Intern Foresight and Futures Work
Organizational Context
UNFPA promotes gender equality and empowers women, girls, and young people to control their bodies and futures. This internship role supports the organization's strategic foresight and futures work, contributing to the implementation of its Strategic Plan (2026-2029). The intern will gain practical experience within an international development organization focused on population dynamics and sustainable development.
Job Purpose
The purpose of this internship is to provide a learning opportunity for an individual to gain practical experience in strategic foresight and futures methodologies within the context of an international development organization. The intern will support UNFPA's efforts in horizon scanning, trend analysis, scenario development, and integrating foresight into country programme design and adaptive management. This role contributes to enhancing UNFPA's anticipatory governance and organizational learning, ultimately strengthening its capacity to address demographic changes and their implications for sustainable development and the empowerment of women, girls, and young people.
Responsibilities
The intern will support the application of strategic foresight methodologies, including horizon scanning, trend analysis, and weak signal identification. Responsibilities include assisting in the development of scenarios and contributing to the integration of foresight findings into country programme design and adaptive management processes. The role involves conducting research, synthesizing complex information, and supporting foresight exercises for United Nations Country Teams and strategic planning initiatives. Additionally, the intern will gain experience in applying and evaluating AI-assisted foresight methods, including prompt design and human-in-the-loop verification, and contribute to enhancing organizational learning and anticipatory governance within the UN system.
Work Experience
Experience conducting literature reviews and synthesizing complex information is required. Familiarity with qualitative research methods and data analysis is desirable. Experience with AI tools, visualization, or collaboration tools is an advantage.
Skills
Strong research, analytical, and writing skills. Excellent communication and presentation skills. Strong organizational skills with attention to detail. Ability to work independently and collaboratively in multicultural teams. Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications. Knowledge of foresight methodologies and AI tools is beneficial.