Local Consultant to design the roadmap for addressing land issues in Dragash/Dragaš Municipality

Background

Inclusive and sustainable growth in Kosovo cannot be attained without local administrations, entrepreneurs, farmers, and local communities deploying their energies and resources in a coordinated way. Instead of simply juxtaposing national and sectoral strategies coming from the central level, more efforts should be made to ensure that local stakeholders are networking together to overcome specific development challenges in their territory, that there is limited depreciation of the local human capital pool, and that growth patterns are more inclusive.  

The Integrated Territorial Development 2 project builds on the successes of the ADC-UNDP “Local-level Response for Employment Generation and Integrated Territorial Development (InTerDev)” project that has been implemented in southern Kosovo’s municipalities of Dragash/Dragaš and Shtërpcë/Štrpce since 2014. This project has proven to address some of the paramount challenges citizens of not only the partner areas, but of Kosovo in general, face: high rate and long spells of unemployment, lack of decent income generation, poor public services, as well as socioeconomic exclusion of women, youth, and other vulnerable groups. Since its beginning, InTerDev has provided over 900 local citizens with jobs and additional income flow. The InTerDev 2 will continue to utilize tested methodologies and will expand its services to a new municipality of Viti/Vitina in the south-east of Kosovo. With the overall objective that inclusive and sustainable income generation and job creation for women and men is improved in the municipalities of Dragash/Dragaš, Shtërpcë/Štrpce, and Viti/Vitina, the project’s purpose is to enhance municipal public service provision in rural development and, in a gender equitable, socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable manner, expand economic activity of local micro and small businesses. It is expected that as a result of project’s three core pillars of activities: 1) municipal officials have enhanced capacities in provision of services in rural development; 2) local micro and small enterprises and farmers have been supported to upgrade their businesses; and 3) bottom-up approaches and local-level concertation for employment generation in the form of Territorial Employment Pacts operate at the municipal level. Working closely with a variety of public, private sector, and non-governmental sector partners on the local level the InTerDev 2 will continue to serve citizens who are at risk of socioeconomic exclusion: local smallholder farmers, micro business initiatives, long-term unemployed and low-skilled or unskilled residents, women, youth, non-majority communities, as well as people with disabilities.

One persistent issue that constrains long-term economic progress among municipal farmers and producers in particular, as well as municipal development and land use planning in general, is the issue of land registration, given complex land tenure and registration issues affecting the municipality (and Kosovo in general).  This has affected farmers’ and producers’ availability to access financing (given that they cannot use their farms as collaterals without the documents registered in their names) towards advancing agricultural production.  Further, this has constrained urban/municipal planning as without official land classification and tenure, the municipal government, particularly the relevant directorates, have difficulties defining legal- and illegally-placed structures particularly outside of the town centre. This also creates tensions between neighbours in some communities given lack of clear delineation of properties and their official registration. It was understood that a number of efforts (e.g., by USAID together with the government) had attempted to resolve the land registration issues, but they remain unresolved given legal complexities. However, this is a critical issue that, if remains unresolved, will continue to persist for the next generations.

A priority issue, raised by the producers as well as the municipal directorate of agriculture in Dragash/Dragaš Municipality, is the land issue of Pllajnik/Plajnik village in Dragash/Dragaš Municipality. Due to lack of registration of properties, the local community are not eligible to any support provided in agriculture production, coming from the local or central level Institutions. According to municipal authorities, the Kosovo Cadastral Agency has carried out land measuring twice but yet, there is not available official decision. 

To facilitate the discussion/information among community, local government and Kosovo Cadastral Agency, to define the process and identify the obstacles, the project is seeking to engage a consultant who would identify the road map towards addressing this issue. 

Objective of the Assignment

The objective of this assignment is to contribute to addressing the land issues in and around the Pllajnik/Plajnik village in the municipality of Dragash/Dragaš, through facilitating the discussion on the land registration issues in and designing a roadmap for addressing the issues.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the InTerDev2 Project Manager and in cooperation with the Municipal Project Support Officer in Dragash/Dragaš, the consultant is expected to:

1. Meet with the community in Pllajnik/Plajnik village to discus and elaborate the land issues; (est. ½ w/d)
2. Meet with the municipal department of urbanism and cadastre to find out the process steps carried so far; (est. ½ w/d)
3. Meet with Kosovo Cadastral Agency to find out the status of the land registration process; (est. 1 w/d)
4. Analyze and elaborate on the law on property registration in Kosovo as well as the process required to register a property; (est. 1 w/d) 
5. Organize and conduct a joint meeting with the relevant stakeholders to present the findings and facilitate the discussion of the future steps; (est. 2 w/ds)
6. Submit a final report on implementation of the field analysis carried including a roadmap to address the issue with specific roles and recommendations to be addressed by relevant stakeholders. (est. 2 w/ds)

Expected Results:

• Meetings organized and discussions facilitated with the community in Pllajnik/Plajnik village to discus and elaborate the land issues; with the municipal department of urbanism and cadastre to find out the process steps carried so far; and with the Kosovo Cadastral Agency to find out the status of the land registration process.

Tentative due dates 2017: 

• 21 -24 November, 2017

Approval by:

• Project Manager 

Expected Results:

• The law on property registration as well as the process required to register a property is analyzed and elaborated on; and a joint meeting with the relevant stakeholders to present the findings and facilitate the discussion of the future steps is organized. 

Tentative due dates 2017: 

• 08 December, 2017

Approval by:

• Project Manager

Expected Results:

• A final report on implementation of the field analysis carried as well as a roadmap to address the issue with the recommendations to be addressed by relevant stakeholders is produced and validated by UNDP. (2 w/ds)

Tentative due dates 2017: 

• 13 December, 2017

Approval by:

• Project Manager

Deliverables / Final Products Expected

• Pllajnik/Plajnik community and the local government are informed on the status of land registration process; 
• Joint information meeting is conducted; the roadmap concept is designed;
• Final report is submitted and validated by UNDP.

Scope of price proposal and schedule of payments

Remuneration - Lump Sum AmountThe Contract is based on lump sum remuneration and shall be processed subject to deliverables as per the schedule listed below: 

• Upon successful completion of all activities: 100% of the total amount

Required Presentation of Offer: 

The following documents are required to be submitted. 

• P11/CV (signed), indicating all past experiences from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the candidate and at least three (3) professional references (P11 can be downloaded at UNDP web site:
•  http://www.ks.undp.org/content/kosovo/en/home/operations/jobs/)
• Technical proposal, a max. 2 page documents briefly outlining the methodology envisaged for the assignment for delivering the expected results within the indicated timeframe.
• Financial proposal, the consultant is expected to provide an all-inclusive lump sum amount/financial proposal. The Offeror must indicate at this point, and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNDP. 

Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer:

Offers will be evaluated utilizing a combined Scoring method – where the qualifications and technical proposal will be weighted a max. of 70%, and combined with the price offer which will be weighted a max of 30%.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

• Committed to professionalism, impartiality, accountability and integrity;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality, ethnicity, and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Demonstrates substantial experience in gender equality. Actively promotes gender equality in all activities;
• Treats all people fairly without favouritism.

Functional Competencies:

• Empathy and patience, people orientation;
• Punctuality and honouring of commitments; 
• Ability to draw conclusion on the related subjects;
• Ability to pay attention to details; 
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing;
• Ability to establish effective working relations in a multicultural team environment; 
• Good organisational skills;
• Commitment to accomplish work; 
• Responds positively to critical feedback;
• Results and task oriented.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• University degree in Engineering, Geodesy, Urbanism, Law or another relevant field is required.

Experience:

• At least 3 years of demonstrated relevant experience in provision of consultancy services to communities, local/central institutions in addressing land/property issues;
• Proven experience in and knowledge of property and land registration procedures in Kosovo is required.
• Previous experience in providing facilitation/advocacy services to local/central governments is a distinct asset.

Language requirements:

• Fluency in Albanian and Serbian is required, fluency in English is an asset.

Application Instructions:

• Click on the "Apply now" button;
• Input your information in the appropriate Sections: personal information, language proficiency, education, resume and motivation; You can type in, or paste your short Resume into the last box;
• Upon completion of the first page, please hit "submit application" tab at the end of the page. On the next page, you will be asked to upload your Resume;
• System will only allow one attachment. All docs (CV; P11; financial offer; list of similar profiles should be included as one attachment).
• Please make sure to submit all the requested documents/information; otherwise, your application will be considered incomplete.