VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

Issued on 11.07.2024

Position: Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Training Specialist

Duty Station: Pristina/Prizren region, Kosovo and home office

Duration of Assignment: 16 working days over the period July to December 2024

Starting date: As soon as possible

Closing date for applications: 23 July 2024

Background

UN-Habitat has been actively assisting Kosovo institutions in the field of governance, spatial planning and municipal administration since 1999. Building on the results and tools generated by the Municipal Spatial Planning Support Programme (implemented from 2005 to 2016), UN-Habitat implemented the Inclusive Development Programme, which aimed to provide a strategic, comprehensive package of support to build municipal planning and management capacities, strengthen the social contract and social cohesion, and enhance coordination within a framework of inter-municipal cooperation and multi-level governance, with a view to foster inclusive development and good governance in northern Kosovo. The overall development objective of this project was to contribute to the sustainable development of Kosovo cities, municipalities and neighbourhoods through participatory methods that improve living conditions of all residents of the partner municipalities and help reduce poverty.

The Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning is the Competent Authority for Environment at the national level and has a formal role in terms of introduction and implementation of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in Kosovo. The requirement for SEA is stipulated by the Law on Strategic Environmental Assessment which states that “drafting of SEA report is obligatory for plans and programs from spatial planning and city planning field, on land use, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, hunting, energy, industry, mines, traffic, waste management, water management, telecommunication, tourism, which give a frame for future development projects”. The SEA introduction efforts started in 2010, after the adoption of Kosovo Law on SEA. As part of the technical support provided to partner municipalities, UN-Habitat through different programmes and projects has been conducting, since that date, the Strategic Environmental Assessment of Municipal Development Plans (MDPs) and Municipal Zoning Maps (MZMs).

In addition, the ISP/MESPI and Kosovo Environmental Protection Agency (KEPA) are currently in process of drafting the Spatial Plan for the National Park of Sharri. The National Park covers an area of 53,469 ha over the territories of 5 municipalities (Kacanik, Shterpce, Suhareka, Prizren, and Dragash).

In 2024, the Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning, and Environment, through the Institute of Spatial Planning and Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), engaged UN-Habitat to deliver technical assistance for the development of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for the Sharri National Park Spatial Plan. UN-Habitat is responsible for drafting the Strategic Environmental Assessment Report for the Sharri National Spatial Plan and providing training to enhance the capacities of the relevant local and central institutions.

Purpose of the assignment

The main purpose of the consultancy is multifaceted and aims to consolidate the established capacities in partner municipalities towards achieving self-sufficiency. The SEA Training Specialist is expected to:

• Adjust and enrich the existing training module based on Kosovo’s environmental legal framework and developed guidelines for drafting SEAs, as part of the environmental planning and management focus area of the Toolbox. This will include practical exercises, examples, and coaching, tailored to achieve educational training goals through a pedagogical approach.
• A detailed training module should be prepared:
• SEA training module
• Participate in a one-day induction workshop with ISP/MESPI/KEPA, respective municipalities, and other relevant stakeholders, and deliver a 10-minute presentation on the SEA training programme (general information).
• Deliver four days of practical SEA training for civil servants (local, central), civil society organizations and private sector based on the enriched training module. The tentative number of participants will be approximately 30-40, with the final number to be decided by ISP/MESPI and other relevant actors.
• Review the SEA drafts for the Sharri National Park spatial plan drafted by the International SEA Specialist. This includes reviewing the scoping draft report, the initial environmental assessment draft, and the SEA pre-final draft report (including the action plan and monitoring and supervision framework).

Skill Set Required

A range of skills will be required: ability to understand properly the planning documents and linkage with environmental impact and legal requirements, ability to work with the Adobe design applications regarding the graphic presentation of data in the document, ability to collect, record and interpret data; ability to interpret legislative framework relating to planning and a good working knowledge of the Law on Spatial Planning and Law, Law on Environmental Protection, Law on Strategic Environmental Assessment and other related by-laws.

Scope of Work

The SEA Training Specialist will focus on the main tasks described below, to be carried out during the period of June-September 2024, in close collaboration with the UN-Habitat and ISP teams, as well as the municipalities within the Sharri National Park (Kaçanik/Kačanik, Shtërpcë/Shterpce, Suharekë/Suvareka, Prizren, and Dragash). The primary scope of the work relates to the SEA for the Sharri National Park Spatial Plan and should involve close cooperation with a diverse range of stakeholders. This includes adjusting the SEA training module and delivering the respective training sessions. The consultancy assignment will also require close coordination with the other SEA international expert responsible for drafting the SEA report.

Under the overall supervision of the Chief Technical Adviser, Task Manager/Spatial Urban Planning Advisor and in close cooperation with the assigned working groups, the SEA Training Specialist will be responsible for the following main tasks:

Assignment 1: Adjustment of the existing SEA training module

The SEA Training Specialist will be responsible to adjust the SEA training module in line with actual Kosovo spatial planning, environmental and climate change legal framework in place, draft the training programme, agenda and respective exercises. This will include practical exercises, examples, and coaching, tailored to achieve educational training goals through a pedagogical approach.

Assignment 2: Participation in an Induction Workshop with ISP/MESPI/KEPA, municipalities and other relevant stakeholders

The SEA Training Specialist will participate in a one-day workshop during the first mission of both SEA Experts (the SEA Training Expert and the SEA Expert responsible for drafting the SEA report). The SEA Training Specialist will deliver a 10-minute general presentation on the SEA training program.

This workshop aims to:

• Define objectives, targets, and indicators for the SEA in the area of Sharri National Park, as led by the International SEA Expert responsible for the drafting of scoping report, baseline assessment, respectively the SEA report.
• Serve as a foundation for adjusting the training sessions by the SEA Training Expert
• Enhance public participation by aligning with national and international best practices, discussing the specific conditions in Kosovo, and presenting findings and recommendations based on previous SEA processes in Kosovo.

Further details are outlined in the work plan (please see below).

Assignment 3: Delivery of SEA training sessions

The target audience for the workshop and training sessions will include staff from ISP, MESPI, KEPA, respective municipalities, civil society organizations, universities, and the private sector. All training materials (training program, agenda, exercises, PPTs, and other relevant documents) should be in English. The translation of documents into Albanian, including all respective logistics and simultaneous translation during the workshop and training sessions, will be covered by UN-Habitat.

Assignment 4: Review the final SEA drafts (during the entire process) drafted by the other SEA International Expert

The SEA Training Specialist is responsible for reviewing documents drafted by the other SEA International Expert. Specifically, this includes reviewing the draft scoping report, the initial environmental assessment draft, and the SEA pre-final draft report (which encompasses the action plan and the monitoring and supervision framework). The reviewed documents should be submitted to the SEA International Expert and the UN-Habitat Task Manager within seven days of receipt.

Any change of these ToR has to be consulted and agreed with UN-Habitat, based on the situation during the process. The consultant will closely cooperate with UN-Habitat staff, project leaders and relevant ISP and municipal staff for coordination of tasks, and for knowledge-sharing and capacity building.

All documentation and communication should be in English.

A progress report should be submitted every month with the activities and deliverables provided whilst a closing report should also be submitted at the end of the working period, detailing all the activities, outputs and key observations (in English).

Workplan/Activities

The start of the consultancy is scheduled for mid-June 2024 and all the assignments should be finalized by end September 2024. The Consultant shall prepare for the work at the home office and will undertake 1 mission to Kosovo to participate in a one-day workshop and deliver a 4-day training as described above. The mission is scheduled to last 5 days – excluding travel and weekend days. The foreseen activities will take place in Pristina and Prizren region, Kosovo.

For more information on deliverables, please refer to the document.

Final deliverables:

During the assignment, the consultant will deliver three mission reports and the following documents:

Deliverables:

1. Adjusted SEA training module;
2. Training materials (agenda, PPTs, training programme, exercises;)
3. Reviewed scoping report;
4. Reviewed initial/baseline environmental assessment report (including scenarios in line with draft spatial plan of National Park of Sharri);
5. Reviewed SEA draft-report, including the action plan and the Monitoring and Supervision Framework (with indicators);
6. Power point presentations;
7. Final mission report.

The exact timing of the deliveries will be determined during the course of the assignments.

Duty Station

The work shall be performed from the Prishtina/Pristina Office, home office. Tasks requiring consultation or work with the team will be performed at the Prishtina/Pristina Office. Transport (flight tickets) and accommodation for three field and technical missions to Kosovo, including traveling other relevant municipalities (related to Sharri National Park) will be covered by the programme.

Progress Controls and Payments Instalments

The fees will be paid in installments upon completion and acceptance of the outputs as specified in section Final Deliverables (and workplan) above.

Competencies

Professionalism: Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter. Good research, analytical and problem-solving skills. Conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results.

Communication: Excellent and effective written and oral skills; ability to persuade people with varying points of view and to present information in a concise and accurate manner, ability to clearly communicate links between the organizations.

Planning and Organizing: Proven ability to plan, coordinate and monitor own work and that of others. Ability to work under pressure and uses time efficiently. Identifies priority activities and assignments, adjust priorities as required.

Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals. Solicits input by valuing others’ ideas and expertise and is willing to learn from others.

Qualifications

Education
Master’s Degree in Spatial and Urban Planning, Environmental Studies or equivalent relevant academic degree.

Work experience and other requirements

• A minimum of ten years professional practical experience in related field
• Excellent knowledge of international experience and best practices in the assessment of the environmental impact and practice in conducting social, economic and environmental assessments of municipal and/or urban development plans, particularly with reference to EU requirements in this field
• Excellent knowledge of Strategic Environmental Assessment and practice in related fields such as monitoring and evaluation and strategic planning, municipal development plans;
• Familiarity with spatial planning practice
• Experience in scenario development and analysis, including gender equality considerations;
• Experience in developing and facilitating workshops and public presentations for stakeholder involvement;
• Experience conducting training sessions for different target groups (civil servants, civil society organizations, university representatives, private sector, etc.)
• Good knowledge of local development processes, climate change, green economy and green accounting concepts, environmental conservation and green infrastructure concepts;
• Ability to work in a team and to undertake initiative to ensure smooth relations and open communication within the team and with partners
• Good analytical, solution defining and creative skills
• Previous experience from the South East Europe region would be an added value
• It is essential that the candidate be able to meet deadlines for reporting and all project work.

Special consideration

The candidate should:

• Be familiar with and loyal to the goals of UN-HABITAT and the UN
• Express enthusiasm and willingness to share experiences and transfer knowledge
• Take responsibility and make sure tasks are fully completed
• Be sensitive to gender issues and issues of concern to vulnerable groups
• Be flexible and prepared to pursue goals through teamwork
• The incumbent should be available for the suggested schedule

Language

For the post advertised, excellent proficiency in spoken and written English is required.

Progress Controls and Payment Installments

Payments will be based on deliverables over the consultancy period. The fees will be paid in installments upon completion and acceptance of the outputs as specified in section Deliverables above. Travel expenses related to three missions to Kosovo of 5 working days each shall be included in the lump sum – per diems for three travels to Kosovo, ticket cost (economy class for air tickets), other travel expenses (visa, terminals).

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates must submit an email quoting the post title and the duty station to the email address:  recruitment@unhabitat-kosovo.org the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

• Cover letter explaining why they are the most suitable for the work
• Completion of a CV in P11 Form which can be downloaded at https://unhabitat-kosovo.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/p11_form.doc. The CV shall include information on past experience in similar projects and at least 3 references.
• Financial Proposal. The form for the financial proposal can be downloaded at https://unhabitat-kosovo.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Financial_proposal_IC.docx
• Copy of Diplomas and copy of Passport or National ID Card.

Deadline for applications: 23 July 2024 UN-Habitat does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process. If you have any questions concerning persons or companies claiming to be recruiting on behalf of these offices and requesting the payment of a fee, please contact: recruitment@unon.org