International Advisor to provide technical assistance in developing a comprehensive training curriculum on public procurement

Background:

Public procurement is one of the key areas of state activity and it’s one of the most important processes of public finance management. It is also an instrument that can be used to help achieve other policy goals, such as good governance, anti-corruption, and economic development including successful recovery from the present crisis. The Government of Albanian has taken important steps to build a modern system to improve the overall effectiveness of public procurement, especially regarding the legal, regulatory and institutional frameworks, as well as with the development and functioning of an e-procurement system. Procurement officials’ educational level and qualifications are a key source influencing administrative capacity to carry out public procurement procedures, ultimately impacting institutions' overall performance and management. The OSCE Presence in Albania’s Extra-budgetary Project “Enhancing policies and strengthening the capacities, transparency and accountability of the Public Procurement System in Albania”, aims to support the public procurement authorities to address the lack of continuous, certified training on public procurement for public procurement officials. The development of the new curriculum aims to increase the capacities of public procurement officials and eventually improve efficiency, planning and monitoring of public procurement procedures in contracting authorities and public procurement agency.

Objective of Assignment: 

The project will support the design of the new curriculum on public procurement for public officials including specific syllabi and the development of a new Training of Trainers (ToT) program. The ToT participants will be tested and evaluated on the knowledge gained through the ToT program and their teaching skills developed through the delivery of five pilot procurement training targeting about 100 officials. Finally, ASPA, PPA and DoPA would take all the necessary institutional and legal procedures to certify the new continuous public procurement curriculum as per the legal framework in place. Lastly, at a second stage ASPA will engage through its human resources to adapt the new curriculum and training materials into a user-friendly format for the E-learning platform of ASPA. This would help the training providers to roll out the new curriculum in class and online.

Duration of Assignment:

Earliest starting date:01 August 2022 until 15 March 2023.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

Before the inception phase, the Presence will establish a working group for the coordination and implementation of this activity, including the representatives of the key beneficiaries such as the ASPA, PPA and DoPA, the advisor and other hired. The Presence will initiate and maintain the communication flow between the Advisor, institutions involved and beneficiaries (ASPA, PPA and DoPA), and the training participants.

Under the supervision of the Presence and close in collaboration with the ASPA and PPA, the Advisor will perform the following main tasks:

Task 1. Prepare an Inception Report that details the proposed methodology, the timeline and work plan framework for:

• drafting a new Public Procurement Curriculum
• drafting and delivering the ToT program
• providing guidance for the delivery of five pilot trainings to public procurement officials.

The methodology should include the approach and instruments that the advisor proposes in order to implement the foreseen tasks. The work plan should provide a realistic plan for each of the tasks to be provided through this assignment, instruments to be uses such as desk research, consultations (interview /focus groups), the timing, key deliverables, and the areas where additional expertise is required and the respective tasks and deliverables to be responsible for. The Presence may consider hiring of additional short-term experts to cover specific areas of expertise, as needed for the design and implementation for specific modules of the public procurement curriculum and ToT program.

Task 2. Design the new curriculum on public procurement

Based on the inception report, secondary data collected from the Presence and beneficiary institutions, as well as key stakeholders consultations, the Advisor will draft the new curriculum on public procurement. The Advisor will consult with independent experts, practitioners, and other key stakeholders when designing the curriculum framework to inclusively address the current needs and priorities of the sector. The new curriculum should contain three comprehensive syllabi and several training modules to respond to different skills and knowledge of procurement officials at basic, intermediate and advanced levels.

Task 2.1 Draft the new curriculum syllabi and training material

The Advisor will be responsible to draft the new curriculum on public procurement consisting of the three, level-specific syllabi and their respective modules, training materials and participants training metrics. As indicated above, the Presence may consider hiring of additional short-term experts to cover specific areas of expertise, as needed for the design of the public procurement training material, which should be indicated during the inception phase.

The following list of the training modules per required certification levels is given for orientation, and more guidelines will be discussed and shared at the beginning of the consultancy.

• Knowledge of Regulatory Framework
• Implementation of basic and standard tasks of procurement procedures
• Preparation of tender documents
• Functioning of the electronic procurement system
• Integrity and Conflict of Interest Principles
• Planning, evaluation, and monitoring 
• EU Public Procurement Directives and Tools
• Conducting corruption risk assessment, risk management on high value public procurement procedures
• Socially responsible Public Procurement 

The Advisor will cooperate with the PPA in the drafting of the curriculum training material to coordinate the presentation of some technical curricula topics, such as the new regulatory framework, processes, etc. The PPA will engage as in kind contribution its core staff in providing contextualised information and practical examples and case studies.

Task 2.2 Revise and Finalize the new curriculum and training material

The Advisor will revise the new curriculum upon validation with key stakeholders, such as public procurement practitioners, independent experts. The Advisor will reflect ASPA, PPA and DoPA comments and suggestions delivered jointly through the Presence. The final revised curriculum will be subject to approval by the Presence.

Task 3. Design the Training of Trainers course

Based on the new curriculum on public procurement, the Advisor will design a Training of Trainers course syllabus (deriving from Task 2 outcome). The ToT should include all technical subject areas, but focus on both theoretical and practical aspects from a teaching perspective. The additional subjects of the ToT modules, such as market analysis, teaching and coaching techniques are given for orientation and more guidelines will be discussed and shared at the beginning of the consultancy. The designed ToT course needs to emphasize and interlink teaching and coaching techniques throughout the program to ensure that the ToT participants are not only trained on the content/subject area, but their teaching capacities are developed to deliver it to their future trainees.

Task 3.1 Draft the Training of Trainers course syllabus and training materials

The Advisor will be responsible to draft the ToT course modules and training materials (presentations, handouts). As indicated above, the Presence may consider hiring of additional short-term experts to cover specific areas of expertise, which should be indicated during the inception phase. The Advisor will cooperate with the PPA in the drafting of the ToT training material to coordinate the presentation of some course topics of technical aspect, case studies, examples and contextualised information.

The Advisor will revise the new ToT course syllabi and training materials by addressing the comments and suggestions submitted by the Presence inclusive of any comment from ASPA, PPA and DoPA. The final deliverables are subject to approval by the Presence.

Task 3.2. Delivery of the Training of Trainers course

The Advisor will be tasked to deliver the ToT 10 day course for 15-20 participants, as  developed in Task 3. The Advisor will cooperate with the PPA and ASPA in the delivery of the ToT training. The 10-day program should feature theoretical instructions, group work, and practical exercises to develop the ToT participants’ knowledge and teaching capacities, as reflected in Task 3. The PPA will cover the technical aspects of their work, illustrating it with practical examples and case studies. The Advisor should indicate during the inception phase any areas and specific knowledge, where specific additional expertise is essential in delivering the ToT program.

Task 3.3. Providing guidance during the piloting of the public procurement training held by the certified trainers with public procurement officials

The Presence will support, in coordination with the ASPA and PPA, the organization of five complete cycles of training including at least one per level (basic, intermediate and advanced) of the newly developed public procurement curriculum (Task 2) with selected procurement officials, as a piloting phase. The trainings will target 100 public procurement officials (20 per training) representing both central, local and independent administration. The trainings will also enable all the new certified trainers to take part in pairs in the delivery of cascade training modules, as part of their evaluation and certification process as trainers.

The Advisor will provide guidance to the new certified trainers in delivering 5 (five) training sessions. This will consist in advising them on possible amendments of training materials and teaching approach.

Task 4. Developing an evaluation mechanism

An evaluation mechanism is needed to assess skills and knowledge of the new trainers from the entry level to the certification level. The Advisor will design an evaluation mechanism consisting of at least two phases: a) selection of the applicants for the ToT course, which will be based on an entry test; and b) assessment of their learning outcomes throughout the training program, which will be based on a final test. The Advisor will collaborate with the ASPA and PPA to define priory to the course the evaluation targets, indicators and scoring mechanisms.

Task 5. Final Report

The Advisor will prepare a final report, covering the results of each task and possible recommendations to improve in the future the delivery of the public procurement training, as well as ToT participants’ evaluation results. The final activity report is to be approved by the Presence. The certification of the new curricula and the new trainers’ troop will be issued by, ASPA, PPA, DoPA.

1. Deliverables and schedule

Deliverables will be submitted to the Presence in English language.

Inception report (methodology, action plan, outline for setting a new Public Procurement Certification Curriculum, ToT, piloting phase) - Task 1  Time line: 15 August 2022

Draft and revised new comprehensive curriculum on public procurement – Task 2 (2.1 and 2.2) Timeline- 30 September 2022

Proposed Evaluation Mechanism (enabling the selection of the ToT applicants) – Task 4.a10 Time line -October 2022

Draft and revised the new Training of Trainers program and materials – Task 3 / 3.1 Time line: 10 – 20 November 2022

Delivery of the certified Training of Trainers 10 days program – Task 3/ 3.2 Time line: 30 October 2022

Provided guidance during the piloting of the public procurement training held by the certified trainers with public procurement officials– Task 3/ 3.3 Time line :15 December 2022 –15 February  2023

Finalized Training Evaluation document – Task 4.b Time line : 25 February 2023

Final report – Task 5 Time line :10 March 2023

Necessary Qualifications:

• Advanced Degree in economics, finance, law, public policy management, with specialized training in procurement;
• More than 7 years of experience as procurement expert in analysis of public procurement systems;
• Minimum 5 years of experience in designing public procurement training curriculum, implementing capacity development programs, academic teaching, including significant experience in conducting training needs assessment, designing and delivering training of trainers, deliver training for public officials, demonstrable through support/reference letters;
• Specialized knowledge of and significant experience in 4-5 substantive areas as below:
• Green Procurement
• Socially Responsible Procurement (including gender sensitive procurement)
• EU Directive and EU Tools on Public Procurèrent
• Public Procurement procedures
• Technical Specification
• Planning and Procurement Forecast
• Monitoring the implementation of the contracts
• Drafting feasibility plans for infrastructure projects
• Conducting risk on high value public procurement procedures
• Corruption risk management
• Principles of conflict of interest, integrity and transparency  in public procurement
• Market Analysis
• Excellent knowledge of EU public procurement legal framework;
• Highly skilled in drafting complex, mixed-method studies, and producing high quality written deliverables; project reporting, presentations, training materials;
• Previous work in coordinating, supervision and managing a team of experts for the development of a curriculum, including delivery of the ToT.

• Other:

• Ability to work efficiently and effectively in a multidisciplinary context;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English including the ability to prepare presentations and reports
• Computer literate with professional experience in Microsoft applications (powerpoint and familiarity with Video Teleconferencing tools, such as Zoom, Webex, MS Teams or others.

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.