Organization: UNHABITAT – United Nations Human Settlements Programme
Location: Nairobi
Grade: Internship – Internship
Occupational Groups:
Operations and Administrations
Infrastructure and Urban-Rural development
Urban Development, planning and design
Scientist and Researcher
Project and Programme Management
Natural Resource Management
Closing Date:
Work Location
In-person, Nairobi, Kenya
Expected duration
6 months
Duties and Responsibilities
Org. Setting and Reporting The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable human settlements development and the achievement of adequate shelter for all. For close to forty years, UN-Habitat has been working in human settlements throughout the world, focusing on building a brighter future for villages, towns, and cities of all sizes. The position is in the Capacity Development and Training Unit, Programme Development Branch of the Global Solutions Division of UN-Habitat. The Global Solutions Division (GSD) is responsible for providing programmatic direction for UN-Habitat and is responsible and accountable for the programmatic delivery of the Strategic Plan. The Division leads the tools and methodology production and the integration of the various substantive competencies towards effective delivery of UN-Habitat’s mandate and Strategic Plan. It provides substantive training to staff members and supports capacity development of Member States and partners. The Programme Development Branch (PDB) is responsible for the overall coordination of programme development. It brings together normative and operational expertise supporting high-quality integrated programmes that maximize results across the outcomes and the Domains of Change in the Strategic Plan. It builds on concrete demands of national and local governments, strengthening the capacity of government and urban stakeholders at all levels to address the social, economic, environmental and crisis dimensions of sustainable urbanization. The Branch also focuses on supporting global programme development to strengthen normative capacity and knowledge generation to increase impact and influence, through strategic partnerships. The Capacity Development and Training Unit (CDTU) is responsible for supporting and monitoring the implementation of UN-Habitat’s Capacity Building strategy. Individuals and institutions responsible for making cities sustainable and safe places to live and work in dignity need to have the skills, competencies and tools to steer cities towards a path of sustainable and inclusive urbanization. Capacity building addresses these needs, helping city leaders and institutions to accelerate toward the global goals of sustainable urban development. CDTU delivers a wide range of strategies, trainings, and technical support for the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goal 11 on Sustainable Cities and Communities. This includes finding innovative ways to transform knowledge into capacity-building products, including practical and problem-solving tools that respond to the needs of governments, cities, partners, technical cadres, urban practitioners, and policy makers alike, as well as carrying out capacity needs assessments. The Unit coordinates engagement with academic and research institutions, including the global partnership between UN-Habitat and universities worldwide, the Habitat UNI. The partnership promotes universities to become closer partners of cities, closing the gap between academia and practice, and encouraging collaborative learning with emphasis on South-South, North-South knowledge exchange. CDTU additionally manages a number of partnerships with training institutions and centres of excellence around the globe. UN-Habitat’s training partners range from government agencies to private sectors with the overarching aim to especially equip local governments to better respond to the sustainable urban challenges of their contexts. These partnerships take different forms but all serve to increase UN-Habitat’s cooperation with training providers and learning institutes to improve the agency’s capacity for knowledge transfer. CDTU also manages UN-Habitat Learn, UN-Habitat’s online learning platform. Responsibilities The internship offers an exciting and vibrant learning environment and opportunities for professional growth. The intern will have the opportunity to contribute to the work of CDTU in two main focused areas: (1) the planning, design, development, and management of capacity-building projects and programmes focused on sustainable urban development; and (2) research and writing of technical papers and frameworks. The intern will also support partnership management and coordination of the unit’s ongoing projects. Duties may include, but are not limited to: • Research Assistance: Assist in conducting literature reviews, data collection, and analysis for ongoing research projects; Aid in the development, distribution, and analysis of internal UN-Habitat surveys in a variety of focuses, such as capacity building, university partnerships, and training needs assessments; • Writing and Editing: Assist in drafting and editing technical papers, reports, background documents, concept notes, and presentations; • Project Development: Assist in the development and planning of new programs and projects, including research, proposal writing, and co-facilitating design sessions with partners; • Project Assistance: Provide support in planning, tracking, and reporting on project activities, ensuring deadlines and objectives are met; Assist in coordinating and communicating with stakeholders, including scheduling events/meetings and preparing meeting agendas and minutes; Support to maintain projects documentation, plans, and reports; • Collaborative Work: Work collaboratively with other team members to undertake any other assignments as necessary to support the implementation of the unit’s work programme.
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: Currently pursuing or hold a Master’s degree in Urban Planning, Architecture, Education, Social Sciences, Geography, Public Administration, Business Administration, International Development, or similar relevant topic. 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. Candidates for the UN Internship Programme are required to cover the cost of travel including visa, accommodation, health insurance and other living expenses for the duration of the internship. Will you be able to cover all the above-mentioned expenses? Yes/No Applicants must not be a child or a sibling of a United Nations Secretariat staff member. Do you meet this criterion? Yes/No – Yes, I am not a child or a sibling of a United Nations Secretariat staff member/No, I am a child or a sibling of a United Nations Secretariat staff member.
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this internship position, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another UN language is desirable.
Additional Information
Not available.
Intern Specific text
Interns 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 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.