Southeast Asia Resilience Intern (DC-based) - Mercy Corps - Washington, DC
INTERN WORKSITE LOCATION : Washington, DC with possible travel to Southeast Asia
DATES OF INTERNSHIP: Beginning June, 2015. Dates flexible depending upon candidate availability.
LENGTH OF INTERNSHIP: 3 – 6 months, flexible depending upon candidate availability
INTERNS SUPERVISOR: Regional Resilience Advisor
FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR THE INTERNSHIP: This is an unpaid internship. Flights and visa will be covered in the event the intern would travel internationally with Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps responsibilities
Work space and computer station in Mercy Corps DC Headquarters Office
Access to Mercy Corps’ online tools
Assistance with expenses related to any travel to field locations in Southeast Asia
International SOS Emergency Med-Evac coverage for field travel
Intern responsibilities
Living expenses
All transport costs in DC
Any travel costs incurred addition to that which is covered by Mercy Corps for field visits
Valid medical insurance during any field visits
All other costs associated with this internship
PROJECT DESCRIPTION :
Mercy Corps’ South and Southeast Asia (SSEA) Resilience Hub proposes to undertake research that examines the relationship between market development and resilience across its market program portfolio. The overall goal of the research is to increase the impact of market development programs among poor and vulnerable populations susceptible to repeated shocks and stresses
In the SSEA region, Mercy Corps has programs in Myanmar, Indonesia, Timor-Leste, Mongolia, Nepal, India, China and the Philippines. A majority of our portfolio here has been centered on pro-poor market development, including improving production practices, creating market linkages, and facilitating an improved regulatory environment that allows businesses to grow.
These market programs are also being rolled out in countries that have increased their focus on resilience. Globally Mercy Corps’ resilience imperative stems from a wider recognition that traditional development interventions have failed to prevent target communities from falling victim to repeated cycles of crisis that derail development gains. In South and Southeast Asia, these crises stem from a range of interconnected environmental, climatic, economic and socio-political shocks and stresses. They include more frequent and severe exposure to natural disasters, alarming rates of ecosystem degradation, massive demographic shifts marked by rural out-migration and urbanization, and political decentralization.
As part of its 2015 Resilience Strategy, the Hub has proposed to examine in what ways a market systems development approach can best contribute to resilience aims and reduce target communities vulnerability to repeated shocks and stresses. We seek to better understand where market development approaches contribute to resilience, where they may undermine it, and what we need to do differently in our future programs. The research proposes to answer the following questions across key selected program sites in the SSEA Resilience Hub:
How does the interaction between market systems on the one hand, and socio-political and ecological systems on the other impact growth, resilience, and vulnerability within the market system? What are the implications of this on different population sub-groups and market actors?
How effectively have our programs contributed to reducing vulnerability while increasing incomes in this context? What is working, what isn’t?
Where have our programs increased vulnerability while increasing incomes and how could this trade-off been avoided?
What analysis should market development programs focus on, in order to identify relevant shocks and stresses and develop interventions to increase resilience of target populations. How can interventions be designed to address resilience?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: The internship will meet the following learning objectives:
Enhanced understanding of market system development theory and practice, particularly in the South and Southeast Asia context
Enhanced understanding of resilience theory and practice, with strong understanding of Mercy Corps’ resilience approach and thought leadership in this area
Improved research skills –secondary and option for primary data depending on the internship
Opportunity to interact with ongoing development programs and contribute to adaptive management
Produce ideas and evidence that inform agency’s thinking on markets and resilience
DELIVERABLES :
Conduct interviews and document review to produce background write-up on selected market development programs selected for study.
Conduct literature review and secondary data report on market development, vulnerability and resilience with particular emphasis on: a) the intersect of social, political and ecological drivers of vulnerability and their relationship to market system development, b) characteristics of resilient market systems
Co-author a thought piece and presentation on market system development and resilience
Contribute to the development of a toolkit that examines vulnerability within market systems, tied to existing tools and methods ( dependent on length of internship)
Support field research in one country on selected program to examine the contribution of markets to either vulnerability or resilience ( dependent on length of internship)
IDEAL CANDIDATE SHOULD POSSESS THE FOLLOWING QUALIFICATIONS :
Relevant graduate-level coursework , including one or more of the following: microeconomics and development, value chain development, livelihoods, market system development, social change and development, microenterprise development, ecosystem-based adaptation, climate smart agriculture and ecosystem based adaptation
Field experience desired, with fieldwork related to value chain development, microenterprise development, community livelihoods, climate smart agriculture
Skills : Conceptual understanding of value chains and market development for the poor; excellent written and verbal communication skills
LIVING CONDITIONS:
Depending on the length of the internship, the intern may have the opportunity to conduct fieldwork in Southeast Asia. When traveling to the field for research, the intern should expect basic accommodations and dining options and poor transportation. There is little security risk in the proposed study sites.
Mercy Corps interns and volunteers represent the agency both during and outside of work hours and are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.
APPLICATION PROCESS:
Candidates interested in this internship should submit a resume and a statement of interest . In your statement, you are encouraged to discuss any experiences related relevant to the projects outlined. You may wish to describe your career interests and discuss your previous work and educational experiences demonstrating these interests. Your application will be reviewed by the hiring team within 3 weeks of submission and shortlisted candidates will be contacted directly for interviews. All applicants will receive notification once a decision has been made.
Required Skills
Required Experience
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