USAID Internship: Deadline Sept. 26, 2008

USAID Global Development Commons Internship Opportunities
in International Development

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is the lead agency for the U.S. Government providing economic development and humanitarian assistance to people around the world. By creating the conditions to help countries move from poverty to prosperity, we serve both the American public and millions of people living in countries in development and transition.

The Global Development Commons is USAID Administrator Henrietta H. Fore's initiative to lead the development and application of a more open, collaborative approach to development practice and to catalyze an online Commons community. The Commons will change the way USAID and the broader development community do business, strengthening development impact through better collaboration and more effective partnerships. As a result, the internship is a unique opportunity to participate in a cutting-edge initiative that seeks to do nothing less than change the overall development "business model" for the better.
USAID intends to hire two interns to work 15-20 hours per week with the Global Development Commons team during the Fall 2008 semester. There may be an option to extend the internship into the Spring 2009 semester. Interns will receive a monthly stipend; housing assistance, salary, and/or other benefits will not be provided.

Qualifications: All candidates must be U.S. citizens (without dual nationality) currently enrolled and in good standing with a GPA of 3.0 or better in a graduate program in the Washington, D.C. area. Candidates should have an academic concentration related to (but not necessarily explicitly focused on) international development. In addition, candidates should possess excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to adapt quickly and work in a self-directed manner in a fast-paced environment. The successful candidate will be broadly familiar with international development practice and institutions/organizations and will have experience and/or expertise in one or more area(s) of development practice such as agriculture, democracy and governance, global health, economic growth, public/private partnerships, education, etc. Experience with or significant knowledge of USAID and its work is an advantage. In addition, advanced coursework, work experience, and/or knowledge of information technology, knowledge management, and/or Geographic Information Systems (GIS) would be an advantage. Candidates possessing an active secret level security clearance are strongly preferred.

About the Commons and Interns' Responsibilities: The intern will provide direct support to the small, dynamic Global Development Commons team, covering a wide portion of our activities and responsibilities. These activities relate to the four major objectives of the Commons, which are:

1) Improve USAID's own information infrastructure to enhance the ability of people to share and search the U.S. Government development knowledge.

2) Partner with external organizations to aggregate high-quality development knowledge into sector-focused portals for use by the entire spectrum of potential users, but with a special emphasis on those users in developing countries.

3) Partner with external organizations to create investments in innovative technologies which will: a) make development knowledge more easily available or b) demonstrate or catalyze the application of new technologies in meeting development challenges.

4) Enhance knowledge sharing among bi-lateral and multi-lateral donors, and between donors and the recipients of Official Development Assistance and the public.

Contact: If interested, please submit a cover letter and resume before September 26th to the Internship Coordinator via email at commons@usaid.gov. Please include "Global Development Commons Internship" in the subject line of your email. Applicants should specify the approximate days of the week and times they are available to work in their cover letter. Only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.