Legal Officer

UNOPS mission is to expand the capacity of the UN system and its partners to implement peace building, humanitarian and development operations that matter for people in need.
Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, UNOPS vision is to always satisfy partners with management services that meet world-class standards of quality, speed and cost effectiveness. By assisting UN organizations, international financial institutions, governments and other development partners, UNOPS makes significant, tangible contributions to results on the ground. UNOPS employs around 3,500 personnel annually and on behalf of its partners creates thousands more work opportunities in local communities. With its headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark, a network of five regional offices and a further 20 operations and project centers, UNOPS oversees activities in more than 80 countries. UNOPS is committed to achieving a truly diverse workforce. In an effort to promote organizational excellence, UNOPS seeks highly qualified individuals for the following position:



Vacancy code VA/2014/B5106/5451
Position title Legal Officer
Department/office AEMO, JMOC, Jerusalem
Duty station Ramallah, Palestine (State of)
Contract type Local ICA Specialist
Contract level LICA Specialist-5
Duration One year with possibility of extension
Application period 19-Jun-2014 to 09-Sep-2014


Background Information - Job-specific

UNOPS JMPC is supporting the Canadian government with the implementation of two components of the Sharaka project, a multi-year DFATD-funded program of assistance directed at strengthening the Office of Attorney General/Public Prosecution (OAG/PP) in order to enhance its contribution to the stability, prosperity and democratic development of the West Bank.

The Canadian-funded Sharaka Project requires the services of two qualified Legal Officers to facilitate the Project’s efforts at developing operational guidelines for prosecutors.  Criminal prosecutors have broad discretion in the way they conduct cases. This freedom of action is necessary in order to allow them to respond to the specific circumstances of each case.  That said, the importance of legitimate discretion is not inconsistent with the establishment of guiding principles on a number of operational matters.  Increasing the efficiency of the Palestinian prosecution service requires that professional knowledge and experience be recorded and that standard ways of tackling certain subjects be developed. To that end, the Project will help the prosecution service produce some guidelines which will be a source of assistance on selected aspects of the prosecutors' work.  Guidelines will, among other things, serve to preserve and disseminate knowledge within the prosecution service and to ensure a fair and consistent approach to the handling of certain situations.

The two Legal Officers will be entirely dedicated to the effort of developing the operational guidelines.  They will work collaboratively with each other, Canadian experts, the Sharaka Project team and OAG officials.  Each Legal Officer will focus on the following tasks: gather information on the way in which the issue under consideration is dealt with in law and in practice at the local level, identify context-sensitive measures that could be taken to harmonize the prosecutors' approach to the issue, and write for discussion purposes a standard procedure on that subject. The Legal Officer will work under the direction of a Coordination Committee made up of two OAG/PP officials and the Sharaka Project Deputy Field Director.   

For these two positions:
UNOPS will be responsible for remuneration and contract related matters.
The Sharaka Project, headed by the Sharaka Field Director, will be the Project Authority and will be responsible for providing overall project-related direction to the Officer in his/her support to the OAG.  On the final day of each calendar quarter (i.e., every three months) the Officers will provide the Sharaka Field Director with a one-page report outlining progress on the Officer’s activities.
The OAG, through the Planning Unit Head, will act as the Technical Authority providing daily supervision and substantive guidance to the Officers on matters of internal OAG management, needs and priorities, and will facilitate the Officers’ integration with the OAG.  In all of their dealings, the Officers will be driven by a focus on attaining the strategic objectives of the OAG and the Sharaka Project, and will work closely with the heads of OAG divisions and Sharaka team members in order to achieve this.

Functional Responsibilities

The Legal Officers will be working exclusively on the development of operational guidelines for prosecutors.  Duties will include, but are not limited to:
Working collaboratively with Canadian experts.  This will include reviewing documents developed by Justice Canada officials on a particular subject (such documents will identify the main issues surrounding the subject under consideration and will indicate some potential options on how these issues can be addressed).
Conducting rigorous research and analysis of the subject under consideration.  This research will focus on the current situation in the Palestinian Authority and in neighbouring countries. 
Articulating the above-noted research in clear, rigorous and concise discussion papers.  The Legal Officer will then refine the discussion papers based on consultation with Justice Canada officials.
Leading consultations with various OAG/PP officials based on the discussion paper and on the issues and options document prepared by Justice Canada officials.
Writing draft operational guidelines in clear and concise language.
Presenting the draft operational guidelines to the Coordination Committee.
Refining the draft operational guidelines following feedback received from the Coordination Committee.
Assisting in the effort to seek the Attorney General’s approval of the operational guidelines.

3-Monitoring and Progress Controls
Successful completion of the tasks explained in the previous paragraph.  Successful and timely delivery of all activities and products.  Development of operational guidelines.
On the final day of each calendar quarter (i.e., every three months) the Officers will provide the Sharaka Field Director with a one-page report outlining progress on activities.

4-Final Product

Operational guidelines for prosecutors.

Competencies

Key Competencies
Excellent ability to conduct in-depth, rigorous research.
Excellent ability to articulate complex concepts in easy to understand language.
Strong ability to work collaboratively.
Strong ability to listen to stakeholder concerns, understand them, and take them into account in the development and analysis of policy.
Possess tactfulness and the ability to provide professional leadership.
Ability to take into account gender equality considerations in the development of policy.
Ability to work effectively under conditions of limited or dual supervision.
Ability to set priorities and meet deadlines.
Strong attention to detail.
Excellent analytical ability, sound judgment, independent and creative thinking.
Ability to use computer software related to an office environment (Microsoft Office Suite or equivalent).

Education/Experience/Language requirements

a-Education

Master’s degree in law.  Additional years of relevant work experience, in combination with a bachelor’s degree in law, may substitute for the requirement for a master’s degree.

b-Work Experience

At least five (5) years  of legal experience related to the criminal law.
Knowledge of Palestinian justice sector, in particular prosecutions, an asset.

 

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c-Languages

Strong written and verbal communication skills in Arabic.
Intermediate written and verbal communication skills in English are an asset.

d-Others (assets)

Experience with conducting legal research.
Experience with conducting consultations.
Experience developing policies (e.g., guidelines, standard operating procedures).

Contract type, level and duration

Contract type: Individual Contractor Agreement
Contract level: Local ICA level 5
Contract duration: One Year with possibility of extension


Important message to all applicants!
-Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time (CET)
-Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
-Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
-Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
-The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the
UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.
-UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a level below the advertised level of the post
It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns.
Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.
For more information on UNOPS, please visit the UNOPS
website at www.unops.org

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