National Planning Officer (NP1)

Background:

The position is located within the Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit (PMEU) of the Policy and Planning Section (PPS) in the Office of Head of Mission (OHoM) programme. The PMEU comprises three posts, one seconded and two national professional posts.

The Policy and Planning Section (PPS) centralizes reporting and document review, planning, monitoring and evaluation processes, and gender and youth mainstreaming; strengthens links between the Mission’s political and programmatic work, as well as outreach to the international community; to provide umbrella legal advisory services; and to provide executive management support functions.
 

The main purpose of the role is to contribute to the delivery of the Unit’s objectives through support for functions including Mission planning, development of UB cycle and ExB documents, results-based management processes and internal capacity-building. The overall objective is to provide expert assistance to ensure effective and transparent planning and implementation of the Mission’ programmatic activities.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

Under the direct supervision and guidance of the Senior Political Adviser (S3) and overall supervision of the Chief of Policy and Planning (P4), the successful candidate will be tasked with the following duties:

1. Co-ordinating planning processes for all programmatic elements of the mission – including long-term/strategic, annual plans, and field office planning – through direct technical assistance and advice to senior management, programme managers, project managers and Heads of Field Offices; thus ensuring coherence with Mission mid- and long-term objectives and priorities; Providing technical assistance and advice in terms of maintaining and adjusting, when necessary, of the Mission’s planning Gantt chart, organizing the strategic planning exercise, supporting the drafting of the strategic planning report and the associated Action Plan, and review of UB and ExB projects in line with OSCE project management methodology; Assessing planning processes to increase their effectiveness and efficiency, building on the results of information and knowledge exchange within the Mission as well as with other OSCE Executive Structures.
    
2. Coordinating the input of programmatic sections, reviewing and consolidating the inputs into the Mission-consolidated documents; Coordinating production of all Mission regular performance-based budget documents (Programme Outline, annual Budget submission and Programme-based Performance Report) by reviewing and consolidating inputs on a Mission-level, providing substantial and technical guidance and advice, and providing specific proposals to senior management on the content of these documents so as to produce clear, well-argued and realistic short-, mid- and long-term plans for the Mission and its programmes, as well as to ensure those are built on achievements and lessons learnt.
    
3. Co-ordinating the planning of Mission ExB projects in close cooperation with senior staff and programme and project managers, including reviewing and supporting the development of applicable concept notes and project proposals in the planning stages and providing expert assistance in donor mapping, development of tailored fund-raising strategies, donor communication, and assistance to drafting, revising and finalizing various reports and supporting documents for donors and other major stakeholders.
    
4. Analysing project implementation across the Mission using results-based and indicator-based reporting and in light of evaluation findings and information obtained from other open sources, identifying trends within the Mission in regards to project management and developing appropriate recommendations to strengthen project strategies and overall Mission impact; With the use of data gathered through centralized Mission information management systems, producing objective ad hoc analyses, as well as providing entry points (in terms of process) for mainstreaming of SSG/R, youth and gender considerations.
    

5. Developing comprehensive guidelines and templates for all Mission planning processes, as well as developing and delivering briefings and presentations to programme and project managers (UB/ExBs) Heads of Field Offices, and external counterparts (upon request) on the OSCE results-based management, particularly design. 

    

    

6. Supporting monitoring and evaluation functions in PMEU and the Mission, including review of monitoring reports and data, planning, management, and completion of decentralised evaluations, and support in coordination with related OSCE structures.      

For more detailed information on the structure and work of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, please see: https://www.osce.org/mission-to-bosnia-and-herzegovina.

Necessary Qualifications:

• First-level university degree in business or public administration, programme management, project management or a related field; 

  Specialization in international development, administration or project management;

   

• A minimum of 2 years of relevant professional experience with a focus on supporting programme and project management, preferably in an international organization; A minimum of six (6) years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the first-level
  university degree;

• Solid understanding of project management methodology (results-based planning and the logical framework matrix) and proven experience in project proposal writing for donor funding;

   

• Understanding of one or more of the key thematic areas of the Mission’s work, e.g. security cooperation, human rights, rule of law, democratization, governance, education;
• Computer literate with practical experience in Microsoft applications;
• Professional fluency in English with excellent communication (both oral and written) skills;
• Holding a valid driving license.
   

Asset:

• Experience in project implementation, monitoring and evaluation;

• Understanding of the international organizational and international development, with knowledge of the socio-political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the OSCE.

Remuneration Package:

Monthly remuneration, subject to social security deductions is 3,379.75 BAM/month. Social benefits will include participation in the Cigna health insurance scheme and the OSCE Provident Fund.

Appointments are normally made at Step 1 of the applicable OSCE salary scale. In exceptional cases, an initial appointment at up to Step 3 may be considered. This depends on factors such as relevant experience exceeding minimum requirements or higher previous remuneration. Any such request by a candidate must be reviewed and approved by the OSCE before the appointment.

This position is open to citizens and permanent residents of Bosnia and Herzegovina only.

If you wish to apply for this position, please use the OSCE's online application link found under https://vacancies.osce.org/.

The OSCE retains the discretion to re-advertise/re-post the vacancy, to cancel the recruitment, to offer an appointment at a lower grade or to offer an appointment with a modified job description or for a different duration. 

Only those candidates who are selected to participate in the subsequent stages of recruitment will be contacted.

Candidates interviewed and found suitable in the recruitment process for this vacancy notice will be placed on a roster of suitable candidates (valid for three years) for fixed-term posts, should a suitable opportunity arise. The placement on a roster does not guarantee a future appointment or assignment.

Please note that vacancies in the OSCE are open for competition only amongst nationals of participating States, please see https://www.osce.org/participating-states.

The OSCE is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all religious, ethnic and social backgrounds to apply to become a part of the Organization.

Candidates should be aware that OSCE officials shall conduct themselves at all times in a manner befitting the status of an international civil servant. This includes avoiding any action which may adversely reflect on the integrity, independence and impartiality of their position and function as officials of the OSCE. The OSCE is committed to applying the highest ethical standards in carrying out its mandate. For more information on the values set out in OSCE Competency Model, please see https://jobs.osce.org/resources/document/our-competency-model.

Please note that for this position the OSCE does not reimburse expenses such as travel in connection with interviews, tests, visas and relocation.

Please be aware that OSCE appointments are subject to medical clearance. 

The mandatory retirement age at the OSCE is 65 years for contracted positions at the general service, professional and director level. The Organization shall apply an age limit of 62 years at the time of appointment as the incumbent selected is normally expected to carry out the contractual obligation of two years. 

Please be aware that the OSCE does not request payment at any stage of the application and review process.