Country: Switzerland
Closing date: 18 Jul 2018
Org. Setting and Reporting
The United Nations (UN) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is the UN Secretariat department responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure a coherent response to complex emergencies and natural disasters. OCHA also ensures that there is a framework within which each actor can contribute to the overall response effort.
This job opening announcement broadcasts internship opportunity located at headquarters OCHA-Geneva. The intern, under the general guidance of a primary supervisor, shall be assigned within the Needs Assessment & Analysis Section (NAAS) nested in Assessment, Planning & Monitoring Branch (APMB).
This internship shall be based in Geneva, Switzerland, and the intern will be under the general guidance and direct supervision of OCHA-Geneva supervisor. The internship is being offered for a minimum period of three (3) months, with a possibility of extension up to a maximum period of six (6) months, beginning at a mutually agreed time.
Responsibilities
The Needs Assessment and Analysis Section (NAAS) in OCHA is looking for an interested and qualified individual to assist with updating and expanding its training package on needs assessment and analysis. The intern will assist NAAS to identify, map and review existing training on needs assessment and analysis within the humanitarian sector to identify linkages and overlaps on needs assessment and analysis. Time permitting, the intern would then assist NAAS will revising and updating their Coordinated Assessment and Information Management (CAIM) training package.
NAAS is part of the Assessment, Planning, and Monitoring (APM) Branch of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). APM leads on coordinating work on the humanitarian programme cycle (HPC), a series of actions undertaken to help prepare for, manage and deliver humanitarian response. It consists of five elements coordinated in a seamless manner, with one step logically building on the previous and leading to the next. NAAS is tasked with helping to ensure a coordinated approach to the assessment of an emergency and to the prioritisation of the needs of affected people which lays the foundation for a coherent and efficient humanitarian response.
Main responsibilities:
The intern will be assigned to a range of duties as determined by the assigned supervisor. The duties will include:
1 Assist in engaging with other sections and branches of OCHA to identify, collect, and map training components and modules on needs assessment and analysis; and subsequently reviewing content of trainings on needs assessment and analysis to identify linkages, overlaps, and differences in approaches.
2.Supporting coordination and Secretariat function for the Data Entry and Exploration Platform (DEEP), online software under development that supports secondary data review.
Time permitting, work may also include:
3.Assist in engaging with partners to identify, collect and map training modules on needs assessment and analysis from (b) UN Agencies such as UNICEF, UNCHR and WFP who have assessment and analysis training packages, and (c) assessment and analysis training elements from NGOs such as REACH, JIPS and ACAPS.
4.Assisting NAAS staff with determining how current OCHA Coordinated Assessment and Information Management (CAIM) training content may be modified to strengthen instruction and guidance on joint inter-sectoral analysis, taking into consideration and building upon existing training modules.
5.Assisting NAAS staff with modifying and/or developing new training content for CAIM.
Competencies
CLIENT ORIENTATION: considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients ” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.
COMMUNICATION: speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.
TEAMWORK: works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.
Education
To qualify for an internship with the United Nations Internship Programme, applicants must meet one of the following requirements:
- Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); or
- Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent); or
- Have graduated with a university degree and, if selected, must commence the internship within a one year period of graduation from an academic programme.
Applicants who are unable to commence the internship within one year of graduation shall not be accepted.
The University degree must be in the area of political science, social science, international studies, public administration, economics, engineering, earth sciences or in a related field.
Required Qualifications:
•Applicants must be pursuing an advanced degree in International Relations, Humanitarian Action, Disaster Response or other related field;
•Strong analytical skills;
• Experience with training programmes and/or concepts;
•Ability to articulate complex concepts to non-experts in a clear and concise manner;
Work Experience
Applicants are not required to have professional working experience for participation in the Programme though any academic and/or practical experience in humanitarian affairs issues including humanitarian coordination, humanitarian financing mechanisms, humanitarian funding trends, gender equality programming, emergency preparedness, crisis/emergency relief management, rehabilitation, development and/or human rights is desirable. Applicants should be computer literate in standard software applications; have a demonstrated keen interest in the work of the United Nations, a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter and; have a demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which includes willingness to understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views.
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this internship fluency in English and French (both oral and written) is required. Knowledge of another United Nations official language is an advantage.
Assessment
Candidates will be assessed based on their Personal History Profile (PHP). Individual interviews may be conducted by the Hiring Manager directly for further consideration. A complete online application (Cover Note and Personal History profile) is required. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. The cover Note must include:
- Title of degree you are currently pursuing;
- Graduation date (when will you be graduating from the programme);
- IT skills and programmes in which you are proficient;
- Explanation why you are the best candidate for the internship position.
In your Personal History Profile, be sure to include all past work experience, if any; IT skills and three (3) references. Due to high volume of applications received, ONLY successful candidates will be contacted.
Special Notice
Applicants are encouraged to apply for internships which relate directly to their studies and/or skills and expertise. Applicants are asked to please indicate preferences which best match her/his suitability and do so carefully in order to enhance the value of the internship for both the intern and the receiving UN department.
A person who is the child or sibling of a staff member shall not be eligible to apply for an internship at the United Nations. An applicant who bears to a staff member any other family relationship may be engaged as an intern, provided that he or she shall not be assigned to the same work unit of the staff member nor placed under the direct or indirect supervision of the staff member. For purposes of this advertisement, “child” means (i) the child of a staff member; (ii) the child of the spouse of a staff member (stepchild); and (iii) the spouse of a child of a staff member or a staff member’s spouse (son- or daughter-in-law). “Sibling” includes the child of both or either parent of a staff member and the child.
In line with the United Nations internship programme, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs-(OCHA) internship provides a framework by which students from diverse academic backgrounds gain exposure to the work of the United Nations through assignment to offices within the Secretariat. The Programme endeavours to attract qualified students, offering them an opportunity to enrich their educational experience through exposure to the work of the Organization. Equally, it provides the Office with the assistance of students specialized in various professional fields. The internship is an unpaid and full-time opportunity and the intern must adhere to the established official weekly working hours of the duty station where it is based with one hour for a lunch break. For more information on the Programme, please visit: https://www.unog.ch
United Nations Considerations
According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation or sexual abuse, or crimes other than minor traffic offences, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions.
Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.
Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.
The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.
Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.
No Fee
THE 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.
How to apply: