About the Role
The purpose of the volunteer research internship
programme is to provide research experience to students in order to encourage
them to consider a career in research, development and/or child rights.
As a sponsorship organisation Plan collects data
on the development of each sponsored child every year in order to update the
information to the sponsors of each child. This data was previously stored in
individual country databases, which made a global analysis impossible. However,
in recent years Plan, at a global level, has undertaken a process of creating a
single database of information. This new database is BI online (Cognos 8), and
is accessible to every Plan office in the world, making the sponsorship data
available for analysis, alongside its traditional main purpose of updating the
child sponsors. Currently the database holds information on more than 1.5
million children with data for the fiscal years 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. Each
participant will conduct a research project under the guidance of a supervisor
and report their findings through a written report and an oral presentation at
the end of the Programme.
Reporting to the Research Coordinator, the intern
will be based at Plan’s International HQ and will mainly work on the analysis
of the sponsorship data, although if another project related to the Research
and Knowledge Management Team’s work is found to be of interest and suitable,
this may also form a focus of the intern’s time at Plan. The duration of the
internship will be for 12 weeks if full-time and could extend up to 24 weeks if
on a part-time arrangement. It will be based in Woking, UK (30 min by train
from Central London). Local travel expenses of up to £20.00 a day and lunch up
to £4.50 a day will be covered.
Eligibility
This internship is only open to currently
registered final year or post-graduate students at Universities and Educational
Institutions with an interest in international development or a related
academic area. The student should:
- be
fluent in English;
- have
good analytical skills;
- have
good knowledge of a range of research methods;
- have
excellent computer skills and experience of undertaking quantitative data
analysis using SPSS, Cognos, MS Excel or a similar programme
- have
good writing and research skills;
- have
good interpersonal skills and be able to work with people from different
cultures with integrity and honestly;
- have
an understanding and commitment to the aims of Plan and the Convention on
the Rights of the Child;
- always
maintain research protocols and integrity as mandated by Plan
International Headquarters, including upholding the confidentiality of the
research material and data at all times.
How to
apply
Students should kindly send a covering letter, a
brief curriculum vitae, a writing exemplar of no longer than 3000 words
(already submitted for assessment in a course) and a supporting statement from
one of the student’s academic tutors or lecturers.
This is an unpaid Volunteer Internship; however
local travel expenses of up to £20.00 a day and lunch up to £4.50 a day will be
covered.
Location and Travel: Based in Woking, Surrey (30
minutes by train from Central London)
Reports to: Research Coordinator
Closing Date: 12 May 2013
Duration: 12 week internship weeks
Applicants must be eligible to visit the UK
without restrictions
References will be taken and background and
anti-terrorism checks will be carried out in conformity with Plans Child
Protection Policy. Plan operates an equal opportunities policy and actively
encourages diversity, welcoming applications from all areas of the
international community.
Please note that only applications and CVs written
in English will be accepted.
Your online application form can be saved,
reviewed and amended before submission.
Click
here for more details and application
