SENIOR EXPERT ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN GREECE (Paris, France) contract

Parent Sector : Social and Human Sciences Sector (SHS)

Duty Station: Paris

Job Family: Social and Human Sciences

Type of contract : Non Staff

Duration of contract : From 1 to 6 months

Recruitment open to : External candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Duty Station Time) : 2026-02-13

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

Greece is committed to improving the lives of persons with disabilities through national policies and international agreements. Following the successful implementation of the National Action Plan for the Rights of People with Disability 2020-2023, Greece will implement the National Strategy for the Rights of People with Disability 2024-2030 (the National Strategy). To deliver on such commitments and to operationalise the the National Strategy across different administrative levels, Greece has instituted through Law 4488/2017 a Coordinating Mechanism on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. To date, this Coordinating Mechanism shows a number of limitations with its operating model, chief amongst which are (i) lower levels of inter-agency coordination due to institution-specific mandates, priorities and procedures across the concerned agencies and levels of administration; (ii) capacity constraints within the decentralised governance operating model pertaining to data collection, management and analysis on disability issues; and (iii) ambiguities in the legal and policy framework concerning policies targeted towards persons with disabilities.

In this context, Greece has requested support from the European Commission in enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the Coordinating Mechanism with a view to backing the Government’s full and adequate implementation of the National Strategy.

Funded through the EU’s Technical Support Instrument, the ensuing Project will be implemented by UNESCO, in cooperation with the European Commission’s Reform and Investment Task Force (SG REFORM).

i.The Greek authorities are equipped with a clear overview of the institutional state of play of the Coordinating Mechanism and with recommendations for improvement based on EU good practice;

ii.The Greek authorities are equipped with the necessary tools and strategies for the enhancement of the Coordinating Mechanism; and

iii.The Greek authorities have an increased knowledge and capacity to implement the proposed improvements of the Coordinating Mechanism.  

To this end, UNESCO is organising an on-site team of a senior and junior expert to support, in conjunction with the central Project team at UNESCO Headquarters, country-specific delivery in Greece.

Under the overall guidance of the UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences (ADG/SHS) and the Director for Social Policies, supervision by the Programme Specialist, and in close collaboration with the junior expert, the senior expert will complete the following set of tasks in Greece:

Task 1: Building on work that have already been done, preparation of a report with recommendations and action plan to improve the governance operating model of the Coordinating Mechanism, which will entail supporting the Project team at UNESCO Headquarters in:

• Developing a report with recommendations, drawing on insights generated through the analysis report and good practices report (previously prepared);
• Organising consultation dialogues to gather additional insights on the draft recommendations; and
• Developing an action plan to implement the recommendations, including the definition of a vision and goals for multi-level governance of the Coordinating Mechanism, minimum requirements for the operating model and key phases for implementation.

Task 2: Supporting the preparation of Frequently Asked Questions on disability-related legislation and ensuing rights, which will entail supporting the Project team at UNESCO Headquarters in:

• Collaborating with legal experts in collecting stakeholder feedback on a codification exercise conducted by the legal experts, aiming to identify common questions and concerns regarding disability-related legislation in Greece;
• Collaborating with legal experts to draft a user-friendly and accurate FAQ section based on feedback received, to be published on the corresponding government website; and
• Proposing mechanisms for ongoing updates and expansions of the FAQ section.

Task 3: Preparation of a proposal for the reporting framework within the Coordinating Mechanism, which will entail supporting the Project team at UNESCO Headquarters in:

• Developing reporting templates catered to different levels of the Greek public administration;
• Reviewing business, functional and technical specifications for a corresponding IT system; and
• Compiling a report consolidating the templates and specifications, providing detailed sections on each category of reporting actors.

Task 4: Capacity building for the operating model of Coordinating Mechanism, which will entail supporting the Project team at UNESCO Headquarters in:

• Organising a webinar with relevant stakeholders in Greece on disability mainstreaming;
• Developing a toolkit and training materials covering disability mainstreaming and the proposed new operations of the Coordinating Mechanism as per Task 1; and
• Organising, an online instructional session on the effective use of the toolkit in daily operations.

Task 5: Preparation of a stakeholder engagement strategy report, which will entail supporting the Project team at UNESCO Headquarters in:

• Developing a report targeting relevant Project stakeholders, focusing on methods to improve collaboration, information sharing and mutual support between these stakeholders and the Coordinating Mechanism; and
• Organising a final dissemination event targeting key stakeholders within the Greek public administration.

Task 6: Regular liaison with the Project team at UNESCO Headquarters for optimal reporting on and coordination of the Project work in Greece, which will entail supporting the Project team at UNESCO Headquarters in:

• Coordinating with key counterparts in Greece, including the Project Advisory Group, to guide the work of the Project;
• Participating in and contributing to the regular calls, exchanges and reporting with SG REFORM and the Greek beneficiary authorities; and
• Facilitating informal translation and communication in Greek, especially with stakeholders at sub-national levels, when required.

Outputs should be delivered in English and/or Greek.

The following are to be delivered in/for Greece:

Accountability (C)

Communication (C)

Innovation (C)

Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement (C)

Planning and organising (C)

Results focus (C)

Teamwork (C)

Professionalism (C)

Academic Qualifications

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in public policy, social policy, public administration and/or governance; specialisation in disability is desirable; PhD is an asset.

Professional Experience

• Track record, with minimum 10 years of experience, in disability policy, governance, policy coherence and capacity building or similar areas.
• Demonstrated experience in conducting stakeholder analysis and consultations of relevance to disability policy.
• Experience in providing tailored, high-expertise technical support and implementing capacity building projects for the benefit of public administrations/governments.
• Experience working with or within the Greek public administration is an asset.

Skills

• Excellent research, writing and analytical skills.
• Solid advocacy, communication and presentation skills adapted to technical and general purposes.
• Familiarity with EU-funded projects, including multi-country technical support, considered an advantage.
• Strong interpersonal skills, including interacting with various actors and working effectively and respectfully in a complex environment on sensitive issues.
• Understanding and adherence to the UN principles.

Language

• Fluency in English and Greek, with excellent verbal and written skills.

• Please take into account this  positon is open to individual consultants
• Duration of contract : 6 months. 

Interested candidates should submit their applications to most@unesco.org with copy to l.chauvet@unesco.org, with a subject line ‘Senior expert in Greece application: [Candidate surname]’.

For individuals, the application should clearly indicate the preferred country(ies) of assignment and should consist of:

i.Personal CV.

ii.A cover letter/statement indicating how their qualifications and experiences make them suitable for the assignment.

iii. A written technical and financial proposal comprising:
1) the proposed approach for the undertaken of the assignment in line with the terms of reference; and 2) the amount to be charged for the assignment, which should be quoted in EUR.