDP Internship Agreement
• Copy of updated CV/resume
• Official letter from the university confirming current enrolment and graduation date;
• Copy of passport/national ID card;
• A copy of his/her school transcript;
• Letter of endorsement/recommendation from a Professor
• Proof of valid medical/accident insurance including provision for medical evacuation and removal of mortal remains) for the duty station for which they will work.