Investment Climate and Governance Expert for Albania

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development ("EBRD", or the "Bank") is seeking to select and engage an "Investment Climate and Governance Expert for Albania" (the "Consultant") to support the effective implementation of the Bank’s Investment Climate and Governance Initiative ("ICGI") programme in Albania and to assist with the coordination of the international donor community’s policy reform work on business environment and investment (the "assignment").

The Consultant will be engaged on a two-year consultancy contract from early-2016 and will be based in the Bank’s Tirana Resident Office ("RO"). The Consultant will work closely with the ICGI team situated in the Bank’s London Headquarters and the EBRD’s Banking staff based within the Tirana RO. The Consultant will also be expected to liaise closely with the EBRD-supported Investment Council of Albania, particularly its Secretariat, currently staffed by 5 professionals.

EBRD’s Investment Climate and Governance Initiative for Albania

The EBRD and the Government of Albania ("GoA") signed a Memorandum of Understanding ("MoU") in support of the ICGI for Albania in February 2014. The ICGI MoU committed the EBRD to support the implementation of a number of projects in the area of investment climate and governance reform, in close collaboration with the GoA and other key stakeholders.

To-date the EBRD has launched a number of investment climate and governance reform projects in Albania, including: establishing, and working closely with, the Investment Council of Albania; supporting the Government’s anti-corruption programme through the enhancement of civil society’s capacity to monitor and report on corruption-related issues; and enhancing corporate governance in the banking sector.

The MoU also committed the EBRD to "work closely with the Government in defining other areas where the EBRD can apply its experience and expertise to support the Government’s efforts to stimulate the development of the private sector and of the business climate in general in Albania".

The EBRD’s ICGI team has identified a number of areas in which EBRD involvement and donor funding could be deployed to further strengthen the GoA’s on-going efforts to improve the investment climate and enhance governance in Albania. Projects under consideration include areas such as enhancing transparency in the financial sector by establishing a consumer credit bureau; enhancing investor grievance mechanisms; strengthening alternative dispute resolution mechanisms (commercial mediation and arbitration); building judicial capacity through training for judges in commercial law; enhancing public procurement practices; and supporting regional economic integration through regional information platforms.

One of the Bank’s priorities is to implement projects that reinforce and complement the work of the Investment Council of Albania, in order to enhance its impact in the area of investment climate reform. Shaping EBRD’s policy engagement in Albania to reinforce the work of the Investment Council will be a key responsibility of the Investment Climate and Governance Expert.

In September 2015 the Prime Minister of Albania issued an Order establishing a number of thematic inter-ministerial working groups ("Integrated Policy Management Groups" or "IPMGs") to coordinate the reform agenda necessary for Albania’s integration with and eventual accession to the European Union. Each IPMG is underpinned by thematic sub-groups bringing together the GoA with the major multilateral and bilateral development partners in Albania, coordinated by a ‘Lead Donor’.

EBRD has agreed to serve as a Lead Donor for the thematic sub-group on "Business Environment and Investment" under the IPMG for "Competitiveness and Innovation," in collaboration with the Government of Italy. The purpose of the thematic sub-group is to enhance donor coordination and mobilise donor support for the GoA from the broad array of development partners active in this area in Albania.

By taking on this coordinating and information-sharing role, the EBRD can assist the GoA to deliver concrete improvements in the area of investment climate and governance reforms – a priority reform area for the GoA as well as its development partners.

The tasks of the Investment Climate and Governance Expert will include, inter alia, the following:

1. Be responsible for developing and implementing the ongoing and planned policy reform interventions outlined above, taking day-to-day responsibility for liaising with key stakeholders – from the government, private sector, donor community and civil society – and advocating effectively for the successful delivery of reform outcomes.

2. When appropriate, and with due consideration for the EBRD’s resource constraints, propose new policy reform projects where EBRD can leverage its comparative advantage, particularly at the interface between the private sector and the Albanian state, to improve the investment climate and economic governance in Albania.

3. Develop monitoring tools and results frameworks, and report to the Investment Climate and Governance team and the RO on the effectiveness and impact of the Bank’s policy reform work in Albania, with recommendations for ‘mid-course corrections’ should individual interventions be seen not to deliver.

4. Establish contacts with and draw on the EBRD’s experts across the various areas of investment climate reform and facilitate their engagement in Albania, through project origination, design and implementation.

5. Work closely with the Investment Council Secretariat to establish areas in which EBRD support on specific reform priorities can enhance the Secretariat’s impact.

6. Serve as the key focal point and coordinator of the IPMG thematic sub-group on business environment and investment, establishing a platform for the regular collection and sharing of information about development partners’ activities in the area of business environment reform, and coordinating the policy messages from the donor community as far as practicable and consistent with the mandate and objectives of the different development partners.

The Consultant will be expected to spend 25 working days at EBRD Headquarters in London over the two year contract period. At the start of the assignment, the Consultant will spend 10 working days at EBRD Headquarters in order to gain an understanding of the working methods and mandate of the ICGI team, and to establish relationships with the thematic and sector experts from across the Bank. The Consultant will then be expected to travel to London once every four months (a further two trips in 2016, and three in 2017) to coordinate with the ICG team and relevant EBRD specialists on the various elements of the work programme.

Assignment Start Date and Duration: the assignment is expected to start around February/March 2016 and last for two years. The assignment may be extended subject to successful delivery, continued operational need and the availability of further donor funds.

Value Added Tax (VAT): Value Added Tax (VAT): The Consultant must determine whether any VAT would be chargeable on the services and the basis for that determination, without taking into consideration the Bank’s special status as an International Financial Institution and state this to the Bank in their response to this notification. To the extent that a consultant incurs input VAT on goods and services purchased in connection with the provision of services (eg VAT on airline ticket) which is not otherwise recoverable by the Consultant from the local tax authority, the gross cost to the Consultant of such expenses shall treated as a reimbursable expense.

Funding Source: The contract will be financed through the EBRD Shareholders Special Fund (SSF).

Eligibility: There are no eligibility restrictions

Consultant Profile: An individual is sought. Candidates should have the following qualifications, experience and expertise:

• Background in business, economics, law or related field, with preferably at least one postgraduate degree in one of these subjects
• Deep understanding of the investment climate and governance challenges in Albania and experience working to address them
• Ideally at least 10 years of relevant work experience, including at least five years at senior level, preferably both in the public and private sectors
• Excellent project management skills and a proven track record of delivery of complex and politically sensitive reform projects
• Good knowledge and experience of working with government organisations

In addition the successful candidate should have the following personal characteristics:

• Ability to interact effectively with senior officials in government, the business community and civil society

• Strong leadership and persuasion skills

• Ability to work effectively in a team

• Ability to prioritise and work under the pressure of deadlines

• Fluency in written and spoken Albanian and English

Submission Requirements: In order to determine the capability and experience of experts seeking to be selected for this assignment, the information submitted should include the following:

1. Cover letter (max. 2 pages) summarising why the expert believes to satisfy the requirements as defined in the above section Consultant Profile;

2. CV (not exceeding 4 pages) which should include full descriptions of responsibilities carried out, not just a job title, including information on contracting entity/client, project location/country, duration (mm/yy to mm/yy), expert months provided (if different from duration) , main activities, objectives.

3. Completed Consultant Declaration Form and Contact Sheet, the template for which is available from the following web-link:

http://www.ebrd.com/pages/workingwithus/procurement/notices/csu/contact_sheet.doc.