1. Function Description:
The positions will be within the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) program “Support Albanian Negotiation in Environment, Chapter 27 (SANE27) phase II where end beneficiary is the Ministry of Tourism and Environment
SANE27 phase II is looking for pool of national experts, which potentially can be involved providing analysis, technical advice and implementation activities to support the implementation of the program’s activities. Actual need for the consultancy services as well as actual level of involvement will be decidedduring the course of implementation of the program, based on the needs and approved work packages.
Planned period for the assignment is from September 2024 until end of February2026.
The position, if not indicated otherwise,is located in Tirana,Albania.
2. Immediate Supervisor(s): Team Leader
3. Subordinates: As indicate in the working package
4. Place of work: Tirana, Republic of Albania
7. Program Summary:
Albania applied for EU membership in April 2009 and since then the EU approximation is a high priority for the Government. Considering progress achieved and following recommendation of the European Commission, the Council of the European Union has decided to open EU negotiation with Albania on 25 March2021.
In order to support the EU negotiations, the Ministry of Tourism and Environment with Sida funding is implementing the Programme for Supporting Albania in Negotiation for Environment, Chapter 27 (SANE27) and the planned implementation period is until February 2026.
The overall objective of the Programme is to support Albania to improve the environmental governance in Albania with special emphasis on policy making and implementation in the context of the EU environmental acquis.
The purpose of program is to:
• To provide technical assistance to the Ministry of Tourism and Environment (MTE) for Ch.27 screening and negotiations;
• To provide technical assistance to MTE to identify Ch.27 planning needs and to support the implementation of strategic planning documents.
One of the first step in the EU negotiation is the screening of the current approximation status hence analysing the level of transposition, implementation and enforcementof the EU environmental related acquisand the relevant administrative capacity and providing recommendations for overcoming the identified gaps. In June 2023 Albanian authorities had conducted Bilateral screening meeting in Brussels where was reported the status of transposition, implementation and enforcement of the EU Chapter 27 acquis and administrative capacity of the relevant authorities. It also included preparation of actions to achieve full transposition and implementation of the EU environmental acquis and strengthen administrative capacity as to be able to take fully the responsibility arising from EU membership.
Second step in the EU negotiation is preparation of negotiation position for the EU acquis under Chapter 27 and preparing plans for closing benchmarks if such are decided.
Chapter 27 Environment is one of most difficult and demanding chapters: large number of legal acts, very demanding requirements for institutional resources, costly to implement both for private and public sectors. Consequently, the process of EU negotiation is always supported by EU and its members’ states, as well by other countries and international organisations through different funds and programmes. Planning of such recourse require to have strategic approach and good prioritisation as financial demand for investment in environment is big. During EU negotiation Albania will need to present how and with what resources will meet the requirements. Consequently, good planning and identify investment needs for EU negotiation in Environment is more than necessary for which preparation of required programming documents is needed.
Within SANE27 phase II Plan of Activities, it is envisaged to extend thepool of National EU Approximation Experts in Environment and Climate Change, and, when needed, to hire experts who will support the MTE, other relevant institutions, and SANE27 phase II team in implementing activities related for preparation for Chapter 27 EU Screening and EU negotiations.
8. Basic Function and Scope of Responsibilities
The activities and outputs are related to the following sub-sectors under EU Chapter 27 acquisand relevant sectors to the programme objectives:
1. Horizontal;
2. Air Quality;
3. Waste Management;
4. Water Quality;
5. Nature Protection;
6. Industrial Pollution Control;
7. Chemicals;
8. Noise;
9. Climate Change.
9. The main activities and outputs expected by the experts for the EU Chapter 27 acquis, though not limited, includes the following:
– Support MTE and other institutions in Albania with further transposition, strengthening capacity, implementation and enforcement of EU acquis for Environment and Climate Change;
– Analyse the level of transposition and draft relevant national legislation to provide further improvement of compliance with EU acquis for Environment and Climate Change;
– Assess the impact of proposed legislation and prepare Regulatory impact assessment for particular national legislation;
– Propose and, when needed, implement actions to further improve the implementation of specificlegislation;
– Preparing plans for further transposition, administrative capacity development and implementation of EU Chapter 27 acquis;
– Assess the relevant stakeholders for particular EU directive/regulation under Chapter 27 and provide technical assistance to improve administrative capacity for implementation;
– Assessment of public awareness and propose recommendations, actions and tools to improve communication and information exchange with relevant stakeholders and public;
– Identify on-going technical assistance (TA) projects relevant to the analysed EU legal acts and provide link with the preparation for EU negotiation;
– Conduct consultation with relevant authorities and develop project proposal at the level needed to obtain donor’s funding decision;
– Conduct assessment of current needs for technical assistance of Albanian institutions relevant for environment and prepare actions documents or other documents needed to program EU and other donors’ funds;
– Develop ToR, tender dossier, Call of Expression of Interest or other implementing modalities documents for usage of EU or other donor funds;
– Conduct detailed assessment of the administrative capacity, implementation and enforcement of EU directive/regulation, and based on the assessment develop documents needed for the competent authority relevant for screening and for preparation for EU Negotiation;
– Analyse existing planning documents, their recommendations and the level of their implementation and propose actions to support implementation of relevant planning documents;
– Support in preparing policy documents arising from the Chapter 27 acquis.
– Provide comments and recommendations on deliverables and outputs developed by other TA projects that are relevant for EU acquis implementation and EU Negotiations for Chapter 27;
– Provide support to Team Leader of SANE27 when needed with particular scope of activities;
– Prepare project proposal based on the Need Assessment Documents prepared by SANE27 and ToR;
– Conduct economic analysist and assessment of costs for implementation of EU acquis, and proposing actions for improvement;
– Identify needs for investment in environment and climate sector and develop list of projects or other investment planning document;
– Prepare information promotional material for MTE and SANE27 activities;
– Coordinate information with relevant representatives from the MTE and other institutions;
– Participate in workshop, seminars, Inter-Institutional WG 27 meetings and other events; and delivering presentation, as required;
– Conducting gender mainstreaming on the Chapter27 or other action documents or propose project level and provide recommendation for gender mainstreaming when preparing actions for TA.
The expected approach would include, but not limited to the following:
– Collecting and reviewing relevant information for the assignment;
– Providing on-the-job support to administration on EU Chapter 27 acquis;
– Draftingthe necessary information,analyses, policy documents, legislation and other documents related to Chapter 27 and EU negotiations;
– Providing support to other experts engaged with the program;
– Analysing information and identifyinggaps,developing support materials for screening,needs assessment for TA supporting approximation of the environmental acquis, other documentation needed to close identified gaps;
– Meeting and interviewing people relevant to assignment activities;
– Ensuring that all program activities are conducted in correlation with the MTEactivities and documents prepared in the context of EU accession process;
– Performing continuous analyses of EU legislation in the field of environment and climate change and indicate issues where additional compliance is needed;
– Making appointments with personnel of the MTE and other institutions in order to perform tasks foreseen in the assignment and preparing for meetings, drafting reports of meetings when necessary;
– Delivery trainings for particular topic, area or specific field of interest in environment and climate change sector;
– Developing outputs as foreseen in the specific working packages;
– Developing activities reports as foreseen in specific work packages.
10. Minimum Required Education
Bachelor’s degree in law, natural science, technical science, public management, economic and financing, or any other relevant area for the Chapter 27 or a relevant professional experience of at least ten (10) years, in addition to the experience required;
Having Master’s or Doctorial degree shall be considered as an advantage.
11. Minimum Required experience, specific skills, qualities
The qualified candidate must:
For the senior expert:
– be fluent in Albanian and English;
– have advanced knowledge of EU legislation in the field of environment and climate change and, in particular, for the specific field, sub-sector/ directive or regulation for she/he is proposing as expert;
– have knowledge of EU accession related issues at national level;
– at least 5years general professional experience in the field of expertise of the assignment and/or in the relevantsub-sector;
– at list 5 years of specific professional experience for the specific task/position that he/she is applying;
– having a good command of Microsoft Office;
– be organized and efficient.
For junior experts:
– be fluent in Albanian and English;
– have advanced knowledge of EU legislation in the field of environment and climate change and, in particular, for the specific field, sub-sector/ directive or regulation for she/he is proposing as expert;
– having a good command of Microsoft Office;
– have at least 1 year of general professionalexperience working in the field of expertise of the assignment and/or the relevant sub-sector;
– be organized and efficient.
It would be an advantage if the candidate:
– have knowledge innational administrative procedures and government structure, and/or
– have knowledge of the national legislation, government and public administration, and/or
– has worked with the Albanian Government’s institutions on environmental issues, and/or
– have anexperience in participating in projects regarding approximation of EU environmental legislation;
Each candidate shall be evaluated and ranked based onthe above requirements within the relevant assignment and working package.
Candidates who do not satisfy the minimum required education and experience shall be disqualified immediately and shall not be considered for engagement.
Candidates that have already applied in the previousecalls of the pool of experts , do not need to reapply, unless their expertise and education has changed,andtheir application and timing shall be extended as to this ToR.
12. Needed fields of expertise
Considering the SANE27 phase II plan of activities and understanding the current situation in environmental sector in Albania the expertise required but no limited is the following:
– Environment and Climate ChangePolicy;
– Environmental and Climate Change Legislation;
– Investment Project Management in Environment;
– Financial Planning in Environment and Climate Change;
– Integrated Waste Management;
– Water Management;
– Noise Management in Environment;
– Environmental Horizontal Legislation;
– Industrial Pollution Control and Risk Management;
– Chemical management;
– Climate Change;
– Air Quality Management;
– Nature Protection, Biodiversity and Forestry;
– Regulatory impact assessment;
– Environment and climate legislation or procedures;
– Institutional planning and administrative capacity development;
– Programming and Strategic planning EU and other donor’s funds and coordination;
– IPA project management and planning,
– Developing ToR, project fiches or projects’ concepts;
– Investment planning in water management;
– Investment planning in waste management;
– Green agenda;
– Circular economy;
– Communication and visibility;
– Design and preparation of printing material;
The candidate can apply for maximum two fields of expertise. The candidates are encouraged, if relevant, to indicate her/his expertise to specific EU directive/regulation in environment and climate change. Such candidates will have advantage in the selection process.
The applied candidate is not guaranteed that he/she will be engaged. This will depend on the expertise needed.
Please consider that civil servants and other staff of the Albania national or local public administration, or of international/regional organisations based in the country, cannot be employed as experts under this ToR.
13. Specific work
The specific work required under the ToR, list of required activities and related outputs with number of days needed for tasks implementation, will be specified in work packages.
Work packages are to be agreed in advance, to further specify the expected activities, inputs, deliverables and deadlines.
One expert can be engaged with more work packages as need is identified. For the engagement the expert will sign a contract
14. Management structure
The SANE27 phase II implementation team will oversee the management of the contract. The line manager of the contracted expert(s) will be the Team Leader/Approximation Expert, if not specified differently in the Work package.
15. Contractual conditions
The chosen candidate will be contracted by the companyBrooks&Hannas, and financed from the program’s budget;
The expert will adhere to all Sida policies, regulations and values.
Specific terms of the contract and remuneration will be discussed during the contracting process following evaluation and selection.
16.Application
Applicants should send their application in English, no later than 10.09.2024 (17:00 o’clock), to e-mail: ermira.bashllari.Sane27@brookshannas.com using the Europass CV format, and the application form as indicated in the Vacancy Announcement.
