International Expert to conduct in – depth assessment of the Out-of-Country (OCV) implementation in Albania

Background:

The OSCE Presence in Albania (PiA) through the ExB “Support to Electoral Reform and Process in Albania” project, supported by Sweden, Switzerland, the U.S Mission to the OSCE and Poland, aims to contribute to an all-inclusive and participatory electoral process in line with OSCE commitments and OSCE/ODIHR recommendations.

The 2025 parliamentary elections in Albania marked a major step towards electoral development with the first – ever implementation of OCV. This milestone followed years of advocacy from the Presence, pushing for inclusive electoral reform and alignment with Constitutional Court decisions. To support the Central Election Commission (CEC), the ExB “Support to Electoral Reform and Process in Albania” Project undertook several efforts, including organizing a study visit for CEC officials to Bosnia and Herzegovina to understand OCV operations, engaged two senior outreach experts – an international one to design a dedicated outreach methodology for OCV voters and a local one to coordinate and implement it, contracted a multimedia company to execute a high-impact digital campaign aligned with key electoral deadlines, in addition to donating IT equipment to the CEC with the purpose of equipping the OCV Counting Center with the necessary infrastructure for its purpose.

This first-time implementation of OCV reflects a significant democratic development that enhances electoral inclusiveness, particularly for diaspora communities. Understanding its legal, operational and procedural implications is essential for institutional learning and to uphold OSCE commitments to transparency, accountability and participatory governance.

Approximately 245,000 voters successfully registered and cast their ballots from outside Albania. The OCV process was a legally and operationally demanding milestone. These included issues related to document verification, voter registration platforms, public outreach, ballot security, delivery logistics and vote counting procedures. Several decisions and sublegal acts were adopted by the CEC to operationalize the OCV.

The International Election Observation Mission, in their Statement of Preliminary Findings and Conclusions for Albania’s parliamentary election on 11 May 2025 note that there was an adequate regulatory framework for OCV, though some aspects were adopted late. The CEC managed to organize OCV under tight deadlines but during the process some challenges were noted such as reported delays in delivery in some countries, instances where the voter did not receive a ballot or received two ballots and the duplicate printing of voters’ address labels, in addition to delays in the counting of OCV ballots, due to a complaint by the opposition related to verification of some ballots.[1]

The process was considered a positive development by some stakeholders but has also faced criticism and formal contestation from political stakeholders and diaspora organizations, including concerns on procedural integrity and transparency.

In light of these developments, the Project seeks to engage an international expert to conduct in – depth analysis of the requirements and challenges for implementing OCV in Albania for the first time, identify lessons learned, including drawing from ODIHR findings in the final report pertaining to the 11 May 2025 parliamentary elections in Albania and offer concrete recommendations for future improvements.

The international expert will provide an in – depth analytical and comparative analysis of the Albanian OCV implementation in light of domestic legislation and offer recommendations aimed at strengthening the legal, institutional and operational framework for future OCV processes, in line with OSCE commitments and democratic standards.

1.Upon consultations with PiA and CEC, develop a methodology/work plan with milestones for carrying the assignment within a set timeframe.

[by 3 days of contract signing]

2. Conduct desk research of all relevant legal and sublegal acts adopted by the Assembly, Government, CEC and other state institutions concerning the OCV process, including the Constitutional Court’s decision and its implementation by the Assembly, Governmental and Parliamentary plans concerning OCV and the CEC’s operationalization through sublegal acts, including opposition views. Additionally, compare the current legal framework with domestic legislation, international standards, potential ODIHR recommendations for the 11 May elections and best practices from similar contexts. Also, assess the inclusiveness of the OCV process, including any barriers to participation for underrepresented groups such as women, youth or marginalized communities.

[by 2 weeks of delivering work plan for carrying out the assignment]

3. Organise online and/or on-site meetings with stakeholders, including CEC, and relevant civil society organizations.

4.Analyse the approach used by Assembly, the CEC and other institutions during the drafting and implementation of legal and sublegal acts, planning, execution and post – election phases of the OCV process, with a focus:

- on public consultations and communication with all relevant stakeholders;

- on the challenges in OCV voter registration, ballot delivery and return mechanisms and counting and tabulation of results;

- on the outreach efforts and outreach efforts targeting OCV voters;

on the institutional cooperation between the Assembly, CEC, Ministry of Interior and other relevant institutions.

Detailed report of the consultations and findings.

[by 2 weeks from the delivering the desk research]

5.Drawing from the desk research and the consultations, identify potential legislative, implementation or institutional gaps, through analytical and comparative lens and provide concrete recommendations for improving the legal, sublegal, institutional and cooperation framework for OCV.

[by 2 weeks of delivering the report on consultations and findings]

6. Organize an online consultation meeting with the relevant stakeholders to gather feedback on the first draft of the research

[by 2 weeks of delivering the first draft of the analytical and comparative analysis report]

7. Assemble all research findings and proposed recommendations into a final report and present it in an online or on-site format.

[by 2 weeks of organizing the feedback gathering process]

The project will cover the other SSA related cost for the expert, namely flight ticket; terminal allowance; daily subsistence allowance for traveling to Albania

Qualifications:

· Advanced degree in Law, Political Science or related fields;

· Minimum 10 years of experience in electoral assistance and administration, including extensive OCV experience;

· Prior experience working with ODIHR election observation missions, including drafting reports is considered an asset.

· Proven expertise in comparative electoral law and electoral integrity;

· Knowledge of international practices in the area;

· Familiarity with the political and social landscape in Albania;

· Excellent communication and drafting skills in English;

· Working knowledge of Albanian or prior experience in the Western Balkans region is considered an advantage.

· Demonstrated gender awareness and ability to integrate a gender perspective into tasks and activities is considered an asset;

· Computer literate and able to adjust to online working.

Remuneration Package:

Remuneration will be based on the selected consultant's/expert's qualifications, experience, the tasks and deliverables for this position and in accordance with the OSCE established rates.

If you wish to apply for this position, please use the OSCE's online application link found under https://vacancies.osce.org/.

The OSCE retains the discretion to re-advertise/re-post the vacancy, to cancel the recruitment or to offer an appointment with a modified job description or for a different duration.

Only those candidates who are selected to participate in the subsequent stages of recruitment will be contacted.

The OSCE is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all religious, ethnic and social backgrounds to apply to become a part of the Organization.

Candidates should be aware that OSCE officials shall conduct themselves at all times in a manner befitting the status of an international civil servant. This includes avoiding any action which may adversely reflect on the integrity, independence and impartiality of their position and function as officials of the OSCE. The OSCE is committed to applying the highest ethical standards in carrying out its mandate. For more information on the values set out in OSCE Competency Model, please see https://jobs.osce.org/resources/document/our-competency-model.

Please be aware that the OSCE does not request payment at any stage of the application and review process. Additional Information