Policy Specialist – Public Procurement

In order to underpin fiscal consolidation and strengthen governance, the Government committed to implementing structural fiscal policy measures as part of Public Finance reform, aiming to increase fiscal transparency, introduce fiscal impact assessments of new legislative initiatives, strengthen cash management, internal control, and external audit and to raise the efficiency of revenue collection by further strengthening Tax and Customs administrations.

As a successor to the previous strategic framework in this area, the new Public Finance Management Reform Programme for the period 2021-2025 (PFM RP) was adopted by the Government on Serbia in late June 2021. It complements the Public Administration Reform Strategy 2021-2030 (PAR Strategy) of April 2021 and bases its premises on the conclusions of the recently conducted Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) , the SIGMA  Monitoring Report , the key recommendations of the 2021 EU Progress Report for Serbia  and pillar specific requirements which derive from the EU accession process and set five key medium term reform priorities  which aim to contribute to ensuring effective financing of Government policies through a sound system of public internal financial management and control and a sustainable public debt.

The new PFM Reform Program relies to a great extent on the obligations that Serbia has assumed as part of EU accession negotiations under relevant chapters and even though Public Finance Management Reform is classified in the Fundamental cluster according to the new methodology for EU accession, it extends beyond encompassing several other horizontal issues which include macroeconomic stability, good governance, business environment and transparency. In that sense, it is an overarching framework which fundamentally integrates functional and EU accession requirements under chapters 5 – Public Procurement, 16 – Taxation, 22 – Regional Policy and Structural Instruments, 17 – Economic and Monetary Policy, 29 – Customs Union, 32 – Financial Control and 33 – Financial and Budgetary Provisions. The obligations assumed as part of the accession negotiations as well as the closing benchmarks (where they have been defined to date) will navigate the implementation of the PFM RP and serve as the fundamental source for the verification of the results that are anticipated to be achieved.

The EU Public Financial Reform (PFM) Facility aims to provide effective technical support and assistance to the beneficiary institutions in Serbia in line with the draft IPA 2021 Action Document in key areas of Chapter 5 - Public Procurement, Chapter - 16 Taxation, Chapter - 29 Customs Union, and Chapter 32 - Financial Control of Serbia’s EU accession negotiations with a focus on strengthening IT systems of Tax and Customs Administration and Public Internal Financial Control issues.

The overall objective of the PFM Facility Action is to enhance the efficiency of budget execution, public Finance Management and Public Internal Financial Control in line with EU standards and best practices. In order to achieve this objective, a set of focused activities will be defined during the inception phase and will be implemented under the following five outcomes:

• Outcome 1 - Preconditions for effective exchange of information on Value Added Tax with EU members states met
• Outcome 2 - Operational and administrative capacities of Customs Administration strengthened and interoperability of the Serbian Customs IT system with the EU is ensured
• Outcome 3 - Public sector management and accountability are improved through strengthened Financial Management and Control systems and Internal Audit
• Outcome 4 - Efficiency, effectiveness, and transparency of public procurement procedures in Serbia are enhanced
• Outcome 5 - Selected priority areas of public finance management reform supported

The strategic framework for Public Procurement Reform (PPR) was put in place in 2014, two years prior to the opening of negotiations under Chapter 5 – Public Procurement and significant progress was achieved during the first phase of reform. The preparation and adoption of a revised legislative framework contributed to increasing transparency and the efficiency of public procurement by introducing mandatory publication of procurement plans by contracting authorities on the Public Procurement Portal (Portal), and the initial steps taken to align the national legislation with the relevant EU directives where complemented by further efforts of the Public Procurement Office (PPO) with the adoption of the new Law on Public Procurement which came into effect in mid-2020 together with the applicable secondary legislation.

The 2021 PEFA Report confirms that the new legislative framework of 2019 has enabled the application of competitive procedures and increased transparency to the highest level and the World Bank positively assessed the content of the new Portal which provides an insight into procurement plans, contract award notices as well as annual statistics on public procurement procedures. The PPO has prepared numerous model bidding documents in recent years to assist contracting authorities in the preparation and execution of procurement procedures and the institutional and administrative capacities of implementing procurement procedures in the public sector have increased through the certification Public Procurement Officers across the board with the support of the EU and other relevant international partners. Despite this continuous positive trend, significant efforts are still needed to further improve competition, efficiency, and transparency in public procedures.

A consecutive Public Procurement Development Program for the period 2019-2023 (PP DP) was adopted in late 2019 encompassing four specific objectives contributing to the further development of a modern and efficient public procurement system in Serbia. The overall objective stated in the PP DP is to develop a modern and efficient public procurement system through the creation of conditions for free competition, which will enable the state to procure goods, services and works of adequate quality under the most favourable conditions and thus making the most economical use of taxpayers' money (“best value for money”). Ensuring the efficient conduct of public procurement procedures, through downsizing of administrative requirements is the basis for the proper application of regulations with a reduced risk of irregularities.

UNDP has been actively supporting Public Administration Reform and in particular, Public Finance Management Reform since 2000. The activities increased and intensified over the years as UNDP’s relationships with the institutions which were established after the first democratic elections in Serbia strengthened, coupled with the need to modernize public sector management, and ensure a fully functioning and accountable public finance management system based on the highest international standards, and since 2014, EU accession requirements.

The UNDP CO in Serbia has implemented a total of 37 technical assistance projects in the field of PFM reform from 2004 to date, with an overall budget of 23.449.392,00 USD. 

The EU PFM Facility will be implemented by the UNDP Public Finance Portfolio of the Good Governance Cluster. In light of the abovementioned and the project document, the UNDP is seeking to engage the Policy Specialist for Public Procurement, under the project Outcome 4.

Duties and Responsibilities

S/he will coordinate project activities with national counterpart (Public Procurement Office) with the aim to support developing the capacities of Public Procurement Officers at all levels for the implementation of the new Law on Public Procurement and supplementary regulations and guidelines through the provision of technical support and training.  S/he will also coordinate the expert support that will be deployed for developing new modules for the Public Procurement Portal to promote and increase the use of e-Procurement and the preparation of new guidelines, manuals, instructions, models of tender documentation and framework agreements for all economic operators. The Policy Specialist for Public Procurement shall also coordinate targeted trainings and capacity building for the further professionalization and improvement of knowledge of all subjects in Public Procurement. More specifically, Policy Specialist for Public Procurement shall:

Provide high-level policy advice and coordinate the Project Outcome 4, by focusing on implementation and quality control with the purpose of achieving the planned results: 

• Conduct regular horizon scanning to understand emerging trends and actors, as well as provide linkages and investigate opportunities for their application under the Project and beyond. 
• In coordination with Policy Analyst - Public Finance Management, national partner institution and donor, develop and manage an overall implementation strategy for the respective outcome.
• Lead the identification of project issues, challenges and risks, and appropriate strategies, and direct and oversee implementation of these strategies.
• Design innovative solutions and application of best practice examples within the area of responsibility.
• Coordination of program implementation with the local partner institution.
• Introduction and monitoring of performance indicators / success criteria, targets, and milestones. 
• Coordination of the production of timely, quality progress reports.
• Ensuring implementation of the relevant component, in line with the Project Document and Annual Workplans, including providing written expert inputs to project plans, strategies, procurement planning, and reporting.
• Close coordination and synchronization of activities with other four project Outcomes.
• Supervise and oversee planning of workshops, needs assessments, consultations, planning sessions, and provide technical inputs as may be necessary.
• Provides inputs for monitoring reports (e.g. donor reports), prepares activity designs, briefing papers, technical reports, situation updates, M&E documents, and other documentation as may be required in project implementation.

Ensure adaptive delivery of the Project by providing quality input and strategic advice focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Foresee possible roadblocks, as well as opportunities, and be able to put forth and implement contingency measures;
• Provide new and innovative ways of working to achieve the goals of the project in the most efficient and effective means possible; and
• Overseeing the work of short-term consultants engaged in project implementation and ensuring that project deliverables contribute to the strategic goal of the project and provide timely and technically sound feedback.

Provision of top-quality policy advice services to the national counterpart, UNDP team and pool of experts, and facilitation of knowledge building and management: 

• Network and build strong working relations with authorities and experts from the government agencies, UN system, international development organizations, private sector organizations, and other partners.
• Work closely with the respective program team and operations team to support efficient delivery of Project activities in line with strategic objectives.
• Identification of credible sources of information concerning programme implementation and related issues.
• Identification and synthesis of best local and international practices and lessons learned directly linked to the project.
• Coordinate to plan, organize and conduct the Annual Review Meetings/Mid-Term Review/ End of Project Evaluation and ensure that lessons learned feed into the design and implementation of project activities.
• Coordination of communications activities in accordance with principles discussed with the Steering Committee and in cooperation with communications focal points.
• Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice. 

Institutional Arrangement

The incumbent will report directly to the Programme Specialist – Good Governance in the UNDP Serbia Country Office and will be a part of the Good Governance cluster team, benefitting from its technical and programmatic infrastructure.

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

• Master’s degree in economics, law or related field.

• Minimum 7 years of relevant work experience at senior levels in public finance, public policy, and public procurement. 

Languages:

• Fluency in English (written and spoken) is required.
• Knowledge of the languages spoken in the beneficiary countries/territory shall be considered an asset.

Desired Skills:

• Experience in managing large scale policy-level PFM projects
• Experience in public procurement system structuring
• Prior work in the UN system shall be considered an asset.
• Good organizational and time management skills
• Good application of Results-Based Management
• Good communication, coordination and facilitation skills
• Consistently ensures timeliness and quality of portfolio work.
• Establishes lasting relationships and substantive dialogue with clients.
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
• Demonstrates integrity by modeling. 

The following documents shall be required from the applicants:

1. Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.
2. A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.
3. Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as reports, presentations, publications, campaigns or other materials.