International Internship – Social Policy, Yaoundé Cameroon (Section of Social Policy).

UNICEF works in 190 countries and territories to protect the rights of every child. UNICEF has spent 70 years working to improve the lives of children and their families. Defending children’s rights throughout their lives requires a global presence, aiming to produce results and understand their effects. UNICEF believes all children have a right to survive, thrive and fulfill their potential – to the benefit of a better world.

For every child, sustenance.

UNICEF has been working in Cameroon since 1975 to allow women and children to fully realize their rights to development without restriction, as enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. UNICEF provides financial and technical support to Cameroon across seven areas to fully realize the rights of women and children. These areas include Health, HIV/AIDS, Water-sanitation-Hygiene, nutrition, education, child protection, and social inclusion. UNICEF focuses mainly on children and the most vulnerable and excluded families. Cameroon’s 2020 population is estimated at 26,545,863 people according to UN data. The population is young and generates strong socioeconomic demand. In rural areas, limited access to basic social services and the effects of climate changes lead to household impoverishment and severe child deprivations. The task is immense but not insurmountable; it requires the energy of all stakeholders in Cameroon and out of Cameroon: also, women, men, youth and children, government, technical and financial partners, donors, civil society, the private sector, parliamentarians, communities. Everyone is invited to take part in the struggle to meet the challenges that lie ahead. Together, we will act for Cameroon, a country that summarizes the challenges and hopes of Africa.

To learn more about UNICEF Cameroon, use the below

link https://unicef.sharepoint.com/sites/CMR/SitePages/AboutUs.aspx

 
How can you make a difference?

This internship is to provide Tertiary students with an opportunity to put into practice the skills they have learned while in the university.  By the end of the programme, students should have an opportunity to enhance those skills, obtain the perspective of a work environment and benefit from a mentor or supervisor’s experience and advice.

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Chief Social Policy, the intern will in general be responsible for supporting stages of social policy programming and related advocacy from strategic planning to the formulation of delivery of concrete and sustainable results. This will include programmes aimed at improving public policies to reduce child poverty; social protection coverage and impact on children.

Purpose:

The purpose of this internship is to support the activities of the social policy section and provide selected candidates with exposure to our programme, the working environment of a multilateral organization, and a better understanding of management at the executive level.

Expected Scope of Work:

The intern will be responsible for the following tasks:

1. Participate in the development of the section’s annual work plan with the social policy team. Set priorities and targets and monitor work progress to ensure results are achieved according to schedule and performance standards
2. Oversees the collection, analysis, and user-friendly presentation of data on multidimensional and monetary child poverty, including strengthening national capacity to collect routinely, report, and use data for policy decision-making.
3. Provides timely, regular data-driven analysis for effective prioritization, planning, and development; facilitates results-based management for planning, adjusting, and scaling-up specific social policy initiatives to reduce child poverty.
4. Analyzes the macroeconomic context and its impact on social development, emerging issues,
5. and social policy concerns, as well as implications for children, and proposes and promotes appropriate responses in respect of such issues and concerns, including government resource allocation policies and the effect of social welfare policies on the rights of children.
6. Collaborates with the central and local authorities to strengthen capacity on quality data collection, analysis for policy development, planning, implementation, coordination, and monitoring of essential social services, with emphasis on community participation and accountability.
7. Ensures effective and efficient planning, management, coordination, monitoring, and evaluation of the country programme. Ensures that the social planning project enhances policy dialogue, planning, supervision, technical advice, management, training, research, and support; and that the monitoring and evaluation component strengthens monitoring and evaluation of the social sectors and provides support to sectoral and decentralized information systems.
8. Identifies policy options for improved domestic financing of child-sensitive social protection interventions. 

As an advocate for every child, you will have…

• To be considered for an internship with UNICEF, applicants should meet the following requirements:

• Be enrolled in a degree programme in an undergraduate, or graduate school, or be a recent graduate in Economics, Demographic, Statistics, Public Policy, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Science, or another relevant technical field.

• Be proficient in UNICEF’s working languages: English and French.

• Have strong academic performance as demonstrated by recent university or institution records or, if not available, a reference letter from an academic supervisor.

• Have no immediate relatives (e.g. father, mother, brother, sister) working in any UNICEF office.

• Are not disqualified under the UNICEF Child Safeguarding Personnel Standards (DHR/STANDARDS/2019/001), or as amended.

• Intermediate to advanced knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

• Knowledge of e-learning authoring tools is an asset

• Eligible applicants must be Non-Cameroon Nationals

Required Documents:

•  Letter of enrollment or certificate from the college or university that the intern is currently enrolled in an undergraduate school or has completed at least two years of full-time studies at a university or equivalent institution It should also state the expected graduation date.  Recent graduates are allowed until 2 years after degree completion.
• Copy of their most recent official transcript showing excellent academic performance.
• Copy of Identification Card (ID) or Passport.

UNICEF’s General Terms and Conditions:

The successful intern will be governed by the following conditions:

• Status: Although not considered a staff member of UNICEF, the intern shall be subject to the authority of the Executive Director and the authority delegated by her to the Division Director and Heads of Offices. Interns are not entitled to the privileges and immunities accorded by member states to UNICEF’s officials and staff members.
• Financial support: UNICEF will provide a monthly stipend in accordance with UNICEF rules and recommendations. Official Travel Involved, if any: 1000 USD threshold. Interns must make arrangements for living expenses. Living accommodations and other expenses are also their responsibilities. Travel costs to and from the duty station will be negotiated according to UNICEF’s rules and regulations.
• Medical health and coverage: UNICEF accepts no responsibility for costs or fatality arising from illness or accidents incurred during the internship; therefore, the intern must carry adequate and regular medical insurance.
• Confidentiality and publication of information: As an intern, you will respect the confidentiality of information that you collect or are exposed to at UNICEF. No reports or papers may be published based on information obtained from UNICEF without explicit written authorization by the Head of Office or Division Director.
• Employment prospects: The UNICEF internship programme is estimated for 6 months and is not connected with employment and there is no expectancy of such. Interns cannot apply for posts advertised internally to UNICEF staff during the period of internship.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability (CRITA) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: https://uni.cf/UNICEFValues

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others.

To view our competency framework, please visit: https://uni.cf/Competencies

During the recruitment process, candidates may be tested following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: UNICEF’s Competency Framework here.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to A diverse and inclusive workforce to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children.

All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates will be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID).