Internships - WHO Regional Office for Europe (Summer 2014)

Vacancy Notice No: EURO/13/INT5 Title: Internships - WHO Regional Office for Europe (Summer 2014) Grade:  Contract type: Internship	Date: 2 December 2013 Application Deadline: 31 January 2014 (55 day(s) until closing deadline) Currently accepting applications Duty Station:  Multiple duty stations   Organization unit: EU Europe (EU) Various programmes within the WHO European Region (EURO)
OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME : All the Member States of WHO in the European Region share the common value of the highest attainable standard of health as a fundamental human right. All of WHO actions are based on this and rooted in the underlying values of equity, solidarity and participation. The seven point global health agenda contained in WHO's Eleventh General Programme of Work (2006-2015) includes: Investing in health to reduce poverty; Building individual and global health security; Promoting universal coverage, gender equality and health related human rights; Tackling determinants of health; Strengthening health systems and equitable access; Harnessing knowledge, science and technology; Strengthening governance, leadership and accountability. WHO's mandate revolves around six core functions: - Providing leadership on global health matter; - Shaping the health research agenda; - Setting norms and standards; - Articulating evidence-based policy options; - Providing technical support to countries; - Monitoring and assessing health trends. The European Region (EURO) of WHO is made up of 53 countries, with over 880 million people. The diversity of people and health situations requires, on the demand side, a solid understanding of the emerging socio-economic, epidemiologic and demographic patterns and trends at both aggregate as well as national and sub-national levels, with due sensitivity to disadvantaged populations and vulnerable segments of the society. On the supply side, it is equally crucial to have a solid understanding of the commonalities and divergences of the health systems, the circumstances and political economy under which they have evolved and operate. Objectives of the WHO internship programme: (a) to provide a framework for assigning students from diverse academic backgrounds to WHO programmes, where educational experience can be enhanced through practical work assignments; (b) to expose students to the work of WHO and (c) to provide WHO programmes with the assistance of students specializing in various fields. Most students are placed in health-related programmes, although other disciplines can be considered as appropriate
Description of duties: Under the supervision of the professional concerned, interns typically contribute to some or all of the following responsibilities: - review literature; - undertake research in a particular subject area; - collate information on topics related to the subject area; - organize data and documents; - develop tools and guidelines; - draft reports; - participate in on-going departmental projects. Additionally there are limited possibilities for students from disciplines such as Information Technology, Media Relations, Human Resources, Business Administration and/or Public Administration.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Education: Miniumum of 3 years university studies, ideally a first degree, in medical or social science or a field related to the work of WHO. The intern must be a student during the internship. Additionally there are limited possibilities for students from disciplines such as Information Technology, Media Relations, Human Resources, Business Administration and/or Public Administration.
Skills:  All interns should possess the following skills in line with the WHO core competencies: - Communicating effectively orally and in writing; - Showing willingness to learn from mistakes; - Producing and delivering quality results; - Working collaboratively with team members; - Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences. In addition, interns need to be familiar with commonly used computer programmes, such as Word, Excel, Powerpoint. Knowledge of specialized computer programmes (graphic and statistical packages; databases) may be an advantage.
Experience: Experience in research and in drafting reports would be preferred. Experience in the subject area through academic work or research would be an advantage. Field and/or developing country experience would be an advantage. Experience with data analysis, statistical packages and interest in the design of graphical display and analysis of health information in an international comparative perspective, such as for health system performance assessment may be an advantage. More specific experience such as specialized computer programmes may be needed for some internships.
Languages: Essential: Interns should have a very good working knowledge of English (reading, writing and speaking). Desirable: Knowledge of the language of the duty station where the internship is taking place.
Additional Information: FOR general information concerning the WHO internship programme please refer to the following link: http://www.who.int/employment/internship/interns/en/index.html Please note that internships at WHO are very competitive and only a small number of applicants will be accepted every year. Only successful candidates will be contacted. - Interns must be minimum 20 years of age and be enrolled in a course of study leading to a formal qualification (graduate or post-graduate) to be eligible for the programme. - All internships at WHO are unpaid and full-time. - WHO accepts no responsibility for medical insurance of interns or costs arising from illness incurred during an internship. - Interns are NOT eligible for appointment to any position in WHO for a period of three months following the end of the internship. Notes: All applications for WHO Internships are acknowledged when received and are made available to technical units for review. The period of time for this review is indeterminate. If selected for a WHO Internship, you will be required to provide certified copies of proof of enrolment in a course of studies and proof of personal medical insurance (illness) coverage. An important reminder: WHO Internships are not paid. Living abroad is expensive and finding accommodation can be challenging. All intern candidates should be aware of these factors before they consider applying for a WHO Internship. WHO does not provide financial support, so interns are encouraged to seek funding from other external sources. Please note: WHO does not charge for internships.
Online applications are strongly encouraged to enable WHO to store your profile in a permanent database. Please visit WHO's e-Recruitment website at:www.who.int/employment. The system provides instructions for online application procedures.
All applicants are encouraged to apply online as soon as possible after the vacancy has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the vacancy announcement.
WHO is committed to workforce diversity.
Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and Manual. Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.