Result of Service

The overall objective of the assignment is to define the scope of the partnership between the UN and the Republic of Serbia for the period 2026-2030, while aligning it with national priorities and the 2030 Agenda. To this end, the consultant is expected to: • Provide technical expertise for the formulation of the detailed methodology that will guide the development of the new Cooperation Framework in line with the outcomes of the key building blocks: CF evaluation, CCA, strategic stakeholder consultations, strategic foresight analyses and internal UN Country Team prioritisation, as well as selected other documents, including national and EU accession-related development strategies and plans. • Under the overarching Leave No One Behind principle, and taking into account the specific programming principles and requirements set out in the Cooperation Framework guidelines, the consultant will be expected to facilitate the overall consultation and prioritisation process with the Government of Serbia and other partners. • Under the UNCT guidance and leadership, develop the final draft of the CF 2026-2030 for the Republic of Serbia, including all required elements, like the narrative, and the results’ framework. The consultant will report directly to the Resident Coordinator and Head of Resident Coordinator’s Office.

Work Location

Home Based

Expected duration

15.1.2024-30.7.2024

Duties and Responsibilities

The General Assembly resolution 72/279 on the UN Development System reform elevates the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (CF) as the most important planning and implementation instrument of the UN system in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda) in the country with a commitment to leave no one behind and in line with human rights and other international standards and obligations. It outlines the UN’s collective response to national development priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and is prepared and implemented in full consultation with the Government and other stakeholders, including development partners, international financial institutions, civil society, trade unions, private sector and beneficiaries. Over the course of 2024, the UN Country Team in Serbia, consisting of 20 UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes (AFPs), has completed the CF Evaluation, Common Country Analysis (CCA) and conducted the Strategic Consultations with key stakeholders along with Strategic Foresight Analyses and the Internal Strategic Discussion with UN Country Team to identify key development challenges and priority areas, UN’s value added, SDG accelerators and other elements. The UNCT has preliminary defined the future CF’s outcomes, outputs and other elements which will contribute to the formulation of the final CF Result Matrix and the Theory of Change. The consultant is expected to take into account the global guidelines for CF formulation as well as the results of the above-mentioned analyses and products in his/her work. The final draft of the 2026-2030 Cooperation Framework is expected to be submitted to the Government of Serbia for formal review and approval in June/July 2025, with the official signature planned for September 2025. Grounded on the UN development system’s policy expertise, its comparative advantages, normative agenda, and ability to leverage, influence and unlock a broad range of resources for development, the CF is expected to reflect: • A transformational shift in vision, strategy and implementation for the UN. • The expectations national stakeholders have of the UN Development System’s contribution to national development. • A shared vision and strategic priorities of the UN System, framed within the broader development landscape. • Identification of the UN System’s and its partners’ contribution to accelerating progress towards the 2030 Agenda, including opportunities for partnership with development partners. • The financial and non-financial commitments of the UN System and partners in the wider context of the financing required to realize the SDGs in the country. Working closely with RCO, the selected consultant will be responsible for preparation, implementation and administration of the assignment, which includes but is not limited to: • Develop a detailed, technically sound methodology for completing the assignment and a work plan based on the existing CF roadmap approved by the UNCT. • Facilitate discussions within the UNCT on progress in the development of the Cooperation Framework. • Design and facilitate consultations with various stakeholders, including the organisation of a Strategic Prioritisation Workshop with the Government of Serbia, in close coordination with the RCO and the UNCT. • Prepare and implement the methodology for the UNCT configuration exercise. • Conduct a quality review of the process and inputs provided by the RC/UNCT and the Result Groups, ensuring alignment with corporate guidelines and identifying any gaps or areas for improvement. • Draft the text of the Cooperation Framework in accordance with the CF Guidelines. The document should include, but not be limited to, the following sections: an executive summary; country progress towards the 2030 Agenda; UN development support for the 2030 Agenda; and outcomes, outputs and partnerships. • Develop a results matrix, including indicator definitions, baselines, targets and sources. • Facilitate, with the support of the Head of RCO, discussions on the optimal and country tailored CF governance structure. • Integrate all comments received from RC/UNCT, Peer Support Group, Results Groups, Government of Serbia and other stakeholders into the CF document. • Final editing and formatting of the Cooperation Framework document approved by the RC and the UNCT. • Develop a presentation of the Cooperation Framework and/or other visualisation products. The approach of the assignment shall be participatory and inclusive, ensuring full participation and ownership of the UNCT and national stakeholders. The design of the Cooperation Framework comprises the prioritization of the challenges and acceleration pathways identified in the CCA and identification of opportunities for UN support. This requires the United Nations country team, Government and other stakeholders to make deliberate choices, and zoom in on areas that offer the greatest potential for transformative and inclusive development and that speak to the comparative advantage of the United Nations development system. This prioritization exercise applies a theory of change approach, and reflects the value proposition of the development system in relation to all other development actors to guide the integration of the guiding principles during this step. United Nations contributions to agreed priorities are subsequently translated into the results framework. Unless suggested otherwise, the consultant will follow guidance from the Cooperation Framework Companion Package 2020 provides general guidance to develop the CCA, along with the Guiding Principles Companion Piece and specific tools outlined which provide more details for preparing the report. The Consultant will work under the guidance of the Resident Coordinator and the RCO Head of Office, and in close collaboration with the UNCT. Regular briefings will be provided to the RC and UNCT on the progress of work and receive suggestions from the RC/UNCT. Day-to-day management of the consultancy will be overseen by the RCO Head of Office. The RCO will provide guidance, data and analytical support as well as quality assurance, in consultation and coordination with the UNCT, Government, donors, civil society, academia and other relevant stakeholders.

Qualifications/special skills

Advanced university degree (MA and equivalent) in international development, law, economics, political science, governance, social sciences, communication or other related field is required. PhD in relevant field is advantage. A minimum of 7 years of the professional experience in visioning and strategic planning, including sustainable development strategies and programmes through multi-stakeholder processes is required. A minimum of 5 years of experience in Results-Based Management approach, especially in developing dynamic theory of change and country level development results frameworks, quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis, and participatory approaches is required. Strong experience in process facilitation and inclusive stakeholder engagement processes is desirable. Regional expertise in the Western Balkans development context is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat; For this position, fluency in English is required.

Additional Information

Not available.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.