Jobs | Millennium-IP3 Partners in Kosovo

Full details after the jump Kosovo Ministry of Foreign Affairs Support Project Chief of Party & Other Long/Short Term Positions Millennium-IP3 Partners (http://www.millenniumip3.com), a prime contractor under the USAID Building Recovery and Reform through Democratic Governance (BRDG) Indefinite Quantity Contract (IQC), seeks candidates for the Kosovo Ministry of Foreign Affairs Support Project. USAID’s Kosovo Mission has asked Millennium-IP3 to submit a proposal for a new Kosovo Ministry for Foreign Affairs Support Project. (KMFA Project).  This 30 month project seeks to provide expertise to help build and operate the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kosovo.  This will be accomplished through a combination of expert technical consulting assistance, training, applied research, workshops, logistical support and purchase of software and other data management tools as needed. The objective of the project is to help the MFA become a functioning ministry capable of managing Kosovo’s foreign affairs.  This objective will be achieved by assisting the MFA to: a) Establish Kosovo's diplomatic missions abroad and develop and implement policies and procedures regarding diplomatic privileges and immunities. b) Build and strengthen institutional capacity of two offices: the Office of Bilateral Relations, International Organizations and Security; and the Office of Legal Issues, Treaties and Human Rights, to perform their duties c) Address short-term needs that develop to aid the effective functioning of the Ministry. The three main areas where USAID assistance will be focused are as follows: A. Establishment of Kosovo's diplomatic missions abroad and development of "privileges and immunities" for Kosovo's representation abroad and for countries with diplomatic missions in Kosovo.  This is a number one priority in the short term. Some of the activities will include: Supporting the MFA Office of the Director General to develop and implement policies and procedures governing the provision of privileges and immunities to diplomatic missions to Kosovo. Later, as Kosovo sets up embassies in other countries, the MFA will require assistance in determining the privileges and immunities their staff should receive. Supporting MFA to establish overseas representation. The Government of Kosovo has  announced its intent to establish Embassies in 10 countries: Albania, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, and United States/New York and Washington by Fall 2008. Supporting MFA and overseas Missions to organize consular services to Kosovo's large diaspora, and to understand how to effectively use media to disseminate and defend material and policies of the Ministry and the GOK, and gather information on a wide range of political, economic, and commercial issues important to the Ministry.  This will require substantial training of these teams prior to deployment to overseas missions. Supporting the MFA to open overseas embassies by providing training and assistance on facilities management including everything from real estate details to initial coordination and paperwork with governments and local officials in those countries. Longer term assistance would likely include development of operational support for embassies within the MFA in Kosovo. B. Effective operation of the Office of Legal Issues, Treaties, and Human Rights As a new country, Kosovo's MFA will need to promulgate and enforce many treaties relevant to the conduct of foreign affairs. UNMIK, as previous administrator of Kosovo, had signed many international treaties. The extent to which these agreements can be quickly modified (through ratification by the GOK or otherwise) is unknown, as are the potential benefits and risks of doing so. The MFA needs strong legal advice to help sort through these issues. Additionally, MFA will incur more responsibility to report on numerous international human rights (and perhaps other) treaties to international organizations and other countries. Achievement of these responsibilities requires development of a well-performing Office of Legal Issues, Treaties, and Human Rights. Though it is unclear how this work will develop, USAID/Kosovo anticipates that the bulk of contributions made by the project will be in the area of treaties. (The European Commission tentatively has offered a six-month expert to assist in this task.) The three tasks to focus upon are: 1. Review of existing treaties, signed by UNMIK and others. 2. Determination if the treaties are still applicable and desirable. 3. Clarification of steps needed to make these treaties permanent (such as ratification by government or other procedures, if is desired to extend the treaty, or how to end the treaty if it is not desired), and assistance in implementing these steps for treaties deemed to be GOK priorities. In the long-term, procedures will need to be developed for treaties, from understanding the benefits of a treaty, to determining its priority, and steps necessary to proceed. This effort will also require development of a system of coordination among line ministries and other stakeholders. Short-term, a list of all needed reports and existing treaties needs to be prepared, and then responsibilities assigned for their proper handling. Longer term, a system needs to be developed to handle these items, and to develop staff skills to draft the necessary reports and treaties. Additionally, and as a higher priority in the short-term, the MFA has identified a number of legal acts that are necessary for the Ministry's operation. These acts, added to the 2008 legislative agenda (Government Decision, July 9, 2008), and resulting sub-acts, need to be drafted, and project experts are needed to draft or help draft all or some of these acts: • Draft Law on Foreign Service • Draft Law on Consular Service • Sub-legal acts arising from the Law on Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diplomatic Service: 1. Administrative Instruction on employment of local personnel in diplomatic and consular missions (article 5.4 of the Law) 2. Administrative Instruction on procedures concerning the appointment of head of missions (article 7.1 of the Law) 3. Administrative Instruction on the appointment of personnel in embassies or missions abroad (article 7.5 of the Law) 4.  Administrative Instruction on salaries, terms and conditions of the service of the members of Kosovo Diplomatic Service (article 8.1 of the Law) 5. Administrative Instruction on diplomatic ranks (article 8.2 of the Law - see also Draft Laws on Foreign and Consular Service) 6. Administrative Instruction on exercising powers in financial management and public procurement (article 9.2 of the Law) C.  Effective operation of the Office of Bilateral Relations, International Organizations and Security The KMFA project will help establish the Office of Bilateral Relations, International Organizations and Security within the MFA. It is anticipated that the Office will be responsible for the relations of Kosovo with international organizations, including the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the International Civilian Office (ICO), bilateral Missions, and security organizations. The Contractor will assist the MFA in working with international missions and organizations in Kosovo, coordinating with other ministries and Assembly as appropriate. This sub-task may include assisting staff in: • Coordinating (including drafting) bilateral agreements with other countries. • Analyzing and advising on issues regarding policies on security and international organizations.' • Managing bilateral agreements. • Advising staff on steps needed to gain membership in international organizations (such as UN), possibly to include creating and empowering a task force to research and then handle such procedures for each organization. • Maintaining regular contacts with the OSCE, Council of Europe and other multi-lateral organizations. Millennium-IP3 is seeking qualified candidates for the following positions: Chief of Party:  The COP must have previous project or other senior level management experience preferably in Kosovo or the Balkans.  He/she should have at least 12 years of professional experience either as a COP of USAID or other donor funded project(s) or senior level State Department or European (including Central and Eastern Europe) official (Ambassador, Deputy Chief of Mission, Minister Counselor) management experience. Experience working on similar foreign ministry development projects or in Senior staff positions in US State or an MFA in Central and Eastern Europe or the former Yugoslavia and Albania or the Balkans is preferred. Strong written and oral communications skills are essential. Advanced degrees in international relations or other fields are preferred and Albanian or Serbo Croatian is desirable. Three references with name of the reference, tel and e-mail are required. Deputy Chief or Party:  The DCOP must have strong administrative and financial skills and over 12 years experience including servicing at least at the DCOP level of a USAID project.  Candidates with Balkan experience are preferred as are those with Ministry of Foreign Affairs or other related ministerial capacity building experience. Advanced degrees in international relations, business administration or other fields are preferred and Albanian or Serbo Croatian is desirable. Three references with the name of reference, tel and e-mail are required. We are also seeking other long term and short-term team members who can implement the three main areas of activity under the KMFA project. Attorneys:  We are seeking attorneys with experience with the US State Department or other Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Europe, CEE, Balkans) drafting and reviewing bilateral and international organization treaties with expertise in a broad range of areas as well as laws and regulations on foreign service, consular, and foreign service personnel issues.  We will review others without this institutional experience but preference will be given to those with this background and with European experience. Strong written and oral communications skills are essential. Advanced degrees in international relations or other fields are preferred and Albanian or Serbo Croatian is desirable. Three references with name of the reference, tel and e-mail are required. Media/Public Communications: We are seeking media/public communications experts with experience with the US State Department or other Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Europe, CEE, Balkans) developing public outreach and internal communications. Consultants with backgrounds advising MFA or US State Department in the Balkans or Europe will be considered. Strong written and oral communications skills are essential. Advanced degrees in communications, international relations or other fields are preferred and Albanian or Serbo Croatian is desirable. Three references with name of the reference, tel and e-mail are required. Management and Facilities: We are seeking management and facilities experts with  yeexperience with the US State Department or other Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Europe, CEE, Balkans) developing personnel management and facilities polices, procedures and oversight and management of personnel and embassy facilities in the Balkans/Europe. Outside consultants may be considered but preference will be given to candidates with institutional experience. Advanced degrees in management, international relations or other fields are preferred and Albanian or Serbo Croatian is desirable. Three references with name of the reference, tel and e-mail are required. Public Administration:  Candidates with strong public administration experience developing ministries in the Balkans and CEE countries are highly desirable.  Direct experience provide advice and training under donor funded projects is preferred. Advanced degrees in management, international relations or other fields are preferred and Albanian or Serbo Croatian is desirable. Three references with name of the reference, tel and e-mail are required. Other short-term candidates may be required in all of the above referenced areas of expertise as well as under the following BRDG labor categories: Program Development Strategic Management Political Scientist/Public Policy Constitutional/Legal analyst Training and Facilitation We prefer candidates with experience working in the Balkans, CEE countries and in related ministerial technical assistance and capacity building programs. We also prefer candidates with 10 plus years of experience that have worked in the US State Department or a Ministry or on a related USAID or donor funded project in the Balkans or Europe. Advanced degrees in management, international relations or other fields are preferred and Albanian or Serbo Croatian is desirable. Three references with name of the reference, tel and e-mail are required.  We also want to receive USAID bio data forms see also www.usaid.gov/forms/a1420-17-1.pdf Please send cover letter indicating your interest and fit, cv 3 references and bio data form to Brian Hannon, Partner, Millennium-IP3 Partners to millennium-ip3@earthlink.net