International Expert to Assess the Readiness for the Digitalization and Development of the Transparency Index for the Information and Privacy Agency (IPA) _(SSA)

Background:

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo supports public institutions in strengthening transparency, accountability, and good governance through the effective implementation of the legal framework governing access to public documents and the protection of personal data. This support aims to ensure an appropriate balance between the public’s right to access information and the right to privacy and personal data protection.

To this end, the OSCE has been working closely with the Information and Privacy Agency (IPA) to raise awareness and build the capacities of public institutions regarding the implementation of legislation on access to public documents and personal data protection. Over the past two years, this partnership has produced substantive results: IPA’s Transparency Programme, Guidelines for Privacy Protection for Media, Guidelines on Data Subject Rights, and the IPA Strategy 2025–2027 were all developed with direct expert support provided by the Mission. Awareness-raising activities reached public officials, civil society organisations, media representatives, and municipal institutions across Kosovo. In parallel, the Mission has supported IPA in strengthening its institutional capacities, developing its regulatory framework, and advancing strategic and operational programmes in these areas.

As a result of these sustained efforts and IPA’s continued engagement, tangible progress has been achieved in enhancing institutional transparency and promoting the effective exercise of the right to access public documents. At the local level, all municipalities have designated officials responsible for access to public documents and personal data protection, while the Association of Kosovo Municipalities has established a dedicated collegium bringing together municipal officials responsible for these functions. The proposed next step is to translate this accumulated strategic work into an operational process: one that can measure, in a systematic and evidence-based manner, how prepared public institutions are to implement transparency obligations in practice.

Building on this progress, IPA is seeking to further strengthen its oversight and monitoring role through the development and future digitalisation of the Transparency Index. The Transparency Index is not envisaged merely as a formal reporting exercise. It is designed to become a practical governance tool that enables IPA to systematically monitor, compare, and report on the implementation of transparency obligations across public institutions, and to actively support institutions in identifying and addressing gaps. In the current e-governance context, including the e-Kosova platform, and other institutional digital systems, the Index should assess whether ongoing digitalisation efforts enable and are usable for enabling the development of the Index. This ultimately trickles down to whether the developments are producing real, measurable transparency for residents and institutions alike, rather than simply creating digital versions of existing administrative processes.

In the context of ongoing digital transformation initiatives and the increasing use of electronic governance systems, the next phase of work aims to assess whether public institutions possess the legal, procedural, institutional, and technical capacities necessary to support a future digital Transparency Index. The OSCE will support IPA in this process by engaging an international expert to assess institutional readiness and provide recommendations for the development of a transparent, sustainable, and interoperable digital monitoring framework. The international expert will evaluate the existing legal, procedural, institutional, technical, and data-protection frameworks relevant to transparency monitoring and reporting. Based on this assessment, the expert will provide practical recommendations, measurable indicators, and an implementation roadmap that will enable IPA to develop a sustainable, and evidence-based digital Transparency Index. The assignment will serve as a bridge between the current policy concept and the preparation of a detailed implementation framework for the future digital Transparency Index.

Objective of Assignment: 

Support IPA in assessing the readiness of public institutions to participate in and support the future digital Transparency Index. 

Duration of Assignment:

The Consultant will be hired for 15 working days.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

1. Legal and institutional readiness assessment
   Review the existing legal and regulatory framework governing transparency, access to public documents, and personal data protection in Kosovo. Assess whether public institutions have the necessary legal basis, internal rules, designated officials, registers, reporting mechanisms, and decision-making procedures to comply with transparency obligations.
2. E-Governance and interoperability assessment
   Assess the readiness of existing e-governance systems, digital platforms, document-management systems, and workflows (including e-Kosova) to support data collection, publication, verification, and reporting for the Transparency Index. 
   Analyse interoperability requirements between IPA and public institutions, including data exchange mechanisms, metadata standards, institutional identifiers, audit trails, and data-protection safeguards.
3. Data protection, GDPR-alignment, and AI/automated systems
   Assess how transparency obligations interact with personal data protection requirements, including redaction, anonymisation, records of processing activities, Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA), and safeguards for sensitive or high-risk processing. 
   Assess the relevance and potential use of AI-assisted or automated tools for document classification, redaction, reporting, or monitoring, ensuring that final administrative decisions remain under human responsibility (in compliance with legal and administrative accountability requirements).
4. Transparency Index methodology and indicator framework
   Develop a draft indicator framework and methodology for measuring institutional transparency performance in a consistent, objective, and evidence-based manner. 
   Identify required data sources, reporting responsibilities, verification mechanisms, and institutional roles. 
5. Implementation Roadmap
   Define short-term steps for IPA and selected pilot institutions to test and operationalise the Transparency Index, including legal, institutional, technical, and organisational steps. Additional recommendations for pilot institutions, stakeholder consultations, and the transition from concept to a full implementation ToR.
6. Stakeholder consultation, communication, and finalisation of assignment.
   Facilitate consultations with IPA, OSCE, and selected public institutions to inform the process and, in the end, validate findings and recommendations. Plus, incorporate any final comments from IPA and OSCE in the deliverables

Deliverables:

• Institutional readiness and needs assessment framework report produced. 
  Identifying legal and procedural gap analysis outline, including existing strengths, and recommendations for improvement.
  To be submitted within 14 calendar days of contract signature.
• E-governance and interoperability assessment outline/report produced. 
  The report should include current capacities, gaps, risks, and proposed minimum technical and reporting standards required for the Transparency Index.
  To be submitted within 30 calendar days of contract signature.
• Data protection and GDPR-alignment assessment report delivered. 
  The report should be a short analytical note on GDPR-alignment assessment (including recommendations for compliance safeguards within the future Transparency Index), and AI/automated systems, including opportunities, limitations, safeguards, and governance requirements.
  To be submitted within 45 calendar days of contract signature.
• Structure of Transparency Index methodology drafted; 
  The structure should include initial indicator categories and scoring logic; list of required data sources, reporting responsibilities, institutional roles, and verification procedures.
  To be submitted within 60 calendar days of contract signature. 
• Implementation roadmap produced. 
  Brief roadmap for moving from concept note to full ToR and implementation phase, including pilot options, resource requirements, and recommended next steps for IPA.
  To be submitted within 85 calendar days of contract signature.
• Final expert report produced.
  The final report of the expert should also include a very brief consultation summary, documenting stakeholder feedback and agreed recommendations. The expert is expected to maintain communication with the OSCE and IPA throughout its engagement. No standalone report on stakeholder consultation is requested, but the stakeholder consultations (either in Kosovo or online), will inform the deliverables.   
  To be submitted no later than 90 calendar days after contract signature.

Necessary Qualifications:

• University degree in law, information technology, cyber security or a similar field; 
• A minimum of five years of relevant work experience in transparency, personal data protection law, governance, compliance and data security, or related;
• Extensive knowledge of European and international instruments on personal data protection and transparency;
• Experience in drafting policy papers, strategies, action plans and similar documents; 
• Strong analytical and communication skills;
• Outstanding writing and reporting skills; 
• Experience in conducting interviews, focus group discussions, and surveys for primary data collection;
• Capacity to co-ordinate with a multitude of interlocutors to ensure comprehensive data collection;
• Full professional fluency including excellent drafting and analytical skills in English language. 
• Preferred certification by the International Association of Privacy Professionals on General Data Protection Regulation; 

Remuneration Package:

Remuneration will be based on the selected consultant's/expert's qualifications, experience, the tasks and deliverables for this
position and in accordance with the OSCE established rates.

In order to apply for this position, you must complete the OSCE's online application form, found under OSCE Careers- Jobs. Applicants are encouraged to use the online recruitment and only fully completed OSCE applications will be accepted. However, if you have technical difficulties with the system, you may use the offline application form found at Offline application form | OSCE Employment and forward the completed form quoting the vacancy number by email to: consultancy.omik@osce.org. In line with your qualifications please indicate a preference for one or more fields of expertise listed above (while using the online application the field of expertise preference can be indicated in the cover letter part). Kindly note that applications received after the deadline, submitted in different formats than the OSCE Application Form or other languages than the English language would not be considered. The OSCE is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious, ethnic, and social backgrounds to apply.