Pasantía

Internship Emergency Management – Preparedness and Resilience Department – WOAH HQ, Paris, France

Paris
Context   
The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) is the intergovernmental organisation mandated by its 183 Members to improve animal health and welfare worldwide by supporting national Veterinary Services. It was established in 1924 with its Headquarters based in Paris, France and is present on all continents through 13 (Sub-) Regional Representations. WOAH works across borders to transparently disseminate information on animal diseases, shares the latest scientific information on the prevention and control of animal diseases, and acts as a reference organisation for standards concerning the sanitary safety of international trade of animals and products of animal origin. WOAH also provides targeted support in capacity building to its Members and promotes Veterinary Services as a global public good.  

Avian influenza, Ebola, African swine fever, and COVID-19 have highlighted the need for multi-sectoral cooperation in preparing for and responding to emergencies. In addition, the world is witnessing an increased frequency of adverse events linked to weather and climate, profoundly affecting public health, animal health, animal welfare, food security, and livelihoods. Veterinary Services are facing unprecedented pressure to handle emergencies impacting or involving animal health. No single sector can effectively manage emergencies alone and Veterinary Services must collaborate across sectors to jointly prepare for and respond to all hazards.  

As the global authority for animal health, WOAH supports its Members in preparing for and responding to emergencies. Over the past number of years, under the mandate of its Membership, WOAH has been expanding its work in emergency management and biological threat reduction. This work has primarily been driven by individual projects, the most recent of which aims to fortify institutional resilience against biological threats (FIRABioT) and is funded by Global Affairs Canada’s Weapons Threat Reduction Program. WOAH aims to develop an emergency management work programme that consolidates various initiatives delivered over the years into a coherent, long-term schedule of activities to support its Members.  

To effectively build this programme, WOAH seeks a better understanding of the overall landscape in which our Members operate and an insight into their current capacities to ensure the programme benefits those with greatest need. To this end, WOAH is in search of an intern to conduct a study to characterise the hazard and threat landscape for its Members as well as to review national and regional emergency preparedness and management capabilities. The study should provide WOAH with an understanding of the priority hazards/threats of its Members by region as well as which Members are at the greatest risk of emergencies and disasters.  
Positioning and reporting 
The intern will be under the supervision of the Project Officer and Programme Manager in the Preparedness and Resilience Department. Collaboration will include interactions with other WOAH Departments and with WOAH’s experts from its scientific network.
Internship role and activities 
The Intern will participate in the activities related to the FIRABioT project, directed by the Preparedness and Resilience Department, specifically to:
– Conduct a literature review on the hazard and threat landscape of WOAH Members using sources of relevant information on emergencies and disasters;
– Consult relevant stakeholders on the factors associated with emergency preparedness and measuring these capabilities;
– Contribute to developing recommendations for the new emergency management programme on the basis of the results;
– Contribute to the writing of an article for publication in a scientific journal;

The successful candidate may also be required to complete tasks related to other work in the Preparedness and Resilience Department. Upon completion of the internship, the intern will provide a final report summarising activities undertaken and follow-up actions required as well as provide a presentation to relevant departments on the outputs of this work.
Qualifications and Experience
Candidates must meet the following educational requirements:
– Currently enrolled in a post-graduate academic programme (an internship agreement is mandatory);
– Field of study: veterinary medicine, epidemiology, veterinary public health, One Health, emergency management, civil protection, security or other related fields.  

Technical skills 
– Strong command, both written and spoken, of English including the ability to synthesise information in a clear and concise manner;
– Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office;
– Good working knowledge of literature review software, or other ways to organise research articles.  

Technical Competencies
– Analytical ability: problem definition and establishing research questions;
– Problem-solvingAbility to prepare and execute a project plan;
– Time management and adherence to strict deadlines;
– Flexibility to respond to urgent requests;
– Quantitative and qualitative data analysis and understanding;
– Excellent writing skills and ability to summarise complex technical discussions into clear and concise reports.  

Additional competencies 
– French and/or Spanish is an asset; 
– Knowledge of international frameworks for emergency management and biological threat reduction such as SENDAI, UNISDR, the Biological Weapons Convention, United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540;
– Knowledge of national structures, principles and operational frameworks for response to emergencies.

Interpersonal Competencies
– Genuinely curious and engage in the work and mandate of the WOAH;
– Courtesy, tact and ability to establish and maintain good working relations in a multinational and multicultural environment;
– ‘Can do’ attitude and ability to work within short deadlines;
– Ability to work well as part of a team;
– Adaptable and flexible.  
Internship conditions 
WOAH places high value on a multicultural and positive work environment. WOAH is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all qualified candidates, irrespective of their ethnic origin, gender, opinions or beliefs. 
WOAH will provide a stipend in the amount of 715,00 EUR monthly for full time work (39 hours per week);
This is a full-time internship based in Paris, France.
The maximum internship duration is 6 months (from September 2024 to March 2025).
The intern must provide proof of enrolment in health insurance plan. 
Some of the results of this analysis will be confidential. The trainee will therefore be asked to sign a confidentiality agreement.
This will not prevent the publication of a scientific article and the writing of the internship thesis.    

Important: Please note that an official internship agreement is mandatory to commence the internship. It is the responsibility of the student to confirm with their university or educational institution whether they can provide such an agreement. Students are advised to make this inquiry well in advance of the internship start date to ensure all necessary documentation is in place.  
General information 
WOAH places high value on a multicultural and positive work environment. WOAH is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications of all qualified candidates, irrespective of their ethnic origin, gender, opinions, or beliefs. If you are interested in this internship, please complete your application online by 28 June 2024 at the latest by clicking on the link below:  

APPLY HERE