Policy & Research Internship, Mercy Corps – Washington, DC

DATES OF INTERNSHIP:  June – August 2018 (flexible)

LENGTH OF INTERNSHIP:  3 months at 30 hours/week

INTERNS SUPERVISOR & CONTACT INFORMATION: Policy Advisor

FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR THE INTERNSHIP:

For the duration of this internship assignment the intern will receive:

  • $670/month stipend
  • Access to Mercy Corps online tools
  • Work space in Mercy Corps’ office
  • All other tools, materials and communication requirements for this project to be undertaken

Intern will remain responsible for all costs associated with:

  • Travel to/from Mercy Corps Office
  • Lodging in Washington DC
  • Living expenses
  • Laptop computer
  • All other costs associated with this internship

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

Mercy Corps works in fragile and conflict-affected countries, often where communities are recovering from disaster, conflict, or economic collapse.  With programs in more than 40 countries, and an annual budget of more than $400 million, Mercy Corps is one of the largest relief and development NGOs in the US.

The Mercy Corps Policy and Advocacy team serves as the main interface between Mercy Corps and external partners (particularly the US government) on issues of policy.  The team seeks to advance Mercy Corps’ values and interests by promoting policies that support our mission. We work to inform and shape policy in a number of ways, including:

  • Congressional Advocacy: direct meetings with key congressional offices, participation in briefings and hearings, review and commenting on draft legislation, active participation in discussions related to the foreign aid budget, and linking Members of Congress who are travelling with our teams in the field.
  • Administration Advocacy: meetings with Administration officials, ongoing communication with key partner agencies in the USG, participation in joint consultations and briefings together with partner NGOs in DC.
  • Joint work with NGO partners: active participation in Interaction working groups and other coalition efforts organized in DC on priority issues or countries for Mercy Corps, drafting of joint documents, organizing joint lobby days on Capitol Hill.
  • Organizing DC visits for visiting Mercy Corps field staff: scheduling meetings for visiting staff and accompanying them to ensure adequate preparation and follow up to these visits.
  • Publications: preparing and disseminating policy briefs on key issues, circulating information on Mercy Corps programs to key policy makers, participating in joint documents and sign-ons with other NGOs, working with field staff to draft joint articles on policy-related issues for publication.

The intern(s) will support and participate in the work of the Policy and Advocacy through writing and research. Areas of focus may include:

  • Response to humanitarian crises in Syria, Central African Republic and South Sudan
  • Support the team’s strategic analysis and advance agency priorities with Congress and the Administration
  • Improving aid effectiveness in fragile environments, including limiting the securitization of US foreign aid
  • Promoting effective food security policies and food aid reform, including implementation of the Global Food Security Act and USAID’s resilience agenda
  • Defending foreign aid budgets in an era of fiscal austerity
  • Country/region-specific priorities (e.g. Syria, Iraq, the Lake Chad Basin) or other policy team or agency priorities, such as engaging with Mercy Corps’ global team

Learn more and apply: http://jobs.jobvite.com/mercycorps/job/o0ua7fwv

More Mercy Corps Internships: http://jobs.jobvite.com/mercycorps?t=Intern

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