Issued by: OSCE Mission in Kosovo

Vacancy number: VNKOSC02332

Vacancy type: Experts/Consultants

Number of posts: 1

Duty station: Prishtine / Pristina

Date of issue: 25 March 2021

Deadline for application: 11 April 2021 - 23: 59 Central European Time (CET/CEST)

Background

Press Council of Kosovo (PCK) is a self-regulatory body for the print and online media. Its members adhere to the Code of Conduct, its Statute and Rules of Procedure, all adopted in 2005 when the Council was established with the help and by the OSCE. Freedom of speech, the right of residents to be duly and completely informed and adherence to the Press Code of Kosovo are the foundations of the Press Council of Kosovo (PCK). The aim of PCK is to protect the public from false information and the journalists from groundless complaints. The PCK has 40 regular members from newspaper, online media and news agencies, and three independent members; the chairman and two vice-chairman. The Board of PCK is comprised of representatives of newspapers, news portals, magazines, news agencies and blogs, respectively their editors-in-chief. PCK strategy for the period of 2019-2024 will be focused in strengthening the adherence of the Press Code of Kosovo; education of young journalists and students of journalism in relation to the principles of Press Code of Kosovo with the aim of ensuring the right of public to be rightly informed. The OSCE Mission in Kosovo (OSCE) Media Section will assist the PCK in updating its Strategy, Statute and Rules of Procedure in order to cover aspects of self-regulation of online news portals and possible inclusion of projects on media and information literacy considering that the Alliance of Independent Press Councils of Europe (AIPCE) has already launched its programme on MIL.

Objective

Upon a request from PCK, the local consultant will advise the PCK on European standards on freedom of media and freedom of speech and best practices of self-regulation, utilizing experiences of other press councils. The consultant will ensure collaboration with the staff of the PCK on improving performance and aligning relevant PCK documents and rules of procedure with latest best practices. Special attention is to be focused on introducing decision-making mechanisms necessary to give more strength and authority to the PCK and its adjudications. The consultant is expected to provide professional insight on self-regulatory mechanisms to all PCK members during their assignment. The consultant will guide the PCK members during the process of identifying and drafting necessary amendments of the key PCK documents. The consultant will work closely with the members of the PCK, providing expertise and assistance in related matters.

The duration of consultancy is 20 working days.

Tasks and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the activity manager and the overall supervision of the Project Manager, the local consultant will deliver the following tasks:

  • Propose amendments to the Statute of the Press Council of Kosovo
  • Propose amendments to the Press Code of Kosovo in line with European best practices of self-regulation
  • Propose amendments to the PCK Rules of Procedure
  • Review the past and present situation of the structure of the Press Council of Kosovo
  • Outline the importance and role of a self-regulatory body in a modern democracy
  • Advise and inform on the best practices of media self-regulation
  • Advise and inform on the way self-regulatory bodies operate in harmony with media laws in western democracies
  • Review and suggest amendments to the key documents of the PCK
  • Brainstorm and assist the PCK members to contribute to the development of new internal mechanisms vital for the smooth flow of the operations of the PCK
  • Advise and suggest improvements related to the operations of the PCK Secretariat
  • Provide written guidelines for further improvement of the work of the PCK
  • Notify the PCK and other participants on possible consequences in case of non-compliance with the decisions of self-regulatory bodies
  • Provide strategies for well-functioning and financial wellbeing of a self-regulatory body.

Deliverables

After receiving information from Media Section activity manager on the tasks outlined above and in coordination with the PCK Director and the Secretariat, the consultant will deliver the following:

  • Submit the first draft with proposed amendments to the Press Code of Kosovo in line with European best practices of self-regulation and proposed amendments to the PCK Rules of Procedure and the PCK Statute to the OSCE Mission by May 2021
  • Address comments and discuss proposed amendments in the PCK Board Meeting by end of June 2021
  • Collate final proposals, integrate them into the final documents and final report, and submit to activity manager by July 2021.

Performance Indicators

  • Final document incorporating amendments to the current Statute and Rules of Procedure and the Press Code received by the Mission and delivered in time in an appropriate format and quality as requested by the Press Council and the activity manager
  • Consultancy implemented as planned
  • Submit final report to the project/activity manager latest ten (10) days after the completion of the assigned tasks.

Necessary Qualifications

  • University degree in social studies, languages, journalism, law, education or other related field
  • At least five years of relevant working experience in the subject matter
  • Professional knowledge of media landscape in Kosovo would be desirable
  • Professional knowledge of English language
  • Ability to produce reports, excellent report writing skills
  • Computer literacy.

Remuneration Package

Remuneration will depend on the qualifications and experience of individual experts as well as the detailed work plan to be agreed upon and will be based on the current OSCE consultancy rates.

How To Apply

In order to apply for this position you must complete the OSCE's online application form, found under //jobs.osce.org/">https: //jobs.osce.org/. Applicants are encouraged to use the online recruitment and only fully completed OSCE applications will be accepted. However, if you have technical difficulties with the system you may use the offline application form found under //jobs.osce.org/resources/document/offline-application-form">https: //jobs.osce.org/resources/document/offline-application-form and forward the completed form quoting the vacancy number by e-mail to: [email protected]">[email protected] In line with your qualifications please indicate preference to one or more field of expertise listed above (while using the online application the field of expertise preference can be indicated in the cover letter part). Kindly note that applications received after the deadline, submitted in different formats than the OSCE Application Form or inother languages than the English language would not be considered. The OSCE is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious,ethnic and social backgrounds to apply

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This vacancy is archived.

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