UNDP Jobs - 83979- Internship (Support to Environment Unit)

Internship (Support to Environment Unit)

Location :

Cairo, EGYPT

Type of Contract :

Internship

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

25-Mar-19 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

Intern

Duration of Initial Contract :

3 months

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

6 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

UNDP Egypt aims to achieve equitable and inclusive development by strengthening the capabilities and opportunities of the most vulnerable and marginalized people, leaving no one behind. We promote micro, small and medium enterprises, job creation, social protection and inclusion, entrepreneurship as well as monitoring and reporting on poverty. We help the government design new policies which benefit the poorest. UNDP is also promoting an integrated approach, linking communities to their environment and ecosystem. Through our work on protected areas and biodiversity, our approach links conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources to improve the livelihoods of surrounding communities in partnership with national authorities, NGOs and the private sector, introducing basic services to those areas in order for them to become financially sustainable and first class eco-tourism destinations. UNDP works also in the areas of climate change mitigation and adaptation to link energy efficiency and renewable energy to job creation and protect local residents of vulnerable areas from risks of flooding because of sea level rise.

The new UNDP programme will reinforce institutional and partnership frameworks and functional governance institutions at all levels, and development solutions that reduce poverty by promoting pro-job growth, increasing resilience to climate and health risks and empowering women.

This programme area provides a framework that reinforces the core government functions affecting the effectiveness and implementation of the sustainable development goals and the sustainable development strategy, while focusing on partnering with in-country United Nations organizations to lead on the goals. Second, it supports the government economic reform by focusing on financial inclusion and integrated local development for the poor, youth and women through innovative programmes that can have maximum impact across goals and targets (‘accelerators’).

UNDP will continue to support the Government in expanding the social safety net programme to reach more of the poor and people with disabilities (goals 1 and 10). If requested, UNDP will work with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS and the Global Fund to enhance employment of people living with HIV/AIDS and persons with disabilities, and with the World Health Organization to reduce health inequalities related to non-communicable diseases (goal 3).

UNDP will adopt an area-based development approach to help develop and scale up inclusive and environmentally sustainable local economic opportunities in poor rural and urban governorates, including Upper Egypt, border governorates, and Sinai (goal 10). UNDP will partner with the Ministry of Planning, the Ministry of Local Development and the National Council for Women, civil society groups, UNFPA, the International Labour Organization, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, UN-Women, UN-Habitat, the World Bank and the private sector. UNDP will build on the development plans of four poor governorates in Upper Egypt that it supported the Ministry of Local Development in formulating during the previous cycle.

UNDP will provide the Micro-, Small- and Medium-Enterprise Development Agency with technical assistance to brand its capacities to targeting entrepreneurship, including systems that enhance local and global value chains across the country, focusing on women and youth (goals 8 and 9). UNDP will innovate with the micro-, small- and medium-enterprises landscape in partnership with public and private sectors, notably the Information Technology Institute, the Innovation Centre, chambers of commerce, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Industry, the Emerson Engagement Game Lab, and Stanford ChangeLabs, with a focus on empowering youth, women, and persons with disabilities (goals 5, 8 and 12).

UNDP will leverage investments for social impact to facilitate grants and market capital for businesses, and will further explore innovative utilization of information technology to reduce exclusion, vulnerabilities and gender disparities (goals 5 and 9), accelerate socio-economic development, and enhance youth entrepreneurship skills, especially at the governorate level. This includes working with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, the National Telecommunication Regulatory Authority, and Egypt Post, to enhance accessibility and affordability for the poor.

UNDP is leading the resilience component of the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan, known at ‘3RP’, in Egypt. The resilience component is reflected throughout the sectors (protection, food, health, education, basic needs and livelihoods) of the Egypt 3RP Plan, 2017-2018, launched in 2017. There is growing recognition of the need for a resilience-based approach and further localization to respond to economic and integration issues pertaining to the migration and refugee crisis.

In line with goals 13 and 15, and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, UNDP will continue to support the Ministry of Environment and partners with climate change adaptation initiatives focused, inter alia, on scaling up climate finance to the country for priorities such as protecting the low-lying lands in the Nile Delta from sea-level rise. The initiatives will support implementation of the nationally determined contributions climate strategy, will be linked to global climate funding mechanisms, and will include newly introduced and piloted low-cost techniques for coastal protection. UNDP will continue to support vulnerability assessments to climate change and development of national and sectoral climate change plans. The support will include development of an integrated coastal zone management plan for the north coast of Egypt, linking development plans with appropriate shore protection measures and working closely with local authorities and communities. UNDP support will include the establishment of a systematic observation system of oceanographic parameters to monitor changes along the coast that can be connected to an early warning system against extreme weather events. UNDP will continue to support climate change vulnerability assessments, and the development of national and sectoral climate change adaptation plans.

In line with goals 7, 11 and 13, UNDP will continue to help Egypt tackle climate change mitigation, in tandem with pollution abatement, by promoting energy efficiency in cities and key economic sectors, and small-scale renewable energy technologies with poverty reduction dividends, encouraging a shift to low-emission technologies in industry. Enabling activities will continue, including capacity-building for the Government on reporting and compliance with international environment conventions such as the Paris Agreement. This will be complemented with initiatives focused on phasing out ozone-depleting substances, pursuant to the Kigali Agreement.

In line with goals 6, 14 and 15, UNDP will support the development and implementation of protected areas management plans with the Ministry of Environment, local authorities, Italian cooperation and other donors. This will involve creating effective linkages to the private sector, innovation, job creation and livelihood improvement, with a focus on women’s economic empowerment, community-based development and increased access to renewable energy sources (goals 8 and 9). UNDP will expand its engagement and reach in the waste management, in collaboration with civil society and community-based organizations, focusing on municipal waste, hazardous waste and chemicals.

In line with goal 5, and building on a strategic partnership with the National Council of Women, UNDP will support the implementation of the national women’s strategy, 2030, and focus on women’s empowerment and leadership. UNDP will support capacities in Government and the women’s machinery in general for analysis and solutions that promote women’s entrepreneurship, participation in the workforce, and access to decent work (goals 8 and 10).

UNDP will continue to support the National Population Council in implementing the national strategy on combating female genital mutilation and expanding its endeavours in rural Upper Egypt, with United Nations partners and the National Council of Women in the ‘Combating Violence Against Women in Egypt: A coordinated prevention and protection approach’ joint programme (goal 16). The joint programme will be aligned with the regional programme on combating gender-based violence. UNDP will work to reinforce the monitoring and evaluation unit of the National Council on Women to strengthen government reporting on national goals and the sustainable development goals.

Duties and Responsibilities

The intern, under the guidance and direct supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative / Biodiversity Team leader and day-to-day supervision by the UNDP Deputy RR, will undertake the following assignments:

Support Environment Unit in development and formulation of new environmental projects
Prepare background information through research, summary notes, etc. on various environment related issues;
Identify and suggest linkages and synergies of new projects with other CO projects;
Support in ensuring quality of documents, concept notes and related documents;
Undertake research on new topics as needed and advised;
Support and backstop programme team as needed and advised by RR;
Assist in arranging meetings, seminars, workshops, functions, etc.
Draft and translate official correspondence;
Support in data collection, processing, and analysis;
Draft different documents and prepare excel spreadsheets for project budget;
Collect, record, photocopy and compile documentation;
Perform other duties of a reasonable nature as and when required.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

Excellent communication skills;
Excellent organizational skills;
Attention to detail;
Identifies priority activities and assignments;
Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals;
Maintain confidentiality.

Required Skills and Experience

Eligibility:

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

Proficient usage of computers and office software package (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc.).
Previous work experience in environment/natural resources management related issue is preferable.
Field work experience is an advantage.

Language Requirements

Fluency in English is required, Arabic is an asset.

Others:

Interns are not financially remunerated by UNDP. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation and living expenses are the responsibility of: The nominating institution, related institution or government, which may provide the required financial assistance to its students; or the intern, who must obtain financing for subsistence through private sources.
Interns are responsible for securing adequate medical insurance for the duration of their internship with UNDP and must provide a medical certificate of good health prior to starting the internship. UNDP will not reimburse the medical insurance of the intern. Any costs arising from accidents and illness incurred during an internship assignment will be the responsibility of the intern.
Applicants for internships must show proof of valid medical insurance for the duty station in which they will intern. For applicants, which are neither nationals or 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.
UNDP accepts no responsibility for loss or damage to personal effects that may occur during the internship.