In person-Internship to support the ACIAC Project in Beirut-Lebanon

Background

Corruption undercuts countries’ efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It wastes valuable resources, reduces government effectiveness, erodes trust in public institutions, distorts markets, stifles innovation, deepens inequalities, damages the environment, and increases vulnerability to crises and conflicts. Driven by country priorities across the Arab states region and recognizing the critical importance of governance, which is one of UNDP’s “signature solutions” under its new Strategic Plan (2022-2025), UNDP adopted a regional approach to support and facilitate measurable progress towards transparency and accountability. This approach optimizes the use of scarce technical resources, enables agile and swift responses in a rapidly changing environment, mitigates risks of politicization and allows for accelerated and tailored exchanges of expertise among peers drawing on commonalities among the countries of the region.

UNDP’s regional project on Anti-Corruption and Integrity in Arab Countries (ACIAC) contributes to the Strategic Plan’s “direction of change” including structural transformations, leaving no one behind, and building resilience by targeting the achievement of the three outputs outlined in this annual work plan. Related planned activities for 2024 are funded by the Government of the Republic of Korea. Primary recipients of the support are stakeholders across the region with a priority given to Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, and Tunisia. The regional team also provides support to additional countries through its advisory services to the various Country Offices in the Arab States region.

In 2024, the focus of the regional project is on the inclusive and effective implementation of the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), including through policy and legislative support, training, and the provision of technologies and other tools to boost capacities of concerned institutions. It is also significantly expanding the work on transparency and accountability in key vulnerable sector, including through new research and the development and deployment of sectoral tools to identify, assess and mitigate risks of corruption. In addition, the focus in 2024 is strengthening collective action capacities to advocate for the achievement of SDG16, including through the Arab Anti-Corruption and Integrity Network (ACINET), while fostering sustainable capacity development on related topics through specialized academies, training centers and universities in the project countries.

Accordingly, UNDP is seeking to recruit an intern for its regional project on Anti-Corruption and Integrity in Arab Countries (ACIAC) to support its analytical research and outreach activities on issues pertaining to anti-corruption, rule of law, and democratic governance trends and developments in the Arab region and worldwide. The intern will also support the regional project in implementing its activities as well as related communications with partners, beneficiaries and stakeholders and perform related administrative tasks as needed. The intern will be under the supervision of the Regional Chief Technical Advisor and Project Manager or his/her designated representative(s).

Duties and Responsibilities

The intern will be based in Beirut, Lebanon. Under the supervision of the Regional Chief Technical Advisor and Project Manager or his/her designated representative(s), responsibilities may include, but will not be limited to, the following:

Competencies

Functional competencies:

 Strong sense of collaborative work, excellent communication and interpersonal skills;

 Keen attention to detail;

 Interest in the field of governance and anti-corruption in the Arab region;

 Excellent analytical and writing skills.

Professionalism:

 Ability to work under pressure;

 Shows pride in work and in achievement;

 Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results;

 Is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns;

 Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges;

 Remains calm in stressful situations;

 Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work;

 Takes responsibility for incorporating the perspective of youth and ensuring the equal participation of young people as in all areas of work.

Communication:

 Speaks and writes clearly, concisely and effectively;

 Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately;

 Asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication;

 Tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience;

 Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Teamwork:

 Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise;

 Is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda;

 Supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position;

 Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

Planning and organizing:

 Identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required;

 Allocates appropriate amount of time and resource for completing work;

 Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning;

 Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary;

 Uses time efficiently.

Accountability:

 Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honor commitments.

 Delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost, and quality standards.

 Operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules.

 Takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable.

Creativity:

 Actively seeks to improve program or services;

 Offers new and different options to solve problems or meet client needs;

 Promotes and persuades others to consider new ideas;

 Takes calculated risks on new and unusual ideas;

 Thinks “outside the box”;

 Takes an interest in new ideas and new ways of doing things;

 Not bound by current thinking or traditional approaches.

Technological awareness:

 Understands applicability and limitation of technology to the work of the office;

 Actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks;

 Shows willingness to learn new technology.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

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

a) Be enrolled in a postgraduate degree programme (such as a master’s programme, or higher); 

b) Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (such as bachelor’s degree or equivalent); 

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

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

Experience:

• Relevant previous experience is a plus.

Stipend: 

 Where an intern is not financially supported by any institution or programme, such as a university, government, foundation or scholarship programme, a stipend intended to help cover basic daily expenses related to the internship, such as meals and transportation at the duty station, must be paid by the receiving office. 

 The monthly amount of the stipend will be determined for each duty station based on the stipend rates published yearly by the OHR Policy and Compensation Unit. The stipend will be paid on a monthly basis and part-time internship arrangements are prorated accordingly.

 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. 

 No other payments of any kind will be made to an intern by the office in connection with an internship agreement.

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