Background

The EU High Level Policy Advisory Mission (EU HLPAM) is a project financed by the European Union and implemented by the UNDP. The objective of the project is to support the Government to implement its EU-integration related reform Agenda and in particular to assist the government in developing the capacities required for the implementation of the Association Agreement, including the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, as well as the Visa Liberalisation Action Plan. Specifically, the project aims at strengthening the policy-making, strategic planning and policy management capacities of selected line Ministries and State Agencies involved in the implementation of the Association Agreement and Visa Liberalization and at enhancing stakeholders’ knowledge and awareness of EU policies, legislation and regulations in sectors strategic to the implementation of the Association Agreement including the implementation of visa liberalization.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Adviser will provide consultancy and assistance to the Ministry of Justice, in particular to the Minister of Justice in the area of justice sector reform implementation, other justice public policies. Additionally, he/she will provide relevant support in drafting and promotion of pertinent regulations that would ensure a comprehensive and challenging implementation of Moldova - EU Association Agenda in respect to the justice chapter. The adviser will also assist the Ministry of Justice in improvement and strengthening its institutional coordination capacities in the reform process, due to the fact that Ministry of justice is the leading institution in promoting the justice sector reform and responsible for completing the conditionalities based on EU Moldova Budgetary Support Financing Agreement.

The Adviser will report primarily to the Minister of Justice with a reporting line to the EU Delegation to Moldova, UNDP Moldova and the project manager. The Advisor will work closely with the other members of the team of EUHLPAM Advisors.

Key Responsibilities:

• Raise stakeholders' awareness of the policy implications of the Government's reform agenda and the AA negotiation and implementation processes especially in justice sector;
• Acquaint the national authorities with different policy options in justice area;
• Provide the beneficiaries with examples of EU best practices in providing/implementing comprehensive justice sector reform in particular areas such as: anticorruption measures, disciplinary tools and mechanism to be applied to justice sector actor in order to strengthen their responsibility, dispute resolution mechanisms, constitutional reform, antidiscrimination policies, etc;
• Assist in the identification of policy and legislative priorities in justice sector in line with Moldova’s international commitments;
• Assist the national authorities during the policy consultation and implementation processes;
• Strengthen the institutional capacities of the beneficiary institution to design, manage, implement and monitor justice sector policies;
• Support the beneficiary to design and apply risk management principles and tools;
• Advise on the development of formal mechanisms to ensure that feedback from policy implementation is duly taken into consideration during the design phase of future policies;
• Support the national authorities to network with EU institutions through the EU Delegation to Moldova;
• Provide sectorial advice and report to the EU Delegation whenever requested in justice reform;
• Assist the beneficiary to prepare an exit strategy on how the advice will be mainstreamed and consolidated once this phase has elapsed;
• Respect and promote EU visibility in accordance with EU visibility and communication manual at all times.

The above responsibilities will be carried out through but not limited to: development of strategy documents, policy papers, advisory notes, methodologies, draft fiches and other relevant documentation as well as provision of technical on-the-job advice, support to networking to the institutions responsible for Government policies in justice sector. 

Competencies

• A comprehensive knowledge of EU external assistance programmes and policies targeted at EaP countries;
• A comprehensive knowledge of the EU acquis and policies in justice sector;
• Academic experience would be an advantage;
• Excellent communication skills;
• Proven report writing skills;
• Computer literacy.

Required Skills and Experience

• A PhD in law or similar or equivalent of professional experience relevant to the assignment/ a Masters’ Degree in law combined with 10 years of professional experience in the same area or a bachelor degree combined with 15 year of professional experience in the same area.

•  Preferably 15 years of professional experience.

• At least 10 years of professional experience linked to the provision of high level policy advice in justice sector area.
• At least 10 years proven work experience in justice area in EU Member States, current or former EU Candidate States/EaP countries;
• Professional experience in constitutional law would be an advantage;
• Previous work experience in Republic of Moldova would be an advantage.;
• A comprehensive knowledge of EU external assistance programmes and policies targeted at EaP countries.
• Professional experience in constitutional law would be an advantage;
• A comprehensive knowledge of the EU acquis and policies in justice sector;
• Previous work experience in Republic of Moldova would be an advantage;

• Fluency in written and spoken English;
• A working knowledge of the Romanian or the Russian language would be an advantage.

The detailed Terms of Reference and Procurement Notice can be found at http://www.undp.md/jobs/current_jobs/.