SDG Impact Intern

Background

The ’ s Private Finance for the SDGs Programme works to accelerate private sector contributions towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. Its objective is to help businesses and investors embed sustainability at the core of management decisions and direct capital to where it can make the most difference to people and planet.

We are pushing against the boundaries of our social and natural systems. Inequality, climate change and other sustainable development issues have been exacerbated by COVID-19. According to the OECD, there is an annual SDG financing gap of US$ 3.7 trillion – up from US$2.5 trillion before the pandemic. That is just part of the problem – the other part is knowing how much of it will actually contribute to the SDGs. Indeed, there is increasing pressure from consumers and end-investors for genuine sustainable practices and reduced SDG-washing.

While there is a growing awareness from enterprises and investors that their prospects depend on the health of people and planet, it is not enough. We are not yet on a sustainable path. Many business and investment decisions, whether knowingly or not, are having negative impacts on people and planet that could be avoided or significantly reduced by simply considering all aspects of impacts of their decisions. Making informed decisions is harder without a universal yardstick for sustainable management practices despite the numerous reporting standards and taxonomies available. Businesses and investors are still not able to authenticate their contribution to sustainability and achieving the SDGs which fuels “SDG-washing”. Secondly, private capital is not targeted to where it is needed most – only 20% of global capital is held in developing countries which represent 84% of the world’s population. We need action.

UNDP’s SFH provides innovative solutions to enable the private sector to make decisions that advances the achievement of the SDGs and reduce the risk of SDG-washing. Our SDG Impact Standards and impact measurement and management methodologies set the bar for management best practices that embed sustainability at the core of any organization. We provide training and education to give clients in private sector, public sector and academia the knowledge and skills to implement the SDG Impact Standards. Our goal is to foster a change in mindset in management where sustainability is at the heart of decision-making. Our SDG Investor Maps identifies investment themes and business models that help intermediaries build an investment pipeline aligned to national sustainable development needs and priority areas. Further, by leveraging UNDP’s 170 Country Offices, we can connect the public and private sectors across the economic ecosystem, including to explore solutions where there are currently limited opportunities for the private sector to invest.

Duties and Responsibilities

The overall purpose of the internship is to support the SFH Private Finance for the SDGs team on its monitoring and tracking, donor reporting, and partnerships management. Under the direct supervision of the SDG Impact Specialist, and the overall guidance of the Chief of SFH Private Finance for the SDGs Programme, the intern’s specific responsibilities include:

Results monitoring, tracking, and reporting

• Accompany results monitoring and tracking efforts across global, regional and country level project implementation
• Manage excel spreadsheets and produce analyses of data
• Support donor reporting with quantitative and qualitative analyses, according to intern’s interests and skills

Partnerships

• Map potential new private sector and academic partners in the Nordic region
• Conduct due diligence on potential partners
• Support preparation of training and awareness raising materials for the Nordic region
• Accompany SDG Impact specialist in partner meetings, trainings, and other, as per intern’s interests and team needs

Competencies

Functional

• Proficiency in Excel and quantitative data analysis
• Self-starter, proven ability to work independently and in an entrepreneurial setting.
• Strong motivation and ability to work and deliver under pressure and short deadlines.
• Good interpersonal skills, innovative, creative and ability to coordinate well with UNDP partner agencies.
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365 applications
• Promotes a knowledge sharing and learning culture in and outside UNDP.
• Respectful of the mandates and roles of different partners, particularly government supported institutions and can build and sustain productive and mutually beneficial partnerships. 

Core

• Demonstrates and promotes the highest standard of integrity, impartiality, fairness and incorruptibility in all matters affecting his/her work and status.
• Shows interpersonal skills and works collaboratively in small and large multi-cultural teams with colleagues inside UN/UNDP as well as its partners and other stakeholders to pursue common goals.
• Delivers verbal/written information in a timely, clear, organized and easily understood manner.
• Remains calm, composed and patient, regardless of his/her own state of mind in the face of conflict.

Required Skills and Experience

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

• Be enrolled in a postgraduate degree programme (such as a master’s programme, or higher);
• Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (such as bachelor’s degree or equivalent);
• 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.

Skills & Experiences

• Experience and proficiency using Excel required
• Proven capacity in research and data analysis required.
• Interest in SDG financing, impact measurement and management, financing for development, SDG-aligned investing, or sustainable development required
• Concise writing skills required.
• Strong computer application user skills required.
• Experience living or working in developing countries is an asset.
• Completion of the preferred.

Language:

• Fluency in written and spoken English required.
• Fluence in Norwegian, Swedish or Danish is a strong asset.
• Working knowledge of additional languages preferred.