Intern – Policy and Strtegy at United Nations Human Settlements Programme

Job Description

Responsibilities Under the guidance of the Programme Officer, within the Land Housing and Shelter Section, the Policy and Strategy formulation intern will carry out the following responsibilities:
• Research support for the analysis of issues relating to informal settlements and slums in the SADC region
• Assist in the socio-economic analysis and identification of trends, across the SADC region and countries
• Support the production of analytical content, consolidating inputs, knowledge and capturing case studies, and writing chapter content.
• Assist in coordinating the formulation of a regional strategy, preparing drafts and topical inputs to chapters of the draft strategy
• Support all areas of the strategy design process: identification and agenda building, policy development, formulation and adoptions, implementation, and evaluation
• Support correspondence to and facilitation of the Technical Advisory Group (TAG), organizing and preparation of periodic meetings and/or workshops, experts and stakeholders.
• Support in any other research, policy, strategy

Qualifications/special skills
Applicants must at the time of application, meet one of the following requirements: a. Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher), b. Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree program (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent), c. Have graduated with Bachelor’s degree, Masters, PhD or equivalent. Be computer literate in standard software applications (Microsoft Office Suite). Have demonstrated a keen interest in the work of the United Nations and have a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter. Have a demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which includes a willingness to try and understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views. Preferred areas of study: • Be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher) such as urban development, environment related science, economics, sustainable development, global development, social or political sciences, international relations, or any other related field, or • Be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor level or equivalent) in a relevant study area, such as sustainable urban development, urban planning, urban economics, urban management, urban policy and governance, development planning, or any other closely related field. Applicants to the UN Internship Programme are not required to have professional work experience. However, a field of study that is closely related to the type of internship that you are applying for is required. Applicants must be a student in the final year of the first university degree (bachelor or equivalent), Master’s or Ph.D. Programme or equivalent, or have completed a Bachelor’s, Master’s or Ph.D. Programme. Do you meet any of the above criteria? If yes, please indicate which one and attach proof to the application. Please note that you will have to provide an official certificate at a later stage. Proficiency in socio-economic research and policy/framework analysis on issues related to the development of slums and informal settlements is required. Please explain how you meet this criterion using examples. Good knowledge or experience in Southern Africa (SADC) urban development context is required. Please explain how you meet this criterion. Good technical report drafting skills (research and policy briefs, position papers, thematic articles) and oral communication skills are required. Please explain how you meet this criterion using examples.