Capacity Building Officer for Local Self-governments (three retainer positions), Multiple positions

Under the direct supervision of the Capacity Building Officer for Governance and overall guidance of the Senior Officer for Good Governance, the Capacity Building Officer for Local Self-governments (LSGs) is tasked with the provision of technical assistance (TA) to 15 LSGs that have been encompassed by the Programme’s Citizens Satisfaction Survey (CSS), conducted in December 2023, on a representative sample of 50 LSGs from the Programme Area of Responsibility (AoR). 

The list of the participating 15 LSGs will be produced by the Programme.

Capacity Building Officers for LSG will be responsible for planning and delivering the TA to the LSGs in question that will focus on supporting LSGs to develop new or upgrade existing local policies and normative/regulatory framework pertaining to public service delivery. This must be closely linked to and based on the specific CSS results and findings that each of the targeted LSGs have received from the PRO Programme at the end of the CSS process, in the form of the LSG CSS Report.
More specifically, Capacity Building Officer for LSG will undertake the following activities:  

Preparatory phase:

1. Liaise with relevant Programme personnel to acquire necessary understanding of the context and objectives of the CSS and post-CSS activity;
2. Get acquainted with the CSS Reports for his/her group of LSGs;
3. Analyse/assess the current local policies and/or normative framework;
4. Visit the assigned LSGs and conduct discussions/consultations with the key local officials regarding the current status of local policies/regulations;
5. Based on the above, prepare a detailed work plan for the whole TA intervention, present the plan to the Programme and agree on next steps;

Technical Assistance to the 15 LSGs may include but is not limited to:

1. Support LSGs to identify up to three low rated local public services, and/or represent a priority for the LSG in question for addressing. This will be comprised out of the following:

• The TA is to be delivered both through the in-the-field-work and provision of the on-the-job technical assistance, as well as through the distance consultations;
• Develop, if need be, in collaboration with the LSG in question, additional/new local policies/regulations that would improve service delivery;

1. Support LSGs to develop, adopt and implement new or improve existing grievances and citizens’ case control and management systems. The new/improved systems should address at least the following:

• An established and clear structure of assigned public entities/functions/officials responsible and/or accountable to act upon grievances;
• Support LSGs to develop and adopt a monitoring and evaluation system to track all interactions with the end-users of public services;

Final Report

• Prepare and submit the final report, within the last month of engagement, with conclusions on overall findings and recommendations for improving public services delivery;
• Prepare the presentation and present the TA intervention and results to relevant stakeholders.

• Bachelor’s degree preferably in Law, Public Administration, Political Sciences, Social Sciences or similar field is required.
• Master Degree in relevant discipline will be considered an advantage

Work Experience 

• A minimum of two years of work experience related to provision of technical assistance to and/or capacity development of local self-governments is required.
• Knowledge of the government structures, links, processes and related legal and regulatory framework at the local level relevant to good governance is an asset.
• Experience in developing and writing policy and normative/regulatory level documents will be considered as an asset.
• Knowledge relevant to applying good governance principles in practice is an asset.

Language Requirements

• Fluency in Serbian and English is required

ALL CANDIDATES ARE REQUESTED TO SUBMIT A CV AND COVER LETTER INDICATING A PREFERENCE IN TERMS OF DUTY STATION ALONG WITH THEIR APPLICATION.