Intern for 10th anniversary of International Year of Volunteers (IYV+10)
Duration: The description below refers to various internship opportunities between 3 to 6 months on an ongoing basis. Please indicate your concrete availability between July 2010 and July 2012.
Background
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the United Nations programme that supports sustainable human development globally through the promotion of volunteerism and the mobilization of volunteers. It operates against a background of growing recognition that volunteerism brings benefits to both society at large and the individual volunteer; that it makes important contributions, economically as well as socially; and that it contributes to more cohesive societies by building trust and reciprocity among citizens. Universal and inclusive, UNV embraces all types of volunteer action while holding to the values of free will, commitment, engagement and solidarity, which are the foundations of volunteerism.
The United Nations General Assembly designated UNV as the focal point for the 10th anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers which will be launched on 5th December 2010 and run during 2011. Therefore UNV, in partnership with NGOs, governments, civil society and the private sector will facilitate the preparation, implementation and follow up activities for the International Year of Volunteers 10th anniversary (IYV+10.)
UNV is headquartered in Bonn, Germany and has approximately 150 staff positions – the majority in Bonn with some dozen positions in different UN peacekeeping missions, and other Headquarters locations (e.g. New York and Tokyo). In the field, UNV has country office teams, composed of UNV Programme Officers (UNV volunteers) and Country Office Assistants, in many of the UNDP country offices. The major organizational groups within UNV are:
- The Office of the Executive Coordinator (OEC);
- The Evaluation Unit;
- The Corporate Planning and Performance Unit;
- The Volunteer Programme and Management Group (VPMG) comprising the Peace and Development Divisions; Volunteer Recruitment Resources Section (VRRS); Volunteer Knowledge and Innovation Section (VKIS); supported by a Quality Assurance Unit;
- The Partnerships and Communications Division (PCD); and
- The Management Services Division (MSD) comprising sections for Information Support Services, Finance, Human Resources, as well as Units for Common Services and Administration.
The Office of the Executive Coordinator
The intern will be based in the OEC office under the supervision of the Project Manager for IYV+10, however s/he will liaise with all sections of UNV in headquarters and in the field as well as with other UN organizations and partners in civil society at an international level.
Duties and responsibilities
Under the overall guidance of the Project Manager for IYV+10, the intern will support the implementation of the project through communicating with project partners, research and monitoring developments through different means of communication such as social media. Depending on the competencies and interests of the intern, assignments would include:
- Develop reports or policy briefs with reviews of practices, lessons learned, and recommendations on good practices in relation to volunteerism.
- Research, collect, analyze and edit documents related to IYV+10,
- Collect and analyze background materials on Volunteerism. Assist IYV+10 activities, especially in the field of virtual networks and online facilitation.
- Taking minutes and preparing presentations for in-house committees.
- Perform other duties as required.
The intern is also expected to strengthen his/her knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and other publications.
Learning opportunities for the intern
- General understanding of the work and mission of the UNV programme, and of volunteerism’s contribution to development effectiveness;
- Insight and hands-on experience in UNV’s role in facilitating and promoting IYV+10;
- Insight and hands-on experience in organizing and running campaigns; and
- Becoming more familiar with working in an International Organization and in a multicultural environment
Minimum Qualifications & Experience
- Currently enrolled in a Master’s degree / programme in social science, political science, communications, knowledge management, business administration or a related field. (Please note that only candidates who will be returning to their studies upon the completion of their internship qualify for an internship with UNV.)
- Enthusiastic about the role of volunteerism in peace and development and a ready to learn.
- Strong interest in development cooperation and in the work of the United Nations Volunteers programme.
- Good oral and written communications skills and demonstrated research abilities and interest
- Previous experience in communications or running campaigns, as well as experience in developing countries is desirable. Knowledge of the UN work environment an advantage.
- Internet proficiency as well as proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) is required. Experience with the development of statistics, charts in Excel and Web 2.0 tools (especially social networking) an asset.
- Experience in volunteering a strong asset.
- Fluency in English is required; Fluency in French or Spanish an asset.
- Experience in non – formal education an asset.
General Terms and Conditions
- UNDP Conditions of Service for interns (http://www.undp.org/internships/) apply for interns working at UNV Headquarters.
- The Internship Programme operates on a non-remunerative basis. Costs and arrangements for travel, visa, accommodation and living expenses are the responsibility of the intern.
- The purpose of the Internship Programme is not to lead to further employment with UNV but to complement an intern’s studies. Therefore, there should be no expectation of employment at the end of an internship.
- UNV accepts no responsibility for the intern’s medical insurance or for costs arising from illness during the internship. Interns are required to provide proof of medical insurance coverage.
- Only short-listed candidates will be contacted and called for a motivational interview that will take place on an ongoing basis.
Applications (CV & cover letter in English) with an indication of your concrete availability between July 2010 and July 2012 should be sent via e-mail to Simona.Costanzo@unvolunteers.org