Public Integrity Expert (SSA)

Background:

“Stronger Democratic Institutions in Eastern Partnership Countries” is an ODIHR project supported and funded by the EU and co-financed by the Government of France, Italy, Norway, Switzerland. It is a four-year project, implemented between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2027. 

The project has the objective to support democratic institutions and processes in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine to be more inclusive, accountable, resilient, transparent, human rights and rule of law compliant. Within the framework of this project, states will be offered assistance to benefit from ODIHR’s full array of tools. These will be provided in accordance with ODIHR’s mandate and established methodology, and in synergy with EU priorities in the region. This will allow States to implement more effective and efficient policies, as well as evaluate progress towards accountable and inclusive democratic institutions, stronger public integrity systems, human rights compliant legal frameworks, political party regulation, as well as participation of historically underrepresented groups in political life and decision-making.

As part of its work on democratic governance and public integrity, ODIHR supports participating States in strengthening integrity frameworks and promoting ethical standards in public office. In this context, ODIHR has recently provided technical assistance to the Republic of Moldova on the development of a Code of Conduct for persons entrusted with executive functions (PTEFs), including through a workshop on integrity frameworks and the preparation of an Urgent Interim Opinion on the draft legislative framework.

Building on this engagement, ODIHR is developing a publication entitled “Strengthening Integrity in the Executive Branch: Guidance on Codes of Conduct for Persons Entrusted with Executive Functions”. The publication will provide practical, comparative and policy-oriented guidance on the development and implementation of Codes of Conduct for ministers, deputy ministers and other senior executive officials. It will draw on international standards, comparative practices and lessons learned from across the OSCE region and beyond.

While developed in response to ongoing reform efforts in the Republic of Moldova, the publication is intended to serve as a resource for other OSCE participating States seeking to strengthen integrity, accountability and public trust in the executive branch.
To support the development of this publication, ODIHR seeks to engage an international expert with demonstrated expertise in public integrity, ethics frameworks and Codes of Conduct for public officials.
 

Objective of Assignment: 

To support ODIHR in the development of the publication “Strengthening Integrity in the Executive Branch: Guidance on Codes of Conduct for Persons Entrusted with Executive Functions” by conducting comparative research and drafting a concise, practice-oriented guide on the design, adoption, implementation and enforcement of Codes of Conduct for PTEFs, drawing on international standards, comparative practices and ODIHR expertise in the field of democratic governance and public integrity.

Duration of Assignment: 22 days

Tasks and Responsibilities:
 

Task 1: Conduct research and develop an annotated outline of the publication

-    Conduct desk research on relevant international standards, recommendations and guidance related to integrity frameworks and Codes of Conduct for PTEFs, including OSCE commitments, GRECO recommendations, OECD standards and selected comparative practices;
-    Review ODIHR publications and relevant resources in the field of public integrity and democratic governance;
-    Identify relevant case studies and examples from OSCE participating States, with particular attention to the Eastern Partnership region, as well as other relevant international practices;
-    Develop a detailed annotated outline of the publication, including proposed structure and methodology.
(5 days)

Task 2: Prepare the first draft of the publication

-    Draft the publication “Strengthening Integrity in the Executive Branch: Guidance on Codes of Conduct for Persons Entrusted with Executive Functions” (approximately 30-40 pages, excluding annexes);
-    Develop practical guidance on the design, adoption, implementation, enforcement and challenges of Codes of Conduct for PTEFs, following the dual track: anti-corruption and anti-harassment, including VAWiP;
-    Integrate international standards, comparative practices and lessons learned from relevant examples;
-    Ensure that gender-responsive and inclusive considerations are reflected throughout the publication, where relevant.
(12 days)

Task 3: Revise and finalize the publication

-    Participate in one online consultation with ODIHR to discuss comments and proposed revisions;
-    Revise the draft publication based on comments received from ODIHR through up to four rounds of internal review;
-    Finalize the publication in accordance with ODIHR requirements.
(5 days)

Deliverables:

Deliverable 1: 
 

Annotated outline of the publication, including proposed structure, methodology and indicative examples and case studies drawn from the Eastern Partnership region and other relevant OSCE participating States.

Deliverable 2: 
 

First draft of the publication submitted to ODIHR for review.

Deliverable 3: 
 

Final publication submitted to ODIHR, incorporating agreed comments and ready for editing and layout.

Necessary Qualifications:

• Advanced university degree in law, public administration, political science, public policy, governance, anti-corruption studies, or a related field;

• At least 10 years of professional experience in the areas of democratic governance, public integrity, ethics, anti-corruption, public sector reform or related fields;

• Proven expertise in analysing political and institutional trends affecting democratic development at the national and regional levels;

• Demonstrated expertise in the development, implementation or assessment of Codes of Conduct, integrity frameworks, conflict-of-interest regulation, or ethics systems for public officials;

• Proven experience conducting comparative legal, policy and governance analysis and producing high-quality publications, guidance materials, toolkits or handbooks for international organizations, governments or other relevant institutions;

• Sound knowledge of relevant international standards and recommendations relating to public integrity and ethics in public office, including GRECO recommendations, OECD standards and other relevant frameworks;

• Familiarity with democratic governance and public integrity reforms in the OSCE region, particularly in Eastern Partnership countries, would be an asset;

• Experience working with international organizations, public institutions, parliaments, anti-corruption bodies or integrity institutions would be an asset;

• Demonstrated ability to present complex legal and policy issues in a clear, concise and practice-oriented manner;

• Excellent analytical, drafting and communication skills;

• Excellent command of written and spoken English;

• Ability to work independently and meet tight deadlines with minimal supervision.

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.

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 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.

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