Programmes Research Assistant
Internship with Children Change Colombia
Role Description and Person Specification
Location: Development House, 56-64 Leonard St, London, EC2A 4LT
Reports to: Fundraising and Communications Officer (FCO) and Programmes Manager (PM)
Timeframe: Minimum six months
Hours: 1-2 days a week (from 10am to 5pm). The days you work are up to you, and can be flexible.
Closing Date: Sunday 7thMay(end of day)
Salary: This position is unpaid, although daily travel (up to £7.30) and lunch (up to £4.50) expenses will be reimbursed on receipt of monthly expense claims.
Interested in International Development? Want to be part of a dynamic organisation that is changing the lives of children in Colombia?You might be just who we are looking for! Children Change Colombia is looking for an enthusiastic intern who can commit to spending at least 1 day a week in our London office for 6 months
About Children Change Colombia
Children Change Colombia (formerly Children of the Andes) is a UK registered charity with 25 years' experience in defending children's rights in Colombia. Today we are the UK's largest charity working exclusively in Colombia. We work with children whose rights to a safe, happy childhood, and a fulfilling future, are threatened by poverty, inequality and violence. We work with the children most at risk, to keep them safe and defend their rights in the long term, to tackle neglected issues that few others address and to strengthen children's organisations. Through local partnerships, we currently work on five neglected issues: violence in schools and exclusion from education, sexual and gender-based violence, commercial sexual exploitation and recruitment into and demobilization from armed groups. We believe that, with a knowledge of their rights and the confidence to assert them, children can transform their own lives, their communities and Colombia itself.
We are a small and lively organisation and you will quickly become an essential part of our friendly team, involved in all areas of discussion and supporting the many areas of our work.
Purpose of the Role
The internship will give you experience in programmes and research, specifically research on neglected issues facing children and young people within Colombia. This role is the perfect springboard to finding a job in the not for profit sector.
Key responsibilities:
- Assist with research on the ‘neglected issues’ which CCC’s work addressesin Colombia.
-Search for and collate existing information held in CCC’s internal system.
-Conduct further research to gather up-to-date information (in English & Spanish) about the issues identified – including existing government & civil society responses; academic research; examples of good practices in Colombia and other countries.
-Use findings to update information in CCC system.
- Assist with research into new neglected issues identified by CCC Programmes Team.
- Devise and use a method to clearly log and present research.
- Assist with analysis of project data to contribute to CCC’s understanding of the neglected issues we address.
- Assist with analysis of project data to contribute to CCC’s understanding of our overall impact
- Administrative support to the Programmes Manager as required.
You will be working with a friendly team of 5, and your support to our organisation will be very much valued and appreciated. There's a great working atmosphere in our office, and everyone is extremely committed to the work we do in Colombia. We want you to enjoy working with us and gain valuable skills and experience during your time as an intern. If there are other areas that you are interested in which are not specified here then we would be keen to help you get this experience.
We are located in Development House in Old Street, a building full of other NGOs and great for networking!
Person Specification
This internship is ideally suited for an Undergraduate or Master’s student in development, social sciences, humanities or related fields who is looking to complement their studies with practical experience, or someone working part-time looking to gain more experience in the not-for-profit sector.
Skills & Experience
-An interest in and knowledge of international development and Latin America
-Enthusiasm and a commitment to our work and children’s rights
-Ability to understand written Spanish
-Good communications skills in English (especially reading and writing)
-Experience carrying out online research using a range of sources (e.g. academic papers; news items; government & civil society publications and reports)
-Ability to synthesise and clearly present large amounts of information
-Ability to clearly cite sources of research carried out
-Experience of MS Office (particularly Word and Excel)
-Good attention to detail
-Self motivated and pro-active with the ability to work as part of a team and independently
-Previous office experience is highly desirable
Child Protection
Please note that successful candidates will be expected to accept and commit to Children Change Colombia’s Child Protection Policy.
Application Process
To apply please send your CV (2 pages max) to , and include a short cover letter (1 page max) detailing why you want to work for us, the skills and experience you possess that are relevant to this post, and how you meet the person specification.
We will acknowledge all applications, but to minimise administrative costs we cannot guarantee detailed feedback if you are not selected.
Children Change Colombia is committed to equality of opportunity and to non-discrimination for all applicants and employees, and we seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce regardless of gender, race, religious beliefs, nationality, ethnic/national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability.
Interviews will be taking place on the week of 15th May.
Development House, 56-64 Leonard Street, LondonEC2A 4LT
T: 020 7549 0225 E: W:
Children Change Colombia is a UK registered Charity, No. 1075037. Company Registration No. 3731943