Call for expressions of interest for consultancy services: research, operational and strategic consultancy support for EaP CSF Working Group 1

The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF) is looking for a Working Group (WG) consultant to provide EaP CSF Working Group 1 with research, operational and strategic support throughout its yearly activities.

The title of the contracts

Working Group consultant for EaP CSF Working Group 1 (WG1)

Duration: May – December 2021; potentially can be extended for 2022 and 2023

Responsibilities of the WG1 consultant and indicative deliverables

    The selected WG1 consultant will perform the following duties in agreement with the EaP CSF Secretariat and the two coordinators of WG1:

    Technical/Research support:

    • Support WG1 with technical expertise on several thematic areas (i.e. public administration reform, rule of law and security, CSDP and civil protection);
    • Follow the relevant policy/political processes at the EU institutions level and identify those that have an implication for the EaP countries, and the thematic areas covered by WG1;
    • Conduct desk research and collect input from members and from existing products of the Forum (i.e. re-granting projects, policy papers, statements) on dedicated topics at stake;
    • Contribute to and review policy input drafted by WG1 members/ WG1 coordinators/ Secretariat staff;
    • Provide a comparative regional analysis and perspective over given topics;
    • Support the WG1 coordinators and the Secretariat in shaping the annual WG1 meeting agenda and the WG1 meeting during EaP CSF Annual Assembly;
    • Design and draft written products such as i.e. WG1 meeting agenda, internal/ external event concepts and questions to speakers, research notes, policy briefs, statements, terms of reference, etc. in cooperation with WG1 Coordinators and Secretariat staff;
    • Coordinate the collection of input from members for the Forum’s participation in the EaP Platform 1 meetings on “Strengthening institutions and good governance” and its respective Panels on: (1) Rule of Law; (2) Governance and Public Administration reform; (3) CSDP, Security and Civil Protection.

     

    The list of indicative deliverables includes:

    • Detailed WG1 meeting concepts, agendas and reports;
    • Desk-based and participatory research products (on a case by case basis);
    • Suggestions for an improved participation of the WG1 in EaP Platform 1 meeting and its respective panels and other high-level meetings;
    • Written contributions to the overall operation of WG1 and its activities.

    This is not an exhaustive list of responsibilities and deliverables. Both are subject to review on a regular basis, in agreement with the Consultant.

    General qualifications of the consultant

    • Postgraduate university degree (political science/ international relations/ development studies/ CSO management/ economics, etc.) with relevant thematic expertise and work experience;
    • Good understanding of the EaP policy and of the role of civil society in shaping it;
    • Sound knowledge of the functioning of the EU institutions and EU’s foreign affairs, in particular towards EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood and any related flagship initiatives or programmes;
    • Good understanding of economic indicators and capacity to provide qualitative analysis on given topics;
    • Good understanding of organizational structures operations and policies of non-governmental organisations and familiarity with EaP CSF processes and structures;
    • Capacity to understand and assess the opportunities, challenges and limitations of structures such as EaP CSF Working Groups;
    • Good desk and participatory research skills coupled with good drafting and reporting abilities;
    • Good command of English (mandatory) and of Russian (desirable); knowledge of any other EaP and EU languages is appreciated;
    • Ability to work independently and as a part of a team;
    • Flexibility and ability to work under tight deadlines;
    • Experience working with EaP CSF is a plus.

    Duration and location of the assessment and estimated workload

    Expected workload: between 2h/week and 20h/week, depending on the calendar of activities of WG1 and the agreed responsibilities with each consultant;

    Duration of the assignment: until the end of 2021 (with possibility of extension in 2022 and 2023)

    Location of the assignment: home-based

    The current assignment does not involve travelling to the Eastern Partnership Countries.

    Recruitment process

    Qualified candidates are invited to apply by 10 May 2021, 23:59 CET by sending the following documents to applications@eap-csf.eu (Subject line: EaP CSF – WG1 consultant application):

    • CV (maximum 5 pages, in English)
    • Motivation letter (maximum 1 page, in English, explaining why the candidate could be an asset for Working Group 1)
    • Financial proposal (specifying expected hourly rate)

    Only pre-selected candidates will be contacted for a brief interview that will take place in the second half of May 2021.
    EaP CSF applies a fair and transparent recruitment process that will take into account both the expertise and skills of the applicants, as well as their financial proposal. For any additional information, please contact admin@eap-csf.eu.

    References

      For more information about EaP CSF Working Groups, please check this page.

      For more information about EaP CSF Working Group 1, please check this page.

      For more information about the participation of EaP CSF in the EaP architecture meetings, please check this page.

      Contact us

      Alexandra Sabou

      Administrative and Statutory Affairs Manager
      Email: admin@eap-csf.eu