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 spans from local knowledge to global perspectives and advocacy.

The Crisis Bureau (CB) is galvanizing UNDP’s efforts to support countries to build resilience by strengthening capacities to anticipate, prevent, respond to, and recover from the impacts of crises and shocks on progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These efforts are geared towards reducing countries’ reliance on external humanitarian relief and peace interventions, while risk-informing development planning and decision-making to minimize creation of new risks. UNDP seeks to ensure that development perspectives are introduced as early as possible in response and recovery cycles, including approaching recovery as an opportunity to reset development practices onto more resilient, green and equitable pathways.

In 2023, an estimated 339 million people will be in need of humanitarian assistance with funding requirements reaching an unprecedented 51,5 billion USD[RL1] . Over the past 10 years, this number has increased four-fold. People in fragile countries are living through a perpetual state of crisis, where conflicts remain unresolved, climate-related disaster events are more frequent, food insecurity is unprecedented, displacements are on the rise, and COVID-19 has reversed hard-won development gains. Humanitarian appeals are consistently underfunded and unable to address increasing needs – yet they continue to grow, and response patterns remain largely unchanged. It has been three years since the OECD-DAC passed its Recommendation on the Humanitarian-Development-Peace-Nexus and there is increasing urgency in ensuring that the principals of the Recommendation are translated into practical programmatic actions to scale-up and accelerate nexus approaches and break the cycle of crises through more coherent, complementary and effective humanitarian, development and peace actions.

Since September 2021, UNDP has been entrusted by UN agencies and DAC donors to conceive, build and run the Nexus Academy - a multi-stakeholder live training platform, bringing together humanitarians, development, and peace actors. Powered by the Crisis Academy, the training includes 7 modules, with more than 150 different learning materials and resources, including lessons learned, case studies and a fictional practical exercise. As a unique ‘common good’, it aims at forging a common understanding of the HDP Nexus approach and ensuring that organisations and people have the knowledge, skills and capacities to translate these approaches into practical actions.

Participants not only benefit from gaining up-to-date skills on how to operationalize the HDP nexus approach at global, regional and field level, but are also exposed to a strong roster of experts from across the HDP field, as well as UN, donor, government, academia and NGO leaders who explain the utmost importance of the HDP nexus approach.

Under the overall supervision of the Nexus Academy Manager, and in support of the Nexus Academy team, the intern will have the following duties and responsibilities.

1. Assist in all activities related to the preparation, rollout and follow up of/from the nexus academy trainings

• Provide substantive inputs into the overall curriculum of the Nexus Academy;
• Contribute to the shaping of the training modules from a learning perspective;
• Liaising with resource people, expert speakers to ensure participation;
• Providing technical support to all course participants in accessing the Nexus Academy resources (including the Nexus Academy campus) and ensuring their smooth participation in the training modules;
• Liaise with experts on the HDP Nexus about their involvement with the Academy and seek new opportunities;
• Provide technical support on the delivery of the modules including the use of online tools such as Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, Zoom, Mural, Slido;
• Contribute to the collection and design of training materials and exercises;
• Compile and analyze the post-module and post-training surveys to ensure that main points are captured for relaying to the Crisis Academy and Nexus Academy Steering Committee.

2. Facilitate the engagement and mobilization of the Nexus Academy community

• Support the management the online platform (the Nexus Academy classroom), ensuring that course materials for each module is ready for the delivery as per the developed learning methodology;
• Assist in identifying gaps in nexus-related reports, evaluations, studies, case studies, project documents, academic papers that need to be collected and put to the disposal of the Nexus Academy classroom;
• Assist in engaging with the Nexus Academy community, on Microsoft Teams and the Sharepoint platform – including through supporting the Open Houses on nexus topics;
• Assist in the Nexus Academy’s social media presence on Twitter, Linkedin and internal communication products.

 Technical / Functional Competencies:

• Strong analytical aptitude, communication and presentation skills
• Good research skills and ability to consolidate and present large amounts of information in concise fashion
• Solid organizational, time management skills and ability to meet tight deadlines
• Strong interpersonal skills

Personal Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to receive / integrate feedback
• Works collaboratively with team members by sharing information openly and displaying cultural awareness and sensitivity
• Establishes, builds and sustains effective relationships within the work unit and with internal and external partners
• Positive and results-oriented attitude

Education:

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

(a) Be enrolled in a postgraduate degree programme (such as a master’s programme, or higher);

(b) Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (such as

bachelor’s degree or equivalent);

(c) 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;

(d) Be enrolled in a postgraduate professional traineeship program and undertake the internship as part of this program.

Field of study: All academic backgrounds welcome, but priority will be given to candidates with Social Sciences, International Relations, Development Economics, Political Science, Communications, or related field or equivalent.

Work Experience & Desired Skillset:

• Practical experience in supporting the organization and delivering of virtual and/or in-person trainings with various stakeholders is desirable;
• Experience using computer and MS Office skills, as well as skills in online communication tools (e.g. Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, Zoom, Mural, Slido);
• Demonstrated knowledge of and/or experience with basic concepts of international aid - in the fields of humanitarian, development and peacebuilding strategies, processes and structures;
• Experience in knowledge management practices, especially online and/or live knowledge management portals;
• Demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which includes willingness to try and understand and be tolerant to differing opinions and views.

Language skills:

• Fluency in written and spoken English required. Fluency in French is desirable.
• Knowledge of other UN languages is an asset.

 Conditions of the Internship:

• Interns may be given a stipend according to the UNDP Internship Policies, if is not financially supported by any institution or programme, such as a university, government, foundation, or scholarship programme;
• Interns, whether engaged in-person or remotely, are responsible for securing adequate medical insurance for the duration of their internship with UNDP and must provide self-certification 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;
• In cases when the intern is expected to travel to the duty station, the intern is responsible for obtaining necessary visas and arranging travel to and from the duty station where the internship will be performed;
• Interns are not eligible to apply for, or be appointed to, any post in UNDP during the period of the internship;
• Interns are not staff members and may not represent UNDP in any official capacity;
• The purpose of the Internship Programme is not to lead to further employment with UNDP but to complement an intern’s studies. Therefore, there should be no expectation of employment at the end of an internship;
• The intern will be evaluated at the end of the contract and due recognition of work will be issued in writing.

In case an applicant is successfully selected, s/he will be requested to provide electronic versions of the following documents upon selection:

• Copy of the applicant’s most recent resume or curriculum vitae;
• Letter from his/her university confirming current enrolment and graduation date;
• Letter of recommendation from a professor;
• Copy of his/her school transcript;
• Copy of passport;
• Completed UNDP internship application form;
• Signed UNDP Internship Agreement;
• Medical Certificate of Good Health;
• Proof of medical insurance.

Application process:

• In your application, please (i) state in one paragraph why you would like to be considered for the internship, and (ii) indicate your preferred start and end date, as well as your availability timeframe in 2023;
• Submit your CV/Resume.

Please combine the above into one single PDF document as the system only allows to upload one document.

Only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.