Research Intern – Program and Stakeholder Coordination

TERMS OF REFERENCE RESEARCH INTERN – PROGRAM AND STAKEHOLDER COORDINATION

General Information

Reference: VA/PRF/2026/9 Title: Research Intern – Program and Stakeholder Coordination Duty Station: PEMSEA Resource Facility, Quezon City, Philippines Duration of Assignment: Ten (10) months, March to December 2027 Reporting to: Secretariat Coordinator Type of Assignment: Internship (EAS Congress 2027)

Background PEMSEA (Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia) is a regional cooperation mechanism whose mission is to promote sustainable development of coastal and marine areas. It comprises of 11 country and 22 non country partners in the East Asian Seas region who are committed to implement a joint regional strategy called the ‘Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia’ (SDS-SEA). The PEMSEA Resource Facility serves as the technical and secretariat arm of the Partnership.

In preparation for the East Asian Seas (EAS) Congress 2027, tentatively scheduled for three to four days in October 2027, the PEMSEA Resource Facility, together with BFPI, is offering a ten-month internship program. Interns will work alongside PRF staff through the full Congress work cycle: mobilization (March), preparation (April), scale-up (June), the Congress period (October) and close-out (November–December).

The Research Intern will strengthen the Congress technical program and stakeholder engagement through coordination, research support and documentation.

Duties and Responsibilities Under the supervision and guidance of the Secretariat Coordinator, the Research Intern will carry out the following duties and responsibilities. Percentages indicate the approximate share of time over the placement:

I. Congress Program and Session Coordination (40%)

• Support the drafting of session concept notes and speaker and partner profiles.
• Support organizers of parallel sessions (PEMSEA projects and non-country partners).
• Maintain the session tracker and coordination calendar.
• Monitor active international negotiations and global events related to coasts and oceans, and flag items relevant to the program. II. Meeting and Event Support, Pre- to Post-Congress (30%)
• Support the preparation of agenda, programs, and technical or logistical documents for the EAS Partnership Council, its Executive Committee, and EAS Congress events.
• Provide technical and logistical support, and document proceedings during EAS Partnership Council and Executive Committee meetings and EAS Congress 2027 events.

III. Congress Documentation (20%)

• Document parallel sessions during the Congress and draft the corresponding sections of the proceedings. IV. General Support (10%)
• Provide technical and logistical support to other PRF staff operations as needed, including shared surge duties during the Congress period.

Expected Deliverables

Phase Deliverables Preparation Session tracker and coordination calendar; session concept notes; speaker and partner profiles; monitoring updates on global ocean and coastal events Meetings and events Agenda, program, and document packages for EAS Partnership Council, Executive Committee, and Congress events; meeting notes Congress period Documentation of parallel sessions Close-out Proceedings sections for parallel sessions; organized handover files

Internship Arrangements

• Placement: Ten (10) months, March to December 2027.
• Location: PEMSEA Resource Facility office, DENR Compound, Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City.
• Supervision: Fortnightly check-ins, monthly accomplishment reports, a mid-term review and an end-of-placement assessment. A monthly workplan will break down the tasks in this TOR into manageable portions.
• Orientation: Integrated coastal management (ICM), source-to-sea governance, code of conduct and the Congress work cycle, followed by role-specific learning.
• Support: Stipend or cost-of-living allowance, insurance, and work- related travel and subsistence where applicable. Interns are expected to use their own laptop.
• Conditions: Code of conduct, data privacy and consent, publication clearance, intellectual property and systems access rules; safeguarding and grievance procedures apply.
• Shared surge duty: During the Congress surge period, interns may support logistics and administrative tasks for up to about 10–15% of their time. Travel, finance and procurement remain staff functions, and no intern is the sole owner of any of them.
• Completion: Review of outputs against deliverables, organized files, process documentation, data and product handover, an exit interview, and a certificate of completion.

Qualifications and Skills Required

Eligibility: Filipino citizen, aged 18 to 30, and available for the full placement from March to December 2027, including the Congress period.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in planning, public administration, environmental or marine science, international relations, or a related field. Applicants currently enrolled in a graduate program, or who graduated within the past two (2) years, are encouraged to apply.

Experience: Experience, including internships, research or volunteer work. Experience organizing events or meetings is required, including through student organizations, academic or community activities.

Technical Skills:

• Strong coordination, organizational, and time-management skills.
• Good written communication and attention to detail.
• Ability to take accurate meeting notes and draft summary records or proceedings.
• Comfortable working with multiple partners and tight deadlines.
• Familiarity with regional or international ocean and coastal governance processes is an advantage.
• Ability to work harmoniously in a team, adapt to diverse professional and cultural backgrounds, and maintain a high standard of personal conduct.

Language Requirement: Fluency in English, with effective oral and written communication skills.

Technological Skills: Proficiency in MS Office or Google Workspace (Word/Docs, Excel/Sheets, PowerPoint/Slides), shared calendars and online meeting platforms such as Zoom.

Selection Process Applications are first screened for eligibility and completeness. Eligible applicants are then assessed by a panel of PEMSEA and BFPI representatives on motivation, subject foundation, engagement, communication and role-specific skills, followed by an interview of shortlisted applicants.

Applicants are requested to submit a cover letter with statement of availability and CV with names and contact details of two (2) references, via email to recruitment@pemsea.org. Kindly indicate the vacancy reference number and title in the subject line: VA/PRF/2026/9 – Research Intern – Program and Stakeholder Coordination.

Deadline of application is on December 15, 2026. Only shortlisted candidates will be notified. For more information on PEMSEA, please visit www.pemsea.org.