Internship with BELA

This sub-section describes the policy for administering BELA’s internship programme, including eligibility, processes and procedures.

 

Purpose The purpose of BELA’s internship programme is to:

1. provide a framework by which students from diverse academic backgrounds may be assigned to BELA offices, where their educational experience can be enhanced and enriched through exposure to actual and practical work;
2. immerse them to the real working environment of an international organization operating globally;
3. deepen their knowledge and understanding of BELA’s goals, principles and activities; and
4. provideBELA offices with the assistance of qualified students specialized in various professional fields

Typical Tasks Typical tasks performed by the students include:

1. conducting researches;
2. writing documents;
3. cataloguing and systematically organizing information;
4. assisting in the organization of conferences, forums or other collaborative events; and
5. publishing knowledge stories/best practices.
   While some routine functions may be components of internship assignments, they are intended to be learning and developmental experiences that compliment advanced studies. Providing an opportunity to make substantive contributions to an office’s work is an essential requirement of offices taking on interns. They cannot be used to replace support staff or conduct strictly support functions.

Locations

• Internships may be offered at BELA office.

Eligibility BELA may accept interns providing the following minimum conditions are met:

• enrolled in a degree programme in a graduate school
• • enrolled in a second university degree or higher at the time of application and during the internship; or
  • have completed at least four years of full-time studies at a university or equivalent institutions towards the completion of a degree, if pursuing their studies in countries where higher education is not divided into undergraduate and graduate stages;
  • not have graduated prior to the beginning of the internship;
  • if a candidate is graduating before the internship period begins, they are no longer eligible

Or –

• • enrolled in an Undergraduate Degree Programme:
  • enrolled in a four (4) year degree course in the collegiate or undergraduate level of a university at the time of application and during the internship; and
  • have completed at least three (3) years of full-time studies at a university or equivalent institution towards the completion of an undergraduate degree program.
• Skills and competencies:
  • proficiency in English and normally at least one additional UNDP working language (i.e., French or Spanish). Fluency in Arabic, Chinese, Portuguese or Russian is an asset;
  • computer literate in standard software applications;
• Duration of Internship
  • Assignments Internship assignments vary in length according to the availability and academic requirements of the intern, as well as the needs of BELA. However, they will normally last no less than six weeks and no more than six months. If an intern can prove that a nine-month internship will grant him/her an educational credit for one full school year, the internship may be exceptionally granted for a maximum total duration of nine months. Internship assignments are available on a part-time and full-time basis throughout the year, depending on the availability of meaningful assignments and the needs and capacity of offices to receive and supervise interns. The part-time arrangement shall be negotiated and subject to the mutual agreement of the intern/s and the supervisor of the unit/team that will supervise them.
• Legal Status
  • Interns are considered gratis personnel. They are not staff members of the BELA. Interns may not be sought or accepted as substitutes for staff to be recruited against authorized posts. Interns may not represent BELA in any official capacity.
• Interns’ Expenses
  • Interns are not financially remunerated by BELA. All costs connected with an intern’s participation in the Programme must be borne by:
    • the nominating institution, related institution or government, which may provide the required financial assistance to its students;
    • the student, who will have to obtain financing for subsistence and make his/her own arrangements for travel (including to and from the office), visas, accommodation, etc. Costs incurred by an intern in the discharge of his/her functions shall be reimbursed by BELA under the same rules as costs reimbursed to staff members.
      Costs incurred by an intern undertaking official travel at the request of BELA in the discharge of functions related to the internship activities shall be paid by the Organization on the same basis as costs incurred by staff members, including payment of DSA, as applicable.