Intern - Programme Management

Work LocationIn-person, Nairobi, Kenya and Dakar, Senegal Expected duration6 months Duties and ResponsibilitiesOrg. Setting and Reporting The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities. UN-Habitat is the focal point for all urbanization and human settlement matters within the UN system. UN-Habitat works with partners to build inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities and communities. UN-Habitat promotes urbanization as a positive transformative force for people and communities, reducing inequality, discrimination and poverty. The UN-Habitat Regional Office for Africa (ROAF) supports African countries developing human settlements projects to address fast urbanization of the continent and achieve sustainable development by focusing on challenges faced by cities in Africa. The current portfolio of UN-Habitat is expanding in West Africa and between 2020 and 2025, the West Africa portfolio has grown tenfold, with the number of active country programmes increasing from 6 to 12. Support is needed within UN-Habitat’s Regional Office for Africa (ROAF) for undertaking the implementation of its activities in the West Africa region. The three (3) Main Thematic Priorities in West Africa include: i. Land, Housing and Basic Services: Support the establishment of solid land management systems, facilitate the development of comprehensive housing and urban transformation strategies within well formulated urbanization policies, and enhance access to affordable housing and basic services solutions, especially by focusing on sustainable finance aspects, including local revenue enhancement. ii. Forced Displacement, Migration and Development Corridors: Strengthen UN-Habitat’s role in the Sahel by providing durable solutions for displaced populations through local urban integration. Mainstream a multi-scale and integrated territorial approach, looking at the system of cities and development corridors, cross-border development to enhance regional integration, linking the sub-regional, national and local scales of interventions. iii. Urban Resilience and Climate Change Adaptation: Work on urban resilience by multiplying the implementation of City RAP, build on on-going climate coastal adaptation programmes (e.g. Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Guinea-Bissau), expand the work on energy efficiency and sustainable construction, and develop projects and partnerships in the Sahel in the areas of flood risk reduction (through improved land use planning and adaptive solutions), the Great Green Wall initiative, and Safer Schools. This internship is located within the Regional Office for Africa (ROAF), UN-Habitat, Nairobi, Kenya (1 position) and the Sub-Regional Office for West Africa, Dakar, Senegal (1 position). He/She will report to the Senior Human Settlements Officer (SHSO) overseeing West Africa. Responsibilities Under the overall supervision of the Senior Human Settlements Officer (SHSO) overseeing West Africa, the intern will contribute in the following ways: • Familiarize him/herself with UN-Habitat’s mandate and the tools developed; • Support in the GIS mapping and spatial analysis; • Support in the development of concept notes and project documents for resource mobilization in West Africa; • Support Country offices in West Africa in monitoring and reporting to Regional Office for Africa (ROAf) and headquarters; • Contribute to the communication and visibility of UN-Habitat’s activities in West Africa; • Perform other tasks as needed, including but not limited to note taking, drafting minutes, providing translations, preparing power point presentations, attending meetings. Qualifications/special skillsApplicants 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: Bachelors or Master’s degree in Urban Planning, Town Planning, Architecture, Geography or any other related studies. 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. Knowledge in the thematic of urban development is required. Proficiency in the use Geographical Information Systems (GIS) using tools such as QGIS and ArcGIS for mapping and spatial analysis is desirable. LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this internship position, fluency in oral and written English and French is required. Knowledge of another UN language is desirable. Additional InformationDo you have any previous UN internship experience? If yes, please indicate the UN entity and the specific dates. Intern Specific textInterns are not financially remunerated by the United Nations. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation and living expenses are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions. Interns who are not citizens or permanent residents of the country where the internship is undertaken, may be required to obtain the appropriate visa and work/employment authorization. Successful candidates should discuss their specific visa requirements before accepting the internship offer. No FeeTHE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.