Background

Instructions to Applicants: Click on the "Apply now" button. Input your information in the appropriate Sections: personal information, language proficiency, education, resume and motivation. Upon completion of the first page, please hit "submit application" tab at the end of the page. Please ensure that CV and the Cover letter are combined in one file.

The following documents shall be required from the applicants:

CV, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate..

A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.

The internship assignment can be home-based or office-based; full-time (40 hours a week)  or part-time (20 hours a week). The final decision will be taken once the selection process is complete.

Background information:

Present in 166 countries and territories, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) supports governments in developing strong policies, institutions, and partnerships to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s Sustainable Finance Hub (SFH) was established to aggregate UNDP’s work and expertise on SDG financing and to offer a comprehensive package of tools and support that enables governments, the private sector, philanthropy, and international financial institutions to accelerate financing for the SDGs.

Public and private stakeholders around the world are collaborating with UNDP to help address the challenges of sustainable development financing, and develop robust, holistic approaches to financing in a complex world affected by recovery from economic, geopolitical and climate crisises. UNDPs Sustainable Finance Hub (SFH) expertise and offerings help governments to deepen the integration between national planning and financing policies, mobilize new resources and promote greater sustainable development impact from a range of public and private financing.

UNDP’s Strategic Plan 2022-2025 identifies development financing as an enabler to scale up development impact and calls on partners to join UNDP in its $1 trillion ‘Moonshot’ target to help mobilise game-changing public and private sector resources towards the SDGs. To take sustainable finance to required scale and collectively achieve $1 trillion of public expenditure and private capital in the SDGs, UNDP is working across its Global Policy Network (GPN) and building its expertise and capacities of Country Offices and Regional Bureaus so that they can offer and tailor SFH products and services to clients supported by an internal community of practice and experts, and an external group of experts.

Further, as part of its role as SDG Integrator, UNDP is committed to promoting partnerships to develop SDG finance capacities of all stakeholders, including governments as UNDPs key client, and the private sector to collectively design and implement finance instruments and reforms at the country levels. To develop these skills, share knowledge and provide expertise, which lead to the generation of such engagements with partners to scale SDG finance, UNDP has established the SDG Finance Academy.

To scale and expand the reach of the SDG Finance Academy’s technical skill offering to UNDP country offices, and public and private partners. The Academy delivers in-person training and self directed e-learning on sustainable finance in the areas of public finance, unlocking private capital, impact management and finance tracking, and financing strategies.

Being a part of the Sustainable Finance Hub Team, the Sustainable Finance Capacities Intern will support the SDG Finance Academy to provide training and share knowledge which supports colleagues internally at UNDP and externally in the public and private sectors to shape policy reforms and design financial instruments to solve development challenges and contribute to the trillion dollar moonshot. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall supervision of the SFH Sustainable Finance Capacities & Partnerships Specialist, the Sustainable Finance Capacities Intern will be responsible for supporting the ongoing implementation of the SDG Finance Academy for SFH, in collaboration with SFH staff and other team members across UNDP, private and public sectors:

Supporting training and knowledge:

  • Supporting the planning, development and delivery of SDG Finance Academy training events
  • Supporting the ongoing development and delivery of the SDG Finance Academy e-Learning programme including coordinating the translation of course materials with regional staff and maintaining the sustainable finance glossaries and resource links
  • Supporting the coordination of information exchange among trainers and participants through digital platforms
  • Supporting the dissemination of knowledge shared at training events via the Intranet and Viva Engage

Supporting knowledge sharing, communities of practice, and communications

  • Supporting the creation of intranet sites, Teams Channels, SharePoint Folders and material kits (including slide decks, promotional materials, follow up materials) for recurring training events
  • Work with the team members to support communications planning to promote the knowledge products and activities across social media, email (regular and ad-hoc newsletters) and events
  • Assisting the creation of communications products such as social media posts, videos, blog posts, flyers etc.   
  • Assisting with maintaining contact lists, outreach to practitioners, and eliciting feedback through surveys, interviews and direct meetings

Supporting the SDG Finance roster development and implementation

  • Supporting the pilot testing of the SDG-Finance roster process in two regions
  • Supporting the annual call to roster processes including: longlisting and shortlisting, administration, liaison with technical experts, maintaining accurate files and records, uploading and updating roster member details where necessary.
  • Helping create an initial online repository of resources for experts that deploy on assignment including knowledge management tools, links to learning products, tools that support expert assignments.
  • Working closely with the relevant staff in consolidating lessons learnt and testimonials, feedback from experts in format that can be made available for wide dissemination and learning

Supporting the SDG Finance Academy results framework/KPIs tracking and reporting

  • Regularly compiling, analysing and sharing findings from SDG Finance Academy pre and post training surveys and tracking training demands etc. with the team to ensure the Academy is responding to audience needs
  • Maintaining an up to date training calendar, and ensuring data on Academy participation is collected and maintained regularly, then analysed and shared with the team
  • Supporting the development and implementation of a system in conjunction with ROAR nd and the trillion dollar moonshot for tracking SDG Finance Academy KPIs
  • Supporting the collection of knowledge and insights from activities at the country level.

Undertaking any other substantive tasks necessary for the implementation of the responsibilities of the SDG Finance Academy as required.

Institutional Arrangement

The Sustainable Finance Capacities Intern will work under the direct supervision of the SFH Sustainable Finance Capacities & Partnerships Specialist and in close collaboration with other SFH team members, Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, Bureau for External Relations and Advocacy colleagues, globally, regionally, and at the country level.

 

Competencies

Functional

  • Self-starter, proven ability to work independently and in an entrepreneurial setting.
  • Strong motivation and ability to work and deliver under pressure and short deadlines.
  • Good interpersonal skills, innovative, creative and ability to coordinate well with UNDP partner agencies.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft 365 applications, especially Excel and PowerPoint.
  • Promotes a knowledge sharing and learning culture in and outside UNDP.

Core

  • Demonstrates and promotes the highest standard of integrity, impartiality, fairness and incorruptibility in all matters affecting his/her work and status
  • Shows interpersonal skills and works collaboratively in small and large multi-cultural teams with colleagues inside UN/UNDP as well as its partners and other stakeholders to pursue common goals
  • Delivers verbal/written information in a timely, clear, organized and easily understood manner.
  • Remains calm, composed and patient, regardless of his/her own state of mind in the face of conflict.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications

 A university degree related to international development, international relations, economics, political affairs, knowledge management, project management, or sustainable finance is required.

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) in international development, international relations, economics, political affairs, knowledge management, project management, or sustainable finance
  • Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (such as bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in international development, international relations, economics, political affairs, knowledge management, project management, or sustainable financeor
  • Have recently graduated with a university degree as defined above and, if selected, must start the internship within one-year of graduation.
  • Be enrolled in a postgraduate professional traineeship program in international development, international relations, economics, political affairs, knowledge management, project management, or sustainable finance and undertake the internship as part of this program.

Skills & Experiences

  • Demonstrated interest in SDG financing, financing for development, SDG-aligned investing, or sustainable development required
  • Understanding and interest in capacity development and knowledge sharing/management required
  • Concise writing skills required
  • Strong computer application (Microsoft Office Suite) user skills required
  • Completion of the SDG Finance Academy E-Leaning Programme preferred
  • Experienced in collecting and analsying data and using for outputs to share impact stories

Language:

  • Fluency in written and spoken English required.
  • Working knowledge of another UN additional language is an asset.