Senior Legal Aid Expert

Contract

This is a UNV National Expert contract. This kind of contract is known as National UN Volunteer. It is normally only for nationals. More about UNV National Expert contracts.

This assignment is part of the UNDP's project aimed at strengthening the government system for crisis management and early recovery in Ukraine, as well as ensuring sustainability, effectiveness, and transparency in the continued crisis and emergency coordination. The project fosters response planning between the central government, the oblasts/rayons, and other stakeholders, including the international community, civil society organisations, and the private sector, while safeguarding the delivery of services and building stronger resilience among receiving/host communities and internally displaced persons (IDPs). UNDP aims to bolster the operational capacity and effectiveness of the "eVidnovlennia" program. The overarching objective is to ensure that the program is accessible, transparent, and provides equitable support to all eligible applicants, particularly focusing on internally displaced persons (IDPs) and other war-affected communities. It is in line with the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to achieve national strategic capacity development.

· Lead the design and organisation of processes and procedures for the provision of legal aid by the eVidnovlennia Support Group established at the Ministry of Community Development, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine (the Ministry) under the "eVidnovlennia" program

(Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 381 of 21 April 2023 with amendments of 30 May 2023), ensuring they align with program goals, legal guidelines, and ethical standards.

· Lead design and organization of monitoring activities under the “eVidnovlennia” program including relevant reporting to the Ministry.

· Manage and coordinate legal team providing legal aid (preparing recommendations, explanations and advice) and monitoring, ensuring optimal team productivity, clear communication, and high standards of legal advice. This includes assigning tasks, reviewing work, resolving issues, and fostering team development.

· Provide advanced legal guidance and advice when complex or unprecedented issues arise in providing legal aid.

· Analyse program data to evaluate the legal aid team’s performance and identify areas for improvement in the delivery of legal aid services.

· Collaborate with relevant stakeholders, including representatives of the Ministry, local self-governance authorities, eVidnovlenniia commissions, and government representatives, to ensure the legal aid services align with the broader objectives of the "eVidnovlennia" program and related legislation.

· Oversee the preparation and submission of comprehensive reports detailing the activities, progress, and impact of the legal aid provision, including challenges encountered and recommendations for improvement.

· Stay abreast of the latest legislative developments pertinent to the domain of compensation and restoration, ensuring the legal advice provided by the team is current, precise, and aligns with best practices.

· Contribute to capacity building within the legal aid team by facilitating training and learning opportunities.

· Ensure the legal aid team maintains the highest standards of professional and ethical conduct, confidentiality, and respect for the rights of the applicants.

· Foster a conducive work environment that encourages open communication, learning, and continuous improvement.

· Accountability

· Adaptability and flexibility

· Creativity

· Judgement and decision-making

· Planning and organising

· Professionalism

· Self-management

legal services on senior roles, preferably with experience in managing legal aid provision programs at the national level.

· Proven experience in providing legal counselling in the areas of Civil, Construction, and Housing Laws; understanding of the legislative framework related to compensation and restoration programs is an asset.

· Demonstrated experience in preparing and organising processes/procedures for legal aid provision, including experience in program reporting.

· Strong leadership and management skills, with experience in coordinating a legal team.

· Excellent oral and written skills; superior drafting, formulation, and reporting skills; ability to explain complex legal terms in simple, understandable language.

· Accuracy and professionalism in document production and editing.

· Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels.

· Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel.

· Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.) and email/internet; familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment.

· Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines.

· Sound security awareness;

As it is a national UN Volunteer's assignment, the volunteer shall organize his/her accommodation by themselves.

Entitlements of National UN Volunteer Expert (Kyiv Duty Station)

This is a full-time assignment. The contract lasts for the period indicated in the vacancy with the possibility of extensions subject to the availability of funding, operational necessity and satisfactory performance. However, there is no expectation of renewal of the assignment.

Allowances:

• Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA): A Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) USD 2006 (equivalent in UAH) is provided monthly to cover housing, utilities and normal cost of living expenses. This includes Well-Being Differentials for the period while the ICSC applies hardship classification to duty stations in Ukraine as “E”. • USD 400 entry lump sum, one-time payment.

Medical and life insurance:

• Medical insurance: The UN Volunteer and eligible PFU dependents will receive UNV provided medical insurance coverage. Coverage for UN Volunteers begins from the Commencement of Service and normally ceases one month after the last day of the UN Volunteer Contract date.

• Life Insurance: UN Volunteers are covered by life insurance for the duration of the UN Volunteer assignment. If a UN Volunteer dies during the UN Volunteer assignment, the eligible designated beneficiaries will be entitled to receive a life insurance lump sum. Leave entitlements:

• Annual leave:  UN Volunteers accrue an entitlement to 2.5 days of Annual Leave per completed month of the UN Volunteer assignment. Unused accrued Annual Leave up to a maximum of 30 days is carried over in case of a contract extension within the same UN Volunteer assignment. Unused accrued Annual Leave may not be carried over in case of reassignment or a new assignment. • Learning leave: Subject to supervisor approval and exigencies of service, UN Volunteers may request up to ten working days of Learning Leave per consecutive 12 months of the UN Volunteer assignment, starting with the Commencement of Service date, provided the Learning Leave is used within the contract period

• Certified Sick Leave: UN Volunteers are entitled to up to 30 days of certified sick leave based on a 12-month cycle. This amount is reset every 12-month cycle.

• Uncertified Sick Leave: UN Volunteers receive seven days of uncertified sick leave working days in a calendar year. This amount will be reset at the established interval period. You can check full entitlements at the duty station at https://app.unv.org/calculator.

The complete UN Volunteer Conditions of Service is available at https://explore.unv.org/cos