Local Consultancy - National Legal Expert for mapping of employment programmes and legislation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Position:

UNFPA is looking for a National Legal Expert who will conduct complementary mapping and analysis of existing country-wide legislation (at the state, entity, district and cantonal levels) covering job placement and existing or common government services/programmes for strengthening capacities of unemployed/inactive populations.

The Legal Expert will be supervised by UNFPA Population Development Programme Specialist.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.  UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

Job Purpose:

Bosnia and Herzegovina is going through rapid and significant demographic changes characterised by high population emigration and negative natural change caused by higher mortality than fertility. This results in the country losing approximately 1.5% of its total population every year. Although official statistics report the country having around 3.4 million people, this number does not take into consideration past emigration trends. Demographers estimate that there are not more than 2.9 million people in the country at present.
Productivity levels of Bosnia and Herzegovina are quite low and estimated at around two-thirds of average productivity in the European Union. Also, inactivity and unemployment levels in the country are very high among women, with only one in three working age women earning an income from their work. The Labour Force Survey reports 51% of working age women (15-64) being inactive and an additional 20% unemployed in the labour market (the lowest rate in the whole Western Balkans region).
In the current demographic environment, productivity could be increased either through automation and robotics, or strengthening human capital, or immigration of skilled workers. However, there was little or no impact in this regard with educational systems still being rather outdated and failing to strengthen the population’s skills in line with modern labour market needs, while immigration remains limited with only 7,000 work permits allowed in 2025. In terms of inactive and unemployed women, the main barriers to their engagement in the labour market are low skills levels compared to labour market needs, lack of accessible and affordable childcare and care services for older family members, and the gender pay gap. Although employment bureaus exist across the country, their work is mostly focused on the self-registered unemployed working-age population, while the inactive population is not included in any employment initiatives.
UNFPA conducted an analysis of the effects of population trends on the provision of public services in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2022 with demographic and economic projections for the coming period. Demographic projections suggest that the country will lose more than half of its current total population by 2070 with older persons becoming the most populous group, accounting for 43% of the total population while children 0-14 will represent only about 10% of the total population. Economic projections calculated at an average annual economic growth rate of 2.5% suggest that the country will need additional 3% of GDP annually as of 2030 to maintain public services in the education, health care and pension sectors at current levels (without any advancements in these sectors). Although pensions are relatively stable, they do not cover many of the needs of older persons. When it comes to education and health care, it is projected that government authorities will not be able to maintain services across the country but might revise their approach and focus on more populated areas (usually urban or sub-urban areas). This means that many young people living in rural areas with already lower access to public services will be pushed into emigration while older persons could easily fall below poverty levels and remain without basic access to health and social protection.
As part of the initiatives to strengthen human capital in the country, UNFPA has conducted several surveys and implemented several pilot training programmes aimed at developing adequate training models for strengthening the role of inactive and long-term unemployed women in cooperation with the private sector in the country. In addition, UNFPA has provided support to the entity governments in the development of entity population strategies, with a focus on the quality of human capital rather than its sheer number. Currently, UNFPA is conducting two surveys, one with inactive and long-term unemployed women and the other one with employers aimed at determining and validating the factors that influence women’s inactivity and/ or long-term unemployment in the labour market. These surveys are expected to provide evidence for drafting country-wide legislation that would enable government institutions to identify the inactive population and provide them with relevant community-level support, resulting  in strengthening of their skills and self-confidence and enabling them to join the labour market (through activation and employment).
In view of this, UNFPA is looking for a National Legal Expert who will conduct complementary mapping and analysis of existing country-wide legislation (at the state, entity, district and cantonal levels) covering job placement and existing or common government services/programmes for strengthening capacities of unemployed/inactive populations. 
 

You would be responsible for:

a.    Review of legislation on job placement and common employment programmes by 1 November 2025;
b.    Field visits and interviews by mid November 2025;
c.    Draft report in English language to UNFPA by 1 December 2025 (with comments from UNFPA by 12 December 2025);
d.    Final report in English language to UNFPA by 19 December 2025.

The Legal Expert will be obliged to present his/her findings, conclusions and recommendations at a conference to be organised by UNFPA in spring 2026 where other research reports will be presented as well and recommendations validated with relevant stakeholders.
 

Expected Travel

The field mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina will be organised by the Legal Expert and it has to encompass meetings with relevant stakeholders at the state level, in both entities, district and in at least five cantons (if not all).
Travel related costs for the field mission will be paid to the Legal Expert in addition to service fee using the UNFPA travel policy.

The Legal Expert will be paid Daily Subsistence Allowance in line with the UNFPA Rules and Regulation and will be obliged to make own accommodation reservations for the missions.

Qualifications and Experience: 

Education:  

Master in law or higher;

Knowledge and Experience: 

Languages: 

Required Competencies: 

Values:

Core Competencies: 

Functional Competencies:

●    Excellent analytical and research skills;
●    Good technical verbal and writing skills;
●    Strong presentation skills to convey messaging to relevant stakeholders;
●    Analytical mindset with the ability to think critically, identify problems, and propose innovative solutions;

Compensation and Benefits:

UNFPA reserves the right to offer to the selected candidate the rate in accordance with UNFPA consultant rates and UNFPA available budget. Payment for contractors will not exceed average UNFPA rates for national consultants..

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.

Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements. 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts. 

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.