Back Independent Evaluation Unit (Science and Data) Intern

Duration: 6 months
Starting date: 07 July 2025
Location: Songdo, Incheon City, Republic of Korea
Remuneration: US$ 1,300/month

Introduction
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is a multilateral fund created to make significant and ambitious contributions to the global efforts to combat climate change. The GCF contributes to achieving the objectives of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement. In the context of sustainable development, the GCF aims to promote a paradigm shift towards low-emission and climate-resilient development pathways by providing support to developing countries to limit or reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt to climate change while accounting for their needs and supporting those that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. The GCF is governed by a Board composed of an equal number of members from developed and developing countries. It is operated by an independent Secretariat headed by an Executive Director.

The Independent Evaluation Unit (IEU) of the GCF informs the decision-making by the Board, conducts periodic independent evaluations of GCF performance, and provides evaluation reports to the Conference of Parties of the UNFCCC. It has dual learning and accountability functions within the GCF.

As per the 2025 work plan of the Unit, the IEU team is structured into four workstreams; (i) Science and Data, (ii) Learning, Uptake, Knowledge & Synthesis, (iii) Capacity Building, Advisory and Policy, and (iv) Review, Administration & Quality Assurance workstream. Evaluations and Reviews involve team members of all workstreams.

Role
The Science & Data Intern will assist the IEU Science & Data (S&D) team in contributing to IEU-led evaluation processes through a variety of data-related support tasks. These tasks may include, but are not limited to, extracting usable quantitative and qualitative data from both external and GCF portfolio data sources, as well as cleaning, validating, analyzing, and visualizing the data, including through machine learning models where relevant. For example, to support critical aspects of IEU evaluations, the intern will have the opportunity to assist the S&D team in creating machine learning models for data extraction and categorization, analyzing interviews, and/or conducting statistical analyses using a range of portfolio datasets. The intern may also have the opportunity to develop data visualizations using Power BI and other visualization and analytics tools to help IEU evaluation members communicate their findings and recommendations to GCF stakeholders clearly and effectively. Additionally, the intern will have the opportunity to work with other workstreams within the IEU and the Information Technology Department of the Secretariat, as relevant, to enhance synergy on a range of cross-workstream and departmental initiatives.

Duties and responsibilities

• Under the overall guidance of the Head of the IEU and the designated primary supervisor(s) within the IEU, the Science & Data Intern will:
• Support the identification of data needs and requirements for ongoing IEU evaluations by reviewing existing GCF portfolio data, including data from GCF’s accreditation processes, funded activities, the Readiness Preparatory and Support Programme, and the Project Preparation Facility.
• Assist with data extraction from a variety of data sources, both internal to the Secretariat and external, and perform data validation, cleaning, and maintenance functions. This may involve leveraging machine learning models where relevant to ensure efficient and reliable creation of datasets for ongoing evaluations.
• Provide support for a range of data analyses and visualization tasks to help inform emerging evaluation findings and communicate final findings to GCF stakeholders clearly and effectively.
• Assist in facilitating S&D-led initiatives, including developing and refining metadata for archiving, retrieval, and communication purposes.
• Support any additional analytical, operational, and administrative tasks as assigned by the Head of the IEU or the designated primary supervisor within the S&D team.

  Required Qualifications

  • Enrolled in or recently graduated Masters’ or PhD program in Data Science, Data Management, Data Analytics, Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Climate Policy, Environmental Science or related fields.
  • Proficiency in using standard software programs such as MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
  • Proficiency in using Power BI and or other visualization/analytics tools.
  • Hand on knowledge of statistical and programming languages like Python and R and or database query languages like SQL would be a distinct advantage.
  • Excellent writing and presentation skills.
  • Good understanding and experience in operations of international organizations is an added advantage.
  • Fluency in English is essential; knowledge of another United Nations language, in particular, French and Spanish is an advantage.
    

    The closing date for application is 12 January 2025. Applications submitted after the deadline may not be considered.

    
    *The person assessed by the Selection Panel as most suitable for the position will be proposed for appointment. Selection among short-listed candidates will also take into account performance at interview, appropriate testing, and references.
    

    Applications from women and nationals of developing countries are strongly encouraged to apply.