Background

The UN Resident Coordinator (RC) is the senior most UN official and the representative of the UN Secretary-General in Sri Lanka. The central task of the RC is to coordinate the operational activities of the UN and all humanitarian actors. This is done in consultation with Country Representatives of UN agencies and members of the humanitarian community, in line with the objectives and priorities of the Government of Sri Lanka. The Office of the Resident Coordinator supports the RC and the UN Country Team in Sri Lanka to effectively carry out these duties.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Intern will support the work of the RCO, under the direct supervision of the Head of Office and working alongside the RCO Humanitarian Coordination Team. The specific tasks are outlined below:

Assist the RCO in the following tasks:

• Provide coordination support to the RCO/UNCT and HCT through information provision, convening of thematic coordination forums, meetings or orientation sessions as appropriate (including HCT meetings)
• Provide technical support to the RCO/UNCT/HCT on emergency response coordination during natural disaster situations as well as on preparedness for response discussions and activities
• Support the RCO/UNCT/HCT with the coordination of specific relief activities for situations including drought, floods, landslides and other crises
• Support information management for humanitarian and disaster-related programs and activities of the RCO/UNCT/HCT
• Support the coordination of resource mobilisation efforts for relief and tracking of donor assistance
• Provide necessary information and coordination support to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP)
• Support the development of information management/public and internal communications materials and response or recovery plans as required
• Support the RCO and RCO Humanitarian Coordination team in any other duties as required

Competencies

• Experience carrying out facilitation (of meetings, events, workshops etc.)
• Ability to coordinate/support the coordination of activity between humanitarian/development agencies, government and other stakeholders
• Proactive (able to pro-actively undertake tasks that fall under the TOR)
• Strong administrative ability
• Team Player
• Excellent writing skills
• Quick learner
• Good computer skills

Required Skills and Experience

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); in development-related fields, preferably with a focus on Development Studies, International Relations, Law, Economics, Peace and Conflict Studies, Social Sciences, or any other related field
• 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.

Additionally:

• Knowledge of, or experience in, the theory and practice of the stages of disaster management
• Excellent command of written and spoken English required and proficiency in Sinhala and/or Tamil will be an advantage
• 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.
• Excellent communication skills (written, verbal, interpersonal).
• Willingness to travel to and stay some or more days at project sites mostly in the Interior.

Expected Duration and Time Commitment:

The successful applicant would be expected to begin the internship at their earliest.

The duration of the internship is six (6) months minimum.