Civil Affairs Intern: Research and Data Collection and Analysis (Aug 2024)

Your role

About the position:

This internship is UNPAID and is designed to be in person and full-time (35 hours per week), on the United Nations premises (New York, USA). This internship can be adjusted based on the needs of the successful candidate to part-time (20 hours per week) and/or remote. A full-time internship is for an initial period of two months, and a part-time internship is for an initial four months. Internships may be extended up to a maximum of six months, depending on the needs of the Division.

This position is located in the Civil Affairs Team in the Policy and Best Practices Service (PBPS), Division of Policy, Evaluation and Training (DEPT) in the Department of Peace Operations (DPO).

• The Policy, Evaluation and Training Division (DPET) is mandated to develop and disseminate the policy and doctrine guiding the work of Peacekeeping Operations.
• The division has the responsibility to evaluate, at the request of the heads of the departments, how those policies are being applied, gather lessons learned and best practices, and use that information to guide the development, coordination, and delivery of standardized training, to complete the learning cycle.
• DPET is also responsible for developing and maintaining strategic cooperation with various UN and external partners.

The Policy and Best Practices Service (PBPS) is part of the Policy Evaluation and Training Division (DPET) of the Department of Peace Operations.

• It provides support to both DPO and DOS.
• The core function of PBPS is to help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of peacekeeping operations through the exchange of good practices between missions, the development of guidance material that reflects lessons learned, and thematic policy support in selected areas.
• PBPS also leads several reform processes.

Responsibilities of this internship will encompass many aspects of the Peacekeeping Policy and Best Practices Service's work. These responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Assist in researching topics for Desk reviews, reports, and surveys of practice (e.g., lessons learned, Traditional Conflict Resolution Mechanisms; Youth Peace and Security; communal conflict; and community engagement).
• Assist in preparing reports, concept papers, policy documents, talking points, articles, and other materials related to the work of Civil Affairs.
• Assist in the development of strategic communications, presentations, and visualizations.
• Assist in preparing newsletters.
• Attending and taking notes at conferences and meetings.
• Assist in servicing conferences and meetings.
• Assist with project management development.
• Proofreading/copyediting of team documents.
• Assist in data collection, data analysis, as well as information and database management.
• Perform other duties as required.

Duration: Flexible work options (hybrid, fully remote, or in-person) available for a 2 - 6 month duration. The desired start date is 12 Aug 2024, or sooner.

About you

Qualifications/Special Skills:

Applicants must meet one of the following requirements:

• Be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher);
• Be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s degree or equivalent).
• Applicants to the UN Internship Programme are not required to have professional work experience. However, a field of study closely related to the type of internship being applied for is required.
• Applicants must be a student in the final year of the first university degree (bachelor's 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.
• Experience in preparing, editing, and/or translating policy documents and communication products is desirable.
• Experience in supporting the organization of events is desirable.
• Experience working with databases, data visualization software such as Power BI, and strategic communications is desirable.

Languages:

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Fluency in spoken and written English is required for the internship. Knowledge of an additional official UN language is an advantage. Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish are the official languages of the United Nations Secretariat.​

Intern Specific text:

The United Nations does not financially remunerate interns. 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.

Benefits

The internship is an unpaid, full-time role.

If you join as a full-time employee, you will get the following benefits:

• Holidays and leave
• Health insurance
• Retirement pension
• Tax exemption
• Allowances
• Contribute to impactful global initiatives and work towards promoting peace, security, and human rights worldwide.

Training & development

During the internship, interns will gain hands-on experience in researching and preparing policy documents, strategic communications, and project management development within the context of peacekeeping operations. Interns will also enhance their skills in data analysis, event coordination, and the practical application of best practices in the field.

Career progression

You will be given a real chance to work with the United Nations people. As part of their team, working directly with outstanding and inspiring career professionals and senior management, you will be exposed to high-profile conferences, participate in meetings, and contribute to analytical work as well as organizational policy of the United Nations. Initially, you will take on the amount of responsibility you can shoulder; the growth potential, however, is yours to develop.

How to apply

The Motivational Statement must also include:

• Title of degree you are currently pursuing.
• Graduation Date (When will you be graduating/have graduated from the programme?)
• Explain why you are the best candidate for this specific internship.
• Explain your interest in the United Nations Internship Programme.
• In your online Personal History Profile, be sure to include all past work experiences, IT skills, and three references.

Sources

The following sources were used in researching this page:

• youtube.com/unitednations
• careers.un.org/payandbenefits
• https://careers.un.org/job-level CP