Intern – Programme Management and Operations Support / Office based (Rome, Italy)

Location: Rome, Italy

Background

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP:  we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.

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.

UNDP is the United Nations’ lead agency on international development. We support countries and communities as they work to eradicate poverty, implement the Paris Agreement on climate change and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. We advocate for transformative change, and we connect countries to the resources they need to help people build a better life.

Rome Centre for Climate Action and Energy Transition

The central purpose of the Rome Centre is to ensure the effective implementation and further development of the strategic partnership between UNDP and the government of Italy across the objectives of sustainable development and in doing so advancing the broader partnership between UNDP and G7 and G20 countries.

The Rome Centre focuses on the critical policy areas of youth engagement in climate action, energy for development and climate finance. These objectives are pursued through the effective implementation of three initial main programmes: the Technical Assistance and Investment Support Facility, the Italy-UNDP Energy Partnership and Youth4Climate.

PISTA (Platform for Investment Support and Technical Assistance) aims to mobilise finance for climate, energy and environment. Specifically, the Facility aims to originate projects that contribute to the decarbonization efforts of developing economies and to their transition to climate-resilient economies, and it aims to catalyse international financial resources toward these initiatives. Matching impactful projects with investors and capital providers goes hand in hand with the engagement with financial institutions – both institutional and private – at Italian and global level.

The Energy for Growth initiative aims to promote access to sustainable energy in developing countries, contributing to SDG7. The goal of the partnership is to assist partner countries in unlocking finance to scale up the diffusion of clean energy solutions, increase access to energy and boost the energy transition. Overall, the initiative aims to foster the mobilization of public and private capital toward projects aligned with the international policy agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. It does so by connecting UNDP's capacity and connections in emerging economies and developing countries with the public-private ecosystem of Italy and other G7-G20countries, in the crucial sector of energy.

Youth4Climate promotes youth engagement in climate action, contributing to SDG13. Youth4Climate supports the implementation of youth-led and youth-inclusive solutions to environmental and climate challenges, both financially and through capacity development. It also gives young people around the world who are committed to fighting climate change a platform to engage with policymakers and global leaders.

The Rome Centre also has a broader mandate to engage with the Italian ecosystem as a whole, which involves close collaboration with key actors in the public and private sector, with the aim to effectively mobilize financial resources for development objectives. To guarantee the effective implementation of the Rome Centre’s workplan, and indeed to ensure the strategic and long-term impact of both its programmes, the Centre will develop broader strategic partnerships and reinforce the overall collaboration with Italy and other meaningful partners.

The Rome Centre functions as the UNDP Office in Italy. As a result, it plays a key role in the strategic engagement of public stakeholders in advancing Italy’s international cooperation priorities within broader multilateral frameworks, including the G7 and G20, as well as supporting the development objectives of National Strategies such as the Mattei Plan for Africa. For instance, it supports initiatives such as: Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII), the G7 Adaptation Accelerator Hub, the Digital Flagship for Africa, the AI Hub for Sustainable Development, as well as crises and recovery programmes. Through these efforts, the Centre acts as a hub to channel Italian priorities into global and regional programmes, while mobilizing finance and partnerships that scale SDG-aligned impact in developing and crisis-affected countries.

Delivering on its programmes, the Rome Centre will provide support to the international cooperation efforts of Italy and it will support UNDP’s global policy initiatives. Recognizing that change will be disruptive, UNDP will work to ensure that such transitions are just, and that their impact on vulnerable people is understood and duly mitigated.

The Programme Management Support Unit (PMSU) and Operations team supports the Rome Centre’s portfolio from project design, implementation and reporting. The team works with thematic teams, UNDP Country Offices and relevant business units to monitor delivery and budgets, coordinate quality assurance, and provide the operational and administrative support needed to implement projects. It also helps follow up on issues that affect delivery.

Duties and Responsibilities

The main objective of the assignment is to provide daily support to UNDP Rome Centre in day-to-da