Disaster Risk Management Intern- Remote home based

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The Internship Programme aims at attracting talented students and graduates who have a specific interest in, or whose studies have covered, areas relevant to IOM programme and activities. Interns must be between 20 and 36 years old and should have less than two years of relevant working experience. 
 Background Information
The Enhancing Community Resilience and Local Governance Project Phase II (ECRP II) is funded by the World Bank and managed by the Ministry of Finance and Planning and the Local Government Board (LGB), with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) as the project's implementing disaster risk management (DRM) activities in five counties. The project seeks to improve access to services, strengthen flood resilience, and enhance institutional capacity for local service delivery and integrated disaster risk management at the national and local levels.

The IOM-ECRP team is executing impactful DRM interventions categorized as hard and soft components. The hard investments include constructing dikes, elevating roads, rehabilitating airstrips and docking points, and supporting the establishment of a hydrometeorological system. The primary soft component involves establishing grassroots-level disaster governance across all five counties.

These investments serve as foundational elements aligned with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR), adopted at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan, in March 2015. The SFDRR aims to substantially reduce disaster risks and losses in lives, livelihoods, health, and economic, social, cultural, and environmental assets over 15 years. ECRP’s objectives and activities align closely with SFDRR goals, though proper synchronization is needed to harmonize the project’s contributions within the framework.

The SFDRR (2015–2030) outlines seven targets and four priorities for action: (i) understanding disaster risk, (ii) strengthening disaster risk governance, (iii) investing in disaster reduction for resilience, and (iv) enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response and building back better in recovery and reconstruction. ECRP activities engage with all four priorities in the five counties, albeit at different levels.

Interns are tasked with reviewing and analyzing IOM’s ongoing contributions toward SFDRR implementation in South Sudan. The “understanding the risk” priority is addressed by current consultancy work conducting hydrological and hydrodynamic analyses, while the team is actively working on the remaining three components. The interns will produce a scientific report that integrates all ECRP activities and quantifies or categorizes their contributions relative to the SFDRR’s four priorities. This report will help clarify and present ECRP’s role in advancing disaster risk reduction within the South Sudan context.

Learning  Objectives

The intern is expected to review all ECRP activities and systematically characterize those that have been completed, are currently ongoing, and are planned ECRP activities within the context of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction in South Sudan.

• To map and characterize the contribution of ECRP activities for Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
• To understand the strength and gaps of multiple ECRP components on feeding each other for improving resilience of vulnerable community.
• Generate scientific documents that can be used as a reference for any future upcoming activitiesTraining Components and Learning Elements
  • Spreadsheets, GIS and other spatial mapping tools, ECRP documents, any statistical tools
    • High quality scientific report. 
    • High quality power point (not more than 20 slides) supported by texts, infographics, maps and photos
    • Journal article (the format will be decided by IOM; ownership will be per IOM ECRP project context, and research and publication rules)

      Duration of the assignment 

      The internship will run for three months (one month in South Sudan and two months remotely). During stay in South Sudan, intern may visit one or two project sites as part of TDY and spent majority time by gathering documentation in Juba. The remaining two months will be used for analyzing and generating deliverables. Education

      Student or recent MSC or PhD graduates on Disaster risk management, flood risk management, or related studies from internationally recognized universities or research institutes.  

      IOM will explore possibility to lease with inters direct advisors for part time supervision role to provide direct guidance on shaping the project work. 

      The working arrangement can be changed considering the situation in South Sudan.

      Ethical Considerations

      All review and analysis content will be produced in accordance with ECRP project context, and the IOM’s research and publication policy. Languages IOM’s official languages are English, French and Spanish.Proficiency of language(s) required will be specifically evaluated during the selection process, which may include written and/or oral assessments. Travel requiredone month in South Sudan and two months remotely Required Competencies IOM’s competency framework can be found at this link. Competencies will be assessed during the selection process. Values - all IOM staff members must abide by and demonstrate these three values:

    • Inclusion and respect for diversity: Respects and promotes individual and cultural differences. Encourages diversity and inclusion.
  • Integrity and transparency: Maintains high ethical standards and acts in a manner consistent with organizational principles/rules and standards of conduct.
• Professionalism: Demonstrates ability to work in a composed, competent and committed manner and exercises careful judgment in meeting day-to-day challenges.