The OSCE Mission in Kosovo is hiring an international consultant to design and deliver a three day capacity building programme on hate crime monitoring for the Ombudsperson Institution, on a 20 working day contract, with applications closing on 23 September 2026. At Youth Works Hub, we went through the terms of reference so you can see the deliverables, the dates and the qualification bar before you start an OSCE application.
The work is concentrated and dated: an inception note in early November, a full training package a week later, three days in the room in Pristina, and a final report by the end of the month.
The Project Behind the Assignment
The OSCE Mission in Kosovo is implementing the project "Advancement of strategic and operational capacities and human rights compliance within security sector institutions". The project supports Kosovo security sector institutions and relevant oversight bodies to strengthen operational effectiveness, accountability and compliance with human rights standards.
🏛️ Activity 5.4 aims to strengthen the institutional capacity and policy coherence of oversight and co-ordination bodies, primarily the Ombudsperson Institution and the Office for Good Governance, so they can monitor, report and advocate for effective responses to hate motivated incidents.
🔗 The approach combines capacity building, targeted advocacy and multi stakeholder co-ordination, supporting stronger analytical frameworks, alignment with international standards and sustainable inter institutional co-operation.
What Came Before
In 2025, progress in Kosovo's response to hate crimes created a foundation for the Mission's 2026 engagement. Regional hate crime meetings and a public awareness campaign strengthened collaboration among the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and local institutions. The same work highlighted the need for effective victim support, consistent institutional responses and regional co-operation, which is what this assignment addresses.
The Objective and How Success Is Measured
🎯 The objective is to strengthen the capacity of Ombudsperson Institution staff to monitor, document, classify, analyse and report hate crimes in line with relevant international human rights and equality standards.
📈 The indicator is the number of Ombudsperson Institution monitoring reports that include documented analysis of hate crime elements.
🗓️ The planned target is that by the end of 2027 at least one such monitoring report is developed following OSCE support.
🧾 Verification comes from the activity report, the NTF and the Ombudsperson Institution monitoring report itself.
🤔 The stated assumption is that staff participate actively in the training and then apply the methodology in follow up monitoring and regular reporting.
The Four Tasks
🔍 Reviewing, in consultation with the OSCE activity manager and Ombudsperson Institution focal points, the institution's monitoring and reporting practices and the applicable Kosovo and international standards, running an online preparatory consultation to identify learning needs, and developing a tailored training methodology and agenda.
📦 Preparing a complete, context specific training package covering international standards, the identification and documentation of bias indicators, the distinctions among hate crime, hate speech, discrimination and other incidents, and data collection, verification, classification, disaggregation, confidentiality and data protection, through to analysis, public reporting, recommendations, referrals and follow up.
🧰 Developing the methodology for a practical hate crime monitoring toolkit for later institutional use, including monitoring indicators, data source mapping, a case tracking framework, classification criteria, a monitoring checklist, data collection tools and a reporting template.
🧑🏫 Delivering a participatory three day in person session for Ombudsperson Institution staff, facilitating practical application of the methodology to anonymised or sample cases, including an outline and analytical framework for a future monitoring report, and then preparing a post training evaluation report assessing delivery, learning results, participant engagement, capacity gaps and recommended follow up, with all materials revised and submitted in final form.
The Deliverables and Their Dates
📝 By 4 November 2026: an inception note, draft agenda, methodology and proposed learning outcomes submitted to the activity manager for review and comments.
📚 By 11 November 2026: comments incorporated and the final agenda, presentations, facilitator notes, exercises and case studies, monitoring and reporting toolkit and assessment forms submitted in editable electronic format for approval.
🗣️ From 16 to 18 November 2026: the three day training delivered for 20 participants.
📄 By 30 November 2026: a final report containing the agenda, a summary of participation, assessment results, observations, recommendations and proposed follow up, together with the final training package and the toolkit.
Duration, Location and Start
⏱️ The consultant is hired for 20 working days.
📍 The three day session is in person in Pristina, and the preparatory consultation is online.
📆 The target start date is 2 November 2026, and there is one post.
Who Qualifies
🎓 A university degree in law, criminology, human rights, political or social sciences or another relevant field, with an advanced degree listed as an asset.
🕙 A minimum of ten years of relevant professional experience in hate crime response, human rights monitoring, anti discrimination, criminal justice, policing or institutional oversight.
🧑🎓 At least five years of demonstrated experience designing and delivering adult learning programmes or technical assistance on hate crime monitoring, data collection, analysis or reporting.
📘 Demonstrated command of the relevant OSCE and ODIHR, United Nations, Council of Europe and European human rights and equality standards, including the identification and use of bias indicators.
🏢 Practical experience supporting national human rights institutions, ombudsperson institutions, equality bodies, police oversight bodies or comparable public institutions.
🛡️ Proven ability to develop practical monitoring methodologies, reporting templates, case studies and participatory exercises, including on data disaggregation, confidentiality, data protection and victim sensitive approaches.
🗣️ Excellent spoken and written English with strong analytical, drafting, presentation and facilitation skills.
🤝 Demonstrated cultural sensitivity, sound professional judgment and the ability to work effectively with participants from diverse backgrounds.
What Strengthens an Application
🌍 Previous professional experience with international organisations and in South Eastern Europe or the Western Balkans is highly desirable.
🗺️ Knowledge of Kosovo's institutional and legal context is an asset.
🔤 Knowledge of Albanian or Serbian is an asset, although the working language is English.
Payment
💵 Remuneration is based on the selected consultant's qualifications and experience, the tasks and deliverables for the position, and the OSCE established rates. No figure is published in the terms of reference.
According to Youth Works Hub's review of this call, the fee is negotiated against the deliverable list rather than fixed in advance, which is standard for OSCE Special Service Agreements.
Application Rules That Disqualify People
🖥️ You must complete the OSCE online application form. Only fully completed OSCE applications are accepted.
📧 If you hit technical difficulties with the system, an offline OSCE application form can be sent by email, quoting the vacancy number.
🎯 In line with your qualifications you are asked to indicate a preference for one or more of the listed fields of expertise, which in the online form goes in the cover letter part.
⛔ Applications received after the deadline, submitted in a different format than the OSCE application form, or in a language other than English are not considered.
Diversity and a Fee Warning
🌐 The OSCE states its commitment to diversity and inclusion and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious, ethnic and social backgrounds to apply.
🚫 The notice includes an explicit warning that the OSCE does not request payment at any stage of the application and review process.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the contract?
Twenty working days, on a Special Service Agreement with no grade, with a target start date of 2 November 2026.
Is the whole assignment remote?
No. The preparatory consultation is online, but the three day capacity building session is delivered in person in Pristina from 16 to 18 November 2026.
What experience is mandatory?
Ten years in hate crime response, human rights monitoring, anti discrimination, criminal justice, policing or institutional oversight, plus five years designing and delivering adult learning or technical assistance in this field.
Do I need to speak Albanian or Serbian?
No. Excellent English is required and knowledge of Albanian or Serbian is an asset.
How many people will I train?
The three day training is delivered for 20 participants from the Ombudsperson Institution.
Can I send a CV by email instead of using the form?
Only if the online system fails. The offline OSCE form quoting the vacancy number is the fallback, and applications in other formats or languages are not considered.
Deadline
⏳ 23 September 2026
The call was issued on 9 September 2026 and the first deliverable is due on 4 November, so the gap between selection and the inception note is short. Find more opportunities like this, explained in plain language, on Youth Works Hub.
