Background

The link between health sector procurement and the environment (planetary health) are still only partially understood despite the fact that the important role of procurements in influencing the environmental impact of health sector operations is well acknowledged. For example, studies show carbon emissions by national health systems and global health programmes are closely linked to procurements, especially with regards to pharmaceuticals and other health products throughout their life cycle including production, use, and disposal(1, 2, 3).

The UN’s journey towards their operational climate neutrality began officially on 5th June 2007 when UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon publicly called on all UN agencies, funds and programmes to ‘go green’ and become climate neutral. Driven initially by the UN initiative “Greening the Blue” (4), with interest to promote climate neutrality within the UN, the focus was largely on addressing associated greenhouse gas emissions. However, the Sustainable UN facility in collaboration with sustainability focal points in about 60 UN entities and the HLCM procurement network has extended the focus area onto other critically important purchasing categories as well including the focus on resource depletion and eco- and human-toxicity in the procurement in the context of procurements for the health sector.

The informal Interagency Task Team on Sustainable Procurement in the Health Sector (5) (SPHS) was established in May 2012 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Ten SPHS members (UNDP, UNEP, UNFPA, UHNCR, UNICEF, UNOPS, WHO, GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, UNITAID) conduct high volume procurement in the health sector, representing a sizable portion of some segments of the global pharmaceutical and other health products markets. The cumulative purchasing power of SPHS members in the global health aid market is about USD 5 billion annually. The aim of establishing the Task Team was to facilitate and coordinate the introduction of sustainable procurement in the health sector among members and to leverage the standard-setting and joint procurement volumes of member agencies to influence the global health sector (governments and other international development partners) and beyond. Thereby the SPHS Task Team intends to act as driver for transformational change towards greener health systems and inclusive green economies.(6, 7).

Besides the coordination of activities conducted by each member of the SPHS, its members follow a joint roadmap and strategy addressing normative aspects of sustainable procurement, the step-wise introduction of sustainable procurement criteria, the engagement with other purchasers in the global health sector and beyond as catalyst for sustainable procurement in the health sector at large, and the engagement process with suppliers and manufacturers of health commodities. This strategy is summarized in a recently published engagement strategy with the global supplier and manufacturer network of the SPHS, which is based on the vision and route map of the SPHS (8) and makes reference to the UN Supplier Code of Conduct. (9) The overall aim of the strategy is to represent SPHS members’ commitment to work in collaboration with suppliers and manufacturers to introduce green procurement in the global health sector. Through a transparent and inclusive engagement process, and by leveraging their normative and market power, members commit to lowering the environmental impact of their procurement, with a final aim of improving human health and well-being.  

Since inception, the SPHS has been supported and coordinated by a Secretariat administered by UNDP. Internships offer a small group of outstanding graduate-level students the opportunity to acquire direct exposure to UNDP's work. They are designed to complement development-oriented studies with practical experience in various aspects of multilateral technical cooperation but also complement other international studies, including environmental sciences. While the primary objective of this internship is to assist the SPHS Secretariat in administrative and logistical services, the intern will also have the chance to conduct vital in-depth research, support the organization of a global conference and regional working sessions, support the communications activities, as well as support the development of project proposals with a focus on the SPHS mandate.

References: 
(1) http://www.eurasia.undp.org/content/rbec/en/home/library/hiv_aids/rapid-assessment-healthcare-waste-global-fund
(2) http://www.eurasia.undp.org/content/rbec/en/home/library/hiv_aids/Carbon_footprint_UNDP_Global_Fund_health_initiatives_Montenegro_Tajikistan/
(3) http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage/hiv-aids/managing-our-climate-change-risk--an-approach-for-environmental-.html
(4) http://www.greeningtheblue.org/
(5) www.savinglivesustainably.org
(6) https://issuu.com/informal_int_task_team_sphs/docs/sphs-6-pager
(7) https://issuu.com/informal_int_task_team_sphs/docs/sphs_annual_report_2016
(8) https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7mQ_2UCdoL4cDFkcVJBMHRqX28/view
(9) https://www.un.org/Depts/ptd/sites/www.un.org.Depts.ptd/files/files/attachment/page/2014/February%202014/conduct_english.pdf

Duties and Responsibilities

The intern will report to the SPHS Associate Coordinator (Supervisor) and the Regional HHD Team Leader for Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Moreover, the candidate will initiate/assist/monitor and develop the following initiatives; and the planning of regular meetings as well as facilitate knowledge exchange. The intern will be expected to:

• Assist the Supervisor in administrative and logistical support to the SPHS Secretariat (e.g., assist in assisting inter-agency working groups and committees, file documents and compile data);
• Assist the Supervisor in the organization of 1-2 Steering Committee meetings for the SPHS Task Team;
• Assist with the relationship management, including the management of online contacts data bases;
• Organize teleconferences with UN and non-UN members and write minutes;
• Support the preparation of PowerPoint presentations: briefing on SPHS, and other knowledge materials;
• Assist in the landscape analysis of current sustainable and green procurement initiatives undertaken by the SPHS Task Team and the SPHS partners, focusing on thematic areas such as chemicals, energy, medical products, packaging, procurement, resource efficiency, water, waste management;
• Assist in the assessment of companies, organizations, initiatives and any relevant stakeholder for the SPHS initiative, identifying key focus and common areas of interest, entry point strategies and significant information to support the engagement process;
• Assist in the research on green procurement criteria practices in the health sector as well as other sectors;
• Assist with the environmental safeguarding of programmes and project implemented in the region and globally, especially in healthcare waste management and carbon footprint assessment;
• Assist in communicating findings and facilitating knowledge dissemination and exchange among the various interested parties on the SPHS platform www.savinglivesustainably.org;
• Support the overall SPHS communications activities on various communications channels (Twitter, Flickr, SlideShare, YouTube, ISSUU, MailChimp);
• Assist with liaising with expert stakeholders from the academic, scientific, and third-sector community to adapt a methodology for introducing environmental criteria in bidding processes;
• Contribute to the process of writing proposals which will be submitted to diverse institutions, with the aim of obtaining additional funding for activities which fall under the SPHS mandate;

The internship will also span broader aspects related to sustainability in the procurement of goods and services for the health sector. This will be regarding further research into the innovations being carried out globally in this field as well as aspects such as Corporate Social Responsibility. How UN policies and practices for sustainability can promote economic and social development in developing countries rather than pose obstacles to economic growth in emerging markets is also an important area of consideration that the intern will be encouraged to explore.

The outcome of the internship will be enhanced theoretical and practical knowledge with substantive operational engagement with sustainability practices and policies of the Organization. 

Competencies

• Good team worker;
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to multi-task;
• Must be able to work in a multicultural environment and be aware of organizational culture;
• Responsible, responsive, and enthusiastic;
• Be willing to work within the framework of UNDP’s internship policies.
• Required Skills and Experience

Required Skills and Experience

Interns are selected on a competitive basis. The following qualifications are required: 

Education:

• Applicants to the UNDP internship programme must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements: a) be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); b) be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent); or c) have graduated with a university degree (as defined in (a) and (b) above) in a relevant discipline (environmental studies, public health or health and environment, economics, public or business administration) and, if selected, must start the internship within one-year of graduation

Experience:

• Knowledge of sustainable development terminology a strong advantage;
• Should be available 40 hours a week for six months;
• Experience in project writing; resource mobilization; partnership building; experience in event management; communications would be an asset;
• Proficient with managing Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and data bases;
• Solid writing and communications abilities;

Languages:

• Written and spoken proficiency in English is required. Knowledge of French and Spanish is considered an asset;
• Fluency in Arabic, Portuguese, Russian or Eastern European language is an asset. 

Financial Issues:
Internships within the UN system are unpaid and subject to conditions the applicant must get familiar with before signing his/her internship agreement.

The 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, etc.

Application procedure:
The application should contain:

• Brief Cover Letter (in English) stating interest in and qualifications for the post and your availability;
• Current and complete CV in English.

Please combine all your documents into one (1) single PDF document as the system only allows to upload maximum one document. 

Selected candidate must submit following documents:

• Official letter from the University confirming enrollment in a graduate-level degree programme;
• Proof of medical and life/accident insurance valid for the location in which the internship will be carried out. Selected intern must have medical and life insurance.

Conditions:

• UNDP only accepts interns for a minimum of 6 weeks and a maximum of 6 months;
• UNDP accepts no responsibility for costs arising from accidents, illness or death during the internship;
• Interns are not staff members and may not represent UNDP in any official capacity;
• Interns are responsible for arranging for their visa and residence documents, and need to plan for these well in advance;
• The purpose of the internship 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;
• More information available at http://www.eurasia.undp.org/content/rbec/en/home/about_us/jobs/internships/