Internship - WHO Bahrain Country Office

nternship Opportunity (Local Recruitment) – WHO Bahrain Country Office

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office of Bahrain was recently established, with the first WHO Representative appointed on the first of June 2021. It is the 20th WHO country office to open in the Eastern Mediterranean region and the 152nd WHO country office globally. The Country Office sets forth to support national health authorities through on-the-ground programmatic interventions to strengthen the provision of healthcare services; enhance the exchange of best practices and lessons learned locally, regionally, and globally; as well as promote collaboration and coordination with other United Nations agencies, ministries, and government institutions to advance towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In line with the above, the WHO Country Office is looking for an intern to support and contribute to its ongoing work and activities. The intern should be a dynamic, driven and detail-oriented individual with a strong interest in pursuing a career in WHO.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Terms of reference

Under the supervision of the WHO Representative, the intern is assigned the agreed terms of reference:

• Conduct research and analyse data related to the health and well-being of the population in support of the WHO Country Office’s ongoing work.
• Participate in the development of guidance documents, implementation toolkits and communications outputs.
• Assist in drafting, formatting, and editing documents and materials, including meeting reports, policy briefings, presentations, guidelines, and toolkits.
• Assist in organizing workshops, meetings, conferences, and events as appropriate.
• Support the development of technical content and materials appropriate for the WHO website, and social media platforms.
• Assist in the day-to-day work of the WHO Country Office.

Learning objectives

The purpose of the WHO Internship Programme is to provide an enriching learning experience for students and recent graduates. The Learning Objectives outlined within each internship vacancy are a key component of the programme.

Within this internship opportunity, the intern will:

<-- [if supportLists]-->·<--[endif]-->Understand the work of the Bahrain Country Office and more broadly of the World Health Organization in leading and championing efforts to give everyone an equal chance to live a healthy life.

<-- [if supportLists]-->·<--[endif]-->Communicate clearly about the work of the WHO Bahrain Country Office.

<-- [if supportLists]-->·<--[endif]-->Understand the difference of work between headquarters, regional offices, and country offices and the relations between the three levels in support of country-level implementation.

<-- [if supportLists]-->·<--[endif]-->Know how to conduct effective research and literature reviews to guide the health-decision making process.

<-- [if supportLists]-->·<--[endif]-->Know how to assemble data and prepare comprehensive analyses.

<-- [if supportLists]-->·<--[endif]-->Prepare background documents for meetings.

DURATION OF INTERNSHIP (subject to confirmation)

This is a three-month internship with an opportunity for extension up to a total of six months, pending the needs of the Country Office and the availability of funds.

Start date: TBC

End date: TBC

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Have completed the equivalent of three years of full-time studies at a university or equivalent institution prior to commencing the assignment; AND be enrolled in a course of study at a university or equivalent institution leading to a formal qualification (applicants who have already graduated may also qualify for consideration provided that they apply to the internship within six months after completion of their formal qualification).

Desirable: Master's degree in Public Health, Social Sciences, International Development, Public Policy, or any related field.

Skills
Core competencies

• Teamwork
• Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
• Communication

The intern should be able to demonstrate the following skills in line with the WHO core competencies:

• Communicating effectively orally and in writing
• Showing willingness to learn from mistakes
• Producing and delivering quality results
• Working collaboratively with team members

In addition, the intern needs to be familiar with commonly used computer programmes, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Knowledge of specialized computer programmes, for example, statistical software such as Stata or SPSS is an advantage.

Experience

• Experience in research and/or drafting reports
• Experience in a subject area relevant to WHO work through academic work or research

Languages

Essential: Expert knowledge of Arabic and English.Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of other UN languages

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Interns do not receive a salary. They do however receive a living allowance. The allowance depends on the duty station and other external support (grant, scholarships, etc.) received by the intern. The exact amount of the living allowance will be calculated for each intern, after selection, based on a legal financial disclosure form that the individual will complete. WHO also provides all interns with accident and medical insurance coverage.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Please note that internships at WHO are very competitive and only a small number of applicants will be accepted every year. Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted will be contacted.
• If selected for a WHO Internship, candidates will be required to provide certified copies of proof of enrolment in an eligible course of studies, a completed WHO medical certificate of fitness for work, and the contact details for reference checks details
• Interns are not eligible to take up a consultant or other non-staff contract in WHO for a period of three months following the end of the internship. However, no such restriction applies to temporary or longer-term staff positions if the vacancy has been advertised and a competitive process completed.

<-- [if supportLists]-->·<--[endif]-->WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to putthe WHO Values Charterinto practice.

• WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates.