INTERN WORKSITE LOCATION: Kitgum, Uganda with frequent travel to the field
DATES OF INTERNSHIP: Summer 2013
LENGTH OF INTERNSHIP: 3 months
FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR THE INTERNSHIP:
- Mercy Corps responsibilities
For the duration of this internship assignment the intern will receive:
- Communications (cellphone),
- Accommodation in Kitgum
- Reimbursement for 3-month visa
- In-country transportation between field offices
- Accommodation while traveling to field sites and Kampala
- ISOS Emergency Med-Evac coverage
- Intern responsibilities
Intern will remain responsible for all costs associated with:
- International travel to/from Uganda,
- Living expenses and food
- Medical Insurance
- All other costs associated with this internship
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Mercy Corps implements high-quality, analytical work in the world’s toughest places. Within Uganda, Mercy Corps works principally in post-conflict or transitional areas, including the Karamoja and Acholi sub-regions, to integrate targeted assistance for the immediate needs of critically vulnerable populations with a larger strategic focus on market facilitation that promotes long-term systemic change. By addressing a number of interrelated needs within a wide range of activities (livelihoods, peace building, agriculture, water and sanitation, health and nutrition, financial access and economic development), Mercy Corps applies a broad but integrated approach to address challenges to product and service availability, access and utilization.
We believe that access to modern energy services underpins social and economic development. Energy poverty drives poverty in the developing world; poor energy access results in ill health, environmental degradation and limited economic growth. In Uganda, where biomass accounts for 91 percent of total energy used and 97 percent of rural households have no access to grid electricity, energy poverty is a central challenge. However, in recent years companies have begun to distribute innovative, consistent and affordable energy options like solar lanterns and fuel-efficient stoves. These products offer highly beneficial, cost-saving alternatives to traditional energy sources and improve the quality of life and opportunity for the most marginalized members of the global community. At the same time, these products are also failing to rapidly and broadly reach their target markets. This is particularly true for Uganda. Though an increasing number of businesses now offer affordable energy solutions within Uganda, all of them direct what little investment and outreach they have to a few select areas that offer higher concentrations of population density and wealth – bypassing more marginalized markets that stand to benefit from energy-saving products the most.
Across the Acholi sub-region, through the work of our Economic Development Team, Mercy Corps Uganda is playing a valuable role in helping to accelerate energy access to the rural, dispersed population by reducing barriers to product availability and catalyzing consumer demand. Our research demonstrates that there is tremendous merit in solar and FES adoption as well as potent solar and stove market opportunity within Acholi.
Well into project implementation, the Team has had early success working in partnership with energy companies to adapt their business models and to connect these companies to viable product distributors across four districts within the Acholi sub-region. However, we haven’t had success working through formal financial institutions to meet working capital and consumer credit needs. This is an important challenge. Limited financial resources inhibit access to energy products for all actors within the value chain. Though credit does exist within the value chain itself, it is only available for a small minority of actors. Solar and stove companies are unable to access the capital they need to grow their businesses to scale. Distributors and retailers are unable to access the capital required to build inventory and to expand their consumer base. Many consumers are unable to pay for products in a single purchase. Limited access to finance, then, inhibits energy market growth and product access.
As an alternative to formal financing, we are supporting private sector partners to take on experimental financing schemes. We want companies to test experimental financing as a mechanism for increasing their wholesale/retail networks and for wholesalers/retailers to test experimental financing as a mechanism for increasing sales broadly, including to lower income populations. We’re looking for an intern to design, set-up and run a research project that tests the viability of experimental variations in sales offers aimed at increasing both retailer and consumer uptake of energy products by helping them to overcome constraints to liquidity and consumer confidence. This is an applied research project that is expected to yield data that will notably change energy company behavior broadly.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: The intern will have a unique opportunity to design and to manage product and sales research that has the capacity to transform social business behavior broadly across emerging markets. The project will give the intern insight into the challenges and opportunities for small and growing businesses in emerging markets. The intern will also increase field-based experience and gain access to valuable research that could be applied to graduate work.
DELIVERABLES: There are two deliverables:
- Research project design, including guidelines, procedures, key partners and overall strategy based on desk research, discussions with company partners and close guidance from the Economic Development Team.
- Study that carefully documents research and clearly articulates viable recommendations for pilot for both company partners and Mercy Corps more broadly.
IDEAL CANDIDATE SHOULD POSSESS THE FOLLOWING QUALIFICATIONS:
- Experienced business development/management professional
- A Bachelor’s degree in business/agribusiness, economics, or related field
- Pursuing a graduate degree in business or related field
- Strong written and verbal communicator
- Enthusiasm, creativity, and a tremendous amount of flexibility
- Willingness to work under minimal direction in difficult and inconvenient circumstances
- A sense of humor on par with one’s level of curiosity
LIVING CONDITIONS:
The intern will reside primarily in Mercy Corps’ Kitgum and Kotido guesthouses, sharing the residence with other team members and interns. Facilities are clean and sufficient, but basic. Internet is readily available in all Mercy Corps offices. Security in both areas is good.
Mercy Corps interns and volunteers represent the agency both during and outside of work hours and are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.
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