Consultant for Legal Compliance on Public Participation at the Local Level
Data e publikimit
12-04-2024
Data e perfundimit
19-06-2024
Lloji i orarit
Full Time
Kategoritë
Ligj & Legjislacion
Basic Job Information
Job Title: Consultant for Legal Compliance on Public Location: Pristina, Kosovo
Participation at the Local Level
Position Type: Consultant Job Stage: Currently Open
Category: Local (CCN) Number of positions available: 1
Employee Status: N/A Close Date: 4/18/2024
Job Summary
Democracy International (DI) is seeking to hire short-term technical assistance through a consultant – hereinafter the Consultant – for Legal Compliance on Public Participation at the Local Level to support the Social Contract Activity in Kosovo. The USAID Social Contract Activity in Kosovo, implemented by DI, aims to introduce sustainable practices for public participation to enhance the quality of life for Kosovo citizens and strengthen their partnership with the municipal government.
The Consultant is expected to provide expertise and guidance to the Ministry of Local Government Administration (MLGA) and the Association of Kosovo Municipalities (AKM) in successfully implementing participatory budgeting practices and related provisions derived from the Administrative Instruction on Open Administration. The primary objective of this consultancy is to enhance the decision-making role of the citizens at the local level and foster increased citizen engagement in public processes in 15 partner and 23 non-partner municipalities. Through legal compliance analysis and the preparation of essential tools such as a model regulation, questionnaires, and reporting templates, this consultancy aims to lay the groundwork for municipalities to effectively embrace participatory budgeting and other practices of public participation in Administrative Instruction, thereby promoting transparency, inclusive governance and robust interaction between municipal officials and citizens that strengthens institutional trust at the local level. The Consultant will report to DI’s Senior Governance Advisor. The level of effort (LoE) for this engagement will be up to 60 days through December 31, 2024. The STTA is required to dedicate 10 days per month at the Ministry of Local Governance and Administration (MLGA), from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Key Tasks and Responsibilities of the Consultant
The Consultant is expected to perform the following tasks:
- Review and analyze the legal requirements outlined in the Administrative Instruction on Open Administration in Municipalities, and contribute to the drafting of the explanatory guidelines on implementing participatory budgeting, which the MLGA will lead (5 days)
- Collaborate with MLGA to draft a comprehensive questionnaire for the implementation of the legal provisions related to public participation, including participatory budgeting, derived from the Administrative Instruction on Open Administration in municipalities (10 days)
- Develop a standardized format for reporting templates for municipalities to streamline the reporting process specifying key performance indicators and metrics of the Administrative Instruction (5 days)
- Assist MLGA and the AKM Collegium of Legal Officers in drafting a model regulation for participatory budgeting facilitate consultations with municipalities during the drafting process legal requirements and promote the Administrative Instruction (15 days)
- Collaborate with MLGA to develop training materials on legal compliance and participatory budgeting practices and organize workshops and presentations to two AKM collegiums – the Transparency Collegium and the Legal Officials Collegium – and municipalities (10 days), including:
- One (1) workshop with all public communication officials of all 38 municipalities
- One (1) workshop with all Directors of Municipal Finance Directorates of all 38 municipalities
- One (1) workshop for lessons learned with public communication officials of all 38 municipalities (after the participatory budgeting process)
- Provide coaching sessions for municipal officials in all 38 partner municipalities to guide them in the process of implementing participatory budgeting in their communities (10 days)
- Other tasks related to promoting participatory budgeting to non-partner municipalities of Social Contract Activity and implementation of Administrative Instruction (5 days).
Key Deliverables
- A comprehensive document/explanatory guideline: a comprehensive report detailing the legal requirements extracted from the Administrative Instruction
- Draft and final approved guidelines on participatory budgeting practices
- Participatory budgeting questionnaire: Draft and final approved questionnaire designed in collaboration with MLGA for the assessment of the implementation of participatory budgeting and related legal provisions for citizen engagement derived from the Administrative Instruction on Open Administration
- Reporting format template: A standardized reporting format template for municipalities, incorporating progress, challenges, indicators, and timelines derived from the implementation process of the Administrative Instruction
- Draft and final approved model regulation for participatory budgeting, developed in close cooperation with MLGA and AKM collegiums
- Workshop modules and presentations: prepare training materials for workshops and presentations, organized by MLGA and AKM to train municipal officials on legal compliance and participatory budgeting practices; all materials must be approved by DI before use. Workshop topics should include but not be limited to: Forms of Public Consultations, Citizen’s requests, and budgetary hearings, with the primary focus on Participatory Budgeting.
- Coaching sessions: prepare materials for coaching sessions, including but not limited to PowerPoint presentations, agenda, and worksheets. All materials must be approved by DI before use.
- Documentation from coaching sessions, including attendance sign-in sheets, participant feedback, challenges addressed, and best practices shared with municipal officials; all materials must be approved by DI before public use
- Knowledge transfer plan: A plan and a detailed list of documents outlining knowledge transfer sessions conducted by the Consultant to facilitate the sustainability of participatory budgeting practices within municipalities
- Bi-weekly report to Social Contract Activity on the work performed during the period, as agreed upon with the Senior Governance Advisor.
- Written report of no more than 5 pages that describes but is not limited to the following: the purpose of the consultancy, progress made during the duration of the consultancy, and any other notable observations; issues and/or problems encountered; and expected follow-on actions, as well as actions to be performed by counterparts; and lessons learned, advice, and recommendations for the Activity moving forward;
- Other deliverables as DI may reasonably request based on the STTA’s Scope of Work.
Qualifications
The candidate should have:
- Advanced degree in law or public administration.
- Proven experience in working with local government or on local government matters.
- Prior experience in legal drafting and guidelines.
- Extensive experience in analyzing and interpreting legal frameworks, particularly in the context of transparency, public consultations, and citizen engagement mechanisms.
- Proven track record in developing workshops and coaching sessions for diverse stakeholders.
- Strong interpersonal and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively with government institutions.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills to convey legal concepts.
Reporting
The Consultant will report to DI’s Senior Governance Advisor.
Expected Timeline
May 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024
Application Process:
Interested applicants must submit a cover letter and a CV by April 18, 2024. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. DI is dedicated to attracting, hiring, and retaining top talent, and the position will be filled as soon as a qualified candidate is identified. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
About the Organization:
DI provides technical assistance, analytical services and project implementation for democracy, human rights, governance and conflict mitigation programs worldwide for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. State Department and other development partners. Since its founding in 2003, Democracy International has worked with civil society organizations, political parties, election-management bodies, government agencies, legislatures, justice-sector institutions, and others in 80+ countries.
DI welcomes and supports a diverse and inclusive work environment. We are committed to equal employment opportunities (EEO) for all applicants seeking employment and for DI employees. DI makes employment decisions based on organizational needs, job requirements and individual qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, personal appearance, military status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, political affiliation, educational status, unemployment status, place of residence or business, source of income, or reproductive health decision making. Additionally, harassment or discrimination based on these characteristics will not be tolerated at DI. To perform the essential functions of this position, reasonable accommodations are available to qualified individuals with disabilities.