Project Management Intern (Data Responsibility Intern)

UNOPS supports partners to build a better future by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of peace building, humanitarian and development projects. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organizations. The New York Portfolios Office (NYPO) supports the United Nations Secretariat, as well as other New York-based United Nations organizations, bilateral and multilateral partners in the delivery of the UNOPS mandate in project management, infrastructure management, and procurement management.

The Sustainable Development Cluster supports diverse partners with their peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations. It was formed by combining the following portfolios: Grants Management Services, UN Technology Support Services (UNTSS), and the Development and Special Initiatives Portfolio. It provides services to partners' programmes that are designed, structured, and managed with a global perspective and primarily serving partners that are headquartered in New York. SDC has a footprint of approximately 125 countries.

UNOPS has signed an agreement with the United Nations to implement defined activities in support of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The Centre for Humanitarian Data is focused on increasing the use and impact of data in humanitarian response. It is managed by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and is based in The Hague, the Netherlands. The Centre’s vision is to create a future where everyone involved in a humanitarian emergency has access to the data they need, when and how they need it, to make responsible and informed decisions. Our support is provided to OCHA staff and partners, with a priority focus on locations with humanitarian operations. The Centre focuses on four workstreams: data services, data science, data responsibility, and learning and practice.

Data responsibility in humanitarian action is the safe, ethical and effective management of personal and non-personal data for operational response. It is a critical issue for the sector to address and the stakes are high: the disclosure of sensitive data can lead to already vulnerable people and communities being further harmed or exploited. In addition to avoiding harm, responsible data management can lead to increased trust among humanitarian actors and with the people they seek to serve.

OCHA’s role as data aggregator offers us a unique perspective into the multiple dataflows that exist within a crisis response and the many ways data is managed. The Centre’s data responsibility work focuses on supporting adoption of data responsibility in OCHA and the wider sector. It also aims to help humanitarians navigate the technical and ethical issues involved when working with data in complex environments. 

Purpose and Scope of Assignment 

The purpose of this Internship program is to provide opportunities for young graduates to acquire knowledge and experience and pave the way for their professional growth and career development. The selected intern will be supporting the data responsibility team in its effort to strengthen safe, ethical and effective data management across UN OCHA’s offices and the humanitarian system. The right candidate has the analytical skills and abilities to help review country office implementation of actions for data responsibility in different responses.  

The incumbent of this position will be personnel of UNOPS under its full responsibility.

The intern will report to the Data Responsibility Team Lead under the overall direction of the Lead for the Centre for Humanitarian Data. The incumbent will be expected to work closely with the rest of the Centre team.

The intern will be responsible for the following duties but not limited to:

1. Support the annual ‘diagnostic’ review of OCHA country office adoption of actions for data responsibility. 
2. Identify data responsibility support needs and requirements of OCHA country offices.
3. Provide support on literature reviews and similar research activities.

By the end of the internship, the selected candidate is expected to have been directly involved in the delivery of the following outputs:

• A complete overview of country office adoption of ‘actions for data responsibility’ 
• A mapping of country office data responsibility support needs 
• Desk research on data responsibility 

Training components and learning elements: The selected candidate will be exposed to a very dynamic area in the humanitarian space, where they will have an opportunity to learn about humanitarian data, coordination, stakeholder management and reporting.

Participation in missions or training courses: The selected candidate is not expected to travel for this position. The candidate is expected to be hired locally (i.e. national intern). 

*FEMALE CANDIDATES ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience requirements outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to considering all candidates in a fair and transparent manner, and we value diverse perspectives and experiences, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals with diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.
• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions 

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.