united Nations relief and works agency
for Palestine refugees in the near east
UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and is mandated to provide assistance and protection to a population of some 5 million registered Palestine refugees. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip to achieve their full potential in human development, pending a just solution to their plight. UNRWA’s services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance and emergency assistance. UNRWA is the largest UN operation in the Middle East with more than 30,000 staff. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions.
Internship Opportunity
Department : Various, Programme Support Assistant Intern
Duty Station : West Bank Field Office (E. Jerusalem)/ or remotely-
Type of Appointment: Full time internship
Duration: 3-6 months, with the possibility of renewal
Expected Starting Date: 1 October 2020
Terms of Reference
BACKGROUND
In the West Bank, UNRWA serves the more than 800,000 Palestine refugees living in the 19 refugee camps and other communities. In addition to working in the core sectors referenced above, in the West Bank, UNRWA also provides humanitarian assistance to alleviate the immediate needs of the Palestine Refugee community. The West Bank Field has approximately 5,000 national staff and 28 international staff.
Although the security situation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has improved significantly since the end of the Second Intifada, the UNDSS security level remains moderate for Jerusalem and substantial for the West Bank. UNDSS guidelines restrict international staff from living in the West Bank, and so it is expected that the intern would live in Jerusalem, which is the location of the Field Office. Interns are expected to conduct regular field trips to refugee camps, urban areas and rural villages in the West Bank, which will mean exposure to a community living in an insecure environment with high levels of poverty. (If the situation permits)
DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Program Support Assistant intern will work in programme support functions with one of several teams within the West Bank Field Office in East Jerusalem. Generally speaking, UNRWA defines “programme support” as cross-cutting areas such as programme planning, monitoring and evaluation, and management support. Flexibility, strong interpersonal skills, and good organizational skills are key skills for potential interns.
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES
· Participate in operational research projects, including ongoing efforts to update information about the refugee population in the West Bank, including those living in the 19 refugee camps in the West Bank
· Support WBFO in areas such as project cycle management, monitoring and evaluation, and sectoral technical areas. "Support" may include assisting in the development of of project proposals and donor reporting, assisting with background papers and analysis, introducing new techniques for reporting and information management.
· Elaborate advocacy materials such as camp profiles and information leaflets
· Support change management processes and reforms through assisting teams in developing action plans and tracking steps taken (see “administrative tasks” below for more information)
· Assist in administrative tasks, such as taking minutes, document proof reading, and scheduling meetings and teaching local staff how to manage such tasks.
· Other tasks as assigned
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
Education: Bachelor’s degree (or higher) from an accredited educational institution in International Relations, Conflict Studies, Development, History, Economics or related field.
Work Experience: Applicants are not required to have professional work experience, although prior experience in youth-related initiatives or programmes will be an advantage.
Languages: English
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
COMPETENCIES
· Team Work
· Flexibility
· Critical thinking/Analytical Skills
· Proposal Writing and Reporting/Drafting Skills
· Flexibility
· Willingness to show initiative
· Tact, diplomacy, and discretion
· Good listening skills
APPLICATION PROCESS
Should you be interested, please send your CV and a motivation letter to internship@unrwa.org no later than 30 September 2020. Please mention in the subject line “**Programme Support Assistant Intern** - West Bank Field Office”.
The motivation letter must include:
· Title of degree;
· IT skills and programs that you are proficient in;
Due to the high volume of applications received, ONLY successful candidates will be contacted.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Only those applicants shortlisted for interview will be contacted.
UNRWA staff and complementary personnel are expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity, neutrality and impartiality at all times. This includes respect for and commitment to human rights, diversity, and non-violent means of dealing with all kinds of conflict. Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for UNRWA jobs. UNRWA is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from both women and men. UNRWA encourages applications from qualified women.
UNRWA will not be responsible for the costs of travel, visa, accommodation, or any other costs related to the placement. All costs connected with an intern’s participation must be borne by the intern, including arrangements for travel (including to and from the office), visas, accommodation, etc. Interns will be solely responsible to secure visas. Applicants should be able to travel in the Agency's area of operations in the Middle East.
At the stage of acceptance of an internship placement, interns must prove to the satisfaction of UNRWA that they have adequate medical and accident insurance coverage prior to commencing the placement.
Intern placements shall not constitute employment by UNRWA. Interns are considered to be complementary personnel with non-staff status. The purpose of the internship program is not to lead to further employment with UNRWA but to complement an intern's studies. Therefore, there should be no expectation of employment at the end of an internship. Interns are eligible to apply as external candidates for UNRWA staff vacancies in accordance with normal selection procedures.
Please note that UNRWA does not charge fees at any stage of the application process. Vacancy announcements advertised at: https://www.unrwa.org/careers/internships, will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (Jerusalem time) on the deadline date.
UNRWA is a non-smoking environment.
This vacancy is archived.