Graduate Internship Program Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI)

LOCAL IMPACT PROJECT

LOCAL IMPACT (LI) GRADUATE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

1. Project Background

The five-year (2020-2025) USAID Local Impact (LI) is helping Zambia build up a sub-national system of governance for devolved service delivery more responsive to citizen needs. The program is engaging national and sub-national authorities to expand the capabilities of partner provinces and districts to deliver sustainable development outcomes, increase effective citizen and private-sector involvement in development planning and monitoring, and improve public financial management and domestic revenue generation.

The activity is specifically working toward three objectives:

• Objective 1: Citizens improve their collective skills to effectively assess service-delivery needs and performance and constructively engage with government.
• Objective 2: The sub-national governance system becomes more responsive to citizen needs, generates, and accountably expends revenue, and improves service-delivery outcomes.
• Objective 3: The program generates learning and facilitates problem solving that supports the development of an effective, financially viable sub-national governance system for devolved services, capable of being scaled up throughout Zambia.

2. Purpose

The purpose of LI internship will be to provide an opportunity for graduate level degree students, where their educational experience can be enhanced through practical work, and they can get familiar with administrative and operations processes. The intern will be an integrated member of the USAID Local Impact project team and will support various departments in their technical, management and communication activities.

The Internship programme shall give interns with the opportunity to develop leadership skills, learn how to work in teams, multitask in a fast-paced environment, develop financial literacy, people interaction skills, negotiation skills to get things done and lateral thinking.

3. Place of Performance and Reporting

The LI intern will be based in the Local Impact main office in Lusaka, Zambia, with possible travel to field offices as required and will report to their respective Internship Mentor.

The Period of Performance will twelve (12) months with the possibility of joining LI on a fixed term contract for the duration of the project subject to performance while on the project.

4. Responsibilities and Key Tasks during Internship Program

4.1 Citizen Engagement – Objective 1

• The Citizen Engagement Intern shall provide support for all technical Objective 1 activities and shall work under the guidance of the CEO lead. The intern shall provide administrative support to ascertain the impact of initiatives for enhancement of skills that enable citizen and CSO participation in planning, budgeting, and prioritization of visible service improvements. Under the direction of the object lead the intern shall also determine the effectiveness of CSOs’ roles in using social accountability models to hold government accountable.

Project work:

Review the ‘How To’ handbooks for CE formal citizen engagement mechanisms and recommend how utilization may be improved.

Highlight strategies that can address how civil society relationships and engagement with local authorities highlight the issues that need to be addressed namely transparency and accountability.

• Perform any other duties as assigned.

4.2 The Subnational Capacity Building Advisor (CBA) – Objective 2 Lead

The intern will support the CBA Object 2 lead’s activities in ensuring the implementation of specific strategic initiatives that will result in the improvement of public financial management and capacity development. The intern shall also provide support in the monitoring of activities to ensure that they align with the project’s contract, annual workplans, and the GRZ’s decentralization and devolution priorities.

Project work:

• Identify what problems exist in the collection of revenue in districts and include possible areas of revenue leakages. Provide recommendations on possible improvement.
• Perform any other duties as assigned.

4.3 Collaboration, Learning and Adaptive Management (CLA) – Objective 3 Lead

• The intern shall under the direction of the CLA Object 3 Lead assess the implement the CLA strategy to ensure alignment. The intern shall also provide support for all learning agenda and learning activities especially ascertaining compliance with the CLA Framework and adaptive management guidelines. Under the guidance of the CLA Object 3 lead, the intern shall provide support in MEL as needed.
• Project work

Administers post training surveys and provide an analysis of impact of training with recommendations on areas of improvement.

• Review social media presence and provide recommendations on improvements including how to be more effective.

4.4 Activity Support

• The intern shall provide support to the Activity Coordinator (AC) with services that support the operations of the project such as: recordkeeping and tracking of project activities, preparation of budgets, managing stationary requests, arranging accommodation and meeting venues, and transportation.
• The intern shall be assigned project work and complete assigned tasks.

4.5 Finance and Operations

• The Finance Intern will support the Finance and Administration team with completion of agreed tasks as assigned by the Finance and Operations Director in the day-to-day operations and record keeping.
• The intern shall be assigned project work and complete assigned tasks.

4.6 Human Resources

• The intern shall complete tasks as assigned and agreed with the Senior Manager HR regarding the day-to-day HR operations activities.
• The intern shall be assigned project work and complete assigned tasks.

5. Supervisory Responsibilities

The Intern shall not have supervisory responsibilities but will provide operational support to the technical teams. They shall, however on occasion be presented with tasks and responsibilities that shall test/develop their leadership skills.

6. Minimum Education Qualifications, Experience and Competencies

• Degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Development, Finance, or any other social sciences degree.
• Strong oral and written English language skills.
• Excellent impersonal skills and telephone etiquette.
• Administrative, organizational, and general office and project management experience, preferably with USAID projects is an added advantage.
• Experience with Microsoft Office suite, including Exce
• Energetic, forward-thinking, and creative, with strong ethical standards and professional values
• Well organized and self-directed individual with sound technical skills, analytic ability, good judgment, and strong operations focus
• Able to maintain good working relationships with team members while retaining high levels of confidentiality and discretion

7. Conditions

Internships are on a voluntary basis, and no monthly salary is provided. Interns will however receive a transport and lunch allowance.