Internship – Water Management Track Record Learning Exercise

Position: Internship – Water Management Track Record Learning Exercise
Duration: 4 months
Location: The Hague (The Netherlands Red Cross, Head Office)

Start Date: 1 December 2025 (can be discussed)

Supervision: Water, Climate, Environment Unit of the International Assistance Cluster of NLRC

About the Netherlands Red Cross

The Netherlands Red Cross (NLRC) helps people in need during emergencies, conflicts, and disasters — both within the Netherlands, where over thirty thousand volunteers contribute to local preparedness and response, and internationally, by supporting partner Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The organization is part of the global Red Cross Red Crescent Movement and works to protect lives, alleviate suffering, and promote human dignity. The agile Water & Innovation team within NLRC operates primarily in international disaster contexts, while also seeking synergies with water-related work in the Netherlands.

1. Background

NLRC has been actively engaged in water management over the past decade, through advocacy, strategic leadership, and technical support to a diverse portfolio of programs and projects in various parts of the World. These efforts have addressed water-related risks, strengthened community resilience, and influenced water-related policy and practice in humanitarian and development settings. For the purpose of this assignment, water management is defined as the strategic planning, development, use, protection, and governance of water resources to ensure sustainable, equitable, and resilient access to water.

The Netherlands Red Cross (NLRC) supports a broad range of water management efforts, including empowering communities in water resource planning and governance, ensuring safe and reliable water access in fragile settings, promoting inclusive water governance and advocacy, enhancing disaster risk reduction and climate resilience, and providing technical expertise and innovative tools. Although these services have benefited many partner National Societies—often in collaboration with global water actors—their impact has not been systematically documented, missing a valuable opportunity to share learning and strengthen NLRC’s unique role in the global water sector.

1. Objective of the Assignment

To support the development and ongoing updating of NLRC’s water management track record over the past decade—documenting achievements, identifying key lessons, and contributing to a variety of learning and communications outputs.

The focus of the assignment is to document and analyze NLRC’s track record in water management over the past decade, resulting in a living document that is continuously updated as new activities and evidence emerge. The findings will support internal learning and external engagement with donors, the Dutch Water Sector, and the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

1. Scope of Work

Under the guidance of a core supervision team, the intern will:

• Conduct a review of relevant documentation, case studies, including project reports, evaluations, achievements, and strategies.
• Support key informant interviews (KIIs) with internal and external stakeholders, including those at project sites (end users).
• Collect and curate user quotes and testimonies to capture field-level insights.
• Draft and maintain the track record as a live, updateable document, using collaborative platforms.
• Contribute to the development of learning and communication products, such as:
• A written learning report
• Infographics or visual materials

All outputs should:

• Align with the WCE unit’s overarching goals, strategic pillars, and community-facing services
• Showcase programme learning and results through clear, relevant, and easy-to-understand indicators

1. Deliverables

• Summary of findings from document review and interviews
• Curated set of stakeholder quotes and stories
• Draft and final version of the Water Management Track Record Learning Report
• A structured, updatable live document capturing NLRC’s water-related achievements and learning
• Contributions to at least one multimedia output (IFRC community, short blog-style story, infographic )
• Final presentation or learning session to internal teams

1. Methodology

• Desk review of relevant documents and evaluations
• Collect (if possible, interview users, community members, and volunteers) and curate user quotes and testimonies to capture field-level insights. The quotes should mostly focus on problems and impacts.
• Qualitative interviews with key informants from NLRC, local partners, and volunteers
• Thematic analysis to extract and structure patterns, insights, and lessons
• Use of collaborative platforms (e.g. SharePoint) to manage a living document

1. Required Qualifications

• Current student or recent graduate in a relevant field (e.g., International land & water management, environmental sciences, hydrogeology, civil engineering)
• Strong writing, analysis, and organizational skills
• A strong visual communication background
• Familiarity with qualitative research and interviews
• Interest in storytelling, innovation, and digital tools
• Comfortable using platforms like SharePoint
• Self-motivated, detail-oriented, and collaborative

1. What do we offer? 

The intern will be part of a small team aimed at developing the track record and will become familiar with how the Red Cross works, both in the Netherlands as well as in several countries abroad. Weekly guidance will be provided, and there is an opportunity to (flex) work at the Netherlands Red Cross’ office in The Hague. Furthermore: 

• Conditions for internship apply as specified in the ‘stageovereenkomst’; 
• The fee (stagevergoeding) is set at € 421,31 gross per month (based on an internship of 40hrs p/w, for internships less than 40hrs p/w a prorate fee will be paid) for an estimated period of 4 months.

1. Learning Opportunities for the Intern

• Exposure to water management in humanitarian and development contexts
• Skills in research, documentation, and knowledge management
• Hands-on experience with stakeholder interviews and communications
• Opportunities to co-create creative and digital learning outputs
• Insight into strategic learning processes within a global humanitarian network

1. Supervision and Support

The intern will be supervised by a core team made up of staff from the Water, Climate, and Environment Unit. Regular in-person check-ins, feedback, and access to internal resources will support the intern’s work and learning journey.

If you want to know more about this internship please contact Sintayehu Gennoro, WASH Advisor, sgennoro@redcross.nl or +31 634 431 284.

Interested? Please submit your application (motivation letter and CV in English) through the apply button before November 21st, 2025. Please be informed that interviews can be scheduled on rolling-basis prior the closing date of this vacancy.