UN/DESA – Italian JPO Programme 2021 : Opportunity to gain work experience with international organizations: (Deadline 29 December 2020)

UN/DESA – Italian JPO Programme 2021 : Opportunity to gain work experience with international organizations: (Deadline 29 December 2020)

The Italian JPO Programme 2020/2021 is open and now accepting as well applications from candidates from Least Developed Countries.

The Italian Junior Professional Officer Programme (JPO) is a multilateral technical cooperation initiative sponsored by the Government of Italy and implemented by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN/DESA). It enables Italian citizens and citizens of eligible developing countries holding an advanced university degree to gain work experience with international organizations for a period of two years.

The purpose of the Programme is two-fold: on the one hand, it assists international organizations in carrying out their activities by providing them with skilled personnel for a period of two years; on the other, it allows young qualified professionals seeking an international career the opportunity of two years’ work experience that will broaden their chances of finding a suitable job in international organizations or in the international field.

Eligibility requirements for applicants

Candidates must meet all the following requirements to be considered eligible for the 2020/2021 edition:

• born on or after 1 January 1990 (1 January 1989 for graduates in Medicine; 1 January 1987 for graduates in Medicine who have already been awarded a post-graduate medical specialization degree).
• Italian nationality
• fluency in English and Italian
• hold one of the following advanced university degrees (or degree combinations), awarded before the application deadline:

• Laurea Magistrale/Specialistica.
• Laurea Magistrale a ciclo unico.
• Laurea/Laurea Triennale plus university Master’s degree.
• Bachelor’s degree plus university Master’s degree.

For the 2020/2021 edition, a limited number of positions will be assigned to candidates from developing countries (Least Developed Countries and priority Countries for the Italian Development Cooperation). These candidates must meet all of the following requirements to be considered eligible for the 2020/2021 edition:

• born on or after 1 January 1990 (1 January 1989 for graduates in Medicine; 1 January 1987 for graduates in Medicine who have already been awarded a post-graduate medical specialization degree)
• hold the passport of one of the following UN Member States or non-Member Observer States: Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Pakistan, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, State of Palestine, Sudan, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tunisia, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Vanuatu, Yemen, Zambia.

• fluency in English (knowledge of Italian will be considered an asset)
• hold one of the following advanced university degrees (or degree combinations), awarded before the application deadline:

• Laurea Magistrale/Specialistica.
• Laurea Magistrale a ciclo unico.
• Laurea/LaureaTriennale plus university Master’s degree.
• Bachelor’s degree plus university Master’s degree.

Additional skills and qualifications

Given the highly competitive nature of the Italian JPO Programme, as well as the increasingly demanding skill-sets and level of experience sought by International Organizations, the following are frequently considered important assets:

• knowledge of other UN official languages / languages spoken in developing countries
• additional academic qualifications and/or training courses
• solid professional work experience (minimum one year)
• key competencies such as client orientation, teamwork, communication, accountability, planning and organization.

Candidates are expected to be motivated, flexible and willing to adapt to different environments. Furthermore, they must at all times demonstrate commitment to the core values of the United Nations, i.e. integrity, professionalism and respect for diversity.

Fields of expertise

The level of training, specialization and prior professional experience expected of Junior Professional Officers may vary from year to year according to the specific requests from the recipient organizations. Fields of expertise include – but are not limited to – the following areas: political affairs, peacekeeping and peacebuilding; humanitarian affairs, resettlements and refugees; sustainable development, including water and sanitation, environmental and climate change issues; migration and development; economic development, including public finance, public management, microcredit, etc.; social development, including social protection, indigenous issues, disabilities issues, gender issues, etc.; public administration, governance, and local development; statistics, demography and data management; international law; rule of law and electoral issues; children’s rights; food security and safety, agricultural development and livestock management; urban development; world heritage preservation, culture and education; information and communication technology for development; communications for development; private sector and industry development; logistics, supply chain management and project management.

For practical advice on preparing an application to the Italian JPO Programme, candidates are invited to attend a Webinar on one of the following dates (N.B. prior online enrolment is
mandatory via www.undesa.it):

• 18 November 2020 (5 p.m.)
• 26 November 2020 (10:30 a.m.)
• 01 December 2020 (5 p.m.)
• 11 December 2020 (10:30 a.m.)
• 17 December 2020 (5 p.m.)
• 22 December 2020 (10:30 a.m.)

Applications can only be submitted online through the Online Web Application (OWA) of the UN/DESA Office in Rome.

The deadline for submitting applications is 29 December 2020 at 3 pm (Italian local time).

Before starting the application process, please read ALL documents concerning the JPO Programme and its eligibility criteria.

Registering with the Online Web Application (OWA)

To register with the Online Web Application (OWA), click on the following link: Online Web Application (OWA).

It is recommended to use internet browsers such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer. For optimal visibility of the web-based form, ensure in advance your screen resolution is set at a MINIMUM of 1280 x 1024 pixels and your internet browser zoom at a MAXIMUM of 100%.

Once registered, you will receive an automatically generated message requesting verification/confirmation of your account information. Please check that this message has not been forwarded accidentally to the JUNK ITEMS folder.

Following verification of your registration, you may log in and enter your profile data, i.e. personal details, contact details, family details and information on your nationality and residence.

Creating your online application

Once registration is completed, you may begin creating your online application [Press “Create Application” button].
If you have already applied to previous editions of either the JPO or the Fellowships Programme via the Online Web Application (OWA) of the UN/DESA Office in Rome, your new application will automatically retrieve the contents of your most recent online submission.

Candidates who retrieve their last application must review ALL contents and make the necessary changes and/or add information where appropriate before clicking the ’SUBMIT’ button.

Compiling your online application

Please allow sufficient time to complete your application, bearing in mind that you may stop/start as often as you wish in order to facilitate correct data entry.
ALL sections must be completed in English. Applications completed or partially completed in Italian will be disregarded. The OWA system allows you to copy and paste text from a Word document using the Copy (Ctrl+C) and Paste (Ctrl+V) keyboard shortcuts.

To avoid potential data loss it is strongly recommended to press the ‘SAVE’ button once you have completed each section.

There are seven (7) sections in the online Application Form, as follows:

1. General information

You will be requested to provide information on how you learned about the Programme and what your preferred field of work is.

2. Skills

You will be requested to provide details of your language and computer skills. You may also list any publications, where relevant.

3. University /Higher Education

This section allows you to provide details of your university/higher education studies. Please ensure you include all institutions and clearly list the university degree(s) conferred. You will also be requested to provide information on your university activities, including relevant seminars, specialist courses and final dissertation(s).

In this section, you must upload a copy of the relevant university degree certificate attesting eligibility for the JPO Programme, such as:

– PhD, or
– Laurea Magistrale/Specialistica, or
– Laurea Magistrale a ciclo unico, or
– University Master’s degree

4. Schools and training

This section allows you to list any formal training courses that you have undertaken. Education history information from age 14 onwards must also be included.

5. Employment history

You will be requested to provide details of all relevant work experience to date, specifying as follows: contract information, description of your duties and achievements, as well as reasons for leaving. Please use a separate record for each post. You may also include voluntary work and internships.

6. Motivation letter

This section allows you to briefly outline your reasons for applying to the JPO Programme. You may also highlight here your strengths and interests.

7. Additional information and Submission

This section allows you to list professional societies and activities in civic, public or international affairs, as well as information regarding any fellowships held and/or periods of residence outside the country of your nationality.

Uploading your university degree certificate

You must upload a copy of your university degree certificate in PDF format. Note that this PDF document must not exceed 1MB.

As an alternative to a degree certificate you may upload a signed self-certification document (autocertificazione) provided that the degree has been awarded by an Italian university. This self-certification must include given name and family name, date and place of birth, university degree obtained, date of award, name of the Italian university, final grade and credits obtained. In order to be valid, this self-certification must be dated and signed (handwritten signature only).

Self-certification documents which have a computer keyboard-generated signature, are unsigned or otherwise incomplete will not be accepted.

Candidates who have graduated from non-Italian universities cannot submit a self-certification document and must submit a copy of the degree awarded.

If you do not upload certification for one of the university degrees attesting eligibility for the JPO Programme, your application will not be deemed valid.

N.B. Do not upload certificates of qualifications awarded by non-university institutions/entities unless they have been formally recognized by a University system.

The sample documents below will NOT be considered valid:

Example 1: Unsigned self-certification
Example 2: Keyboard-generated signature
Example 3: University Enrolment Certificate
Example 4: Piano di Studi
Example 5: University website screenshots

Submitting your application

The application form must be submitted before the deadline indicated.
Before submitting your online application, remember to double-check all data entered by clicking on REVIEW.
Note that once submitted, it is no longer possible to edit your application. The submission will be considered final.
Multiple applications are not permitted. Candidates who submit more than one application will be disqualified from participating in the Programme.

After you have clicked on ‘SUBMIT’, a PDF version of the application will be automatically generated. You may decide to save this document on your computer or print it (also at a later stage) via the ‘PRINT’ option at the bottom of the registration/sign-in page.

For additional information, please contact the UN/DESA Office in Rome at JPOinfo@undesa.it.

NOTICE TO APPLICANTS

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, TRAINING OR ANY OTHER FEES). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON BANK ACCOUNTS

For more information,please visit http://www.undesa.it/index.php/jpo-programme/