Communications Intern, New York, Closing date: Thursday, 11 June 2015

• Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
• Country: United States
• City: New York
• Office: UNDP New York

Communications Intern
Location : New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Application Deadline : 11-Jun-15
Type of Contract : Internship
Post Level : Intern
Languages Required : English
Duration of Initial Contract : 3 months with possibility of extension
Expected Duration of Assignment : 3-6 months
Background

UNDP, the global development network for the United Nations system, is present in over 170 countries and territories and is uniquely equipped to help developing countries build sustainable capacity to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In support of this, UNDP offers a wide range of solutions to global, regional and national development challenges through a comprehensive knowledge network, expert practitioners and focused strategic areas of support. UNDP's Strategic Plan 2014-2017 (SP) emphasizes the need to identify, explore, test, evaluate and scale up innovative approaches across priority subject areas, in programme development, management and review, through established and new knowledge and collaboration partnerships, and as a key part of our own institutional innovation. The SP identifies a specific result in the Integrated Results and Resources Framework related to innovation: 'innovations enabled for development solutions, partnerships and other collaborative arrangement'). To achieve these results, UNDP will focus on the following two areas: (1) Innovative methodologies and tools for scanning the horizon, collecting and analysing data, ideation and reflection, and prototyping and testing development solutions; and (2) Innovative methodologies and tools for co-designing and scaling up demonstration projects identified/developed and ready for application. Collaboration across sectors (public, private, civil) with traditional partners and as well as those actors less historically engaged is a key element in this strategy.
UNDP's new Procurement Strategy 2015-2017 translates the Strategic Plan into a number of game changing projects and initiatives reaching from the application of the concept of social cost of carbon into real world procurement to new procurement system arrangements for renewable energies and cutting edge battery storage technologies. Further initiatives of the procurement strategy cover areas like the introduction of monitoring and benchmarking systems for corporate social responsibility along international supply chains and the development of green procurement indexes.
The Procurement Support Office coordinates this initiative, but requires for successful change management the substantive support by Regional Bureaux and other departments. The final success of these change initiatives will be measured by the extent to which UNDP country offices take up these initiatives. The internal and external communication strategy is a crucial factor of success for this change initiative and requires innovative thinking and understanding of organizational psychology. The intern will assist the team in the realisation of the processes mentioned above.
Duties and Responsibilities
Research
Identify and research to what extent the initiatives of the UNDP procurement strategy can benefit from Best Practices in the private or public sector with regard to existing and emerging innovations for development, including approaches, methodologies and tools, reaching out both internally and scanning externally.
Communication development

• Support in the preparation of the initiatives of the UNDP procurement including news updates, consolidated replies to network queries, and other campaigns.

Communication support

• Share innovation-related updates and communications through traditional and emerging media.

Event organization

• Support the organization of outreach events (e.g., webinars, conversations series) to raise awareness of innovations.

Meeting organization

• Organize regular meetings across departments and with external stakeholders in order to advance the change agenda.

Competencies
Core
Innovation

• Ability to make new and useful ideas work.

Leadership

• Ability to persuade others to follow.

People Management

• Ability to improve performance and satisfaction.

Communication

• Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform.

Delivery

• Ability to get things done.

Technical/Functional
Primary
Community Management

• Ability to maintain a community on assigned thematic areas.

Knowledge Curation

• Ability to turn raw information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to stated need.

Knowledge Facilitation

• Ability to animate individuals and communities of contributors to participate and share.

Partnerships

• Ability to engage with other agencies, donors, and other development stakeholders and forge productive working relationships.

Relationship Management

• Ability to engage with other parties and forge productive working relationships.

Strategic Planning

• Ability to make decisions that align with strategy, vision, and mission.

Secondary
Development

• Advanced conceptual grasp and some practical experience with development related issues.

Analytical

• Excellent research skills, combined with a proven analytical aptitude and ability to tap into a vast array of traditional and new knowledge sources.

Communication

• Excellent writing skills, as well as strong analytical aptitude and strong communication skills.

Organizational

• Strong organizational, time management, communication and interpersonal skills. Ability to work flexibly.

Team work

• Demonstrates intercultural sensitivity in a multicultural environment.

Required Skills and Experience
Education

• Currently enrolled in a graduate-level degree programme as a full-time student in development related fields. Only students who will return to their studies upon completion of their internship assignments are eligible;
• Available full-time for a period of 3-6 months. Applicants available for a minimum of three months and up to six months are preferred.

Experience

• No professional experience necessary.

Language

• All applicants must be fluent in both written and spoken English;
• Additional UN languages (especially, Arabic, French, and Spanish) are a distinct advantage.

Other
UNDP may accept interns provided the following conditions are met

• Interns are not financially remunerated by UNDP;
• The costs associated 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 own arrangements for travel, accommodation, visa, etc.;
• UNDP accepts no responsibility for the medical and life insurance of the intern or costs arising from accidents and illness incurred during an internship;
• 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.

Once both candidates have been selected, the following additional documents will need to be submitted

• Internship Application form;
• Copy of updated CV/resume;
• Official letter from University confirming enrollment in graduate program & graduation date;
• Copy of school transcript;
• 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;
• A brief paper setting out the reasons why he/she is seeking an internship with UNDP and what is expected from the experience.

In addition, selected candidates will need to

• Have a valid visa to work in the US;
• Provide proof of medical insurance;
• Provide a Medical Certificate of Good Health from a recognized physician.

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.