Background
Enhancing Disaster and Climate Resilience through Improved Disaster Preparedness and Infrastructure (EDCR) projects were initiated in April 2019 for three Northern Pacific countries of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and the Republic of Palau.
The overall project goal is to effectively address the consequences of, and responses to, geo-physical and climate-related hazards to protect lives, sustain livelihoods, preserve the environment and safeguard the economy. The outcome will be achieved through 3 expected outputs:
- Strengthened Disaster Communication and Climate and Tsunami Monitoring Systems, to be implemented in FSM, RMI and Palau.
- Enhanced National and State Disaster preparedness capacity, to be implemented in FSM, RMI and Palau.
- Enhanced Community Disaster and Climate Resilience through improved water and food resource management and inclusive livelihood diversification, to be implemented in FSM and Palau.
Total resources are US$22.5 million funded by the Government of Japan and have been implemented by the UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji with three project offices in Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and the Republic of Palau. The UNDP Pacific Office is offering internship opportunities for national, regional and international students to:
- Enhance their educational experience through practical work assignments
- Expose to an international working environment
- Expose to work of the organization with the objective of deepening their knowledge and understanding of UNDP’s goals, principles and activities, and
- Provide meaningful professional opportunities to young professionals to assist them in honing skills and applying their knowledge in a development context.
Duties and Responsibilities
Under the guidance of the Project Manager or relevant Country Project Coordinator (CPC), the intern will be expected to conduct the following tasks:
- Assist with coordination of project activities inclusive of technical review and input to project documents
- Assist with the project procurement processes which may include supporting the development and review of relevant documents, compilation/cataloguing information on potential suppliers, vendors who might be interested in project’s tenders
- Draft meeting minutes and notes and support ensuring that action points are implemented
- Assist with providing inputs to the various reports such as newsletters, monthly/quarterly/annual progress reports, and annual reports
- Assist with event or meeting coordination and logistics
- Assist in public awareness and communication efforts by drafting newsletters, blogs or other SNS posts
- Assist with other project activities as identified and requested by the project
Competencies
- Minimum work supervision required and flexible when working in team environment.
- Excellent verbal and written communications (verbal and written) and networking skills.
- Interpersonal and negotiation skills.
- Understand basic environment, climate change issues and community development needs.
- Consistent with work productivity.
- Good work ethics and integrity
Required Skills and Experience
Eligibility: To qualify for this Internship Programme, the following conditions must be met:
Applicants must be enrolled in a Disaster Risk Management, Civil/Structural/Electrical Engineering or Architecture, Climate Change Adaptation, Information and Communications Technologies, Environmental Science, International Development or similar degree programme and should fit one of the following streams:
- Post graduate student requiring practical experience in a development area;
- Final year undergraduate student seeking practical experience prior to entering graduate school;
- Final year undergraduate/graduate student interested in pursuing careers in development;
- In case of internship in FSM, preference to be given to graduate school students with undergraduate degrees in civil/structural/electrical engineering or architecture
- Applicant must have demonstrable interest in the field of development
- Respect for the principles of the United Nations Charter and the UNDP Statement of Purpose
- Excellent computer knowledge (Microsoft applications)
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
Applicants should possess the following competencies:
Demonstrate commitment to the UNDP Pacific Office’s mission, vision and values
Display cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
Focus on results for the client and respond positively to feedback
Consistently approach work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude
Remain calm, in control and good humored even under pressure
Minimum work supervision required and flexible when working in team environment
Excellent verbal and written communications
Good work ethics and integrity
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General Conditions:
- Interns must provide proof of enrolment in health insurance plan and medical certificate of good health prior to starting the internship. Any cost arising from accidents and illness incurred during an internship assignment will be the responsibility of the intern.
- The stipend will be paid monthly. Interns will have 1.5 days of leave per month.
- Where an intern is financially supported by an institution, government or third party, UNDP will, subject to the rules of such an institution, government or third party, pay the intern the difference, if any, between the external financial support provided and the applicable UNDP stipend. If the amount of financial support that the intern receives from a third party is higher than UNDP stipend, UNDP will not provide stipend to the intern.
- Interns are not staff members and may not represent UNDP in any official capacity.
- The purpose of internships is not to lead to further employment with UNDP but, as mentioned, to complement an intern's studies. However, a number of interns, having completed their studies and met the necessary requirements, have gone on to further assignments with the UNDP or elsewhere in the United Nations system.
Duration and Duty Station
Internship assignments vary in length according to the availability and academic requirements of the intern, as well as the needs of the projects. However, they will normally last no less than three months and no longer than six months.Internship assignments are available on a part-time or full-time basis throughout the year, depending on the availability of meaningful assignments and the needs and capacity of the office to receive and mentor interns. Internship assignments are available in UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji (Suva), and project offices in the Federated States of Micronesia (Pohnpei) and the Republic of Palau (Koror).
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.
- Persons in the development-related fields, preferably with a focus on environment/ natural resource management.
- Demonstrated interest in environmental issues and demonstrated academic ability in at least one of the GEF focal areas.
- Demonstrated interest in community-oriented environment and development programmes, and in project design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation.
- Excellent command of written and spoken English required
- Ability to think and work logically and work precisely with attention to detail
- Ability to write clearly and concisely
- Initiative, sound judgment and demonstrated ability to work harmoniously with staff members of different national and cultural backgrounds.
- Willingness to travel to and stay some or more days at project sites mostly in the Interior.
Financial Arrangements:
- Further Career Opportunities: The purpose of internships is not to lead to further employment with UNDP but to complement an intern's studies. However, a number of interns, having completed their studies and met the necessary requirements, have gone on to further assignments with the UNDP or elsewhere in the United Nations system.
Application procedures:
All the required documents should be compiled into one file.
The application should contain:
- Combine all the documents into one file, ideally PDF, to be emailed with your application.
- Application Materials (Note that only complete applications will be considered):
- Cover letter
- Curriculum Vitae
- Completed UNDP Application Form for Internships (www.pacific.undp.org/content/pacific/en/home/operations/jobs.html)
(The successful applicant will subsequently require health insurance coverage.) UNDP accepts no responsibility for the medical and life insurance of the intern or costs arising from accidents and illness incurred during an internship. As interns are not covered under any insurance, including MAIP, they should not travel to hazardous locations in the course of their internship with UNDP. Successful applicants for internship must show proof of valid medical and life/accident insurance for the duty station for which they will work. It must include adequate coverage in the event of an injury or illness during the internship 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.
- Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials;
- The selection process will consist of interviews and a written test.
Candidates who are shortlisted for an interview must submit prior the interview the following documents:
- Official letter from the University confirming enrollment in a graduate-level degree programme (and graduation date);
- Letter of endorsement from a senior faculty member who has directly supervised the student in the recent past and who is fully acquainted with the student's performance;
- Copy of school transcript;
- A brief statement setting out the reasons why he/she is seeking an internship with UNDP and what is expected from the experience;
Before being offered an internship position, the selected candidate will have to provide the following additional documents:
- A Medical Certificate of Good Health from a recognized physician. If the intern is expected to travel outside the country of their residence, other than to Europe and North America, the physician must indicate whether he/she is fit to travel and has had the required inoculations for the country or countries to which the intern is to travel.
- The successful candidate will be advised of his/her selection within 2 weeks of being interviewed.