Intern, Participatory Governance and Gender (PGG) Programme

The organisation

The Commonwealth Foundation is an intergovernmental organisation established by Heads of Government in support of the belief that the Commonwealth is as much an association of peoples as it is of governments.

It is the Commonwealth agency for civil society; a unique, stand-alone organisation established by, funded by, and reporting to governments.

The Foundation is dedicated to strengthening people’s participation in all aspects of public dialogue, to act together and learn from each other to build democratic societies.

Ultimately, the Foundation seeks to ensure that policy and government institutions are more effective contributors to development through the influence of civic voices.

Internship Programme 

The internship programme offers placements for recent graduates in each of the Foundation’s programme areas.  Responsibilities involve project work, research, preparation of briefing papers, logistics and administration. All interns also undertake some work outside their assigned programme, often in collaboration with other interns.

The Foundation prioritises the professional development of its interns: encouraging them to participate in both internal and external learning opportunities and to rotate between teams to broaden their knowledge and skills. Before they move on from the Foundation, our interns are provided with support in interview skills and CV development, as well as networking contacts.

The role

We are looking for an Intern to work primarily in one of our key programme areas of Participatory Governance and Gender (PGG). The internship will initially involve working remotely with a view to return to the London office when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.

You can see examples of the Participatory Governance and Gender team’s work here. 

The person

The individual should have excellent research skills, administrative skills and ideally have a knowledge of the development arena. Use of technology is paramount and knowledge in Microsoft Office and the ability to adapt to using a variety of online platforms will be required.

We work together to promote an inclusive environment which attracts a variety of candidates and signals our commitment to celebrating and promoting diversity.

General tasks and responsibilities

All interns working at the Commonwealth Foundation will be required to:

• Actively promote the values and aims of the Commonwealth
• Provide support in delivering the Foundation’s objectives, including assisting in cross-Foundation events and initiatives
• Work with other teams on cross-Foundation projects as required
• Undertake research projects/produce research papers
• Contribute to the planning, monitoring and evaluation and reporting cycle of the Foundation
• Contribute to the documentation and sharing of lessons learned and incorporation of these in project reports, publications and appropriate presentation materials
• Support the technical aspects of the Foundation’s work including but not limited to assisting in the management of webinars, online meetings and social media.

 PGG-specific tasks and responsibilities

Interns working within the Foundation’s Participatory Governance and Gender Programme will be required to:

1. Provide logistical and administrative support to:
   • Civil society forums
   • Ministerial meetings
   • Key PGG projects (working closely with the Senior Programme Officers)
   • Key partner forums
   • Administrative work

2. Support research relevant to the programme in areas including but not limited to:

• • Gender and its intersectionality
  • Gender and climate change
  • Women and peace youth and development
  • Women’s leadership
  • Good practice case studies on participatory governance

3. Working closely with colleagues with responsibility for Knowledge, Learning and Communications, prepare content for the website on the various PGG projects and provide content information for our social media platforms as needed
4. Maintain up-to-date mailing lists/contacts of key regional civil society organisations within the Commonwealth and globally.

Deadline for applications:

Monday 14 December 1pm GMT

Interviews:  

Wednesday 16 December and Thursday 17 December

Start date:

Monday 4 January 2021

Other:

• In line with the Foundation’s current strategy, this internship concludes on 31 June 2021 (after 6 months duration)
• The role will be remotely based with the intention of returning to the London offices once UK Government and Commonwealth Secretariat COVID-19 policies allow
• Interns are encouraged to access external training opportunities (including conference attendance) and are also offered appropriate internal learning and development programmes.
• Assistance is given where possible to aid the Intern in securing a permanent role in another organisation at the end of their internship. If there is a suitable vacancy at the Foundation, the intern can apply. However, there is no expectation of any employment with the Foundation at the end of the internship
• Interns receive £55 per day expenses allowance and a £20 per day travel allowance
• As an internship this does not constitute employment with the Foundation, there are no payments for bank holiday, privilege days or sickness. There is a limited holiday allowance.

Legislation

Under UK employment law you must have the right to live (reside) in the UK either by having a nationality from a qualifying member country of the European Union or by possessing an appropriate visa.

The Foundation is unable to sponsor any visa applications, so the full and correct right to reside in the UK must be in place at the time of applying. 

Applications received from persons without a current, full and correct right to reside in the UK will not be considered.

More information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/eu-eea  and https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration. Commonwealth citizens who do not possess an appropriate visa, in line with UK legislation, do not have an automatic right to live in the UK.