Public Partnerships Group Intern – UN System Affairs and Partnerships Portfolio Management Teams

Background

The Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy (BERA) is responsible for UNDP’s external relations and advocacy functions. BERA leads and supports the organization in building and nurturing strategic relationships and alliances essential for successfully achieving the mission of UNDP. These relationships include a range of constituencies and development partners, related to resource mobilization and donor relations, intergovernmental affairs with member states, multilateral institutions, IFIs, the European Commission, private sector, foundations, UN system agencies and UN inter-governmental bodies.

BERA is positioned around three audience-oriented service lines, namely Public Partners Partnerships, Marketing and Communications and Private and Finance partners, each guided by the Directorate and supported by the Management Support and Strategy and Analytics Teams. BERA has a network of Regional External Relations Teams in five hubs co-led with Regional Bureaux and Representation Offices in Europe, Japan and the US, namely, Brussels, Copenhagen, Geneva, Tokyo and Washington D.C., which manage and strengthen relationships with Public and Private Partners in country and help build a strong brand for UNDP within the local ecosystem including UN partnerships.

The Public Partnerships Group (PPG) guides trusted engagement with public partners in support of UNDP Strategic Plan. This involves coordinating multi-stakeholder partnerships including quality assurance; and engaging with key political constituencies and actors, as well as intergovernmental and inter-agency processes.

The Public Partnership Group (PPG) consists of five teams:

1. UN System Affairs,
2. Partnerships Portfolio Management,
3. Performance and Analysis Portfolio,
4. International Financial Institutions,
5. New Strategic Partnerships.

Key functions of PPG include:

• Build a strong constituency around UNDP’s strategic agenda with partners through proactive dialogue and advocacy with stakeholders.
• Develop and advise on annual engagement strategies and priorities for public partners, including organizing annual strategic dialogues.
• Set, monitor and deliver corporate public partnership priorities, goals, and key performance indicators in line with the corporate engagement strategies and audience specific accountability framework.
• Advise UNDP senior management on public and partnership engagement including multi-stakeholder engagement and funding mechanisms.
• Monitor emerging risks affecting UNDP’s positioning with the Member States and UN Partners and devise and implement risk mitigation plans.
• Coordinate and advise on UNDP contributions to system-wide policies on UN coherence modalities.
• Identify risks and opportunities to be given due consideration by UNDP management; advise senior leadership on issues arising and recommend course of action.
• Assess partner perceptions of UNDP and advise on UNDP’s response to partners’ assessments of performance.
• Oversee partnership management and RM tracking mechanisms across UNDP (including through a CRM platform).

Duties and Responsibilities

The Intern will have the opportunity to contribute to two teams within the PPG, namely the ‘Partnerships Portfolio Management (PPM)’ team and the ‘UN System Affairs’ team (UNSAT). The Intern’s support and time will be distributed based on each team’s workplan as defined and agreed upon the respective supervisors/team leaders, and daily work will be carried under the overall guidance and direction of each Team Leader in close collaboration with the respective team members.

As part of the support to the UN System Affairs Team, and under the overall guidance and direction of the UNSAT Team Leader, the Intern will undertake tasks within one or more of the key functions listed below.

• Gather data on inter-agency and intergovernmental meetings and support analysis on key strategic issues.
• Regularly monitor and update through briefs/readouts/notes key developments within the intergovernmental and interagency spaces – flagship initiatives, campaigns, advocacy, news/update.
• Provide background research and analytical support for UNSAT team members, including for briefing notes, talking points, analysis, external correspondence, and statements, as required.
• As requested, attend bilateral, interagency, and intergovernmental meetings and consultations, provide timely information on issues of relevant importance to UNDP, prepare notes, readouts and briefings, including their presentation in team meetings.
• Support coordinating and liaising with UNSAT team members in organizing events including consultations, briefings, workshops, teleconferences, webinars, as required, preparing agendas, presentations, documents, meeting minutes, and identifying follow-up as required.
• Support regular monitoring of Member States and UN entities’ positions and providing inputs to intel notes, briefs, as well as to the tracking system.
• Perform other duties as may be required in support of the team’s objectives and workplan.

As part of the support to the Partnerships Portfolio Management Team (PPM), and under the overall guidance and direction of the PPM Team Leader, the Intern will undertake tasks related to one or more of the key functions listed below.

• Support with data collection and analysis of development cooperation priorities of major government partners to UNDP, including foreign affairs and other relevant parliamentary committee inquiries.
• Research and analysis of donors’ aid policies, practices and budget allocations including contributions to multilaterals.
• Support implementation of the audience-centric approach to partnerships through research and gathering information on actors relevant to UNDP’s work (e.g. line ministries, development finance institutions, private sector and civil society). 
• Support with the development of partnerships related material, analytical notes and other documents to help articulate and promote the Partner Portfolio Management Team’s partnerships tools and services.
• Support internal communications on partnerships and donor relations matters, assist with the development, dissemination and uptake of tools for capacity building in resource mobilization and donor engagement, including use of the CRM platform (UNITY).
• Collect and compile partnerships news and announcements relevant to partner portfolio management and keep the Partner Portfolio Management Team abreast of current affairs with implications for UNDP’s public partnerships.

Support with events management, as needed, including bilateral meetings, consultations and dialogues.

Learning Opportunities

Learning and mentoring as well as facilitating exposure to a range of experiences for the intern will be an explicitly targeted goal during the internship. The Intern will be exposed to having a robust understanding of key intergovernmental United Nations bodies and mechanisms (General Assembly, ECOSOC, HLPF, SSC, 2nd Committee, etc.), as well as UNDP’s own governing body (Executive Board) – all of which will happen during the period of the internship. The Intern will be able to understand the dynamics of the UN development system reform and UNDP’s key contributions and collaboration with other UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes.  

Through her/his assignment with the Partner Portfolio Management Team, the intern will be exposed to the management of corporate partnerships, primarily OECD-DAC partners. She/he will gain hands-on experience with monitoring and analyzing partnerships environments, as well as macro and institutional trends shaping funding partnerships and resource mobilization at the global level. The Intern will also gain exposure to UNDP’s network of partnerships colleagues, internal and external, and will have the opportunity to meet and interact with officials at senior and technical levels from donor missions and capitals.

Outputs/Deliverables

Aside from the day-to-day contributions to the respective team(s), by the end of the internship, the Intern will have contributed to the following deliverables:

For the UNSA team:

1. Advanced UNDP’s strategic support and engagement in the key intergovernmental fora, with key focus on the High-Level Political Forum, the preparation for the upcoming QCPR negotiations, among others.
2. Strengthened UNDP’s positioning on and contributions to the UNDS reform implementation in different intergovernmental forums, e.g. ECOSOC Operational Activities Segment for Development, UNDP Annual Session of the Executive Board, and others.

For the PPM team:

1. Strengthened audience-centric approach to donor portfolio management.
2. Improvements in, and greater awareness of, PPM partnerships tools and services.
3. Implementation of partner engagement plans informed by the latest donor trends and analysis.

Competencies

1. Promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of UNDP.
2. Good understanding of international development and multilateralism, particularly the UN system, its intergovernmental bodies and fora, Secretariat, agencies, funds and programmes.
3. Excellent analytical and data handling capability.     
4. Excellent organizational, general administration, time management skills.  
5. Strong English language skills (oral and written).
6. Demonstrates strong computer skills and ability to produce information visually.
7. Ability for problem-solving, multi-tasking, meet deadlines and work under pressure, strong follow-up skills  
8. Ability to work as part of a team in a constantly evolving work environment.

Required Skills and Experience

1. Enrollment in graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent or higher).
2. Enrollment in the final academic year of a university degree programme (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent).
3. A university degree (as defined in (a) and (b) above) within one year of graduation.
4. Currently enrolled in a Master’s / postgraduate university in international relations, political science or related field.

Experience

1. Relevant national and/or international experience in multilateral diplomacy, sustainable development, human rights, humanitarian or political affairs, international relations, finance/economics, political science, management, communications, business consulting, knowledge management or related field.
2. Knowledge in multilateral diplomacy, development-related areas, multi-stakeholder engagement, international or multilateral organizations.
3. Prior relevant experience is an asset, including experience in drafting meeting notes and reports, as well as organizing meetings and collaborative events.

UNDP may accept interns provided the following conditions are met:

• Interns may be given a stipend according to the UNDP Internship Policies, if not financially supported by any institution or programme, such as a university, government, foundation or scholarship programme.
• Where an intern is financially supported by an institution, government or third party, UNDP will, subject to the rules of such institution, government or a third party, pay the intern the difference, if any, between the external financial support provided and the applicable UNDP stipend.
• Interns are responsible for securing adequate medical insurance for the duration of the internship. UNDP accepts no responsibility for costs arising from accidents and/or illness or death incurred during the internship.
• The intern is responsible for obtaining necessary visas and arranging travel to and from the duty station where the internship will be performed.
• Interns are not eligible to apply for, or be appointed to, any post in UNDP during the period of the internship.
• Interns are not staff members and may not represent UNDP in any official capacity.
• The purpose of the Internship Programme is not to lead to further employment with UNDP but to complement an intern’s studies. Therefore, there should be no expectation of employment at the end of an internship.
• The intern will be evaluated at the end of the contract and due recognition of work will be issued in writing.

In case an applicant is successfully selected, s/he will be requested to provide electronic versions of the following documents upon selection:

• Copy of the applicant’s most recent resume or curriculum vitae.
• Letter from his/her university confirming current enrolment and graduation date.
• Letter of recommendation from a professor.
• Copy of her/his school transcript.
• Copy of passport.
• Completed UNDP internship application form.
• Signed UNDP Internship Agreement.
• Medical Certificate of Good Health.
• Proof of medical insurance.

Subsequent Employment:

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

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