Advisor for National Programme for Adoption of the Acquis (NPAA) – retainer position

Project background

The Government of Norway has decided to fund a sub-regional programme “Nordic Support for Progress in Macedonia” to be implemented by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). The project consists of a socio-economic development support to the more undeveloped parts of the country and also envisages support to the Macedonian authorities responsible for leading the renewed efforts on the EU accession process.

The Government of Norway has allocated funding for the implementation of the Project in Macedonia during 24 months.

The Overall Objective of the Norway support is to contribute to a more balanced socio-economic development and contribute to the implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement and EU accession negotiations priorities. Swedish SIDA entered into partnership with Norway and the Government of Macedonia specifically to support the Government reform agenda in the accession process as well as to engage with the civil society and media sectors to accurately report an agenda towards a more open and transparent civil society sector and positive engagement with government.

Specifically, the programme has objectives at the local and national levels i.e. locally, to increase employment opportunities, support social cohesion as well as to enhance local infrastructure in the less developed areas with a focus given to the inclusion of youth, women and vulnerable groups in the labour market. Nationally, the programme aims at supporting the government to improve its capacity for EU integration.

All Programme activities will be undertaken in partnership with the Government of Macedonia, in cooperation with the national and local institutions, with the aim of allowing them to adopt/adapt the legal requirements and, where relevant, EU accession criteria.

The Advisor will provide advice to the Project Manager and other project specialist and/or expert functions, namely but not limited to:

Support the NPAA planning monitoring and reporting: 

• review of current NPAA planning methodology and tools, identification of areas for improvement, in terms of its structure, timeframe, linkages with the government strategic documents, monitoring and reporting practices and recommendations/advice;
• preparation of methodological and analytical tools for NPAA planning and revision, monitoring and reporting;
• review and assessment of administrative capacities of the working groups for planning of NPAA and the screening process; 
• support working groups for planning of NPAA in reviewing and assessment of the administrative capacities for implementation of the acquis;
• capacity building of SEA staff and the working groups in the NPAA planning, according to the adjusted methodology, monitoring and reporting on the progress in implementation;

Support law approximation and legislative process:

• Collaborate  with project legal specialist, stakeholders and other relevant projects in the development of practical Guideline (Catalogue) for the legislative process, including law approximation and conducting of training programmes for specific target groups;
• Collaborate with project legal specialist and the working group for simplification of the legal instruments in the law approximation;
• Take part in the trainings of  members of the negotiation working groups on law approximation and legal instruments contributing with examples of particular pieces of acquis;

Upgrade of SEA technical platforms for support of the accession process:

• Support Project Manager in the review of ICT deliverables by liaising with the SEA for confirming compliance with established requirements.

Support the screening process of the chapters of the acquis:

• Advice working groups for screening process in identification of priorities area of interventions and contributing in the process of preparation of ToR for specialist functions;
• Preparation of methodological instructions and analytical tools for the assessment of current state of play for the chapters of the acquis (screening acquis), identification of gaps, and the needs;
• Advice working groups in conducting analytical review of the chapters of the acquis;

Advisor for NPAA will contribute in drafting the Interim and others project reports as appropriate.

Education

• Advanced University Degree preferably in Public Administration, International Relations, Social Sciences, Law, Technical Sciences or other relevant discipline is required
• University Degree (Bachelor’s degree / first level) with a combination of two additional years of relevant professional experience may be accepted in lieu of the advance university degree

Work Experience

• Minimum seven years of experience in EU policies or EU integration, gained in an EU Member State, candidate or potential candidate country is required;
• Experience in supporting and/or preparation of National Programme for Adoption of the Acquis (NPAA),  would be an asset
• Knowledge of the legislative process, screening acquis, law approximation would be an asset;
• Knowledge of government and administrative structures for implementation of the acquis, processes, and key strategic documents related to the EU accession negotiation process would be an asset;

Language Requirements

• Fluency in Macedonian and English (speaking, reading and writing) is required

• Excellent communication skills
• Very good analytical skills
• Higher level reporting skills

This is a local position, it is therefore open to Nationals of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and to individuals who have a valid residence/work permit.
Contract type: ICA - retainer 
Contract level: Local ICA Specialist - LICA 11
Contract duration: One year

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.