Internship Assistive Technology Programmes, Disability Section, Programme Group, NYHQ (Part-time/Remote)

Contract

This is a Internship contract. It usually requires 0 years of experience, depending on education. More about Internship contracts.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, hope.

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you.

Purpose

UNICEF offers the opportunity for interns, talented university students, to gain valuable professional experience while being exposed to UNICEF's work. At the same time, UNICEF benefits from working with interns as they are a significant asset, providing academic knowledge, technical know-how and other valuable skills to the organization.

The Children with Disabilities Section of the Programme Group Leadership Team of UNICEF is developing and implementing systems strengthening strategies to improve access to assistive technology (AT), in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The intern will assist in research, editing, event planning, and other tasks that are required to accomplish these objectives. The interns work will focus primarily on UNICEF’s Eastern and Southern Africa Region (ESAR), and Western and Central Africa Region (WCAR), however other regions will also be covered.

The key duties and tasks for this internship are summarized as follows:

Assist Programme Specialist for Assistive Technology with:

• Research legislation, policies, processes, and programmes related to AT in UNICEF regions. The goal is to map strong examples of good AT practices which play a key role in evaluating the improvement of the lives of persons with disabilities in different settings and countries, and to use this to inform not only legislation-development but also to address the gaps between legislation and implementation.
• Assist in the organization of events that bring together policymakers, experts, AT users, the private sector, academia, and other relevant parties. Where necessary, the intern will assist organizing events and communicating with the participants as well as follow-up of the correspondence.
• Assist in accessing information on and offline which might not be accessible to persons with visual disabilities. Join internal programme conversations (webinars, thematic working groups) and relevant external meetings, conferences, and events. The intern will take part in programmatic conversations and external meetings.
• Assist by summarizing key documents, preparing presentations for meetings and events, and other related tasks which might be needed. Document proofreading and/or translation will also be required occasionally.
• Carry out any other related tasks assigned by the Supervisor.

Benefits to Intern:

First-hand experience with the operations of UNICEF and other UN agencies leading the work to improve access to AT in LMICs.

• Experience with the process of developing and implementing strategies to foster cooperation and change among government and private sector entities involved in AT and related fields.
• A much deeper understanding of the challenges involved in fostering change and implementing system strengthening in LMIC’s and among international organizations, as well as in fostering greater cross-sectoral cooperation.

Duration

24 weeks (can be longer if a part time modality is selected).

Salary/Payment:

In accordance with UNICEF's guidelines, interns will be paid a nominal stipend per month. There is no expectancy of employment at the end of the internship.

Insurance:

UNICEF will not be responsible for costs arising from accidents and/or illness incurred during the intern's service, whether on or off UNICEF premises. Therefore, the selected candidate must provide proof of enrolment in a health/accident plan prior to starting his/her work. If accepted, the intern will be required to provide a copy of health insurance coverage and to fill out the relevant UNICEF forms on conditions regarding service as an intern.

Living Conditions and Working Environment:

The intern will have two options regarding the workplace. The intern may be remote based and work from home. The intern may also work in person and thus be based in New York. This choice will affect the stipend offered by the internship. The intern will work with the Disability Section and report to the supervisor of this internship. The intern is not expected to travel during the assignment. The intern will be expected to participate in Disability section meetings, as well as other UNICEF meetings of interest to the student, including the seminar series for UNICEF interns. Guidance will be provided on a regular basis.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will…

• Currently be enrolled in an undergraduate, graduate, or Ph.D. programme or be a recent graduate (within the last 2 years);
• Enrollment or a degree in social sciences, preferably political science, economics, labour economics, international relations, sociology, public administration, social work;
• Have strong academic performance as demonstrated by recent university or institution records or, if not available, a reference letter from an academic supervisor;
• Demonstrated advanced technical writing skills (publications);
• Demonstrated ability to navigate and use Microsoft Office, Teams, SharePoint, and Google Sheets with ease;
• Fluency in English, working knowledge of Spanish and/or French is considered an asset;
• Prior experience with climate, energy, environment, and disaster risk reduction in developing country contexts would be a considerable asset;
• Have no immediate relatives (e.g., father, mother, brother, or sister) working in any UNICEF office; and
• Have no other relatives in the line of authority which the intern will report to.P-2018-005

For every Child, you demonstrate…

Our core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values. To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, race, sexual orientation, nationality, culture, appearance, socio-economic status, ability, age, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply to become a part of the organization.

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

Remarks:

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