Senior Corruption Investigation Mentoring Specialist

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 reporting on all tasks should be provided within agreed timelines. The Specialist will closely work with a team a Specialists and management support. To ensure synergies and complementarity, he/she will closely coordinate with the Senior Investigation and Adjuration Specialist who will prepare and deliver the training to justice professionals.

Scope of Work

Under the supervision of the Project Manager, the Senior Corruption Investigation Mentoring Specialist will mentor anti-corruption investigators and multidisciplinary investigative teams with a focus on major cases of corruption notably those brought before the Central Anti-Corruption Courts. Specifically, the Specialist will undertake the following:

• Using the comprehensive assessment of existing skills, training capacity and trainingneeds in investigation and other existing assessments, identify the needs that can be addressed through mentoring including number of investigators that will be mentored, skills that can be improved and how and when mentoring and coaching will take place;
• Identify and addressing emerging issues that can be addressed through mentoring notably when theoretical knowledge or new ideas in legislation needs to be translated into practical daily application;
• Incentivize the use of diversified techniques to bring about a change of organizational culture with the aim to increase the efficiency of investigation in complex organized crimes, enhance inter-agency cooperation, improve the tracing and freezing of stolen assets;
• Draft standard operating procedures, factsheets, manuals and procedural diagrams for challenges arising during investigation in close consultation with the Senior Investigation and Adjucation Specialist;
• Establish good rapport and trust relationship with CoI investigators and head of investigation department so that weaknesses in investigations and skills are shared and advice provided is taken on board;
• Carefully plan mentoring and coaching between different sites, levels of skills and the needs of investigators in the short and medium term;
• Provide technical advise on investigation ofcorruption offenses based on best practice, established mentoring methodologies, the needs of the investigators and in line with country legal framework, covering a wide range of areas from evidence gathering and the use of circumstantial evidence, interviewing, protecting witness, the use of forensics accounting and auditing, case selection and prioritization, to use of detection agencies such as AML/CFT and BoSA etc;
• Support the investigators to use the full power of their function notably seeking discretion from the investigative judges widen the scope of investigation, encourage horizontal cooperation with detection officials bypassing cumbersome and lenthy hieararchical bureaucracy, and the use of less formalistic and more functional approach with investigative judges;
• Support investigators with drafting of investigation reports, indictements that are currently missing in practice, the file case etc;
• Support invesgation department to develop forms, safe internal communication, filing and archiving;
• Undertake regular assessment of capacity building and mentoring with a view to improve performance and increase the satisfaction of public partner institutions;
• Identify the needs for additional national and international mentoring experts on specificialized areas
• 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 publiclydisseminating;
• Support the management team on donor and internal UNDP reporting.

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.

Min. Academic Education:

• A master’s degree in law, criminology, human rights or other relevant discipline

Min. years of relevant Work experience:

• A minimum of 7 years of experience as a crime detection official, an investigator or a prosecutor, of which, minimum 4 years of experience on coaching, mentoring or training justice professionals in crime investigation.

Required skills and competencies:

• High analytical skills oriented towards problem-solving
• Ability to engage in substantive legal and technical discussion with law enforcement officials
• Excellent knowledge of anti-corruption investigation
• The 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 mentor with track record of mentoring law enforcement officials
• Experience or Knowledge of Iraqi anticorruption and judiciary institutions
• Experience and knowledge of the Middle-East

Required Language(s) (at working level):

• Fluency in English and Arabic is required.