National Project Officer for the Council of Europe/European Commission Joint Programme (ROMED2) in GERMANY
Call for Expressions of Interest
Deadline for applying: 14 September 2014
In the framework of the ROMED Democratic Governance and Community Participation through Mediation Programme, the Council of Europe is recruiting a consultant to act as National Project Officer in Germany.
- Background of the ROMED Programme
The ROMED Programme is a joint action between the European Commission (DGEAC) and the Council of Europe which started in 2011. The Programme entered a new phase in 2013. The past implementation has led to concrete results and many lessons learned which, together with the shortcomings and challenges identified, serve as a strong basis and invaluable resource for the future implementation of the ROMED2 Programme in Germany.
The overall objectives of the Programme are:
- To improve equal access to public services for Roma;
- To improve dialogue and build confidence between Roma communities and public institutions;
- To enhance the democratic participation and visible empowerment of Roma communities;
- To stimulate an increased responsiveness of public institutions towards Roma.
The initial Programme (ROMED1, 2011-2012) was set up with the aim of improving the quality and effectiveness of the work of intercultural mediators working in Roma communities, with a view to supporting better communication and cooperation between Roma and public institutions. This phase was focused mainly on objectives 1 and 2 above.
ROMED2 is built on ROMED1’s achievements, maturing the approach and going beyond the results obtained:
- Shifting the approach from the target group (mediators in ROMED1) to beneficiaries (Roma communities and local institutions and authorities);
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Focusing on objectives 3 and 4 (above):
- To enhance the democratic participation and empowerment of Roma communities;
- To stimulate an increased responsiveness of public institutions towards Roma.
Contributing to the creation of a socio-political transformation at local level through a participatory working cycle involving all the actors concerned;
- Continuing, on a more selective basis, the training aspect of the Programme at national level, both in the countries that multiply the training at local level, as well as in countries that have officially expressed a wish to join the Programme with a view to promoting the ROMED approach.
The challenges are:
- Change in the local democratic process (government and local level administration can become more responsive to Roma citizens’ needs and more effective in service delivery). Local democracy is a process whereby local leaders become accountable to citizens and responsive to their needs and aspirations. The Programme provides local actors with an approach for supporting the emergence and consolidation of local democracy where Roma participate in the decision making process;
- How to render the process of mediation (not the mediator as an individual) effective and conducive to achieving positive change in the local contexts focusing on the national and local potential (domestic policies and human and financial resources); improving the trust relationships between a) the Roma and non-Roma citizens of the municipality, b) the Roma representatives and the people they represent, and c) the Roma representatives and local authorities.
- The Role of the National Project Officer
The National Project Officer representing the Council of Europe and European Commission in the field will, together with the National Focal Point (Hildegard Lerenne Stifung), secure the successful coordination at national level of the various phases of the ROMED2 Programme and support the selected municiplaities, mediators, and Community Action Groups in their implementation at local level.
Some of the specific tasks of the National Project Officer will be to:
- Assist in the organisation of the national launch meetings and national workshops;
- Facilitate the start-up processes at local level;
- Report on the baseline situation of the municipalities based on the criteria used for their selection and provide regular updates throughout the Programme;
- Regularly organise field visits and meetings with mayors/local administration and community representatives and liaise with trainers and other resource persons.
- Identify and suggest the necessary adjustments for the improvement of the local implementation of the Programme;
- Update the country file in the ROMED website (specific training for this task will be provided by the Council of Europe);
- Provide the Council of Europe's Secretariat with monthly reports (drawn up in accordance with the Reporting Template) on the implementation of the activities in the respective municipalities;
- Participate in the regular meetings with the various NPOs of the Programme's operating countries and the Advisory Board (accountability and benchmarking to discuss and review strategy and developments).
- Requisite qualifications and experience of the National Project Officer
Applicants should possess the following qualifications and experience:
- solid experience of working with Roma communities at local and national level, together with concrete knowledge of the challenges faced by those Roma communities in the respective country;
- solid knowledge of national and local public policies for Roma communities;
- good command of English and strong reporting skills;
- good understanding of local policies and practices related to local democratic governance (local processes of participatory decision making and community participation);
- experience in carrying out activities of community development and networking and awareness of community organising;
- solid understanding of the mechanisms, manifestations and consequences of multiple forms of discrimination and their impact on the lives of people;
- experience with European and/or international funded projects;
- awareness of existing programmes of the Council of Europe, European Union and other institutions related to Roma;
- proactivity, sense of commitment, discretion and respect of deadlines.
- Required Availability
Applicants should be available to:
- commit to a consultant contract signed with the Council of Europe. The contract will cover the duration of implementation of the Programme, the exact duration and start date of which will be established with the consultant based on the development of the Programme in the respective country;
- travel regularly to the selected municipalities and to national and international meetings related to ROMED2;
- take part in the following:
- Induction Training for the National Project Officer (Berlin/Mannheim, 18-19 September 2014;
- European Meeting of National Project Officers (Brussels, 1-3 October 2014);
- ROMED2 Launching Event and First National Workshop in Germany and European Training for Trainers and Facilitators (Berlin, 23-27 October 2014).
- Planned Fees for the National Project Officer
In return for the fulfillment by the Consultant of the aforementioned tasks and obligations to the satisfaction of the Council of Europe, the latter will pay a fixed monthly fee (within the range of €1,000).
- Conditions and Applications Procedure
This call is open for expressions of interest for applicants who reside in Germany.
Applicants interested in this call should send the following documents to the Council of Europe Secretariat no later than 14 September 2014, 23:59p.m.:
- An updated CV (2 pages maximum);
- A short motivation letter outlining how you fulfill the required qualifications and experience to perform the tasks highlighted in this call.
Please send your completed application to romed@coe.int, specifying in the Subject Field “SURNAME/FAMILY NAME, Germany, National Project Officer”.
Please note that late applications will not be taken into consideration and no personal correspondence can be entered into.
- Selection Procedure
Selection shall be made by the Council of Europe Secretariat (Support Team of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Roma Issues). The Council of Europe may hold telephone interviews with pre-selected applicants.
Only successful applicants will be notified of their selection by 16 September 2014.
Visit the ROMED Website: www.coe-romed.org
