Senior Investigation and Adjudication Specialist

Contract

This is a IPSA-11 contract. This kind of contract is known as International Personnel Services Agreement. It is normally internationally recruited only. It usually requires 7 years of experience, depending on education. More about IPSA-11 contracts.

Background

Instructions to Applicants: Click on the "Apply now" button. Input your information in the appropriate Sections: personal information, language proficiency, education, resume and motivation. Upon completion of the first page, please hit "submit application" tab at the end of the page. Please ensure that CV or P11 and the Cover letter are combined in one file.

1. Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.
2. A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.
3. Three writing samples.

Travel:

1. UNDP will cover the cost of travel of the individual to the duty station, as well as their return to their home upon completion of their services.
2. The Specialist will cover the cost of visa and work permit that UNDP will facilitate.

Office/Unit/Project Description

Strengthening accountability and tackling corruption are essential pre-requisites for Iraq's long-term stability, economic recovery, and development. Both Iraqi and regional Kurdish governments have recently initiated steps to drive an ambitious anticorruption agenda. However, significant gaps remain in legislative and strategic framework, investigation and adjudication, enforcement and recovery of stolen assets. Iraq adopted in March 2021 the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, but implementation measures are needed. UNDP in Iraq launched a project in May 2021 to support public partners at federal and the Kurdistan Regional Government to improve their capacity and legal framework to combat corruption and conduct commercial litigation.

The project titled “support to justice initiatives curbing corruption and promoting commercial dispute resolution” (hereinafter, Anti-Corruption & Arbitration Initiatives, ACAI) is funded by the European Union for a period of four years. The project works closely with the Prime Minister Office in Baghdad and supports directly the Commission of Integrity, the Higher Judicial Council and the Legal and Integrity Committees of the Council of Representatives. In Erbil, the project follows a similar mechanism of collaboration. Further, the project works with key civil society and investigative media organizations.

The project has the following specific outcomes: (1) Improved Legislative and Strategic Framework for Anti- Corruption Reforms; (2) The justice sector, lawyers and CoI are better equipped to process corruption offences due to (2.1) improved technical skills relevant for corruption investigation, prosecution, adjudication and (2.2) improved integrity rules of the justice sector; (3) Improved capacity and legal framework to conduct commercial litigation through (3.1) better legal framework and capacity building for arbitration and (3.2) further development of the commercial court; (4) Create a climate of support in Parliament for anti-corruption reforms; (5) Increased transparency and public accountability.

Institutional Arrangement:

The Specialist shall report directly to the Project Manager, Anti-Corruption & Arbitration Initiatives (ACAI), to whom all deliverables should be provided within agreed timelines. The Specialist will closely work with a team a Specialists and management support.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work

Under the supervision of the Project Manager, the Senior Investigation and Adjudication Specialist will design training material and deliver training on investigation and adjudication of corruption offenses to investigators, investigative judges, prosecutors and judges. Further, the Specialist will build the capacity for asset recovery, develop standar operating procedure (SOPs) for emerging investigation challenges, and design and deliver training on new SOPs. Specifically, the Specialist will undertake the following:

• Design, plan and implement a comprehensive assessment of existing skills, training capacity and training needs in investigation and adjucation of corruption cases by the judiciary and Commissions of integrity (CoI) at federal and regional levels;
• Review the curricula to identify capacity building gaps in investigation and adjudication of corruption cases; review the capacity of the federal and regional Judicial Training Institutes (JTIs) and the Training Academies of CoIs (TACoI);
• Map the existing capacity programmes and trainings on investigation and adjudicaton of corruption including the external technical assistance;
• Ensure ownership and buy-in from the stakeholders notabley from JTIs, TACoIs, the investigatigation departments of both CoIs, the Public Prosecution Office and the Central Anti-Corruption Court on assessment, validation of the training needs and capacity development plans;
• Design, develop and determine the appropriate mechanisms of delivery of capacity programmes to enhance the capacity of justice professionals as proposed by the project and agreed with the Judicial Councils;
• Ensure training programmes are designed and delivered in the most sustainable manner notably through existing institutional arrangements within federal and regional Judicial Councils; ensure that newly proposed curricular material is prioritized and its is use in actual training is fully funded;
• Deliver training for on investigation and adjudication of corruption offenses to investigators, investigative judges, prosecutors and judges;
• Identify the needs for additional national and international training experts on specificialized areas of investigations including but not limited to financial document analysis and forensic accounting and audits, public sector procurement and contracting, multi-disciplinary task force investigations, cooperation and information sharing in investigations including with FIUs, investigation of transnational crimes, documenting unknown funds/unexplained accumulation of wealth
• Analyze Iraqi and Kurdish standard operating procedures (SOP) for investigation in line with international legal instruments and best practice and propose new SOPs to address emerging challenges of investigations;
• Closely work with the Mentoring Specialist and the Legislation Specialist to identify emerging areas and address specific investigation challenges by developing new SOPs including but not limited to case selection and prioritization of important cases of corruption, categorization of corruption investigations as minor or complex, reaching out to police investigators or forensics, victim, witness, experts and whistle blower protection measures and use of multidisciplinary task forces when appropriate etc.
• design and deliver training after SOPs are enacted to ensure timely;
• Assess the legislation, process and capacity for tracing, freezing, seizing, managing, confiscating and returning of stolen assets to ensure asset recovery efforts are efficient and speedy and have a deterrent effect; identify the need for technical assistance and further support;
• Build the capacity of the asset recovery office of the federal CoI including but not limited to enhanced professional skills, increased capacity for bilateral cooperation, internationally proven mechanisms for asset recovery;
• Training justice professionals on writing of mutual legal assistance requests, initiating contact with law enforcement and judiciary institutions abroad ensure efficient recovery of assets, use of international mechanism such as STAR;
• Ensure learning, capture knowledge and lessons learned for UNDP and Iraqi;
• Support the communication unit with drafting material for publication on capacity building activities; draft memoranda, talking points, and policy analysis aimed at publicly disseminating;
• Advise on ways to incorporate and apply HRB/ RBM/MDGs approaches in the provision of technical assistance and advisory support
• Support the management team on donor and internal UNDP reporting.

Competencies

UN CORE VALUES AND COMPETENCIES

Professionalism: Shows pride in work and achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

Communication:Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; Asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience; Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be "clients " and seeks to see things from clients' point of view; Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; Identifies clients' needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients' environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Required Skills and Experience

Min. Academic Education

A Master’s degree in law, criminology or other relevant discipline.

Min. years of relevant Work experience

• A minimum of 7 years of experience as an investigator, prosecutor or judge, of which, minimum 4 years of experience on training justice professionals in the anti-corruption sector.

Required skills and competencies

• Experience and knowledge of the Middle-East;
• High analytical skills oriented towards problem-solving;
• Ability to engage in substantive legal and technical discussion with public officials;
• Excellent knowledge of asset recovery;
• Ability to model the UN's values and ethical standards, and to promote UNDP’s and the UN’s vision, mission, and strategic goals;
• Sensitivity and adaptability to cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality, and age.

Desired additional skills and competencies

• Skilled legal analyst with track record of published legal studies;
• Knowledge of Iraqi judiciary;
• Experience or knowledge of anticorruption in Iraq.

Required Language(s) (at working level)

• Fluency in English and Arabic is required.