Consultants / Albanian Diaspora Experts to enable progress on the path to EU accession

The consultants will support Albania's EU accession and approximation processes by providing technical expertise, capacity building, and international knowledge transfer. They will work closely with line ministries and institutions to strengthen public administration capacities and facilitate legal harmonization with the EU Acquis.

Responsibilities

• Support the Line Ministries in strengthening the Albanian public administration in the process of legal approximation and harmonization with the EU Acquis.
• Work closely with the Department of Policy and EU Integration/National Unit for EU Approximation within the Prime Minister’s Office and other Albanian institutions to provide strategic guidance, develop tools and frameworks, deliver capacity-building activities, and support internationalization efforts.
• Conduct review and assessment on the EU priorities and EU Acquis and all relevant national legislation to identify gaps.
• Advise Line Ministries on necessary steps to align national legislation with the EU Acquis.
• Draft necessary legal framework for acts aligned with EU Acquis based on National Plan for European Integration priorities.
• Provide on the job training and capacity building to Line Ministries staff on EU Acquis and legal alignment processes.
• Contribute to development, implementation and monitoring of Albanian priorities in EU negotiation process and National Plan on European Integration (NPEI).
• Collaborate and coordinate with stakeholders for fulfilment of EU benchmarks and development, implementation and monitoring of NPEI.
• Monitor NPEI implementation progress against objectives.
• Provide technical assistance and training to improve qualitative monitoring and reporting of NPEI.
• Provide targeted training and technical assistance to key departments within Albanian Public Administration on EU integration processes.
• Support coordination of EU Integration Processes including organization of coordination sessions and communication channels.
• Offer methodological support and guidance to accelerate legislative approximation and assess progress.
• Contribute to increase capacities of line ministries and key institutions involved in negotiation processes.
• Develop a comprehensive Compliance Assessment framework for aligning with EU Acquis.
• Conduct comparative analysis of national laws with EU Member States laws.
• Contribute to translation of EU legislation into Albanian and its harmonization with national laws through collaboration, drafting legal amendments and monitoring implementation.

Requirements

• Applicants must have obtained an advanced university degree from an accredited academic institution related to EU policy, EU Law or EU studies, relevant to the assignment;
• PhD degree will be considered a strong advantage.
• At least 3 years of relevant professional experience.
• Experience in conducting research in any relevant area is preferred.
• Experience in conducting similar assignments is an asset.
• Working experience with EU institutions and government institutions of EU member states is an asset.
• Demonstrated experience in analyzing institutional processes, drafting policy documents, and strategic documents, as well as in data collection, processing, analysis, and reporting, and delivering presentations.
• Strong interest and knowledge of EU-Albania relations.
• Experience in engagement with diaspora communities, authorities, and other stakeholders is an asset.
• In-depth knowledge in one or more areas of the Acquis Communautaire is an asset.
• Guiding and monitoring team-work engaged in research is an asset.
• Strong knowledge of the Albanian legal system.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Very good communication skills in written and oral form.
• High commitment, adaptability, and flexibility.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, team-working, and leadership skills.
• Ability to produce analytical work, including written reports and brief presentations of research.
• Effective communication skills with a wide range of stakeholders, including public authorities, local authorities, and the private sector.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain accuracy and confidentiality in performing responsibilities.
• Strong interpersonal and intercultural skills, with attention to detail.
• Fluency in Albanian and English is required (oral and written)

Skills

• EU Policy Analysis
• EU Law
• Research
• Policy Document Development
• Strategic document writing
• Data Collection
• Data Analysis
• Report Writing
• Presentation Skills
• EU-Albania Relations
• Diaspora Engagement
• Acquis Communautaire Knowledge
• Team Guidance
• Albanian Legal System
• MS Word
• MS Excel
• MS PowerPoint
• Analytical Work
• Stakeholder Communication
• Confidentiality Management

Languages

Albanian, English