UN-Habitat, [Nairobi] is Looking for an Urban Planning Intern
Job Opening ID: 228244
Job Network : –
Job Family : HST
Category and Level : Internship, I-1
Duty Station : NAIROBI (In Person)
Department/Office : United Nations Human Settlements Programme
Date Posted : Feb 15, 2024
Deadline : Mar 2, 2024
Duties and Responsibilities
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all.
The main documents outlining the mandate of the organization are the Vancouver Declaration on Human Settlements, the Habitat Agenda, the Istanbul Declaration on Human Settlements, the Declaration on Cities and Other Human Settlements in the New Millennium, and UN General Assembly Resolution A/56/206.
The internship is located in the Planning, Finance and Economy Section, Global Solutions Division, Nairobi, Kenya.
The Urban Practices Branch (UPB) is the thematic department at UN-Habitat with a mandate to support national and local government in urban planning, design and management related areas of work, such as national urban policies, metropolitan planning, strategic and detailed planning, urban-rural linkages, urban regeneration, public space, urban planning and innovation and urban planning and climate change.
The Planning, Finance and Economy Section (PFES) is responsible for coordinating the Agency’s substantive, normative and operational work on various dimensions of planning, finance and economy.
The Section aims to develop, document, pilot/test and disseminate planning policies, norms, standards, tools, methodologies, regulatory frameworks, operating procedures and practices at global, regional, national and sub-national levels in support of
(a) urban and territorial planning at all scales including urban design and public space design;
(b) urban finance (municipal finance and urban development/projects finance); and
(c) local economic development. The Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean – ROLAC is located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. UN-Habitat Mesoamerica Hub office leads the operational work of UN-Habitat in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.
Additionally, the UN-Habitat Urban Lab Mesoamerica Hub, part of the Mesoamerica Hub office, collaborates with governments and local partners to develop project proposals in territorial and urban planning, finance, innovation and its links with climate change and urban resilience.
The Flagship Programme support the implementation of the UN-Habitat Strategic Plan by reducing fragmentation of the agency work and increasing predictability of funding, establishing long term partnerships, strengthening visibility, and enhancing horizontal and vertical integration of the dimensions of work.
The Flagship Programme Inclusive Communities, Thriving Cities aims to promote urban regeneration, transforming socially, economically, environmentally deprived areas and strategic locations of the city into connected, dynamic, diverse, and vibrant neighbourhoods.
Our City Plans is a global toolbox (https://ourcityplans.org/) that guides and supports local governments and urban actors to better understand, customise, and develop inclusive and integrated urban planning processes, using a participatory and incremental methodology that adapts to their needs and local context.
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), Urban Planning internship is for six (6) months. The Internship is UNPAID and full-time. Interns work five days (35 hours) per week under the supervision of a staff member in the department or office to which they are assigned.
Daily responsibilities will depend on the individual’s background, the intern’s assigned office as well as the internship period. Under the overall supervision of the Planning Finance Economy Section and the Urban Lab Mesoamerica Hub Coordinator, the intern will contribute in the following ways:
– Provide technical expertise and input in urban regeneration, urban design proposals and urban planning projects. – Support the development of analysis, collection, interpretation and representation of data and spatial analysis.
– Support producing desk and field research on topics related to urban planning projects.
– Support elaborating project proposals on urban planning and urban regeneration. – Contribute to the implementation of participatory processes in the scope of urban planning and urban regeneration projects.
– Advise and develop materials for events, outreach, communications, capacity building sessions and workshops.
– Develop graphic materials and publications.
– Draft progress reports regarding the implementation of projects, including documentation, knowledge management, advocacy and outreach.
Due to a high volume of applications received, ONLY successful candidates will be contacted.
Qualifications/special skills
Applicants MUST at the time of application meet one of the following requirements:
a. Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher),
b. Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree program (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent),
c. Have graduated with Bachelor’s degree, Masters, PhD or equivalent in the past two years.
Be computer literate in standard software applications (MS Office Suite). Demonstrate 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 include willingness to try and understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views.
Preferred areas of study: Degree in Architecture, Urban Development, Urban Planning and Design, Urban Policy and Governance, Sustainable Development, Data Analytics, or any other related studies. Applicants to the UN Internship Programme are not required to have professional work experience. However, a field of study that is closely related to the type of internship that you are applying for is required.
Applicants must be a student in the final year of the first university degree (bachelor or equivalent), Master’s or Ph.D. Programme or equivalent, or have completed a Bachelor’s, Master’s or Ph.D. Programme.
Do you meet any of the above criteria? If yes, please indicate which one and attach proof to the application. Please note that you will have to provide an official certificate at a later stage.
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this internship position, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language is desirable.
Intern Specific text
Interns are not financially remunerated by the United Nations. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation and living expenses are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions. Interns who are not citizens or permanent residents of the country where the internship is undertaken, may be required to obtain the appropriate visa and work/employment authorization. Successful candidates should discuss their specific visa requirements before accepting the internship offer.
