National Expert to conduct the overall assessment/evaluation of Tajikistan’s ‘National Strategy and Action Plan on Countering Extremism and Terrorism (2016-2020)

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Archived vacancy details

The following information is provided for archival purpose only.

Issued by: OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe
Vacancy number: VNTAJC00720
Vacancy type: Experts/Consultants
Field of expertise: Military Affairs
Number of posts: 4
Duty station: Dushanbe
Date of issue: 25 August 2020
Deadline for application: 8 October 2020 - 23:59 Central European Time (CET/CEST)

Background

		In the recent years, Tajikistan has galvanized its efforts to address the issues of terrorism and violent extremism on regional and international fora. The deliberations within high-profile events held in Dushanbe in 2018 and 2019 indicate that top-concern issues in the host country are countering terrorism and violent extremism by all means, including by addressing the ideological roots, drugs and arms trafficking and its nexus with terrorism financing in view of the country’s geographic/strategic location, as well as the return of ‘foreign terrorist fighters from the conflict zones and potential risks associated with ‘terrorist sleeping cells’. According to the Tajik authorities, there are around 1,900 citizens (including 575 women and children) who have joined violent extremist and terrorist groups in Syria and Iraq, and the predominant number of them have become radicalised during labour migration. These dynamics run against the background of developing socio-economic conditions, whereby nearly 900,000 citizens of Tajikistan, most of whom are young people, seek for better employment opportunities outside of the country. Apart from internal factors, there are some external dynamics that need to be taken into consideration. For instance, a rise in violent and deadly attacks committed by the Taliban in Afghanistan throughout recent years, including heavy fighting in areas close to or bordering Tajikistan have raised reasonable fears of a potential overspill. The officials of Tajikistan and Afghanistan claim that the number of ISIS fighters in the northern parts of Afghanistan has been growing, which could be explained as a strategic refocus from the Middle East to Afghanistan and Central Asia. That said, the issues around preventing and countering violent extremism and terrorism in Tajikistan remain as one of the strategic priorities in the host country’s security agenda. In the meantime, the Tajik authorities do acknowledge that sole military and law enforcement means are insufficient in tackling VERLT successfully, given the complex and multifaceted nature of the phenomenon. A clear-minded strategy with comprehensive but achievable outcomes, delivered by ‘whole-of-government’ and ‘whole-of-society’ approaches may help to mitigate the problem. Therefore, with the operational assistance of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe, the host country has developed the National Strategy and Action Plan on the Fight Against Extremism and Terrorism 2016 – 2020 (signed into law by a Presidential Decree of November 2016), a government policy that addresses the phenomenon in a comprehensive way. The Strategy encompasses 15 directions that the state authorities are obliged to work on, starting from addressing socio-economic conditions and ending with eradicating terrorist radicalisation and violent extremism in penitentiary buildings. The OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe (hereinafter referred to as “the Office”) has been implementing the project on countering terrorism and preventing violent extremism that aims to support the host country to execute the ‘National Strategy and Action Plan on Countering Extremism and Terrorism (2016 – 2020)’, in line with the OSCE’s comprehensive approach to security, and the mandate of the Office. Given the expiration of the Strategy in 2020, the Office of Prosecutor General in close co-operation with civil society representatives of Tajikistan plans to commission a comprehensive evaluation of this state policy. It is anticipated that the evaluation results will serve as a solid baseline in devising a new strategic document that will cover the period from 2021 to 2025, taking into consideration challenges and lessons learnt of the current implementation. The evaluation will be conducted by two representatives from the Office of Prosecutor General and two representatives from civil society circles, who will generate a publicly accessible comprehensive report for interested stakeholders. Brief description: In 2020, the Office of Prosecutor General (with the assistance of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe) plans to commission a comprehensive evaluation of the outcomes of Tajikistan’s ‘National Strategy and Action Plan on Countering Extremism and Terrorism for 2016-2020’. The evaluation will look into implementation results of this strategic document for the period from 2016 to 2020 (inclusive), and try to answer the following questions: - How much progress was made towards achieving the overall objectives of the Strategy? - Do the strategic areas still remain relevant given the current conditions? - What objectives are no longer needed? - Is there a necessity to accomplish the incomplete objectives against the background of available resources and timeframes? - Is there feasibility to merge the remaining incomplete objectives into the new strategic document? - What went well according to the plan? What went wrong? Why did it go well/wrong? - Are the indicators to evaluate the strategy valid, and if so, to what extent they depict full picture of accomplishments? On the basis of the comprehensive evaluation, the Office of Prosecutor General and the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe are expecting to receive a thorough analytical report that dwells on key milestones of the Government of Tajikistan, contributions of the international actors, as well as civil society institutions in the field of prevention and countering of violent extremism and terrorist radicalisation. The evaluation process is anticipated to kick-off on September 21 and end on November 30. The Office expects to receive the final evaluation report in the first week of December. Objective: The assessment aims at evaluating and analysing past contributions/efforts made by government structures, international actors, as well as civil society organisations in the implementation of Tajikistan’s ‘National Strategy and Action Plan on Countering Extremism and Terrorism for 2016-2020’. Location of assignment: Dushanbe and other areas of the Republic of Tajikistan Start of assignment: 15 October 2020 End of assignment: 15 December 2020

Tasks and Responsibilities

		In close coordination with the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe and in co-operation with responsible official(s) at the Office of Prosecutor General, the expert/consultant shall report to the Head of Politico-Military Department, and be in charge for the following: Analyze the implementation of the National Strategy and Action Plan objectively and impartially and assess the reasons for the non-fulfillment of certain measures, including financial provision; Compare the newly adopted Law “On Countering Extremism” with the main provisions of the Strategy; Review and analyse projects (of both national and international actors), related to the implementation of the Strategy and Action Plan; Review and analyse the national legislation and legal framework, related to countering terrorism and violent extremism; Conduct a series of meetings with all law enforcement agencies and governmental structures, involved in the implementation of the Strategy and Action Plan; Conduct a series of meetings with international organizations and donors supporting the implementation process in Tajikistan (can be conducted via Video Tele-Conference System, Skype or Zoom, if need be); Conduct field visits to regions in Tajikistan in order to assess the work and activities on the fields, if required; Based on the findings, deliver a written comprehensive analytical final report within clearly determined deadlines by the senior management of the OSCE and the Office of Prosecutor General, assessing the effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability of the implementation process thus far while at the same time outline challenges, obstacles and priorities for future implementation of similar government policy. Recommendations shall include: a. proposed changes to the future National Strategy and Action Plan for its implementation, based on challenges and lessons learnt from the previous implementation period (2016-2020). Expected Output/Deliverable: Final comprehensive analytical report by the end of assignment.

Necessary Qualifications

		University degree in law, public administration, social sciences,security and/or military sciences, or equal education; Minimum 10 years of working experience in law enforcement agencies, or civil society organizations sector dealing with preventive measures against terrorism and violent extremism, scientific and research institutions, including public administration within state entities; Thorough knowledge of internationally recognized standards and practices in terms of external evaluation, enriched by experience in a successfully conducted institutional reform endeavours, strategy planning and programs evaluation, project management and fundraising; Solid understanding and knowledge of specificities and sensitiveness of institutional reform processes, with understanding on gender mainstreaming and human rights; Demonstrated analytical skills as well as maturity of judgment; Good knowledge of the OSCE and UN organization’s area of operation. Previous work-experience within OSCE, UN or EU is an asset; Familiarity with international organization field operations in Central Asia and/or Tajikistan, in the area of counter-terrorism and prevention of violent extremism is desirable; Demonstrated ability and willingness to work as a member of team, with people of different cultural and religious backgrounds, different gender, and diverse political views, while maintaining impartiality and objectivity; Flexibility and ability to work under pressure and with limited time frames; Professional fluency in the Russian and Tajik languages, working knowledge of English is as an asset; Ability to operate windows applications, including word processing and e-mail.

Required competencies

		Core values Commitment: Actively contributes to achieving organizational goals Diversity: Respects others and values their diverse perspectives and contributions Integrity: Acts in a manner consistent with the Organization’s core values and organizational principles Accountability: Takes responsibility for own action and delegated work Core competencies Communication: Actively works to achieve clear and transparent communication with colleagues and with stakeholders of the Organization Collaboration: Works effectively with others on common goals and fosters a positive, trust-based working environment Planning: Works towards the achievement of goals in a structured and measured manner Analysis and decision-making: Analyses available information, draws well-founded conclusions and takes appropriate decisions Initiative-taking: Proposes and initiates new ideas, activities and projects Flexibility: Responds positively and effectively to changing circumstances Managerial competencies (for positions with managerial responsibilities) Leadership: Provides a clear sense of direction, builds trust and creates an enabling environment Strategic thinking: Identifies goals that advance the organizational agenda and develops plans for achieving them Managing performance: Helps to maximize team performance by providing active feedback and skill development opportunities

Remuneration Package

		The consultant will be remunerated commensurate with consultant’s experience and qualifications in accordance with OSCE established rates. Applicants should indicate whether they wish to be included in the OSCE Roster of Consultants for similar assignments.

How To Apply

		If you wish to apply for this position, please use the OSCE's online application link found under https://jobs.osce.org/. In case of technical difficulties with online application, please use the OSCE offline application form that can be downloaded at https://jobs.osce.org/resources/document/offline-application-form. The completed application form along cover letter and recommendation letters should be submitted by e-mail to POiD-Recruitment@osce.org quoting the job title in the subject line. Please note that applications received after the deadline, submitted in different formats than the OSCE Application Form or in other languages than the English language will not be considered. Please note that this vacancy is open for competition only amongst nationals of Tajikistan. 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 to become a part of the organization.