VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
OPEN TO EXTERNAL CANDIDATES
(Subject to availability of funds)
Position Title: National Consultant for Defining the Standard Operating Procedures and the Workplan for the Representative Body of BiH Diaspora in Germany
Duty Station: Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Vacancy Notice Reference Code no: VN REF: 05-07/18
Classification: Consultancy
Type of Appointment: Short – Term Assignment, up to 19 consultancy days
Estimated start date: 03rd September 2018
Estimated end date: 15th October 2018
Closing date: 17th August 2018
Context: Official estimates show that the total number of people originating from Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) in the world (including second and third generations) is approximately 2 million. Most of them have retained a strong emotional, financial, and familial connection to BiH, and are well integrated socially and financially, relative to other migrant communities in their host countries – and many have the potential and willingness to contribute to the development of their home country. However, the interaction with them is sporadic and unstructured. Diaspora is rarely included or consulted in the design of policies or decision-making processes. Hence, the valuable intellectual capital and other potential contribution of diaspora, which can help addressing country challenges or promoting BIH globally, remains largely untapped.
Diaspora from BiH is heterogeneous, multi-generational and composed of various diaspora organizations established often on an ethnic basis. In addition, large number of diaspora are not members of diaspora organizations at all. Work of the existing diaspora organizations is most often limited to certain fields of action, such as promotion of cultural and national identity, humanitarian activities, and other small-scale interventions.
From previous experience in working with diaspora, it can be noted that there is an insufficient level of cooperation of the diaspora from BiH with institutions in BiH, institutions in the receiving country, as well as their mutual cooperation. The needs of the diaspora from BiH are not presented in an organized way to the relevant institutions in neither host nor home country – BiH.
The Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of BiH (MHRR), in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BiH (MFA) and other institutions, took initiative to improve the cooperation with diaspora – through a structured mechanism. The Federal Republic of Germany (Germany) has been selected as the first country in which to support the establishment of the Diaspora Representative Body (DRB) due to the number of diaspora members (about 250,000), the continued emigration from BiH to this country, a significant number of diaspora organizations and successful individuals in different fields such as entrepreneurship, science and culture, as well as intense contacts between diaspora from BiH in Germany and various actors in BiH, and generally close ties of diaspora in this country with BiH.
Against this background and in accordance with the Policy on Cooperation with Diaspora (Chapter 7: Objectives, Objective 2: Providing support to diaspora and improvement of cooperation), the Representative Body of BiH Diaspora in Germany has been established. The work of DRB is supported by the MHRR and MFA, namely diplomatic and consular representation offices of BiH that will facilitate meetings with existing diaspora organizations. The establishment of DRB will in no way affect the existing mode of organization of diaspora, but it will only facilitate the communication of diaspora with institutions in BiH and contribute to better co-operation with institutions in the host country.
These activities have been supported by the Diaspora for Development (D4D) project (2016-2020), which is an initiative of the BiH Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees and the Government of Switzerland, in partnership with UNDP BiH and IOM BiH. The overall goal of the project is to increase socio-economic opportunities and perspectives for women and men in BiH, and to improve their livelihoods through increased diaspora engagement. It will be attained through achieving three specific outcomes:
- BiH MHRR and BiH MFA, in cooperation with government institutions at different levels, use and further develop their instruments to actively connect, exchange, and engage with diaspora members and organizations.
- Local governments align their development strategies to the diaspora policy framework at higher government levels, provide more and better services to diaspora members, and encourage community initiatives to attract diaspora know-how and investment.
- Diaspora partners transfer know-how and skills and make joint investments with private sector actors in BiH, thus creating new jobs.
In order to support organisational development and set-up, including efficient and effective DRB organizational structure, capacities and potential, the National Consultant for Defining the Standard Operating Procedures and the Workplan for the Representative Body of BiH Diaspora in Germany (the Consultant) will be engaged. This consultancy will take place within the D4D project’s first component focused on strengthening cooperation between diaspora and institutions in BiH, as well as between diaspora members and authorities in Germany.
About the Representative Body of BiH Diaspora in Germany: The DRB in Germany is an independent body established to:
- Represent the interests of BiH diaspora in Germany, and channel them towards relevant institutions in home and host countries;
- Advocate for addressing diaspora needs through diplomatic and consular bodies of BiH;
- Support articulation of diaspora-related priorities in the host country;
- Participate in consultations for the development of the Diaspora Engagement Strategy, as well as other public policies of interest for diaspora from BiH;
- Enhance cooperation with various actors in BiH from public, private and civic sector;
- Participate in annual diaspora conferences organized by the BiH MHRR;
- Share experiences and lessons learned with BiH diaspora in other countries.
The DRB in Germany is composed of 27 members – representatives of the diaspora organisations and individuals, organised in four regional committees, one in each of the four areas covered by diplomatic and consular missions of BiH: Berlin, Munich, Stuttgart and Frankfurt. Each regional committee consists of 7 members: two representatives from each constituent people of BiH and one representative of the others. Within DRB, the DRB Presidency is formed composed of 4 members, representing four constituent people from BiH.
DRB members are elected among representatives of the diaspora organizations and distinguished individuals (businessmen, academics, doctors, young professionals, etc.) by BiH diaspora communities in Germany.
Within DRB, six expert groups are defined: (i) Business and economy; (ii) Science and education; (iii) Culture and sport; (iv) Social and humanitarian activities; (v) Project preparation and communication (vi) Administrative and legal issues. Each expert group will consist of 3-4 members of the DRB, plus diaspora experts from relevant fields who are not members of DRB but are willing to engage and contribute to the work of expert groups.
Objective and Scope of Work: The overall objective of this assignment is to support organisational development of the newly established DRB in Germany. In this context, there is a need to define standard operating procedures and the workplan for the DRB, which will, among other, entail review of the existing DRB mission, objectives, structures and capacities, as well as defining and validation of conclusions and recommendations in close consultations with DRB members and D4D project partners.
Standard operating procedures are to address the following aspects: (i) representation, participatory decision making and ownership; (ii) administration and management, (iii) effective internal and external communication, and (iv) cooperation with other organisations and institutions (e.g. diplomatic and consular representation offices of BiH, relevant institutions in BiH and Germany, diaspora organisations, etc.). Furthermore, the Consultant is to provide recommendations on DRB financing mechanisms and fundraising approaches. The DRB workplan is to cover a two-year period (2019-2020), clearly defining activities, implementation responsibilities, expected results and indicators of achievement, budget and timeframe. Also, the Consultant is to prepare recommendations/options for the DRB formal registration.
In approaching this assignment, the Consultant should also consider the following questions: (i) How can ownership and representation of DRB be ensured? (ii) How can it be ensured that the DRB is representative of all people of BiH origin living in Germany and not only speaking on behalf of specific group and/or individuals? (iii) How can we assure the involvement of formal DRB non-participants i.e. volunteers on board? (iv) How can the DRB functioning be sustained having in mind the limited resources – in terms of time, knowhow and budget? (v) How can cooperation within the DRB as a body be ensured? (vi) What are the perspectives for sustainability, including ownership and finances?
Specifically, in close cooperation with the members of the DRB, the BiH MHRR and the BiH MFA, the Consultant will perform the tasks as described below.
Task 1 – Desk review and initial briefing with relevant D4D project partners
To get acquainted with the rationale, objectives and current structure of the DRB in Germany, the Consultant is expected to review the relevant sections of D4D project document as well as the existing documents related to the DRB, current good practices (modus operandi of the i-diaspora organization established in Switzerland, and possibly other similar organisations such as the one established by diaspora from Moldova), expert presentations focused on financial sustainability and fundraising mechanisms, etc. The following documents will be provided by the D4D project team:
- Draft proposal of the Action Plan created by DRB members;
- Final report to the IOM Development Fund: Enhancing the Development of Moldova through Engagement with Diaspora-Homeland Partnerships (example of set-up with similar type of organisation in Moldova);
- Presentation on Financing Mechanisms for diaspora organisations;
- Meeting minutes/concluding remarks from the DRB meetings held in Germany (three meetings conducted; during the third meeting, key organisational set-up decisions, including members for the DRB Presidency were made).
The Consultant will conduct interviews with the MHRR and MFA / Diplomatic-Consular Bodies in Germany, as well as SDC, UNDP and IOM.
Level of effort: 2 days
Task 2 – Consultations with and review of DRB members’ capacities
The Consultant will develop a simple questionnaire and conduct a survey on existing capacities of DRB members, followed by an analysis of the survey. The short survey should address overall expertise and background of each DRB member, language skills, potential time dedication to support DRB operation, and their preferences for the expert groups.
Based on the analysis, the Consultant will propose the expert group members. The focus should be on four thematic expert groups: (i) Business and economy; (ii) Science and education; (iii) Culture and sport; (iv) Social and humanitarian activities. Expert groups should be established in a way that they bring together diaspora members from each region/regional committee, if expertise allows.
Furthermore, the Consultant will produce recommendations on training activities to boost the DRB members’ capacities, with focus on overarching/cross-sectoral capacity needs (e.g. project development, project cycle management, fundraising, communication and visibility etc.). These activities will be integrated in the DRB workplan.
Level of effort: 3 days
Task 3 – Development of standard operating procedures
Based on the analysis conducted though desk review, capacity assessment, and additional interviews/consultations with DRB members (up to 10 interviews/consultations), the Consultant will define standard operating procedures for effective and efficient operation of the DRB and achievement of its objectives. The standard operating procedures should address the following aspects: (i) representation, participatory decision making and ownership; (ii) administration and management in view of the DRB relevant structures; (iii) effective internal and external communication; and (iv) cooperation with other organisations and institutions (e.g. diplomatic and consular representation offices of BiH, relevant institutions in BiH and Germany, diaspora organisations, etc.).
Level of effort: 5 days
Task 4 – Analysis and recommendations on financing mechanisms
The Consultant will conduct analysis of potential DRB financing mechanisms. Based on the analysis, including consultations with DRB members and other project stakeholders, the Consultant will provide recommendations on DRB financing and sustainability approaches.
Level of effort: 2 days
Task 5 – Analysis and recommendations for DRB formal registration
The Consultant will prepare recommendations on the DRB formal registration, following consultations with the members and D4D Project partners. In this context, s/he will conduct an analysis of relevant regulations in BiH and Germany, providing overview of key bodies and documents needed for registration.
Level of effort: 2 days
Task 6 – Development od DRB workplan 2019-2020
In consultations with DRB members, the Consultant will develop a DRB workplan for the period of 2019-2020, ensuring that proposed activities align well with DRB organisational structure and standard operating procedures.
The Workplan should include institutional/organisational development and capacity building activities, such as DRB registration (including development of all necessary documents such as Statute, Rulebook etc.), fundraising activities, etc. Besides the activities, the workplan will include implementation responsibilities, expected results and indicators of achievement, timeframe, budget, and potential and sources of funding.
Level of effort: 3 days
Task 7 – Validation of developed documents/deliverables
The Consultant will have a workshop/meeting with the D4D project partners to validate all key documents and deliverables. S/he will also validate the consultancy deliverables with the DRB Presidency.
Based on the comments received, the Consultant will revise the documents prior to their final submission.
Level of effort: 2 days
Expected Outputs and Timeframe:
The consultancy will take place from 03 September to 15 October 2018, total of 19 working days. Below are the consultancy outputs.
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Output 1: Defined and agreed the DRB Standard Operating Procedures, including aspects related to:
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30 September 2018 |
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Output 2: Reviewed DRB members’ capacities and defined basic capacity development needs
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30 September 2018 |
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Output 3: Prepared and agreed the DRB Workplan for the period 2019-2020 |
15 October 2018 |
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Output 4: Prepared recommendations on the DRB formal registration, following consultations with the Representative Body members and D4D project partners |
15 October 2018 |
Competencies
Corporate Responsibility and Teamwork:
- Demonstrates commitment to UN’s mission, vision and values;
- Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
- Plans, prioritizes and delivers tasks on time;
- Strives for and promotes excellence in performance continually;
- Participates effectively in a team-based, information-sharing environment, collaborating and cooperating with others;
- Generates ideas and seizes opportunities to support corporate strategic objectives.
People Skills:
- Demonstrated ability to work harmoniously with persons of different national and cultural backgrounds;
- Recognizes and responds appropriately to the ideas, interests, and concerns of others;
- Builds trust and engenders morale by displaying open, transparent and credible behaviour;
- Respects individual/cultural differences; utilizes diversity to foster teamwork;
- Ensures others’ understanding of, involvement in, and adaptation to a change process.
Partnering and Networking:
- Communicates sensitively and effectively across different constituencies;
- Ability to work as a member of a team as well as work autonomously;
- Results-Orientation;
- Plans and procedures quality results to meet established goals.
Communication:
- Technical writing skills formulates written information clearly and persuasively;
- Strong communication skills;
- Shares information openly with co-workers and partners while using discretion to protect confidences;
- Presents information in a clear and articulate manner.
Job Knowledge and Expertise:
- Strong analytical skills;
- Knowledge in strategic planning and methodology development;
- Demonstrates substantive knowledge on security issues and activities with an emphasis on local communities;
- Executes day-to-day tasks systematically and efficiently;
- Initiative and sound judgment.
Qualifications
Education:
Master`s degree in economics, political sciences and other relevant social sciences.
Experience
- At least eight years of professional experience in organisational set-up and planning, including but not limited to human resource management, organisational strategic management, organisational needs assessment and recommendations for improvements for the purpose of efficiency and effectiveness of operations;
- Experience with NGO/organisation assessment, needs analysis, capacities’ analysis and capacity building needs identification;
- Experience in defining organisational processes, information flows, internal communication structure, decision making processes, identifying process bottle necks within organisation and proposing improvements;
- Demonstrated understanding of the political, legal and administrative context in Bosnia and Herzegovina;
- Familiarity with key policies and strategies related to migration and development and diaspora engagement in Bosnia and Herzegovina; experience with diaspora organisations is an asset;
- Proven analytical skills and ability to conceptualize and write concisely and clearly;
- Proven communication skills, and ability to work in an environment requiring liaison and collaboration with multiple actors including government representatives, NGO representatives, donor community and other stakeholders.
Language Requirements
- Fluency in one of the official languages of BIH and English.
Award Criteria
Applications will be evaluated based on a cumulative analysis taking into consideration the combination of the technical criteria and financial proposal. The technical criteria will account for 70% and the financial proposal will account for 30% of the total evaluation score.
To be eligible, applicants are required to submit the following documents:
- Personal CV including relevant professional experience and expertise, contact details (e-mail addresses) of two references;
- Cover letter with brief methodology for the assignment (1.5 pages max);
- Financial Proposal – lump sum including daily fees for the assignment (in USD) and any other associated costs.
Interested candidates should send the document to the following e-mail address: iomsjjmission@iom.int by 16th August 2018
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Closing Date: Thursday, August 16, 2018
