UNDP plays an important and unique role in supporting high risk countries to achieve their development goals by reducing loss to life and assets, and by strengthening long term resilience. UNDP works with governments at international, national and local levels to ensure that disaster risk reduction (DRR) is a nationally-led and owned agenda, as well as integrated into national development planning. UNDP’s work focuses on resilience building and ensuring development remains risk-informed and sustainable. To do this we assist governments in systematically and comprehensively delivering on risk-informed development through the communication, reduction and management of risk.
UNDP’s country level DRR and recovery efforts have reached expenditures of USD 2.1 billion during the period 2005 – 2016 (more information on UNDP’s DRR portfolio can be accessed here). The Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery for Building Resilience Team (DRT) currently manages a portfolio of global and regional projects amounting to approximately USD 60 million. Through enhanced integration with climate change adaptation and a firm focus on partnerships and mechanisms to deliver on Sendai, UNDP, during this reporting period, has:
- helped 148 countries develop national and local DRR strategies and action plans;
- supported 84 countries to understand and communicate risks through risk assessments;
- worked with 90 countries to strengthen their legal and regulatory frameworks for DRM; and
- supported 110 countries to develop post-disaster recovery capacities.
The DRT leads UNDP’s global practice in this field and provides policy advice and programmatic support to UNDP Regional Hubs and Country Offices in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of disaster risk reduction and recovery programmes. The team collaborates closely with other UNDP Global Policy Network (GPN) practices such as climate change, governance, conflict prevention, sustainable development and poverty eradication, towards a comprehensive and multi-dimensional approach to resilience building.
This position is specifically intended to support UNDP’s work on disaster risk reduction with a focus on risk intelligence, application of digital and AI technologies for DRR, early warning, preparedness and anticipation as one of the key strategic work streams of DRT. The intern will support the team with research, knowledge management and communications tasks.
Duties and Responsibilities
1. Support the research, design and development of DRT's Risk Intelligence Service Line, including digital and AI-enabled applications for disaster risk reduction
- Conduct research and analysis on emerging trends, methodologies, tools, and best practices related to risk intelligence in support of disaster risk reduction (DRR), with particular attention to advances in artificial intelligence, geospatial technologies, digital public infrastructure, and data ecosystems.
- Support the continuous development and refinement of UNDP's internal and external Risk Intelligence Service Line offer by identifying innovative approaches, documenting lessons learned, and strengthening the articulation of service packages, value propositions, and implementation modalities.
- Contribute to the development of knowledge products, concept notes, guidance materials, case studies, policy briefs, and communication products showcasing UNDP's work on risk intelligence.
- Undertake mapping and analysis of digital and AI-powered applications relevant to risk intelligence and DRR, including machine learning, predictive analytics, digital twins, remote sensing, geospatial intelligence, risk modelling, early warning systems, and data visualization platforms, and identify opportunities for their application within UNDP programming.
- Support the identification, documentation, and dissemination of country-level good practices and innovative solutions from UNDP Country Offices, Regional Hubs, and partners to strengthen evidence-based risk governance and decision-making.
- Assist in the development of strategic partnerships with technical institutions, research organizations, technology providers, UN entities, and academia to advance innovation and knowledge exchange in risk intelligence and digital transformation for resilience.
- Contribute to the development of presentations, briefing notes, donor materials, service line packages, project proposals, and other strategic documents to support resource mobilization, partnership development, and the promotion of UNDP's risk intelligence offer globally.
2. Support the continuous development of UNDP’s Preparedness Learning Pathway
- Undertake research and categorization of resources to support the expansion and tailoring of the UNDP’s Preparedness Learning Pathway as a corporate learning package.
- Support the development and maintenance of the online repository of the UNDP’s Preparedness Learning Pathway on the UNDP Intranet homepage and on selected open-source websites.
- Support the development of a self-paced course based on the UNDP’s Preparedness Learning Pathway under the UNDP Crisis Academy.
- Undertake research and categorization of resources to support the development of new thematic modules for the UNDP Preparedness Toolkit, which is an online repository linked to the UNDP Preparedness Learning Pathway.
- Support the organization of webinars for the UNDP Preparedness Learning Pathway, including development of tailored webinar plans for all webinars (i.e. selective modules will be delivered for each webinar), facilitation guidance for resource persons, support the facilitation of webinars (development of MURAL boards, facilitation of group discussions, setting up Zoom options, etc.), develop webinar reports.
- Support the organization of the serious game methodology under the UNDP’s Preparedness Learning Pathway
- Support the development of social media kits for all workshops and webinars, based on existing guidance and samples.
- Support with development of presentations, talking points/ briefing notes related to UNDP’s global early warning portfolio in the context of UNDP’s engagement in the global early warning agenda, including global/ regional events, webinars, multi-partner meetings, etc. 3. Support the DRT with any other portfolio related tasks that include research, analysis, and communication
- Support the DRT with research of analysis on other topics of interest including urban resilience, gender equality and women’s leadership in DRR, financing for DRR.
- Develop funding and project proposals on the topics outline above.
- Develop briefs, talking points, slide decks, etc. as required.
Competencies
Functional competencies
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English;
- Knowledge of conversational AI applications (e.g. Copilot, Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini), collaborative applications (i.e. MURAL, Zoom, MS Teams, Google Forms) and design applications (i.e. Canva; Gamma);
- Great attention to detail and proven experience in proof reading;
- Strong organization skills;
- Sound computer skills and experience using web-based applications, social media and data management systems.
Core competencies
- Ability to take initiative;
- Ability to work collaboratively within a multicultural environment.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
Applicants to the UNDP internship programme must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements:
- Be enrolled in a postgraduate degree programme (such as a Master’s programme, or higher) in the area of disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, disaster management, or humanitarian affairs;
- Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (such as Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in one of the above areas of study;
- Have recently graduated with a university degree as defined above, and, if selected, must start the internship within one year of graduation; or
- Be enrolled in a postgraduate professional traineeship program and undertake the internship as part of this programme.
Experience:
- Excellent communication skills; ability to write clearly and concisely;
- Good command of information and communication technology.
