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UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Job Description

About the Regional Programme for Africa

The Regional Programme for Africa is a flagship initiative for UNDP that addresses to challenges and opportunities facing the African Continent and aligns with the priorities and aspirations of Africa as articulated by the African Union and other regional bodies. These priorities converge with the vision, areas of work and guiding principles of the UNDP Strategic Plan. The programme builds on past successes and lessons learned, with special attention to focused programming and effective engagement with the African Union and the regional economic communities through long-term strategic partnerships.

The programme contributes to the UNDP Strategic Plan by focusing on three outcome areas:

• Ensuring the African Union and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) effectively deliver on their mandates, particularly on cross-cutting issues related to resilience-building.

• Promoting regional growth that is inclusive, transformational, and sustainable, with reduced economic inequalities and structural transformation.

• Strengthening regional institutions to sustain peace and build resilience against crises and shocks.

Additionally, the Regional Programme contributes directly to four “signature solutions” in UNDP’s Strategic Plan: strengthening effective, accountable, and inclusive governance; enhancing prevention and recovery for resilient societies; closing the clean energy gap; and strengthening gender equality measures. These efforts indirectly help reduce poverty and promote environmentally sound solutions for a sustainable planet. Underpinned by African ownership and leadership—and mindful of the continent’s rich diversity—UNDP’s regional work is guided by five mutually reinforcing principles:

• Promoting public goods and services based on strengthened regional cooperation and integration.

• Managing cross-border challenges and opportunities, such as trade, the environment, and conflict prevention, that are best addressed collaboratively.

• Advancing awareness, dialogue, and action on sensitive or emerging issues through shared regional experiences.

• Encouraging experimentation and innovation to overcome institutional, financial, and informational barriers that may be insurmountable for individual countries.

• Generating and sharing development knowledge, experience, and expertise—through South-South and triangular cooperation—to benefit countries across the region and beyond.

In all these efforts, UNDP will prioritize South-South and triangular cooperation as core ways of working to support initiatives that accelerate regional integration in Africa.

About the African Facility to Support Inclusive Transitions (AFSIT)

Challenges to governance, peace, and security in Africa persist. Over the past decade, the continent has grappled with coups, popular uprisings, post-election violence, and political insurgencies. Research and lived experiences across Africa have shown that political transitions, when not managed carefully, can lead to violent contestation and conflict, resulting in instability that severely impacts development progress.

In response, UNDP, in partnership with the African Union Commission (AUC), launched the African Facility to Support Inclusive Transitions (AFSIT) in mid-2023. This initiative was a direct response to the call by AU Heads of State and Government at the 16th Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of the AU on Terrorism and Unconstitutional Changes of Government in Africa, held on 28 May 2022 in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.

AFSIT supports countries undergoing complex political transitions by helping them navigate a pathway toward stable, democratic development. The Facility places a particular emphasis on ensuring the inclusion of women, young people, and other marginalized groups. It supports both regional and national activities by commissioning high-impact research, providing responsive policy and technical advice to the African Union and REC partners, and disbursing rapid-response funding to African countries. This support is delivered in close cooperation with UN Country Teams, as well as national and civil society partners, to preemptively or responsively ensure the inclusive, accountable, and peaceful management of political transitions—thereby maintaining positive national development trajectories.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the AFSIT Partnerships Specialist, the AFSIT Project Support Intern will undertake the following:

• Conduct research on political transitions, governance, peacebuilding, and inclusive development in Africa.

• Support the development of country and regional analysis, mapping key challenges, trends, and opportunities in transition contexts.

• Gather and analyze data on governance, institutional reforms, and social cohesion efforts.

• Prepare briefing notes, background papers, and analytical reports to inform AFSIT’s work.

• Monitor regional and global policy developments related to democratic transitions and inclusive governance.

• Help coordinate and organize AFSIT workshops and events aimed at increasing awareness and capacity development, including planning, sending letters and invitations, preparing minutes, logistics, etc.

• Assist in tracking project deliverables, timelines, and budgets to ensure smooth implementation.

• Support coordination efforts with partners such as CSOs, regional bodies, and other partners.

• Provide logistical and administrative support for meetings, missions, and events.

• Support the preparation of project progress reports, donor reports, and internal briefings.

• Assist in documenting lessons learned, best practices, and case studies from AFSIT’s work.

• Maintain a database of knowledge products, research materials, and programmatic outcomes.

• Contribute to developing presentations, support documents, and data summaries for reporting purposes.

• Help document impact and key milestones from AFSIT initiatives.

• Provide general support to the AFSIT team as needed.

• Perform any other duties assigned by the supervisor.

Competencies

Core

• Innovation - Ability to make new and practical ideas work

• Leadership - Proactively identifies new opportunities and challenges

• People Management - Ability to improve performance and satisfaction

• Communication - Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform.

• Delivery - Meets goals and timelines for delivery of products or services;

Technical/ Functional

• Research - Knowledge of analytical tools, market research and methods for undertaking substantive research on various policy-related issues

• Brand and Quality Management - Ability to position a UNDP brand and uphold it to a high level of quality.

• Multimedia writing/editing - Ability to originate or edit written content to be disseminated through internal and external channels.

• Strategic Planning - Ability to make decisions that align with strategy, vision, and mission.

• Marketing - Ability to communicate the value of a product or service

• Relationship Management - Ability to engage and foster strategic partnerships with other parties, Inter-Agency Coordination, and forge productive working relationships

• Communications for development - Ability to communicate organizational impact and results.

Other

• Experience in Microsoft Office Suite.

• Experience with data visualization tools and platforms is an asset.

• Knowledge of African political and governance dynamics is an asset.

Job Requirements:

Required Skills and Experience

Applicants to the UNDP internship programme must, at the time of application, meet one of the following requirements:

Education:

• Be enrolled in a postgraduate degree programme (such as a master’s programme, or higher) in Political Science, International Relations, Development or related field;

• Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (such as bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in Political Science, International Relations, Development or related field;

• Have recently graduated with a university degree (as defined in (1) and (2) above) and, if selected, must start the internship within one-year of graduation;

• Be enrolled in a postgraduate professional traineeship program and undertake the internship as part of this program.

Experience:

• Experience in project and event management desirable

• Familiarity with the UN system in general

• Familiarity with SDGs and Agenda 2030 is desirable.

Language:

• Proficiency in English;

• Knowledge of French would be an asset.

Internship Learning Opportunities

• Understanding of UNDP’s work

• Hands-on experience in communications and social media outreach

• Opportunity to learn how development agendas are translated to results

Conditions:

• Intern will be given monthly stipend in accordance with the provisions of the UNDP Internship policy, which applicants should become familiar with prior to signing an UNDP Internship Agreement Form . Where an intern is financially supported by an institution, government or third party, UNDP will, subject to the rules of such institution, government or third party, pay the intern the difference, if any, between the external financial support provided and the applicable UNDP Stipend.

• UNDP accepts no responsibility for the medical and life insurance of the intern or costs arising from accidents and illness incurred during an internship;

• The purpose of the Internship Programme is not to lead to further employment within the UN System, but to complement an intern’s studies. Therefore, there should be no expectation of employment at the end of an internship.

• Interns are not considered staff members and may not represent UNDP in any official capacity.

How to Apply:

Interested and qualified applicants can apply online using THIS LINK