United Nations Human Settlements Programme Intern- Research Assistant Jobs in Kenya

United Nations Human Settlements Programme Intern- Research Assistant Jobs in Kenya

Org. Setting and Reporting

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable human settlements development and the achievement of adequate shelter for all.

For close to forty years, UN-Habitat has been working in human settlements throughout the world, focusing on building a brighter future for villages, towns, and cities of all sizes. This internship will be to support UN-Habitat’s Land, Housing and Shelter Section, Urban Practices Branch, Global Solutions Division.

In 2003, UN-Habitat published The Challenge of Slums: Global Report on Human Settlements, the results of the first global assessment of slums by the United Nations since the adoption of the Millennium Declaration. The report proposed a newly accepted operational definition of slums, and with the first global estimates of the numbers of slumdwellers, painted a dire picture of the situation in slums, which are predominantly a physical and spatial manifestation of urban poverty.

The report, which remains one of UN-Habitat’s most read publications and a relevant resource for many global stakeholders, discusses the challenge of slums and the factors underlying their formation.

In view of the developments and innovative solutions that have been successfully applied in addressing the challenge of slums, and the importance of slums and informal settlements on the global development agenda, the time is ripe to publish the Solutions to Slums: Global Report on Human Settlements 2020.

The proposed publication, whose provisional title is Solutions to Slums: Global Report on Human Settlements 2020, will provide the direction needed by key development stakeholders to step up in their commitment to reducing urban poverty and inequalities, leaving no one behind.

UN-Habitat is committed to assisting member states to meet the challenge of slums and enable countries to transform the lives of the urban poor strategically and at scale, incrementally putting the people at the center of the interventions. The topic of slums and informal settlements has been high in global debates for 20 years.

As a result, many countries have abandoned slum demolitions and forced evictions – a gross violation of human rights – in favour of inclusive policies, legislation and people-centered investments.

In contribution, UN-Habitat alone reviewed more than 50 policy frameworks over the past 10 years and leveraged more than one billion USD in several countries including Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Fiji, Haiti, Jamaica, Kenya, Madagascar, Niger and Papua New Guinea.

The goal of the proposed publication is to provide a comprehensive global assessment of slums in 2020 and an analysis of key developments in terms of policy, partnerships, novel and innovative solutions that have been successfully applied in response to the challenge of slums.

The specific objectives are to contribute to advocacy, demonstrate the impacts of sustainable transformation in slums and informal settlements, and accelerate the implementation of the SDGs and the New Urban Agenda (NUA) based on new knowledge, know-how and data trends.

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) Research Assistant Internship is for 6 (six) months.

The work hours during the internship shall be determined based on individual discussion between the intern and the supervisor(s) taking into consideration the minimum requirements of the Organization and the time difference between the hosting office and the location of the intern.

The Internship is UNPAID and full-time.

Interns work five days per week under the supervision of a staff member in the department or office to which they are assigned.

Responsibilities

Daily responsibilities will depend on the individual's background, the interns' assigned office as well as the internship period.

Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager, the intern will:

Collate, organize, verify and analyze necessary information,

Gather and compare resources to ensure facts,

Adhere to required methodologies and keep critical information confidential.

Partner specific research conducted to feed into the Global Publication, policy background papers and other briefing notes.

Competencies

Communication: Speaks and writes clearly 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 the 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.

Client orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view. Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect. Identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions. Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems.

Education

Applicants must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements:

Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher);

Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree program (minimum Bachelor's level or equivalent);

Have graduated with Bachelor's degree, Masters, PhD or equivalent

Be computer literate in standard software applications (Microsoft Office).

Have demonstrated a keen interest in the work of the United Nations and have a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter.

Have a demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which includes a willingness to try and understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views.

Preferred areas of studies:

Graphic Design, Data Visualization and Communication, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) or any other related field of study.

Work Experience

No working experience is required to apply for the United Nations Internship Programme. Your training, education, advance course work or skills should benefit the United Nations during your internship.

Experience in organizing and presenting research findings is required.

Knowledge of communication in graphic design and incorporating feedback into designs is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this internship, fluency in written and oral English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.

How to Apply

For more information and job application details, see; United Nations Human Settlements Programme Intern- Research Assistant Jobs in Kenya

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