Statistics Project Coordination Intern at UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Statistics and Demographics Section

Global Data Service (GDS)

Title: Statistics Project Coordination Intern
Vacancy No: CPH/VN/2022/016
Duty Station: Copenhagen, Denmark
Duration: Six months (possibility of 2 months extension)
Contract Type: Internship
Start Date: May 2022
Closing Date of Applications: 05 April 2022 Midnight CET

Organizational Context
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting
rights and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless
people.
The Statistics and Demographics Section which is located in UNHCR’s Global Data
Service (GDS) in Copenhagen, develops statistical definitions and standards, oversees the
production of global statistics on refugees and other populations of concern to UNHCR. Access
to reliable, timely and accurate data is essential to achieve the aims of the Data Transformation
Strategy 2020-2025, that is, to position UNHCR as a trusted leader on data and information
related to refugees and other populations of concern. The Section develops external products
such as the annual Global Trends report, which analyzes the changes in forced displacement
and statelessness and deepens public understanding of ongoing crises, and the Refugee
Population Statistics Database, which enables humanitarian workers, decision-makers,
researchers and many more to quickly access data and information on affected populations.
The Section ensures that quality and coherent data related to forced displacement is
systematically, responsibly and efficiently collected, analyzed and presented by UNHCR and
its internal and external partners.
The internship is based in Copenhagen with the Statistics and Demographics Section of the
Global Data Service. The intern will work under the direct supervision of the Head of the
Secretariat of the Expert Group on Refugee, IDP and Statelessness Statistics (EGRISS) and
will work in close collaboration with other secretariat colleagues and units within the Statistics
and Demographics Section.

Expert Group on Refugee, IDP and Statelessness Statistics (EGRISS)
To improve official statistics on refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and
statelessness, UNHCR has taken a leading role in the Expert Group on Refugee, IDP and
Statelessness Statistics (EGRISS), both as a steering committee member and through hosting
the secretariat. The EGRISS secretariat is hosted by the SDS/GDS. UNHCR is coordinating
the group in close collaboration with the steering committee, consisting of country members
and organizations from EGRISS. The group consists of 52 members from national statistical
systems and 28 regional and international organizations.
The EGRISS was mandated by the UN Statistical Commission to develop recommendations
on refugee and IDP statistics and guidance on implementation of the recommendations at
country level. The refugee and IDP recommendations were endorsed in 2018 and 2020
(respectively) and the focus of the current phase (2020-2024) is to support implementation of
the recommendations at national level, working closely with national statistical authorities and
other partners. Activities of the group currently include capacity building of national statistical
authorities and other relevant partners, technical support to requesting countries,
methodological refinement and guidance development and various promotion/dissemination
efforts at global and regional level.
As part of its third mandate, and building on its previous achievements, EGRISS is also working
to develop International Recommendations on Statelessness Statistics. A report on progress
was discussed at the UN Statistical Commission in March 2022 and the complete
recommendations will be formally submitted for discussion/adoption in 2023.

Duties and Responsibilities
This internship offers an exciting opportunity to:

1. Support the effective implementation of EGRISS’ third mandate.
2. Support the development of EGRISS’ Annual Report.
3. Support the effective implementation of EGRISS Secretariat’s responsibilities.

Essential Minimum Qualifications and Professional Experience Required
The ideal candidate will possess:

• Recent graduate or current student in areas such as Statistics, Demography, Public
Policy, Economics, International Relations, Social Science or any other related field;
• Demonstrated interest and understanding of official statistics and operational data,
including different data sources (surveys, administrative data and census);
• Demonstrated ability to develop written material (reports, notes from meeting and
advocacy material);
• Interest to pursue career in humanitarian/development action, forced displacement,
migration or related field.
• Previous exposure to data management tools, information sharing platforms and data
visualization tools, knowledge of statistical and data programming languages such as
STATA, SPSS, R, MySQL or Python is desirable;
• Interest in project coordination and facilitation;
• Advanced knowledge of MS Office suite, especially Excel;
• Initiative, sound judgment and demonstrated ability to work harmoniously with staff
members from different national and cultural backgrounds;
• Fluency in English language (knowledge of another UN language is an asset).
The Intern will be expected to engage with and support the following activities:
• Support effective implementation of EGRISS third mandate in collaboration with the
Secretariat and Steering Committee.
• Support organization and coordination of meetings, documentation of decisions and
actions agreed and necessary logistical arrangements.
• Support management of EGRISS membership list and general maintenance of Teams
folders.
• Support EGRISS monitoring & evaluation activities, including database management
and reporting processes.
• Support the development of the second edition of the EGRISS Annual Report, including
drafting/editing/coordinating content, working with graphic designers, soliciting
feedback from Steering Committee members, and ensuring the agreed upon deadlines
are met.
• Support subgroups’ activities as needed, including research, analysis and
administrative procedures in coordination with relevant EGRISS subgroup focal points.
This could include research on the use of specific data sources or thematic areas
related to forced displacement statistics associated with EGRISS activities related to
capacity building, technical support or guidance development.
• Support monitoring implementation on the refugee and IDP recommendations at
country and institutional levels, and collect lessons learned and best practice examples
in a systematic way.
• Support the development of relevant communication and dissemination materials,
including flyers, brochures, case studies and content for the new EGRISS website,
social media platforms and newsletters.
• Support the organization of high-level events, trainings, and workshops.
• Any other tasks, as needed including responding to ad hoc requests from Steering
Committee members and Head of EGRISS Secretariat.

Eligibility
In order to be considered for an internship, candidates must meet the following eligibility
criteria:
• Be a recent graduate (those persons who completed their studies within one year of
applying) or current student in a graduate/undergraduate school programme from a
university or higher education facility accredited by UNESCO.
• Have completed at least two years of undergraduate studies in a field relevant or of
interest to work of the Organization.
• An individual whose father, mother, son, daughter, brother or sister is a staff member
of UNHCR, including a Temporary Appointment holder or a member of the Affiliate
Workforce, is not eligible for an internship.

Location and Conditions
The successful candidate will be based with the team in the UN City in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The internship is a six-month full-time role with 40 working hours per week, from 8.30am to
5pm Monday to Friday. The start date is to be determined in accordance with the measures
adopted by the Danish government and the guidance of UNHCR regarding the COVID-19
situation. Depending on the circumstances, there is a possibility the successful candidate will
perform certain duties remotely and/or from at home.
Obtaining and renewing current visas and residence permits including all associated costs, are
the responsibility of the intern. Please note that the terms of internship, as defined by UNHCR
practice, include the payment of a Food and Local Transportation Allowance (FLTA). In case
the intern is sponsored by another source during the internship this will be deducted from the
FLTA.
Recruitment as a UNHCR staff member and engagement under a UNHCR affiliate scheme or
as an intern is subject to proof of vaccination against Covid-19.