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Written by Balkan Fund Monday, 19 July 2010 14:49

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

Practicing Europe

Fellowship Programme for Young Government Officials from the Western Balkans - Supporting Excellence and Leadership in Governance

April 2011 – July 2011

We are looking for the decision-makers of tomorrow who want to shape regional and European collaboration using their energy and enthusiasm

Applications will be accepted from July 20 – September 20, 2010

PURPOSE

The Programme aims to contribute to the development of effective and efficient state administrations in the region by offering a tailor-made fellowship and training programme for highly qualified young professionals from the central government (including entity and cantonal level government in Bosnia Herzegovina and regional level government of Vojvodina in Serbia) of the countries of the Western Balkans.

AWARD

Up to 20 scholarships are made available for civil servants from the Western Balkans to spend a three-month fellowship in government institutions in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain.

By participating in the Programme, the Fellows have the opportunity to:

get professional experience in EU countries’ federal or state government agencies,
gain peer-to-peer exchange of experience,
receive training on EU (and other international) issues,
receive training on their respective field of expertise,
acquire leadership and management skills at seminars,
have an opportunity to get closely acquainted with their colleagues from the region as well as the EU, and thus
create links between administrations through individual networks,
serve as ambassadors of their respective countries,
learn a foreign language and
participate in the alumni network.

WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

Civil Servants of ministries in the Western Balkan countries can apply.

The Programme is specifically designed for civil servants¹ from the central government (including entity and cantonal level government in Bosnia Herzegovina and regional level government of Vojvodina in Serbia) who have several years of professional experience in public administration and have already assumed initial managerial responsibilities or are preparing for a position of leadership. Basic knowledge of the workings of the European Union is required and personal enthusiasm for the European idea is essential.

PREREQUISITES FOR APPLICATION

national of one of the Western Balkan countries,
maximum age of 40,
at least 3 (ideally 5) years of professional experience upon completing studies,
at least 2 years as a civil servant for state authority,
initial managerial experience or prospects of assuming leadership responsibilities,
excellent academic qualifications,
very good knowledge of English,
ideally basic knowledge of the language of the host country,
sound knowledge of national and international politics and economics,
strong interest in the political development of Europe,
negotiating skills,
team-work skills,
initiative and definite readiness to perform,
excellent writing skills,
ability and readiness to acquaint oneself with various different topics in a short period of time,
ability and readiness to complete inter-disciplinary work in inter-departmental working groups,
ability and readiness to organise one’s own life arrangements in a new environment.

HOW TO APPLY

The application process for the Fellowship Programme consists of three phases:

•   Online application
•   Submitting additional documents via E-mail (upon request)
•   Interview

Applications will be made exclusively through the online application form and must be submitted before September 20, 2010 CET.
Please refer to the Guidelines for Applicants for more details regarding the application procedure.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

After the deadline, the applications will be evaluated by the European Fund for the Balkans. The pre-selection will be conducted on the basis of the online application and short-listed candidates will be notified of the results by e-mail at the end of September 2010, with an invitation for an interview. The candidates will need to confirm their attendance at the interview within a week of receiving the notice.
The final selection will take into account the candidates’ application, and the results of the interview. It will be conducted by an independent Selection Committee composed of the European Fund for the Balkans and external experts. The interviews will be carried out in October 2010 in Belgrade and Skopje.

FINANCE AND BENEFITS

The costs for participation in the Programme will be covered by the European Fund for the Balkans. Throughout the Fellowship Programme, fellows will receive a monthly stipend, in addition to a relocation fee. The costs for language training are reimbursed up to a fixed amount. Travel, accommodation, visa fees and health insurance (if necessary) and any other essential maintenance costs relating to seminars and other compulsory events are also covered. The EFB supports the fellows with organisational issues.

PROGRAMME SCHEDULE

Intensive language training: January – End of March 2011 (two months maximum within this period)
Introduction seminar: April 2011, 10 days
Working phase I: April – Mid May 2011
Intermediary seminar: Mid May 2011, 3 days
Working phase II: May – June 2011
Final Seminar: Beginning of July 2011, 5 days

PRACTICAL INFO

Interested candidates can apply from July 20 – September 20 2010. Deadline for application is September 20. Applications received after this date will not be accepted.

Only applications received online can be accepted. Candidates will have to submit a letter of approval from their supervisors for leave of absence for the whole duration of the Programme (April 2011 – beginning of July 2011). Candidates will also have to indicate two references who are willing to be contacted by e-mail. In addition, candidates will have to submit a ‘motivation letter’ including detailed written presentation of the motive for applying for the fellowship programme as well as medium and long-term professional goals and expectations about the stay in the host institution. Please refer to the Guidelines for Applicants for more details regarding the application procedure.

The candidates may be required to submit copy of their university and professional certificates.

The successful candidates will need to confirm their participation within a week of receiving notification of their selection.

Participants are expected to be available during the overall period of the Programme (April 2011 – beginning of July 2011) and to attend each planned activity (the ten-days Introductory Seminar, on-the-job training in a host institution, the three-day visiting programme in Brussels and the five-day final seminar). All of the activities of the Programme require a full-time presence.

PROGRAMME

The official Programme starts in April 2011 with an Introductory Seminar. Fellows will take an intensive language course in their home country, prior to the departure for the Introductory Seminar - January to the end of March 2011 (2 months maximum within this period)

Ten days Introductory Seminar, April 2011

The ten-day Introductory Seminar in Berlin and Potsdam in cooperation with the University of Potsdam and the Potsdam Center for Policy and Management will offer participants an insight into current social, political, economic and security challenges in the EU and in different host countries through presentations and meetings with senior decision makers. The fellows will have the chance to discuss their plans for their fellowship, receive individual advice, present their professional and personal goals and prepare themselves for the fellowship programme. The Introductory Seminar will serve as a platform for discussion of current political and social challenges and for exchange of ideas.

Fellowship in host institution: Working phase I (mid April 2011 - mid May) and Working phase II (mid May – end of June 2011)

Following the Introductory Seminar, between April 2011 and June 2011, each fellow will be placed in a government institution in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain.

During their stay in a host institution, fellows will gain peer-to-peer exchange of experience, and will familiarise themselves with administrative structures and forms of policy making in a host institution. The quality and intensity of the cooperation with the authorities of a host institution is crucial for the success of the fellowship.

The choice of a government institution is made on a case by case basis taking into consideration the preferences outlined in the application form, the profile of the fellow, professional interests, language skills, and the strategic interest of the employer. The final decision about the choice of a host institution is made after the participant has been accepted to the programme. Each fellow is requested to provide alternatives to the preferred host institution for the case of not-acceptance by the first choice.

Three day Intermediary Seminar, Brussels, mid May 2011

Half way through the fellowship, participants will meet with high-ranking officials of NATO and European Union institutions and learn about the current developments in the EU, familiarise themselves with the political culture of the EU and link their work in their home country with the one in the host institution. The seminar also offers an opportunity to monitor individual goals, plan steps for development over the coming months and exchange experience of the host institution with fellow participants.

Five day Final Seminar, beginning of July 2011

At the end of the Programme, the European Fund for the Balkans will invite the fellows to a final review meeting presenting the results of their work and evaluating the fellowship programme. The final seminar will also include trainings in rhetoric, strategic decision-making as well as in leadership and managerial skills.

Contact

European Fund for the Balkans
Resavska 35, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Telephone/Fax: +381 (0)11 30 33 662
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The European Fund for the Balkans is a joint initiative of European foundations designed to undertake and support initiatives aimed at bringing the Western Balkans closer to the European Union through grant-giving and operational programmes and, as such, is focused on individuals and organisations from Western Balkan countries.

As a direct follow-up to the International Commission on the Balkans (2004-2006), the Fund embodies the "member-state building strategy" with the development of functioning state administrations and constituency-building as its main priorities.
The European Fund for the Balkans has been initiated by four European Foundations including the Robert Bosch Stiftung, the King Baudouin Foundation, the Compagnia di San Paolo and the ERSTE Foundation. It is hosted by NEF.

¹Applications from candidates in political positions will NOT be accepted

Last Updated ( Thursday, 22 July 2010 12:57 )

Programme Overview:

The implementation of the EU acquis is a necessary condition for each country seeking membership of the Union. While much emphasis has been placed upon the transposition of EU legislation into the national law of these countries, the European Commission has made it clear that such laws must be implemented effectively. It is therefore necessary to have administrative structures with an adequate capacity to ensure compliance.

Developing accountable, predictable, reliable and transparent public administrations that can provide public services in line with government priorities and meeting the requirements of the acquis communautaire, is a demanding task in the western Balkans, and one which requires the commitment of a great variety of actors and resources.

The European Fund for the Balkans initiates programmes that support the building and improving of the professional and administrative capacities and skills of young government officials from the Balkans in the EU integration process, with a view to:

Building a new generation of politicians and civil servants with new visions and a regional outlook;
Gaining practical experience in EU countries' federal, state or municipal government agencies;
Creating links between administrations in the region through individual networks and joint initiatives.

Practicing Europe Programmes:

Fellowship Programme for Young Government Officials from the Western Balkans Supporting Excellence and Leadership
in Governance

Fellowship Programme 2008/2009

Fellowship Programme 2009/2010

Fellowship Programme 2010/2011

Fellowship Programme 2011/2012

Background and Objectives

The development of effective and efficient state administrations is one of the major challenges that the countries of the Western Balkans face in their democratisation process. The Reforms in all of the countries are mainly driven by the EU integration process, irrespective of the prospective date of accession.

At the same time, due to the progressive integration process, the member states of the European Union themselves are faced with the challenge of developing new forms of cross-border collaboration. Administrative procedures are increasingly being determined by European regulations, as the EU's expanding field of competence now also touches upon what were traditionally national political issues. Domestic politics and security issues (such as for example migration) now require multilateral agreement and a universal approach. Possible future member states are only marginally involved in these processes to date, but they will be directly affected once they become members. Some of the newest members still struggle to meet the requirements of the EU membership.

Cross-border working relations are not developed through institutions, but by the people who work in them. Personal networks and an understanding of different working cultures are essential to overcoming barriers of national administration and past conflict. Both the EU integration process and the performance of the Balkan countries within the EU will depend on qualified and experienced human resources to guide and shape the process.

How can the employees of national ministries be prepared to meet these requirements? An excellent academic education and qualifications in the national administration system is the basis of this preparation. Furthermore, each public official responsible for the European domain should acquire practical experience of a different European member state over an extended period of time.

In response to these needs and complementary to existing programmes supporting institutional reform, the EFB launched in 2008 a Fellowship Programme for Young Government Officials from the Western Balkans as one of its flagship operational programmes.

Programme content and description

The Programme aims to contribute to the development of effective and efficient state administrations in the region by offering a tailor-made fellowship and training programme to 20 highly qualified young professionals from the highest ranking state authorities of the countries of the Western Balkans. The duration of the Fellowship is a total of 3 months, which entails stay and work in the host EU country (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain) and state institution and 3 seminars which bring the group of Fellows together, at the beginning, middle and end of the Fellowship period.

By participating in the Programme, the Fellows have the opportunity to:

gain professional experience in EU countries' federal or state government agencies,
receive training on EU (and other international) issues,
receive training on their respective field of expertise,
acquire leadership and management skills at seminars,
engage with their colleagues from the region and the EU and thus
create links between administrations through individual networks,
serve as ambassadors of their respective countries,
learn a foreign language and
participate in an alumni network.

During their stay in the host country, the Fellows get the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the administrative structures and forms of political decision-making in the host country and in the EU. The choice of the host institution is made on a case-by-case basis taking into account the preferences outlined in the application form, the profile of the Fellow, the professional interests, the language skills, and the strategic interest of the employer. The Programme is complemented by an Introductory Seminar, an Intermediary visiting programme to EU and other institutions in Brussels and a Final Seminar. Before the first Introductory Seminar each Fellow is also supported financially to attend a 2 months course in the language of the host country.

The following table shows each phase of the Programme in detail:

Language Course	Fellow learns language of host country	Timeframe: 2 MONTHS
Introductory Seminar	Held in Berlin/Potsdam the Introductory Seminar gathers the fellows for a first meeting and provides insight into the current social and political - global, European and Balkan challenges and opportunities	Timeframe: 12 DAYS
Traineeship Phase I	Fellow begins his/her traineeship at host EU member state institution: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Slovenia.	Timeframe: 1 MONTH
Intermediary Seminar	Held in Brussels the Intermediary Seminar gives the opportunity to visit andmeet high ranking officials from EU Institutions, NATO.	Timeframe: 4 DAYS
Traineeship Phase II	Fellow continues his/her traineeship at host EU member state institution.	Timeframe: 1 MONTH, 2 WEEKS
Final Seminar	Held each year at adifferent location in the Western Balkans, the Final Seminar invites Fellows for the last set of trainings in leadership, conflict resolution, communication and negotiations, evaluation and networking	Timeframe: 6 DAYS

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