Senior Expert/ Lead Author - CILG VNG International

Form of Employment: Short-term consultancy (27 days)

Starting Date: As soon as possible

Duration: The total assignment duration is spread over the period from November 2020 to June 2021

Location: Libya / desk work (with potential travel to Tunis)        

Background:

CILG-VNG International is the regional office for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region of the International Agency of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG International). We are a development consulting organization of international and national institutions.

We are specialized in governance and local development, and we provide consulting services in public policies and strategies. We ensure the implementation of technical assistance programs to achieve:

• The development and implementation of public reforms on decentralization and the conduct of the processes of exchange and debate on these reforms.
• The development and strengthening of authorities, administrations and civil society actors actively working at the local level, especially on issues of strategic planning, local service provision and participatory governance through the establishment of various forms of partnership such as inter-municipal cooperation, cross-border cooperation and partnership between local authorities and the private sector-civil society.
• The identification, realization and evaluation of inclusive and prosperous local economic development projects that enable citizens to obtain the best of their communities.

Under the ISAL project (Improved Service Delivery and Accountability at Local Level) which is implemented by a consortium of CILG, VNG International and DRI and funded by the European Union, DRI aims to contribute to the consolidation of the democratic transition and stabilisation process in Libya by:

1. Enhancing the capacities of Libyan public institutions at local and national level, enabling an environment for effective service delivery.
2. Empowering Libyan municipalities and other local level public institutions to enhance social cohesion through good governance and local economic development increasing employment among youth and women.
3. Strengthening local capacities to promote collaborative governance and extensive participation in the transition process among the Libyan population.

An essential component of the ISAL project is the convening of a Group of Thinkers (GoT) who will explore the topic Municipal Management including human resources, job descriptions and cooperation. Over a period of 9 months, the Group of Thinkers will co-create and validate a Theoretical Paper and a Practical Study on this theme, propose policy recommendations and engage relevant stakeholders. This process will produce knowledge products that will inform the trajectory of the project.

A total of six local experts will form this GoT who have expertise in at least one of these fields:

1. Decentralization
2. Cooperation between tiers of governments and between public sector, private sector and CSOs.
3. Local planning, management and governance
4. Institutional organization
5. Human resources management
6. Capacities management

To aid this knowledge production process, VNG International/ CILG is recruiting Libyan Local Experts and practitioners, an International Expert, and a Libyan Local Senior Expert/Lead Writer to form this GoT specialized on Municipal Management Including Human Resources, Job Descriptions and Cooperation.

Your Tasks:

Under the supervision of the Program Manager and the Technical Director, the senior expert/ lead writer will:

1. Lead the collaborative writing process of the GoT, including the production of different publications (the Theoretical Paper and the Practical Study) and policy recommendations based on research findings, following the VNG International lay-out
2. Assist the project team in identifying suitable profiles to form the GoT
3. Identify the various problems (technical and operational) related to the production of the publications, and propose solutions
4. Communicate on behalf of the ISAL project with Libyan institutions and government actors and undertake external high-level communication
5. Participate actively in the GoT and lead the discussions in the GoT meetings in a collaborative, inclusive manner
6. Take note of the discussions happening at GoT meetings and build on them when writing the Theoretical Paper and Practical Study
7. Lead the writing of a Theoretical Paper together with an international expert (co-author) and the writing of a Practical Study with a local expert (co-author)
8. Ensure that high quality publications are produced that are relevant, fit for purpose and include the range of voices in the GoT
9. Bridge the gap between theory and practice and ensure that the publications are driven by GoT discussions and that GoT subsequent discussions are framed by key findings in the publications
10. Ensure buy-in from municipal stakeholders for the publications throughout the design process
11. Frame, formulate and write policy recommendations based on the discussions that take place at the GoT and with partner stakeholders
12. Stay updated with the Libyan CSOs, local governance, gender and youth context and, with relevant documents and existing materials that will be provided by VNG International
13. Other relevant duties, as required

Your Skills and Experience:

     Required:

• Master’s degree in economics, law, public administration, political science, sociology, engineering or management or other relevant fields
• At least five (5) years of research and /or demonstrable knowledge and relevant experience in the Libyan transition process, local governance, public service delivery, policy cycle planning and public finance context in particular
• Proof of practical engagement with municipalities and issues of local governance through a variety of projects and initiatives
• A record of publications on the relevant topics
• Flexibility and ability to work under tight time frames
• Experience in facilitating and designing research focused meetings
• Fluency in Arabic and English required
• Ability to write in a clear, concise, and accessible manner
• Excellent oral/written communication skills
• Good IT skills
• Ability to work as part of a diverse team
• Demonstrable track record of engaging with MLG and government actors. A good knowledge of decentralisation and local governance in Libya

Preferred:

• Record of publications on the relevant topics
• Demonstrable track record of engaging with MLG and government actors

Deliverables:

1. Support and feedback when recruiting the GoT members: November, 2020
2. Lead the Opening Event and ensure content is captured in an actionable manner: November, 2020
3. Lead drafting of and produce Theoretical Paper: November-December 2020
4. Lead and provide written suggestions/feedback on Theoretical Paper during the validation sessions: November-December 2020
5. Lead drafting of and produce Practical Study: January 2020 – April 2021
6. Lead and provide written suggestions/feedback on the Practical Study during the validation sessions: November 2020 – April 2021
7. Draft the Policy Recommendations: June-July 2021
8. Lead and provide written suggestions/feedback on the Policy Recommendation sessions: June-July 2021
9. Lead and provide written suggestions/feedback on the Policy Recommendation sessions: June-July 2021
10. Presentation of final report (including the theoretical paper, practical study and policy recommendations) in the Final Conference: July 2021

How to Apply:

If you are interested in this position, please send your application (cover letter, CV, Examples of your work-articles and your daily rate in Euro) to cilg@cilg-international.org Please include “Libya:Group of Thinkers (GoT) Member: Senior Expert/ Lead Author on Municipal Management including human resources, job descriptions and cooperation” in the subject line and refer to the source where you have found this opportunity. This position is subject to funding.

Closing date for applications: 25 Ocotber 2020.

The position may be filled before the deadline has been reached, so early applications are encouraged.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview.

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