Virtual Intern Africa
Every employee of IRI is responsible for carrying out the Mission of IRI and demonstrating the Core Values in their day to day operations. The Core Values, which are IRI’s foundational building blocks include:
Excellence - We believe in quality results delivered by investing in people. Freedom - We believe in exploration and experimentation to be agile and responsive. Respect - We believe in trust, empathy, and empowering people. Teamwork - We believe in diversity, inclusion, and the power of global collaboration. Transparency - We believe in open communication and clear decision-making. Accountability - We believe in personal responsibility as the foundation of
IRI seeks to create an engaging, purposeful, and structured virtual internship program that educates and promotes students’ interest in democracy and governance while building tangible skills for their future endeavors. The intern will work in the Africa Division and provide support to a diverse portfolio and assist regional teams on several projects (political party work, civil society strengthening, governance programming, etc.) from a variety of funding sources (USAID, State Department, National Endowment for Democracy).
Interns will learn about time management and work on tasks in a fast-paced international affairs environment and be introduced to professional learning opportunities.
This position is virtual will start on September 16, 2020 for no more than sixteen (16) weeks and may not be extended.
Position Requirements:
- Availability to start on September 16, 2020
- Excellent verbal and written skills in English
- Familiarity with Microsoft Office
- Detail-oriented individual with strong organizational skills
- Flexibility to changing situations and priorities
- Ability to work independently and as a member of a team
- Current undergraduate or graduate program student or recent graduate
- Background in political science, international relations or related field and interest in Sub-Saharan Africa preferred
- Language skills a plus: French, Portuguese
Scope of Work
- Assist staff with program activities and event
- Provide administrative support to regional teams
- Support database system and database management, including Telling our Stories, etc.
- Monitor international media outlets and conducts background research on political developments specific to regional portfolio
- Write as a contributor to IRI’s blogs
- Develop and/or edit country one-pagers
- Assist in researching and gathering intelligence for proposal design, briefing papers, reports, and presentations
- Attend and contribute to proposal design sessions and budget development processes
- Organize files on SharePoint including sub-grant documents, proposals, and reports, etc.
- Support team recruitment efforts by reviewing job applications and qualifications and developing candidate matrices
- Attend (virtual) informational meetings and participate in professional development opportunities including trainings offered by the organization (Grants Department, Business Development, Procurement, Office of Evidence and Learning Practice, Center for Insights in Survey Research, etc.)
- Collaborate with regional teams and the Center for Insights in Survey Research to clean research data
- Perform other duties as assigned
Learning Outcomes:
- Learn and understand the components of proposal design
- Familiarize yourself with budget development and budget tracking processes
- Develop the communication and writing skills needed to contribute to reports and publications
- Apply research and analytical skills
- Gain an understanding of Evidence and Learning practices and award requirements
- Become acquainted with survey research methods
- Engage with IRI’s Center for Global Impact and better understand innovative approaches and thematic expertise related to democracy and governance programming
- Determine if working for an international organization is an appropriate professional goal
- Adapt to virtual workplace culture and accountability practices