Expert on Railway Infrastructure to The Recovery and Reform Support Team (RST) at the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine

Expert: Railway Infrastructure

1. Objective(s) and Linkages to Reforms

The Recovery and Reform Support Team (RST) at the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine (MCTID or Ministry) is a group of Ukrainian professionals (non-civil servants) funded on a temporary basis through the Ukraine Recovery and Reform Architecture (URA)[1] programme that provides targeted technical support and assists the Ministry in the design and implementation of priority reforms. The RST will assist in filling capacity gaps in the design and implementation of priority reform strategies and programmes, while strengthening links and partnerships between the Ministry`s priorities and relevant donor support.

Priority areas for the RST at the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine will be:

• Transport Infrastructure;
• Municipal Infrastructure;
• Regional Development and Decentralisation;
• Digitalisation;
• Public Administration Reform and Capacity Building.

The Railway Transport Reform is one of the largest and one of the top priorities of the Government of Ukraine and the Ministry in Transport Infrastructure sector. Reforming the railway industry according to European models, in particular, the adoption of the Law of Ukraine “On Railway Transport of Ukraine”, is one of the Ukraine Plan indicators and is an important precondition for Ukraine’s European integration course.

The Expert on Railway Infrastructure will be primarily responsible for providing support to the Ministry in the implementation of Railway Transport Reform following the requirements of the EU acquis and taking into account priorities defined in the Ukraine Plan, Annual European Commission’s Enlargement Reports on Ukraine, National Transport Strategy of Ukraine up to 2030, and others, namely developing and supporting draft laws and by-laws, preparing analytical, presentational and informational materials, providing consultancy advice, organising events and meetings, etc. The Expert on Railway Infrastructure will also provide the Ministry with other needed support in the accession process in part related to railway transport and in solving legal and organisational issues related to the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes project.

2. Position and Reporting Line

The Expert on Railway Infrastructure will be a full-time consultant at the RST and primarily cooperate with the Railway Transport Department of the Ministry, and to a lesser extent – with other structural units of the Ministry and JSC «Ukrainian Railways».

The Expert will be subordinated to the RST Director, Deputy Director on Transport Infrastructure and Senior Project Manager (SPM) on Railway Infrastructure.

3. Duration of the Assignment

This consultancy appointment is expected to start in October 2024 and has an estimated duration till August 2025. Subject to the availability of funding, performance of the selected consultant and the specific needs of the RST, this appointment may be extended.

4. Main Duties and Responsibilities 

• Support the SPM in the coordination and direct performance of Railway Transport Reform (in close cooperation with the Railway Transport Department of the Ministry), as per recommendations outlined in key strategic documents – Ukraine Plan, Annual European Commission’s Enlargement Reports on Ukraine, National Transport Strategy of Ukraine up to 2030, and others, in the following areas:
  • analysis of current legislation in the railway sector and preparing comments on its improvement;
  • analysis of European legislation and policies in the field of railway transport;
  • legal support during the process of adoption of the draft Law “On Railway Transport of Ukraine”;
  • drafting other laws and secondary legislation for the implementation of the provisions of the Law of Ukraine “On Railway Transport of Ukraine”;
• providing support for draft laws and by-laws during their approval process in the Ministries, Cabinet of Ministers, Parliament, and other state agencies;
• providing consulting services and legal support in the creation (reorganisation) of public administration bodies in the field of railway transport in accordance with relevant EU regulations;
• consulting services and support in the unbundling of JSC “Ukrainian Railways” and in the implementation of a new tariff system, all in line with the EU acquis;
• consulting services and assistance in the implementation of the public service obligations (PSO) concept for passenger transportation;
• consulting services and legal support in the improvement of railway operational processes and services;
• consulting services and assistance in development of the updated edition of the National Transport Strategy of Ukraine, planning of the activities of the Ministry in the process of European integration of Ukraine in the part related to railway transport;
• other responsibilities as assigned by the SPM on Railway Infrastructure and the RST Director.

The specified lists of the scope of work, services and expected deliverables can be modified and supplemented on request from the Ministry and in agreement with the EBRD and the EU Delegation to Ukraine.

5. Qualifications, Skills and Experience

5.1. Qualifications and Skills:

• Master`s degree (or equivalent of a post-graduate degree) in Law, International Law, Transport, or other relevant field;
• Master`s degree (or equivalent of a post-graduate degree) in Project Management, Business Administration, Public Administration/Public Affairs, Political Science, Public Policy is an advantage;
• good understanding of the Ukrainian legislative process and legal regulation in the transport sector;
• understanding the peculiarities of the EU legislation system in general and EU rail acquis in particular;
• strong analytical, communication and presentation skills;
• ability to learn quickly and apply gained knowledge in a practice;
• impeccable ethical standards and personal belief in reforms;
• PC literacy in Microsoft software (PowerPoint, Excel, Word, Project), Google Apps (Gmail, Calendar, Google Docs);
• fluency in Ukrainian and English.

5.2. Professional Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of general professional experience in law firm, public or business administration;
• at least 3 years of experience in the transport sector and/or public policy.

5.3. Other Competencies:

• Proven knowledge and professional experience in civil, corporate or business law is an advantage;
• proven knowledge and professional experience in railway transport is a strong advantage;
• experience with the reform implementation in Ukraine, especially as related to transport sector is an advantage;
• familiarity with current Ukraine’s reform agenda, good understanding of policy formulation processes and policy dialogues is a plus;
• experience with government entities and their mandate and processes is an asset.

6. Funding Source

The funding source of this assignment is the EBRD Ukraine Stabilisation and Sustainable Growth Multi-Donor Account (MDA). Contributors to the MDA are Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union, the largest donor.

Please note, selection and contracting will be subject to the availability of funding.

7. Submissions

Submissions must be prepared in English only and be delivered electronically by September 15, 2024, 23:59 (Kyiv time)

All submissions must include:

• a completed Application Form;
• the candidate’s Curriculum Vitae;
• NDA form;
• contact details of three referees who, if contacted, can attest to the professional and/or educational background of the candidate.

Important notice: only Ukrainian nationals are eligible to apply; civil servants are not eligible to apply unless 6 months have elapsed since they left such employment.

Only applications, which have been submitted using the correct template and are fully completed, will be considered.

8. Selection Procedure

Following the evaluation of all applications received, selected candidates may be invited to the written tests. Only shortlisted candidates will be invited to the interview.

[1] Ukraine Recovery and Reform Architecture (URA) is a comprehensive technical assistance programme deployed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), in partnership with the European Union, to support critical recovery and reform processes in Ukraine. URA is financed from the Ukraine Stabilisation and Sustainable Growth Multi-Donor Account (MDA) managed by the EBRD.