WBG Pioneer - Sectoral Regulatory Efficiency Assessments Intern

The WBG Pioneers Internship Program offers undergraduate and postgraduate students a high impact learning experience at the heart of global development. This internship supports sectoral regulatory efficiency assessments in Critical Resource Minerals and Agribusiness, helping build evidence for multi-country diagnostics and reform-oriented knowledge products.

Responsibilities

• Conduct desk research on laws, regulations, institutions, administrative procedures, and public service delivery in Critical Resource Minerals and Agribusiness across selected countries.
• Support mapping of end-to-end regulatory processes such as mineral exploration and mining licenses, cadastral procedures, environmental and social permits, seed and fertilizer registration, SPS certification, trade-related procedures, land and water access, and other sector-specific processes.
• Assist with adapting questionnaires and data collection instruments to sector and country contexts, including preparation of respondent guidance, trackers, and evidence files.
• Help identify and organize potential expert contributors including mining lawyers, geologists, environmental consultants, cadastre and regulatory specialists, agribusiness firms, SPS and trade experts, input suppliers, and relevant public agencies.
• Support coding, cleaning, validation, and triangulation of de jure and de facto data including time, cost, procedural steps, transparency requirements, digital services, agency coordination, and implementation practices.
• Prepare concise analytical inputs, benchmarking tables, process maps, country notes, slide materials, and background sections for proposals, reports, operational briefs, and dissemination products.
• Provide broader research and operational support to sectoral task teams including source management, meeting notes, country scoping, and coordination support as needed.

Requirements

• Currently enrolled in a postgraduate program (master’s or PhD) in law, economics, public policy, international development, mining/extractives governance, agriculture/agribusiness, environmental regulation, trade, data analytics, or a related field.
• 0–6 years of relevant professional experience and demonstrated interest in development work, sectoral regulatory reform, private sector development, investment climate, or public administration.
• Strong legal, policy, or institutional research skills, with ability to understand and summarize complex regulations and administrative procedures across countries.
• Knowledge of mining, critical minerals, environmental/social permitting, cadastral systems, agribusiness, SPS/trade, seed/fertilizer regulation, land/water regulation, standards, or traceability is a strong asset.
• Excellent command of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Experience with Stata, R, Python, survey tools, data visualization, process mapping, or structured evidence management is an advantage.
• Proficiency in English is required.
• Professional fluency in French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Arabic, Chinese, or other project-relevant languages is an asset.
• Ability to work effectively in diverse teams, manage multiple priorities, maintain confidentiality, and deliver high-quality work within agreed deadlines.
• Must be eligible for no-fee internship under WBG Pioneers No-Fee Internship Track with official university confirmation or stipend letter.

Skills

• Legal Research
• Policy Research
• Institutional Research
• Regulatory Analysis
• Sectoral Regulatory Reform
• Private Sector Development
• Investment Climate Assessment
• Public Administration
• Mining Regulation
• Environmental Permitting
• Social Permitting
• Cadastral Systems
• Agribusiness Regulation
• Trade Regulation
• Seed Regulation
• Fertilizer Regulation
• Land Regulation
• Water Regulation
• Standards Compliance
• Traceability Systems
• MS Word
• MS Excel
• MS PowerPoint
• STATA
• R Programming
• Python Programming
• Survey Tools
• Data Visualization
• Process Mapping
• Evidence Management

Languages

English