BIOFIN Intern

Location: Beijing, China

Background:

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) China Country Office is part of UNDP—the United Nations' global development network. UNDP works in about 170 countries and territories, helping to end poverty, reduce inequalities and exclusion, as well as protect the planet, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Together, these efforts aim to ensure that improvements in human wellbeing remain within ecological boundaries. We also help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities and institutional capabilities, as well as build resilience, in order to achieve the SDGs.

UNDP China has been working in China over the past four decades, partnering to advance various phases of China’s development outlined in the Government of China’s Five-Year Plans. UNDP assists China in integrating the SDGs into development decisions, promotes the transition to an inclusive, low-carbon economy and a sustainable society, protects biodiversity, and informs China’s international development cooperation engagement to advance global progress on the SDGs and the global climate agendas. In addition, UNDP leverages its global network and South-South Cooperation (SSC) to facilitate mutual knowledge and experience sharing between China and partner countries on best practices and lessons learned to advance the SDGs.

UNDP China’s implementation modalities currently engage more than 15 Ministries and government representatives at the national and sub-national levels in 28 provinces. UNDP China also actively engages the United Nations development system, multilateral and regional institutions, the private sector, philanthropic foundations, academia and think tanks, intergovernmental bodies, and the media to accelerate the SDGs and global climate agendas in China.

The Biodiversity Finance Initiative – BIOFIN – is a global programme that developed, piloted, and is continuously improving a methodology to measure existing biodiversity expenditure levels, assess future financial needs, and design comprehensive plans to use finance tools and solutions that increase financing, reduce harmful expenditure, and improve financial effectiveness and efficiency of biodiversity management over 41 countries. BIOFIN’s first phase (2012-2018) enabled full assessments and initial implementation of finance plan elements in target countries. Significant enhancement and scaling up of finance solutions is required in all countries to address the biodiversity finance challenge. BIOFIN’s second phase enables countries to complete the design and implementation of priority finance solutions and will allow new countries to undertake the assessments as well as create and implement their biodiversity finance plan. At the central level, knowledge management platforms will be expanded and additional guidance produced for most valuable finance solutions.

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the National Coordinator of BIOFIN China and Project Manager of Shandong team, the Intern will provide daily support to IP in Shandong, especially on delivering Biodiversity Finance Policy and Institutional Review (PIR), Biodiversity Expenditure Review (BER), Financial Needs Assessment (FNA), Biodiversity Finance Plan (BFP) and Implementation of Biodiversity Finance Solutions, corresponding to the 2024 BIOFIN Workbook. This will involve supporting scoping research into key current issues on the topics and support to development of reports and publications to increase UNDP BIOFIN advocacy and visibility on such issues. Help logistic arrangement of related meetings with partners and help to take meeting minutes as well.

During the period of the internship, the intern will also learn about UNDP’s role in supporting partners in China in the areas and be exposed to experiences with in key cooperation programmes. The intern works in close collaboration with IP in Shandong.  The intern is also expected to be involved in the daily operation work including formulation and implementation projects/programmes.

Description of Responsibilities:

The position will report to Programme Analyst.

Details of the job responsibilities:

1.Management support

Provide support with all financial and administrative requirements of the project, especially those related to project procurement, funding and accounting.

Assist in ensuring that project is executed in a timely and appropriate manner.

Provide support to facilitate, guide and monitor the work of the national BIOFIN team; manage payment schedules.

Assist in project related activities, including planning for meetings, local and national consultations, trips, translation and other project related activities. Ensure all national and international travel is organized smoothly. Especially, assist in organizing PSC meetings, capacity building and training.

Taking meeting notes and draft minutes. Document and share records of meetings, decisions, actions, etc.

Support with the Monitoring and Evaluation of the projects at the national level, including workshop evaluations.

Draft the progress report and provide fundamental support for the data collection.

Supporting scoping research into key current issues on the topics and support to development of reports and publications for Shandong team, including PIR, BER, FNA, etc.

Assist in the formulation of pipeline projects.

Any other duties assigned by the National