Intern

Background

The disaster that struck Bosnia and Herzegovina in May 2014 affected a quarter of the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina and approximately one million people, which is approximately 27% of the country’s population.  Over 50% of local governments in the country were in some form affected by the event, with substantial damages recorded to the housing stock, infrastructure, vital service providers, and the country’s productive assets.  The effect of the disaster on the most vulnerable merely exacerbated pre-existing problems and disproportionately impacted their lives. Nowhere was this exhibited more than in the case of returnees and those internally displaced.In the aftermath of the disaster, the international community reacted swiftly, providing emergency and humanitarian assistance, as well as convening a donor conference in July 2014, pledging substantial funds for the rebuilding of the country. The first comprehensive recovery effort to hit the ground was the Flood Recovery Programme financed by the European Union (EU FRP), rolled out in August 2014 and spearheaded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, along with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Despite the intervention’s impressive outreach, with more than 610,000 people assisted, there remains a significant number of the most vulnerable yet to recover; UNDP estimates place that number at around 20,000 households that require further assistance in the form of durable housing solutions or livelihood support. With national and international recovery efforts winding down, the remaining caseload is largely left to its own limited capacities to self-recover.Against this background, and acting on behalf of the European Union, as the principle donor, UNDP will be implementing a targeted recovery intervention across Bosnia and Herzegovina aimed at reaching out to the most vulnerable households within the most heavily affected communities. By the end of the Project, the following results are expected to be achieved:

• Socially and economically vulnerable households, rendered homeless by the 2014 disaster, provided with new homes. 
• Socially and economically vulnerable households, residing in disaster-affected substandard housing, benefit from restored and improved homes.
• Livelihoods needs identified, enabling tailoring of income generation support for housing assistance beneficiaries.
• Vulnerable households benefit from a steady and sustainable income stream. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall supervision of the Project Manager, the Intern will be provided an opportunity to learn about UN Development Goals, UN Development Programme and more specifically Flood Recovery – Housing interventions project, through performing an array of administrative and substantial duties that will support project’s mandate.

The Intern is expected to perform the following tasks for the project team:

• Collect, assess and analyze the data relevant to project outcomes and outputs;
• Assist in drafting routine correspondence with all stakeholders;
• Prepare reviews, compilations, extracts and summaries based on the already-available comprehensive and extensive UNDP and other relevant projects’ reports;
• Assist in the organization of conferences, workshops and meetings;
• Translation of internal project documents;
• Other tasks as assigned by the Project Manager or other Project team members.

Competencies

• Have a keen interest in the work of the UN and the UNDP and demonstrate a commitment to its statement of purpose and to the ideals of the UN;
• Ability to successfully interact with individuals of differing socio-economic, religious and cultural backgrounds both professionally and personally;
• Ability and desire to work in a team;
• Excellent interpersonal skills;
• Excellent organizational and communication skills;
• Strong research skills and ability to identify relevant information
• Strong analytical, reporting and writing abilities
• Ability to work under tight deadlines;
• Ability to work under pressure and stressful situations;
• Detail-oriented way of working;
• Innovative and creative approach to tasks;
• Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback. 

Required Skills and Experience

Academic requirements:

• Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor’s level) in Architecture, Civil Engineering, Economics, Public Administration, Political Science, Policy Studies, Sociology, Social Sciences, Agriculture or related fields;
• Be enrolled in a Master degree programme in Architecture, Civil Engineering, Economics, Public Administration, Political Science, Policy Studies, Sociology, Social Sciences, Agriculture or related fields;
• 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. 

Skills

• Proficiency in B/H/S and English
• Computer literacy in standard office software applications.

Learnings

The intern will have the opportunity to:

• Participate in in-house training opportunities as applicable;
• Learn the structure, mechanisms, policies and practice areas of UNDP;
• Participate in dedicated trainings and UNDP online learning tools;
• Strengthen his/her effective writing.

 How to Apply

The candidate should apply online through the Job Site by submitting his/her CV and motivation letter.

Terms and conditions

• UNDP internship programme does not provide a salary or remuneration for the internship; however, you will gain valuable insight into UNDP and a global network;
• All the expenses connected with the internship will be borne by the intern or sponsoring institution;
• UNDP accepts no responsibility for costs arising from accidents and/or illness or death incurred during the internship;
• UNDP only accepts interns for a minimum of 6 weeks and a maximum of 6 months;
• Interns are expected to work full time but flexibility is allowed for their education programme;
• The intern is responsible for obtaining necessary visas and arranging travel to and from the duty station where the internship will be performed;
• 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.
• Interns are not staff members and may not represent UNDP in any official capacity.

More information available at: http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/operations/jobs/types-of-opportunities/internships.html