Call for International experts on Judicial Reform, (SSAs)

Background:

The OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe (further – the Office), within the framework of its Rule of Law activities, supports the Host Country’s efforts to strengthen judicial institutions in a manner that enhances their credibility, efficiency, and public trust. The Office’s judicial reform engagement is anchored to the Supreme Court of Tajikistan’s 2027–2030 Reform Programme and is designed to complement — rather than duplicate — larger capital-intensive interventions by other international actors. The Office’s comparative advantage lies in technical assistance, capability development, and legislative and policy support.  Current programming focuses on three interconnected priorities: (i) strengthening day-to-day court operations and procedural consistency across both the Supreme Court and lower-level courts; (ii) enhancing judicial transparency and public communication to rebuild institutional trust; and (iii) building judicial capacity on probation and alternative sentencing, which constitutes a direct link to the Office’s parallel penal reform portfolio. The ability of judges to understand, apply, and have confidence in non-custodial measures is a prerequisite for any probation system to function effectively in practice. The Office has conducted preliminary engagement with the Supreme Court and received support to extend outreach to lower-level courts, identifying priorities and shaping future programming. Judicial reform activities currently sit within Project 5500846 (Supporting Penal Reform in Tajikistan) and are anticipated to transition to a standalone project from 2027 onward.

Objective of Assignment:

The objective of this roster call is to identify qualified international judicial reform experts and hands-on practitioners for deployment on a rapid and flexible basis. The Office’s judicial reform programming is shaped by the Supreme Court’s 2027–2030 Reform Programme and a preliminary needs assessment process; expert engagements will be calibrated accordingly and may span strategic advisory, technical design, or capacity-building functions.  Roster members should be capable of operating across the following areas: (i) analysis and strengthening of court operations, including procedural consistency and case-flow management in both the Supreme Court and lower-level courts; (ii) judicial capacity development, including training design and delivery for judges and court staff on procedural standards and decision-making; (iii) legislative and policy support, including review of laws and regulations governing court procedures, judicial conduct, and court administration; (iv) judicial capacity on probation and alternative sentencing, enabling judges to understand, apply, and have confidence in non-custodial measures as part of Tajikistan’s emerging probation system; and (v) court transparency and public communication, supporting institutions to communicate more effectively with the public and other stakeholders.  Preference will be given to experts with direct experience in transitional or post-Soviet legal systems, familiarity with the programmatic modalities of international organizations, and the ability to work constructively within government-led reform frameworks.

Necessary Qualifications:

• Advanced university degree (Master's or equivalent) in Law, Judicial Administration, Public Policy, or a related field;

• Minimum of seven (7) years of professional experience working within Central Asia, post-Soviet legal systems, or comparable complex operating environments;

• Proven track record in optimizing day-to-day court operations, streamlining civil/criminal procedures, and improving decision-making consistency;

• Direct experience designing, implementing, or training court staff on automated case management systems and digital justice tools;

• Demonstrated experience developing policy frameworks, ethical codes, or institutional safeguards to strengthen judicial independence and integrity;

• Documented success in building institutional trust through court transparency initiatives and strategic public communication campaigns;

• Previous experience advising Supreme Courts, ministries of justice, judicial councils, and lower-level trial courts;

• Strong working familiarity with the project modalities of international development partners such as the UNDP, OSCE, or European Union (EU);

• Excellent research, analytical and reporting skills;

• Good organizational and communication skills;

• Computer literate with practical experience using Microsoft applications;

• Familiarity with probation, alternative sentencing, or non-custodial measures, and/or experience supporting judicial capacity on these topics, is considered a strong asset;

• Professional fluency in English is required; working proficiency in Russian is advantageous;

• Demonstrated gender awareness and sensitivity, and an ability to integrate a gender perspective into tasks and activities;

• Ability and willingness to work as a member of team, with people of different cultural, and religious backgrounds, different gender, and diverse political views, while maintaining impartiality and objectivity.

For more detailed information on the structure and work of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe, please see: https://dushanbe.osce.org/.

Remuneration Package:

Remuneration will be based on the selected consultant's/expert's qualifications, experience, the tasks and deliverables for this position and in accordance with the OSCE established rates.

If you wish to apply for this position, please use the OSCE's online application link found under https://vacancies.osce.org/.

The OSCE retains the discretion to re-advertise/re-post the vacancy, to cancel the recruitment or to offer an appointment with a modified job description or for a different duration.

Only those candidates who are selected to participate in the subsequent stages of recruitment will be contacted.

The OSCE is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all religious, ethnic and social backgrounds to apply to become a part of the Organization. 

Candidates should be aware that OSCE officials shall conduct themselves at all times in a manner befitting the status of an international civil servant. This includes avoiding any action which may adversely reflect on the integrity, independence and impartiality of their position and function as officials of the OSCE. The OSCE is committed to applying the highest ethical standards in carrying out its mandate. For more information on the values set out in OSCE Competency Model, please see https://jobs.osce.org/resources/document/our-competency-model.

Please be aware that the OSCE does not request payment at any stage of the application and review process.