Operations Assistant United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)

B

Family Type (not applicable for home-based)

Family

Staff Member / Affiliate Type

Internship

Target Start Date

2023-08-01

Job Posting End Date

August 14, 2023

Terms of Reference

Title of Post Operations Assistant – Intern
Category Internship
Location Lusaka, Zambia
Grade Intern

1. Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The Office of the UNHCR was established on 14 December 1950 by the UN General Assembly. The agency is mandated to provide protection (including assistance) and to seek durable solutions for refugees.
The Operations Assistant/Intern would normally receive guidance from more senior programme staff in the operation/bureau/division. The incumbent may receive indirect guidance from other sections and units relevant to the country/region programme(s). UNHCR Manual, Operations Plans, UN and UNHCR financial/budgetary rules and regulations will guide the work of the Operations Assistant.
S/he is expected to have contacts within the organization and outside the duty station, as well as with partners and other stakeholders to collect information, monitor programme activities and implement administrative requirements. The incumbent is expected to work in line with the multi-functional team (MFT) approach as defined within the Program Manual, ensuring the participation of relevant stakeholders in all phases of the Program Management Cycle.

UNHCR seeks to engage interns with diverse academic backgrounds, profiles, educational experience and knowledge in various professional fields, who may bring innovative thinking and different ideas to the Organization. The work of UNHCR benefits broadly from increased linkages and exchanges, formal and informal, with academia globally through interns. The work of interns is expected to contribute to UNHCR delivering on its mandate for refugees and asylum-seekers, returnees, stateless people and internally displaced persons, while helping the Organization remain relevant in the competitive humanitarian environment.

UNHCR provides interns with a learning opportunity to gain knowledge and practical experience related to their academic programme or future work in a field related to UNHCR’s mission. By being directly exposed to the work of the Organization, interns have the chance to develop their skills and aptitudes.

2. Task description:

Under the direct supervision of the Assistant Program Officer, the UN Community Intern will:

• Support programme staff conduct on spot monitoring of activities implemented by partners in Lusaka to assess whether delivery is in line with the project documents and is positively impacting the beneficiaries. S/he will also take notes required by programme unit to draft monitoring reports.
• Assist the programme team conduct performance monitoring of activities directly implemented by UNHCR Lusaka and assist in the completion of the DI monitoring template.
• Support the Assistant Program Officer design an end-year operational impact assessment of interventions both by partners and direct implementation, which will also assist in generating (especially non-survey) data to enhance reporting.
• Assist in organising and participate in Program team meetings and capacity building sessions with partners and draft minutes and reports.

3. Minimum Qualifications

Education & Professional Work Experience

Years of Experience / Degree Level
Must be a current student and have completed at least two years of undergraduate study, or must have graduated within the last two years from a graduate/undergraduate school programme from an accredited university or higher education institution.

Field(s) of Education
Economics, Business Administration, Social Science or related fields
(Field(s) of Education marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Allowances
Interns who do not receive financial support from a third party (e.g., the university or government grant) a will receive Food and Local Transportation Allowance (the Allowance), calculated in USD and normally payable in local currency via bank transfer.

Certificates and/or Licenses
Not specified.

(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience

Functional Skills
PG-Programme Management (project formulation, programme cycles and reporting standards)
PG-Results-Based Management
DM-Database Management
PG-Programme Analysis
IT-Computer Literacy

(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements
For General Service jobs/Interns: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.

4. Competency Requirements
All jobs at UNHCR require six core competencies and may also require managerial competencies and/or cross-functional competencies. The six core competencies are listed below.

Core Competencies
Accountability
Communication
Organizational Awareness
Teamwork & Collaboration
Commitment to Continuous Learning
Client & Result Orientation
Adaptability and flexibility
Creativity
Judgement and decision-making
Planning and organising
Professionalism
Self-management

Managerial Competencies
N/A

Cross-Functional Competencies
Analytical Thinking
Planning and Organizing
Stakeholder Management

All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination, and abuse of power.
As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.

Duration and Work Hours
Internships will initially be granted for a minimum period of two months, up to a maximum of six months. Upon the agreement of the intern and the manager, an internship may be extended up to a maximum total cumulative duration of eight months for full time internships, provided that the eligibility criteria continue to be met. An intern may undertake multiple consecutive internship assignments as long as the total cumulative internship duration is not exceeded.
All internships are to take place in accordance with the working hours established by the UNHCR office where the internship is located.

Insurance
Interns are fully responsible for arranging medical insurance covering the full internship period. UNHCR accepts no responsibility for any costs connected to medical insurance of interns. A copy of proof of a valid medical insurance covering the period of the Internship. Agreement is required by UNHCR. UNHCR does not cover the costs of medical evacuation of interns; therefore, interns working in locations other than their country of residence must ensure that their medical insurance covers emergency medical evacuation. Furthermore, the medical insurance selected by interns should provide the necessary geographical coverage for both accident and illness.
Interns are covered under the Malicious Acts Insurance Policy (MAIP) for permanent disability or death, in accordance with the terms and exclusions of the MAIP from time to time. In this regard it is essential that interns follow relevant UN security instructions

Eligibility and Selection
The applicant must:
Be a recent graduate or current student in a graduate/undergraduate school
programme from a university or higher education facility accredited by UNESCO;

Have completed at least two years of undergraduate studies in a field relevant or
of interest to the work of the Organization; and

Not have immediate relatives (father, mother, brother, or sister) working for
UNHCR as a staff member on any contract type or as an affiliate at the time of
application.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted, and additional enquiries will only be addressed if the candidate is shortlisted.

Depending on experience and location, UNHCR provides a small monthly stipend to help offset costs. Please consider the cost of living in Lusaka prior to applying.

Accredited Universities are the ones listed in the UNESCO World Higher Education Database

Inclusivity Statement
United Nations IVAG Programme is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from eligible persons. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UN, all UN Interns/Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin, or other status.

Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements

Selected candidates for certain occupational groups may be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) in line with the applicable Host Entity’s policy