Internship - Data Governance

Job Description

Note: The internship is open to citizens who are covered by the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA Agreement) or have legal residency in Norway.

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.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the backbone of the UN development system. The UNDP Strategic Plan (2026-2029) is grounded in the determination of UNDP to eradicate poverty, the greatest global challenge, indispensable to the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. During these next four years, UNDP will continue to support countries’ progress towards high human development, while protecting the planet. Four strategic objectives – prosperity for all, effective governance, crisis resilience and healthy planet – define its strategic direction, powered by three accelerators: digital and artificial intelligence (AI) transformation; gender equality; and sustainable finance.

The Global Policy Centre for Governance (GPCG), as a core part of UNDP’s Governance, Rule of Law and Peacebuilding (GRP) Hub, supports more inclusive, transparent, accountable and effective governance systems. The Centre identifies persistent development challenges with governance at their core, and applies research, analysis, learning, and UNDP’s convening capabilities to develop, test, and advance practical policy alternatives and solutions.

The GPCG’s work is organized around four interconnected priorities:

• Financial Integrity and systemic derisking approaches that strengthen enabling environments for sustainable development;
• Data sharing and transparency, in support of more effective governance systems;
• Data and analytics related to SDG 16 ‘peace, justice and strong institutions’ including UNDP’s custodianship role for select SDG 16 indicators;
• Gender equality with a focus on the governance barriers related to underutilized gender data and pathways to stronger policy uptake.

Across these areas, the Centre develops and tests integrated policy alternatives and solutions that strengthen national systems, build trust in institutions, and improve the enabling conditions for sustainable development.

An internship position is available to support the Centre’s workstream on data sharing and systems. Effective data systems are increasingly central to state capability, public sector coordination and evidence informed policymaking. The Centre’s work on data sharing focuses on the governance arrangements, institutional incentives and systems needed to support trusted and effective data exchange across institutions. This includes support for domestic resource mobilization, reducing revenue leakages linked to corruption and illicit financial flows, and strengthening the balance between data use, transparency and privacy protections.

Duties and Responsibilities

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Support research and analysis on governance arrangements, institutional incentives and systems for trusted and effective data sharing across public institutions.
• Assist in mapping country experiences and practices related to data sharing, including applications to domestic resource mobilization and public finance.
• Support analysis of legal, institutional, organisational and trust-related barriers to effective data sharing, including transparency, privacy and data protection considerations.
• Contribute to country-level surveys, research, case studies, diagnostics and knowledge products on the governance of data sharing.
• Support stakeholder mapping, technical consultations, webinars and knowledge exchanges involving government institutions, national statistical offices, revenue authorities and other relevant partners.
• Support preparation of briefing materials, presentations, data analysis and communications products related to the data sharing workstream.
• Support GPCG’s engagement in international statistical processes and forums, including through background research, preparation of technical inputs and briefing materials, and follow-up to relevant meetings and processes.
• Support UNDP’s engagement and contribution to the work of the Praia Group in the advancement of standards on governance statistics, including governance household surveys.
• Support the Centre’s engagement with national statistical offices, UN statistical entities and other partners on emerging issues related to national data systems, governance statistics and the use of data for policymaking.
• Assist with research and documentation of citizen data approaches, including country experiences and emerging practices for integrating citizen-generated data into national data and statistical systems.
• Contribute to analytical and knowledge products examining how citizen data can complement official statistics and strengthen the inclusiveness and responsiveness of evidence used for public policy and decision-making.

Competencies

• Excellent communication skills in English; written and oral.
• Demonstrated interest in global development and the work of international organisations.
• Strong interest in governance, rule of law, justice and gender equality questions, including the use of data and evidence in public policy.
• Strong research and analytical skills, with an interest in data, statistics, public policy, public finance or evidence-informed decision-making.
• Team player: works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organisational goals.
• Good organisational and time management skills.
• Able to work independently and take initiative.
• Good social media skills.
• Experience from a developing country and/or international organisation or related is an advantage.

Languages:

• Fluency in spoken and written English is required.
• Fluency in French is desirable.
• Working knowledge in a Scandinavian language is an asset

Eligibility:

Applicants to the UNDP internship programme must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements:

• Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (such as bachelor’s degree or equivalent); preferably in Statistics, Data Science, Economics, Public Policy, Gender Studies, Psychology, Sociology or other relevant social sciences.
• Be enrolled in a postgraduate degree programme (such as a master’s programme, or higher); preferably in Statistics, Data Science, Economics, Public Policy, Gender Studies, Assessment, Measurement and Evaluation, Sociology or other relevant social sciences.
• Have recently graduated with a university degree (as defined above and, if selected, must start the internship within one-year of graduation.
• Be enrolled in a postgraduate professional traineeship program and undertake the internship as part of this program.