Cities Development Initiative for Asia
Suite 201-203 Hanston Building, Emerald Avenue
Ortigas Center, Pasig City 1605, Metro Manila, Philippines
Phone: +63-2 631-2342 • Fax: +63-2 631-6158 • Website: www.cdia.asia
Terms of Reference
Internship with Cities Development Initiative for Asia (CDIA)
Objective
The Cities Development Initiative for Asia (CDIA) provides an internship at its office in Manila, the
Philippines for a preferred duration of 5 months. The internship is targeted towards fresh university
graduates who are passionate about writing for urban development and infrastructure financing and
with a strong interest or background in one or more of CDIA’s development impact areas
(environmental sustainability, pro-poor development, good governance, climate change mitigation
and adaptation).
Background of CDIA
CDIA is a regional initiative established in 2007 by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the
Government of Germany, with additional support of the governments of Austria, Sweden, and
Switzerland. The Initiative provides assistance to medium-sized Asian cities to bridge the gap between
their development plans and the implementation of their infrastructure investments. CDIA uses a
demand-driven approach to support the identification and development of urban investment projects
in the framework of existing city development plans that emphasize environmental sustainability, propoor development, good governance, as well as climate change mitigation and adaptation.
The long-term aim of CDIA is to contribute to the promotion of sustainable and equitable urban
development, leading to better living conditions for all in Asian cities.
CDIA’s mandate focuses on the following overarching development impact areas:

Urban environmental sustainability: to support the development of urban infrastructure
investment projects, which contribute to the reduction of environmental degradation, reduce
the ecological footprint of cities and which positively impact climate change;

Urban poverty reduction: to support the development of urban infrastructure investment
projects with a pro-poor focus, in which the rights of disadvantaged groups (whether women,
children or minorities) are addressed in infrastructure provision;

Good urban governance: to promote financially and institutionally sustainable urban
infrastructure investments (considering requirements of participation, cooperation, transparency and accountability in developing infrastructure provision) to meet the needs of all
citizens in cities, cognizant of social, cultural and political economy dimensions; and

Climate change mitigation/adaptation: to support the development of urban infrastructure
investments contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and to help cities
prepare for local impacts of climate change.
The initiative supports the identification and pre-structuring of appropriate projects and builds
management capacity of medium size cities with focus on cities with population from approximately
CDIA is supported by:
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250,000 up to 5 million people in the Asian region. In these cities, CDIA supports the implementation
of existing city development strategies or comprehensive development plans for socially,
economically and environmentally equitable and sustainable infrastructure and urban services.
The hallmark of CDIA is its focus on developing investments in urban infrastructure and services
through bridging the gap between city level urban strategies and the implementation of specific
infrastructure projects with domestic, international, public and/or private financing.
Intern Orientation

The intern will take a 5-month in-house internship where he/she will gain on-the-job
experience with CDIA.

The intern will be mentored and supported by the CDIA Communications Officer based on
assigned tasks.
Specific Tasks

Support the CDIA Communications Officer in the following tasks:
A. Write and prepare materials for CDIA brochures, Web site content, FAQs, and other
corporate communications collaterals.
B. Organize and help manage the CDIA Mailchimp Database mailing list.
C. Assist in organizing, sorting, and categorizing CDIA photos for the Photobank.
D. Liaise with graphic artist/s for design, changes, deadlines and specifications of
communication collaterals and branded giveaways.
E.
Assist in Team Retreat preparations and post-Retreat reports.
F. Polish and update CDIA Standard Powerpoint presentation/slides
G. Assist with any other matters in relation to CDIA PR and Communications as instructed by
the CDIA Communications Officer.
Qualifications
1. A senior or graduating student of any of the following courses: Development Communications,
Mass Communications, Communication Arts, Media and Communications, or any related
course from a reputable university.
2. Good academic standing.
3. Good English communication and writing skills (technical and creative writing).
4. Good editing and proofreading skills.
5. Has basic photography and photo-editing skills.
6. Knowledge and skills in using Photoshop, Indesign or any similar design/lay-out
software/application is an advantage.
7. Has computer software skills (MS Office, Outlook, Powerpoint, Excel)
8. Must not find it difficult to report/commute to the CDIA Office in Ortigas Center, Pasig City.
To apply, please send your CV to maria.yandoc@cdia.asia on or before 15 April 2015
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Confidentiality

All data and documents, reports, discussion papers and other material specifically prepared
as part of this assignment by the intern shall be the property of CDIA and shall be handed over
in acceptable form as required by the intern at the latest upon completion of the assignment.

The intern shall not pass on to any third party any data, documents, reports, discussion papers
or other material prepared or obtained during the internship, or any internal information
pertaining to this internship.
Performance of the Intern

The intern agrees that he/she will complete all the required activities specified in a timely
manner and to a high quality.
Termination of assignment

If the intern fails to complete the services in accordance with the Terms of Reference, or fails
to complete the specified activities in a timely manner, or the required outputs fail to meet
the standards required by CDIA, CDIA may terminate the assignment by giving a fourteen days'
notice in writing to the intern. This shall not be applicable if the failure is caused by
circumstances beyond the control of the intern.

The intern has the right to terminate the assignment with CDIA with a 14 days’ written notice
prior to the termination date.
General Terms

Throughout the assignment, the intern shall avoid involvement in political or religious matters
in the Philippines.

During the assignment, the intern shall not undertake work for a third party without the CDIA
Program Coordinator prior written approval.

The overall assignment is for a period of 5 months.