Intern at the African Centre for Statistics

Job Posting Organization:
The African Centre for Statistics (ACS) is a division of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), which is part of the United Nations. The ACS is dedicated to improving the production, dissemination, and utilization of quality and credible statistical data and integrated geospatial information across Africa. The organization aims to support evidence-based planning, policymaking, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting in alignment with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 206

• The ACS is structured into three main sections: Data Capability and Geospatial Knowledge, Statistical Production, Methods and Research, and Coordination, Partnership and Policy Outreach. The Centre is led by a director and reports to the Deputy Executive Secretary (Programme).

Job Overview:
The internship-position" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">internship position at the African Centre for Statistics is designed for individuals who are keen to contribute to the enhancement of statistical data management and analysis in Africa. The intern will work closely with the Director of the Centre and will be involved in various tasks that support the Centre's mission of improving data quality and accessibility. The intern's responsibilities will include statistical data compilation, economic data management, and research assistance for policy-oriented analytical work. The role is crucial for ensuring that the Centre can provide timely and accurate data to support development initiatives across the continent. The intern will also engage in capacity-building activities and contribute to the development of statistical tools and dashboards that facilitate data visualization and analysis.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The intern will be responsible for a variety of tasks, including but not limited to:

• Profiling use cases for emerging data sources and evaluating their suitability for addressing existing data gaps.
• Assisting in the compilation of metadata from various national and international statistical websites to ensure comprehensive data coverage.
• Supporting the ongoing comparability of African development indicators across different databases to maintain consistency and reliability in data reporting.
• Contributing to the creation of statistical tools aimed at automating analytical processes, thereby enhancing efficiency in data analysis.
• Providing insights on emerging tools for modern visualization of statistical results to improve data presentation.
• Preparing statistical summaries that include methods and key findings to support decision-making processes.

Required Qualifications:
Applicants must meet one of the following criteria: (a) be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); (b) be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s degree or equivalent). It is strongly desirable for applicants to have completed a master’s degree or to be enrolled in a Ph.D. program in a development-related field. Familiarity with statistical and data-processing tools, particularly R or Python, is essential. Experience in working with quantitative datasets, including cross-sectional, time-series, and panel datasets, is also required. Candidates should demonstrate experience in collecting, cleaning, validating, and organizing quantitative data from multiple sources for analytical use, as well as in supporting applied research and preparing concise analytical summaries.

Educational Background:
Candidates should possess a minimum of a bachelor’s degree or equivalent, with a strong preference for those who have completed a master’s degree or are enrolled in a Ph.D. program in a relevant field. The educational background should ideally be in areas related to statistics, economics, data science, or other development-related disciplines that provide a solid foundation for understanding statistical methodologies and data analysis.

Experience:
While professional work experience is not a requirement for applicants to the United Nations Internship Programme, candidates should have relevant academic experience or internships that demonstrate their ability to engage with statistical data and analytical processes. Experience in applied research, data visualization, and the use of statistical software will be advantageous.

Languages:
Fluency in spoken and written English is required for the internship, as English is one of the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Knowledge of an additional official UN language, such as French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian, or Spanish, is considered an advantage and may enhance the candidate's profile.

Additional Notes:
Interns at the United Nations are not financially remunerated, and all costs related to travel, visas, accommodation, and living expenses are the responsibility of the interns or their sponsoring institutions. Interns who are not citizens or permanent residents of the country where the internship is undertaken may need to obtain the appropriate visa and work authorization. It is important for successful candidates to discuss their specific visa requirements before accepting the internship offer. Additionally, the United Nations does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process, ensuring a fair and transparent selection process.