Senior National Expert in Capacity Development (zone 1)

Lieu de travail : Kryvyï Rih

Deadline pour postuler : 02/04/2025 

Date de démarrage : 01/05/2025 

Type de contrat : Limité 

Durée (mois) : 17,00

        1. Background

The Government of Luxembourg, acting through the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency (LuxDev) has launched a five-year, multi-component, project in support of the Kryvyi Rih Raion (“the Raion”) in Ukraine in 2024. The Overall Objective (impact) of the action is to support recovery of Kryvyi Rih Raion (KRR) that benefits the general population and key groups at risk. The key directions are in education, TVET, demining and the provision of finance for micro-, small, and medium enterprises, but there is a Specific Objective 3 (SO3) aimed at strengthening the skills of Raion authorities in the management of the recovery process. This objective aims to equip local officials with enhanced skills in strategic planning, project management, and resource allocation, ensuring they are well-prepared to oversee and guide the region's redevelopment efforts. By improving the administrative and operational proficiency of these authorities, SO3 seeks to facilitate a more efficient, impactful, and coordinated approach to the Raion’s recovery and growth, ultimately leading to more sustainable and community-driven development outcomes.

Result 3.1 (R3.1): Project management capacity of the Raion administration is strengthened.

The Raion and its capital, Kryvyi Rih, have extensive programmes for recovery: these are closely linked to national recovery issues and to the Raion 2024-2027 strategy and annual action plans. Some 20 donors are active in KRR, albeit mainly in humanitarian activities, but there are over 130 projects at the design stage.

SO3 is largely a horizontal component to enhance the project management capacity of the Raion administration, which will be provided with the following:

• core technical staff team with skills in the project management and sector experience operational throughout the proposed actions;
• pool of additional technical expertise for working on very targeted additional issues;
• IT related to project management;
• additional training for key projects proposed, both for team and projects;
• events budget, including organisation of workshops, seminars and conferences;
• study tour budget and international travel;
• travel budget for national travel and, potentially, visit to report back in Luxembourg.

The targets and beneficiaries for SO3 are the administrations of the local authorities, the staff who are capacitated by access to international as well as national expertise and best practices. The broader beneficiaries are the people of the Raion who will benefit from successful completion of the RPs.

        2. OBJECTIVES

There will be two experts working in partnership but each with a focus on different hromadas: this position relates to the activities of the first of the two experts (expert for zone 1).

The objectives of the assignment are as follows:

• enhance the capacity of management and staff of the specified hromadas to effectively manage their tasks in the field of development of their local authorities for the benefit of the population; giving them the ability to ultimately manage these processes independently and efficiently.
• improve the quality of programmes and projects sponsored or developed at hromada level, bearing in mind the need to apply EU and other international best practice;
• ensure that training program development and delivery is comprehensive, needs-based, and aligned with best practices, thereby equipping Raion authorities with the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively manage local development, recovery efforts, and sustainable governance;
• tailor training content to the needs of local authorities, ensuring relevance to the Raion development context;
• promote inclusivity and gender-sensitive approaches in training programs to ensure equal opportunities for all participants;
• foster collaboration between local government, civil society, and international organizations. Organize knowledge-sharing events and best practice exchanges to enhance learning and innovation. Strengthen partnerships through networking initiatives for sustainable local development;
• foster collaboration between local government, civil society, and international organizations. Organize knowledge-sharing events and best practice exchanges to enhance learning and innovation. Strengthen partnerships through networking initiatives for sustainable local development;
• support the implementation of transparent and effective governance frameworks to enhance decision-making and accountability.

Although the two experts in capacity development shall be working in partnership, with some activities, such as formal training, covering all hromadas, the expert under this position shall take lead responsibility for activities in zone 1 composed of the following hromadas:

• • City of Kryvi Rih
  • Apostolove urban hromada
  • Zelenodolsk urban hromada
  • Lozuvatska rural hromada
  • Shirokaya rural hromada

This does not preclude work in other hromadas as required by the needs of the project or demand for particular advisory services.

3. RESPONSIBILITIES

The tasks under this position covering the period from May 2025 to December 2026 are:

• deliver interactive training programs on project design, proposal writing, budgeting, risk assessment, and results-based management. Strengthen local officials' skills in developing quality funding proposals and managing donor-funded projects. Offer coaching and mentoring where required;
• conduct training sessions for local authorities of the Raion focused on identifying project opportunities, developing compelling project concepts, and crafting well-structured proposals, pitches, and presentations for effective stakeholder engagement;
• participate in the selection and mobilization of a pool of short-term experts that will provide sector-specific inputs in the training program, if a need for such expertise is identified;
• provide ongoing support and mentoring of local authorities to enhance project planning, execution, and reporting in the preparation and submission of project applications ;
• ensure that such project applications properly reflect the skills transferred through the training process;
• establish a system for evaluating training effectiveness, incorporating participant feedback and performance assessments to improve future provision;
• advise on improving coordination among government bodies, donors, and stakeholders to ensure efficient and collaborative local development efforts;
• develop and implement assessment tools to measure the impact of training initiatives. Continuously monitor progress, identify areas for improvement, and adjust strategies to enhance effectiveness;
• provide comprehensive reports on outcomes with strategic recommendations for sustainable capacity development;
• provide ad hoc advice to hromada management. Such advice should ideally account for not more than 10% of the expert’s working days.

Currently, an allocation of 170 days is made for the period of the assignment (17 months)

The expert will work closely with the LuxDev management team, reporting in the first instance to the Deputy Team Leader (DTL) or LuxDev Chief Technical Adviser. The expert will be considered a key member of the LuxDev team in KRR, even when working in other locations.

Work shall be conducted primarily in Ukraine, with work in Kyiv for meetings with national agencies and in Kryvyi Rih Raion as the first priority. However, travel to other regions of Ukraine may also be required, and also to the EU for study tours or facility visits. Such visits and external missions shall be agreed with the DTL and LuxDev headquarters as appropriate.

Work will be subject to timetables that shall be agreed with the counterpart and project management on a quarterly basis. These will show the indicative place of performance but may be subject to variation, based on project needs and the prevailing security situation.

Work will be subject to quality control and monitoring by LuxDev, and the expert will be expected to contribute to the overall monitoring of project progress and results.

4. PROFILE

• Ukrainian nationality and permanent residence in Ukraine;
• master's degree in economics, social sciences, management, business or development (not a requirement for candidates with an extremely high level of practical experience);
• prior experience of working with donors and international organisations in Ukraine, in capacity building for hromadas;
• deep understanding of the legal and administrative environment of Ukraine at decentralised level;
• demonstrated ability to design and deliver extensive training programmes;
• fluent in Ukrainian or Russian and excellent spoken and written English skills;
• project cycle management and team management skills.

N.B. this post is for a national expert meaning that it will be based on a daily fully comprehensive rate and involve no expatriation or relocation packages.