Project Analyst

Albania, an EU candidate country, is undertaking comprehensive reforms in many sectors, building relevant institutions, and strengthening the rule of law. Such reforms respond to country priorities, regional initiatives, and compliance with EU directives and requirements as Albania aspires to adhere to the EU in the near future. 

As part of such active engagement, Albania is also part of the Western Balkan initiative to abide by and implement a joint Roadmap for a sustainable solution to the illegal possession, misuse, and trafficking of SALW and their ammunition. The presence of illicit SALW not only threatens the lives and livelihoods of individuals in the Western Balkans but also poses a significant threat to EU countries. The low cost and availability of SALW can promote a culture of violence, where gun ownership becomes a symbol of power and status, and gun violence a first resort for settling personal and political disputes. In this context, safety and security emerge as primary aspects of human society, where living and acting freely and without fear is a primary concern of every citizen. Therefore, any security breach severely damages the basic principles of the rights and freedoms of every individual/citizen.

The Roadmap was developed by the SALW commissions of the Western Balkans in the framework of the Franco-German donor coordination initiative on illicit firearms trafficking in the Western Balkans and with the technical assistance of UNDP’s South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for SALW Control (SEESAC) regional office. The Roadmap was finalized at the Regional meeting of SALW Commissions on 29 May 2018 in Tirana and adopted on 10 July 2018 at the 5th Western Balkans Summit in London.

The purpose of the Roadmap is to serve as a guiding and consensual document developed and owned by the countries in achieving a sustainable solution to the illegal possession, misuse, and trafficking of SALW/firearms and its ammunition in the Western Balkans. The Roadmap envisages a comprehensive approach to SALW control from updating and harmonization of the legal frameworks, improved regional cooperation and information exchange, enhanced interoperability of intelligence-led investigations due to public awareness of the dangers of weapons, gender mainstreaming in SALW control to strengthened physical security and safety of weapons storages. 

In the framework of and in line with the above strategic framework, UNDP Albania, in collaboration with the Government of Albania and with support from UNDP SEESAC, has developed a project in support of priorities identified by the Albanian State Police. The Project intends to strengthen relevant institutions’ operational knowledge and reduce skill gaps in dealing with FAE detection and thus, preventing their trafficking across borders and especially the green borders. This would entail capacitating and strengthening relevant national law enforcement institutions/departments, improving their inter-institutional collaboration in the field of FAE as well as promoting and developing cross-border cooperation with a final aim to adopt an integrated institutional approach to combating FAE trafficking.

Project activities include 1) an institutional strengthening component (aiming to improve inter-institutional cooperation, development of specific SOPs on cooperation and division of roles, improved and shared risk analysis as well as FAE handling, 2) a training component, inclusive of joint training, on different topics (illicit arms trafficking, weapons categorization, converted weapons operations, intelligence-led policing, cybercrime, and darknet), 3) a cross-border collaboration component (joint training and sharing of experience and intelligence, support to joint police patrols at the border, joint analysis and developing problem and risk profiles), and 4) procurement of identified essential equipment for improving the quality and outcomes of the border police operations along the green border with Kosovo.

As these interventions are undertaken in the framework of a regional initiative where Albania is actively engaged, it is deemed critical to ensure along with the implementation, especially now that the first tangible results have started to develop, a vital element of awareness and communication for reaching the broad public and the beneficiaries and engaging them in this national endeavor for making Albania a safer environment for all. 

In this respect, UNDP Albania is seeking to hire a qualified candidate for the position of Project Analyst to support the project with adequate technical knowledge and experience during its implementation.

Technical/Expert content

The Project Analyst is expected to leverage expertise in firearms control framework and its related fields and policies to enhance the quality and impact of these training activities:

• Provides technical advice and inputs on various project activities from a substantial/content viewpoint. 
• Assist in the development and implementation of capacity-building activities aimed at strengthening the operational and technical knowledge of relevant institutions. This includes supporting the establishment of partnerships with training institutions, such as the Security Academy, to ensure the sustainability of training efforts and the continuous development of law enforcement personnel.
• Contribute to content and approach development for various project activities, including study visits, workshops, joint operations, etc. 
• Provide inputs on training materials and other tools from a substantial/content viewpoint. 

Coordination of Project Activities and Stakeholders

• Assist the Project Management in coordinating the various activities of the project, ensuring that all project activities are executed smoothly and efficiently, in line with the project's timeline and objectives. 
• Liaise between different stakeholders to facilitate effective communication and collaboration and help to build and maintain strong relationships that are essential for the project's objectives.
• Contribute to the coordination of the organization and/or delivery of a variety of specialized technical services, e.g., expert group meetings, training seminars, study tours, etc. 

Monitoring & Reporting

• Supports the project management in the regular assessment of progress against the project's objectives, and timely identification of any issues or risks that may arise. 
• Support project monitoring and reporting by collecting and processing project data and information. 
• Provides technical contributions for the preparation of reports, briefs, and other relevant material necessary for presentation.

Communication and visibility support

• Ensure regular communication with project stakeholders. 
• Assist in the development and dissemination of communication and visibility materials.
• Promote the project's achievements and impacts through various channels to ensure visibility among stakeholders and the general public.

Institutional Arrangement

The Project Analyst will work under the direct supervision and guidance of the Technical Advisor, in close cooperation and consultation with the UNDP Programme Specialist, and other members of the Project Team to ensure the successful implementation of the project's activities.

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is a pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements 
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open-minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible 
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination 

• Strategic Thinking:            
  • Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s objectives based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks, and opportunities, linking the vision to reality on the ground and creating tangible solutions 
  • Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP.
• Knowledge Generation:  
  • Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need
• Communication:
  • Ability to communicate in a clear, concise, and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience
  • Ability to manage communications internally and externally through media, social media, and other appropriate channels
• Partnerships Management:          
  • Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society, and private sector partners, experts, and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies
• Customer Satisfaction/Client Management:           
  • Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers' needs. 
  • Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy. 
  • Look for ways to add value beyond clients' immediate requests.
  • Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns
• Resource Mobilization:    
  • Ability to identify funding sources, match funding needs (programmes/projects/initiatives) with funding opportunities, and establish a plan to meet funding requirements