UNDP Jobs - 84513- Project Support Intern

Project Support Intern

Location :

Tbilisi and Batumi, GEORGIA

Type of Contract :

Internship

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

15-Apr-19 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

Intern

Duration of Initial Contract :

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

six months, with possible extension to up to nine months

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

The signing of the Association Agreement (AA) with the EU in June 2014 (http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-14-430_en.htm) earmarked a new stage of cooperation between EU and Georgia. The AA aims to deepen political and economic relations between the EU and Georgia and to gradually integrate Georgia into the EU’s internal market. This entails, as one element, creating a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area between the EU and Georgia.

Article 333 of the Association Agreement (Cooperation between the Parties in the field of agriculture and rural development) provides with the clauses on facilitating the mutual understanding of agricultural and rural development policies. Article 332 of the Association Agreement states that the “Parties shall cooperate to promote agricultural and rural development, in particular through progressive convergence of policies and legislation”. A National Rural Development Strategy elaboration process has been supported by FAO and UNDP and with UNDP’s support to the Ajara Autonomous Republic of Georgia within the framework of EU supported ENPARD. The government of Georgia approved the first-ever National Rural Development Strategy (Programme) in December 20016, which provided the country’s vision for the coming years (2017-2020) in key areas of rural development – growth and diversification of local economies, improvement of social and public services, increase of employment and sustainable use of national resources.

The strategy represents a new approach to rural development in Georgia grounded on the European Union practice and the EU MS knowledge and experience in this field.

The goal of the Rural Development Strategy for Georgia 2017-2020 is to support Georgia’s sustainable economic development through enhanced social-economic activities in rural areas and improved living condition of the rural population. It provides the country’s vision for 2017-2020 in key areas of rural development – growth and diversification of local economies, improvement of social and public services, sustainable use of national resources and local engagement in the development process.

With the objective to support multi-stakeholder dialogue and cooperation among government and non-government actors, there is a formal consultation process that seeks to take broad stakeholder voices in the delivery of Rural Development Strategy. It is expected that participatory planning will continue to be used as a mechanism for civic activation and inclusive decision-making.

The adoption of the national strategy was followed by the establishment of an Inter-Agency Coordination Council (hereinafter referred to as IACC) for Rural Development which is led by the Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture of Georgia. The Ajara Rural Development Strategy approved by the Government of Autonomous Republic (A.R.) was followed by the establishment of the Rural Development Council of Ajara (hereinafter referred to as RDC) which is chaired by the head of A.R. Government.

Both Councils coordinate the implementation of rural development policies and promote cooperation and coordination between and among its members. The membership of IACC and RDC involves representatives from various state agencies/line ministries, grouped under the 3 pillars of the Rural Development Strategy: economic, environment and social. Thematic Working Groups were established to contribute to advances in knowledge about rural development and enable the Strategy and respective Action Plans to become more effective in terms of delivering sustainable rural development outcomes.

Due to structural and functional reorganization of the Government of Georgia, announced in November 2017 and implemented in December 2017, followed by the second wave of Government reshuffle announced by the newly-appointed Prime-Minister in June 2018 and finalized in September 2018 (changes in the Law of Georgia on the Structure, Authority and Rules of Operation of the Government of Georgia), the composition of the Inter-Agency Coordination Council (IACC) changed. Also, the counterpart Ministry was affected. The environment component of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Recourses Protection has been merged with the Ministry of Agriculture to form the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture (MEPA). This change resulted in challenges in terms of reconstituting institutional arrangements and functional distribution, but the change also facilitates the cooperation with MEPA in relation to the implementation of the environmental component of the project Improving Rural Development in Georgia (IRDG) under the EU ENPARD III programme.

UNDP project “Improving Rural Development in Georgia” (IRDG) under EU-funded ENPARD III has at its core a cross-cutting capacity development component for public sector agencies and officials involved in laying down the general policy framework of the rural development of Georgia as well as for all structural units involved in formulating and implementing rural development actions (measures); the successful implementation of the rural development policy in Georgia requires technical support to national agencies and relevant frontline departments in increasing effectiveness, efficiency and performance of the RD policy/strengthening the strategic approach; ensuring better coordination and complementarity with other policy areas; enhancing RD policy potential to better address specific development needs of rural areas; making RD intervention logic more user friendly and supportive for beneficiaries; and facilitating the movement of Labour out of agriculture to sectors with higher productivity.

(Please, see more in details: http://www.ge.undp.org/content/georgia/en/home/projects/ENPARD-3)

Duties and Responsibilities

The intern will assist the IRDG team in the continued implementation of ongoing initiatives and interventions.

Specifically, the intern will:

Provide background research on relevant issues falling under IRDG thematic areas, on demand;
Support in developing various briefs and reports related to the recent developments in the state programmes implementation related to rural development;
Collect and sort existing studies and official data;
Support in analytical work (collecting existing analytical documents and developing new ones) related to the specific tasks;
Provide support in compiling experiences and stories on key thematic/rural development areas;
Provide support in identifying and developing liaison with other agencies and organizations providing assistance and services to agriculture and rural development in Georgia;
Make telephone calls to government institutions and other relevant organizations in search of information to give support to the project team;
Provide technical support in organizing training, events, conferences and any other project related activities/initiatives;
Draft, edit, and format news, press release, blogs;
Support the team’s knowledge management efforts, including the external website and the intranet;
Provide support in the monitoring and evaluation process and reporting;
Flag relevant new research and publications;
Provide oral and written translations from English into Georgia and vice versa;
Other tasks as required by the project team.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

Demonstrate commitment to UNDP mission, vision, and values;
Display cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional Competencies:

Ability to think and work logically and work precisely with attention to detail;
Ability to write clearly and concisely;
The initiative, sound judgment and demonstrated ability to work harmoniously with staff members of different national and cultural backgrounds;
Ability to work independently and meet tight deadlines;
An interest in the work of the UN, and of UNDP in particular, and to the ideals of the UN Charter;
Demonstrated interest in the field of development;
Excellent computer knowledge (Microsoft Office applications);
Excellent interactive and interpersonal skills and the ability to work in a multicultural environment.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Degree programme in economics, business administration, public administration, public policy, sociology/social sciences, geography or related fields.

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

Experience:

An interest in the work of the UN, and of UNDP in particular, and to the ideals of the UN Charter;
Demonstrated interest in the field of development;
Excellent computer knowledge (Microsoft Office applications);
Excellent interactive and interpersonal skills and the ability to work in a multicultural environment.

Language:

Excellent written and spoken English;
Knowledge of Georgian and/or Russian is an asset. Local interns (citizens of Georgia) should have a sound command of written and spoken proficiency in English and Georgian.

Conditions:

UNDP internship programme does not provide a salary or remuneration for the internship;
All the expenses connected with the internship will be borne by the intern, sponsoring Government or institution;
UNDP accepts no responsibility for costs arising from accidents and/or illness or death incurred during the internship;
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:

Copy of the applicant’s most recent resume or curriculum vitae;
Letter from his/her university confirming current enrollment and graduation date;
Letter of recommendation from a professor;
Copy of his/her school transcript;
Copy of passport;
Completed UNDP internship application form (to be provided upon selection);
Signed UNDP Internship Agreement (to be provided upon selection);
Medical Certificate of Good Health (to be provided upon selection)

For applicants which are neither nationals nor residents of the duty station, the insurance must include adequate coverage in the event of an injury or illness during the internship duration which:

Requires transportation to the home country or country of residence for further treatment;
Results in death and requires preparation and return of the remains to the home country, or country of residence.

There is no expectation of employment with UNDP following an internship.