Background

UNDP works in about 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion. We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities and build resilience in order to sustain development results.

UNDP is working to strengthen new frameworks for development, disaster risk reduction, and climate change. We support countries' efforts to achieve the new Sustainable Development Goals, which will guide global development priorities through 2030. The key 2030 Agenda principle of leaving no one behind and stamping out inequality is at the core of everything we do.

UNDP focuses on helping countries build and share solutions in three main areas:

• Sustainable development
• Democratic governance and peacebuilding
• Climate and disaster resilience

In all our activities, we encourage the protection of human rights and the empowerment of women, minorities and the poorest and most vulnerable.

INTERNSHIP OFFICE BACKGROUND:

The Accelerator Labs are UNDP’s new way of working in development. The labs will transform our collective approach by introducing new services, backed by evidence and practice, and by accelerating the testing and dissemination of solutions within and across countries. Sense-making, collective intelligence, solutions mapping and experimentation will be part of the new offer from UNDP to governments.

Together with national and global partners, 91 labs serving 115 countries work together to find radically new approaches that fit the complexity of current development challenges. The labs will analyze challenges within local contexts to identify connections and patterns in search of new avenues of work to act effectively in addressing wicked development challenges.

The intern will work with the Accelerator Lab Malaysia on climate change and demographic change in Malaysia, in support of a foresight report being developed on future-ready governance for Malaysia. 

Duties and Responsibilities

For the coming cycle, the primary focus of the AccLab interns is to support the development of a foresight report, on climate change and demographic change in Malaysia, looking toward how these trends will intersect in a variety of social economic arenas and shape governance needs by 2040. Interns will provide support through desktop research, supporting surveys and stakeholder consultations, and communications and publicity for the report. Interns will also support other AccLab and country office activities, events, and programmes as needed.  

Competencies

• Competencies and attitudes:

Interest and motivation in working in an international organization;

Good analytical writing skills;

Strong analytical skills in gathering and consolidating data and research;

Outgoing and proactive, initiative-taking person with a goal-oriented mindset;

Communicates effectively when working in teams and independently;

Good in organizing and structuring various tasks and responsibilities;

Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality, and age sensitivity and adaptability;

Responds positively to feedback and differing points of view;

Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude.

• IT skills:

Knowledge and a proficient user of Microsoft Office productivity tools;

Familiarity with design, mapping, and/or social media tools and platforms is an advantage.

• Language skills:

Malay and English required;

Other major Malaysian languages, e.g., Chinese and Tamil, are an advantage;

Knowledge of other UN languages is an advantage.

Required Skills and Experience

Candidates must meet one of the following educational requirements:

• currently in the final year of a **Bachelor’s degree; or currently enrolled in a **Master’s degree; or
• have graduated no longer than 1 year ago from a bachelor’s or master’s degree or equivalent studies; or
• enrolled in a postgraduate professional traineeship programme and undertake the internship as part of this programme.

**Field of study: All academic backgrounds are welcome, but priority will be given to candidates with interdisciplinary experience, e.g., science and society, social sciences, arts and humanities, policy or equivalent.