Vacancy Number: 010-016

Category: RCC Official

Type of Appointment: Fixed-term

Department: Programme Department

Location: Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Vacancy issued: 1 December 2016

Deadline for application: 10 January 2017

Terms of Reference for the SEE 2020 Coordinator / Head of SEE 2020 Strategy Coordination Unit of the Regional Cooperation Council Secretariat

(RCC)

Background

The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) was established in 2008 as a regionally owned and led framework, consisting of 46 participants. It works under the political guidance of the SEECP to promote regional cooperation and European and Euro-Atlantic integration of South East Europe (SEE). The RCC has a Secretariat based in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, headed by the Secretary General and Liaison Office in Brussels which ensures regular communication and cooperation with European and Euro-Atlantic institutions. The organisational structure of the RCC Secretariat consists of: Office of the Secretary General, Political Department, Programme Department and Administrative Department.

The areas of cooperation in the framework of the RCC are Economic and Social Development; Energy and Infrastructure; Justice and Home Affairs; Security Cooperation; Building Human Capital, as well as cross-cutting issues such as parliamentary cooperation, civil society activities and gender mainstreaming.

The RCC’s activities are guided byits triannualStrategy and Work Programme and the South East Europe (SEE) 2020 Strategy, as its integral part and a principalworking document until 2020.

The SEE 2020 Strategy aims at promoting creation of jobs and prosperity in a European perspective for the Western Balkans. It has five pillars, which are: Smart Growth (emphasising education, innovation, research and development, culture and creative sectors), Sustainable Growth (ensuring economic sustainability through enterprise creation and export increase, as well as energy efficiency and climate control), Inclusive Growth (supporting employment generation, social inclusion, good health and well-being), Integrated Growth (promoting closer regional integration in terms of trade and investment) and Governance for Growth (including effective public services and fight against corruption).

The organisation maintains close working relations with all actors of relevance to these areas, such as governments, international organisations, international financial institutions, regional organisations, private sector, civil society and the academia.

Outline of the Position

The SEE 2020 Strategy Coordinator/Head of SEE 2020 Strategy Coordination Unit (hereinafter “Coordinator”) is located within the Programme Department of the RCC Secretariat. Under the supervision of the Head of the Programme Department and guidance of the RCC Secretary General, the Coordinator organises the work of the Secretariat in relation to the coordination, implementation, monitoring, programming and governance of the SEE 2020 Strategy. He/she supports the Head of the Programme Department and the Secretary General in all substantive and organizational arrangements pertaining to SEE 2020, and serves as the focal point for coordination and for ensuring liaison, through the Head of the Department, between departments on SEE 2020 implementation. He/she may take the lead for the preparation of major documents of the Secretariat when the theme affects different departments in relation to SEE 2020.

The Coordinator also supports the senior management of the RCC Secretariat on managing the programmatic/administrative tasks related to SEE 2020, including preparation of budgets, assisting and monitoring of performance parameters and critical indicators, reporting on budget and programme performance, evaluation of performance and preparation of inputs for the performance-based budgeting. He/she develops and mentorsstaff under supervision, and supports the Head of the Department,in fostering teamwork and communication among the different units of the Secretariat as well as with other regional and international structures and officials of RCC participants.

Reporting

The Coordinator directly reports to the Head of the Programme Department and works under the overall guidance of the Secretary General.

Duties and Responsibilities

General scope

  • The Coordinator is part of the RCC Programme Department and works in close co-operation with other experts, under the direct supervision of the Head of the Programme Department and the overall guidance of the Secretary General. The Coordinator organizes and directs the work of RCC Programme Department experts under his/her supervision;
  • The Coordinator executes his or her role in providing support and technical know-how in the areas covered by the SEE 2020 Strategy, with particular emphasis on management, coordination, monitoring and programming.
  • He/she ensures the accuracy and validity of the results and information that he/she passes on to the direct supervisors or any other staff member lower or higher in hierarchy. The Coordinator ensures the timely execution of tasks within his/her scope of work.

Furthermore, the Coordinator will be expected to:

Coordination of activities

  • Coordinate the effective direction and integrated management of all the Secretariat’s activities and the work programme of the Secretariat in relation to SEE 2020, in line with the strategic vision and guidance of the Secretary General.
  • Through the Head of the program Department, provide liaison between departments on SEE 2020; ensure coordination of policy and implementation among the various components of the Secretariat in relation to SEE 2020.
  • Advise the Head of the Program Department, the Secretary General and the senior management team on strategic planning and the coordination of substantive and managerial objectives and ensures that advice and information on SEE 2020 is coordinated with all relevant components of the Secretariat prior to submission to the Secretary General.
  • Advise and support the Secretary General in setting out the roles and responsibilities of different units and departments of the RCC Secretariat in implementing various parts of the RCC Strategy and Work Program pertaining to the SEE 2020 development.
  • Through the Head of the program Department, coordinate the activities on preparation of plans and budgets for the SEE 2020 component of work.
  • Provide constant communication and feedback to the representatives on national authorities engaged in the SEE 2020 implementation.
  • Serve as the primary liaison with regional structures acting as dimension coordinators for SEE 2020 implementation, and provides guidance to other RCC staff on the structure and content of these relationships with dimension coordinators.
  • Maintain constant communication with the EU institutions regarding the SEE 2020 process and serves as the Secretariat’s liaison on SEE 2020 related issues pertaining to IPA II, both programmatic and budgetary.
  • Promote, participate and conduct dialogue with donors and International Financial Institutions at all levels to achieve mutual understanding on assistance coordination issues in the SEE 2020 field.
  • Establish coherent communication structures and systems for information sharing with the interlocutors on SEE 2020. This role includes oversight of Secretariat’s external correspondence and coordinating responses to enquiries coming to the Secretariat from other bodies relating to SEE 2020.

Monitoring

  • Oversee the design and implementation of an effective monitoring system for tracking progress on the implementation of SEE 2020 Strategy and the segments of the RCC Work Programme related to SEE 2020;
  • Help determine the scope of the monitoring, together with the monitoring expert, and support thedata collection process andoversee analysis and reporting on indicators and regional headline targets.
  • Verify and align the work being done in the RCC Secretariat’s departments and the results received from those departments in relation to SEE 2020.

Programming

  • Help define and supervise the annual programming process for the SEE 2020 implementation together with the Senior Programming Expert, including establishing goals, setting timelines and defining responsibilities.
  • Ensure that all internal and external stakeholders are kept regularly informed about the progress and that all steps are taken prior to the final approval of the programming documents.
  • Maintain overall coordination and provide links between the monitoring, programming and the coordination functions in the areas related to SEE 2020.

Management

  • Supervise, provide guidance and develop and train staff under his/her supervision.
  • In support of the head of program Department, foster teamwork and communication among officials in the Secretariat as well as with other regional and international structures and officials of RCC participants.
  • Provide analytical and organizational input into the implementation of the SEE 2020 Strategy and, in particular, its sequencing and prioritization, with realistic expectations regarding the nature, extent and timeframes of interventions.
  • Assist in the development of institutional mechanisms enabling the RCC Secretariat to effectively design, implement and monitor SEE 2020 process
  • In support of the Head of the Programme Department, coordinate inputs to the Secretariat’s budget submission prepared by the Head of Administration ensuring that adequate provision is made to meet resource requirements and coordinates development of integrated strategic implementation plans and performance-based programme budgeting frameworks and processes that accurately reflect the mandate of the RCC Secretariat.
  • Support fundraising functions of the RCC Secretariat through direct contacts with donors and development partners, analysis and preparation of programmes to strengthen strategic alliances and maintain an established network of contacts for general information sharing and to remain up-to-date on partnership-related issues.

General representation

  • Represent RCC in meetings and conferences and enhance RCC’s overall visibility in relation to the SEE 2020 Strategy.
  • Assume other related tasks as directed by the Head of the Programme Department and Secretary General.

Key Requirements:

An advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in political science, international relations, EU studies, international economics, law or other subject of relevance for the position. In-depth knowledge of SEE, regional cooperation in thematic areas of RCC activities, EU enlargement and other relevant policiesas well as professional experience in project management and EU funds.

A minimum of 8years of post-graduate professional experience in international economics, political science, international relations or a related area, preferably in an international environment and with knowledge of and experience in SEE region (or a first-level university degree and 12years of relevant professional working experience).

  • In-depth knowledge of SEE and experience in regional cooperation.
  • Strong analytical skills demonstrable through previous work.
  • Fluency in oral and written English. Knowledge of SEE languages and other EU languages is an asset.
  • Ability to work both independently and as part of a team in a multicultural environment.
  • Excellent communication skills and public speaking experience. The candidate will be expected to speak at conferences and meetings organised by the RCC or when invited to represent the RCC.
  • Fully computer literate.

Location / Contract

The holder of the position will be based in the RCC Secretariat in Sarajevo. She/he could expect that up to 30% of her/his time would be spent on business-related travel and should be able to handle own administrative tasks according to the RCC Secretariat’s internal rules and regulations.

Application Rules

Qualified candidates are invited to send their cover letter and CV (both in English) by 10 January 2017 by 17:00 p.m. via e-mail to

Only short listed candidates will be contacted.

Selection process is based on a written test and competency-based interview.

The candidate should be national of the participants of the RCC Board from South East Europe:

Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo*[1], Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey.

[1]*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.