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Senior National Expert in Development Strategy

Location: Kryvyï Rih

Deadline for submitting the application: 02/04/2025 

Start date: 01/05/2025 

Contract type: Limited 

Contract term (months): 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

The objectives of the assignment are as follows:

  • improve the efficiency and effectiveness of strategic planning and project management processes across the Raion, with a particular focus on enhancing governance capabilities in the hromadas outside the city;
  • assess and build the capacity of local teams and authorities in the Raion through comprehensive training and the mobilization of short-term expertise tailored to meet specific recovery and development management needs;
  • ensure that planning documents and projects are sustainable, adapt to changing conditions and align with broader national and regional development goals, thus enhancing overall governance and community-driven outcomes;
  • design initiatives to introduce and integrate international and national best practices in project management within the Raion;
  • optimize coordination among stakeholders, including major donors and financial institutions, to secure and manage funding essential for the recovery and development projects within the Raion;
  • develop and maintain monitoring and evaluation framework to ensure accurate tracking of projects progress and outcomes and provide regular and detailed reporting to all stakeholders.

 

3. RESPONSIBILITIES

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

  • strengthen strategic planning and policy alignment by supporting elaboration of Kryvyi Rih’s development strategy, formulating a Regional Growth Pole strategy for KRR and coordinating with stakeholders to align with national/EU priorities;
  • enhance local governance by assessing recovery needs in hromadas, establishing adaptive planning mechanisms, and delivering targeted training programs that improve governance, strategic planning, and public investment skills;
  • promote KRR recovery and development by contributing to KRR investment conferences in 2025 and 2026;
  • analyse potential sources of public investment funding, including national, regional and international (specifically those donors and international institutions that may be encouraged to finance recovery, resilience and development projects in the Raion);
  • map relevant national and EU integration policies, decision-making methodologies and capacity-building frameworks that can be used by the project to strengthen the skills of Raion authorities in the management of the recovery process;
  • participate in the conduct of periodic training needs analyses (TNA) to improve the skills and capacity of key local officials, project teams and other relevant development actors in governance, strategic planning, project management and other areas;
  • support the design and scheduling of a series of training programs and workshops focused on strategic planning, design and management of recovery and development projects, resource allocation, and compliance with EU/international standards. Provide LuxDev with advice on any other training-related issues;
  • provide regular brief reports on any significant changes in the recovery and development management environment at the national, regional levels and in the Raion that may require changes in the overall approach of the LuxDev programme UKR-002;
  • work with key partners and major donors/IFIs to secure funding for recovery and development projects in the Raion;
  • where appropriate and as instructed by LuxDev, manage and oversee Operational Partnership Agreements (OPAs) by acting as a liaison, integrating activities into LuxDev’s monitoring framework, and aligning with KRR’s broader objectives;
  • report to the Raion, City, and LuxDev management on progress, including identification of risks, how to mitigate them and the general planning of timelines and budget;
  • identify areas where additional short-term expertise may be required to strengthen the capabilities of Raion authorities in effectively manage the recovery and development process.

An allocation of 330 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 UKR/002 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;
  • prior experience in design and implementation of territorial development strategies and operational planning (including project cycle management);
  • deep understanding of the legal and administrative environment of Ukraine at decentralised level;
  • fluent in Ukrainian or Russian and excellent spoken and written English 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.

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