1. Background

“Support to Electoral Reforms in North Macedonia” is a project of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), implemented by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and its partner National Youth Council of Macedonia (NYCM).

The project overall objective (goal) is to support democratic and credible election processes that facilitate political participation and social integration by enabling voters to freely select their representatives and hold them accountable.

The project activities are designed to support this objective through the achievement of three outcomes:

• Outcome 1: Strengthened institutions conduct fair and efficient election processes
• Outcome 2: Internally democratized political parties present citizen-oriented policies and election programs
• Outcome 3: Empowered citizens hold political parties and elected officials accountable

Project beneficiaries are election management bodies at all levels; government agencies such as Ministry of Information, Society and Administration, Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services, State Statistical Office, Ombudsperson Institution, State Audit Office, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Justice; political parties, civil society organizations, voters and citizens.

The project started the implementation of Main Phase 1 in August 2019 and it is expected to end in June 2023.

About the Academy for Public Policy

The Academy for Public Policy is a unique opportunity for youth members of the political parties to become modern leaders, who base their decisions on evidence, who advocate for their ideas and who communicate effectively. The Academy represents a yearlong, diverse, comprehensive and intensive program on policy development and outreach to communities with the following components:

• Multiparty trainings and workshops;
• Topical debates and discussions;
• Step-by-step guidance and training on policy brief development;
• Implementation of individual projects/Innovative initiatives;
• Promotion and presentation of the final product (Policy brief).

Through Academy’s comprehensive program, the participants will be taught and guided by top-notch international and country-based consultants with proven expertise in both politics and policy. The Academy will provide a forum for exchange of ideas and discussions with a wide range of practitioners that have hands-on experience in different spheres of political life in the country and internationally.

Building upon the experience and lessons learned from the first generation of the Academy for Public Policy that started in 2020 with representatives from 13 political parties that underwent intensive program on evidence-based policy development, the second generation will have an opportunity to participate in an enhanced program that will combine theoretical and practical knowledge and skills.

1. Objectives of the Call

The aim of this Call is to invite interested candidates, members of the youth branches of the political parties to apply and be part of the prestigious Swiss supported Academy for Public Policy.

All selected candidates, in order to be Certified must be committed throughout the whole process and program components, including: 

• To actively participate in all phases of the program of the Academy
• To develop Policy Briefs;
• To present the policy briefs in their party, and during external Town Hall discussions to different stakeholders and wider public;
• To implement small scale projects/Innovative initiative on topics related to the Policy Brief.

Note: For the implementation of the initiative, the participant in the Academy will be financially supported by the Project.

What will the participants in the Academy for Public Policy gain?

• Training materials, background documents and various analyses and briefs complementing the knowledge and experience shared by different experts and trainers (domestic and international);
• Mentorship and one-to-one assistance in the preparation of a policy brief addressing citizens’ needs in the light of the upcoming local elections;
• Opportunity for promoting the policy through presentations before the citizens and inside the political party;
• Opportunity for individual career development as a politician or future leader to enhance knowledge but also to network, discuss and share ideas with fellow politicians from political parties in the country;
• Financial support for implementation of an Innovative initiative to conduct research about the developed policy and/or possible solutions to the identified problem(s) and to test and/or promote the policy in the affected community;
• Membership in the Alumni program of the “Support to Electoral Reform Project”;
• Recognition from the Swiss Embassy through Certificate for participation;
• As part of the Alumni program, opportunity to be part of regional events with young leaders but also participate in international exchange and study visit to countries who have undertaken similar policy processes and community actions;

• Time frame

The implementation of the above activities will take place from February 2021 till September 2021.

1. Qualifications and Requirements:

• You need to be a member in the local branch of youth wings of your political party;
• To have identified an issue on local level that you and/or your party would like to address or research about, in the view of the upcoming local elections;
• To hold University degree in political science, social science and similar, or be a student in the final year;
• To be strongly motivated to strengthen your individual skills and competences for policy development and outreach to different communities.

1. Application procedure

Interested candidates should send:

• CV
• Motivation letter (up to 1 page)
• Recommendation letter signed from a party member of the leadership at local or central level

Full application documentation should be sent to the following email: [email protected] no later than 31 December 2020, 23:59h.

Questions?

If you have questions regarding the Academy and/or the process of application, please contact Elena Dimovska at [email protected].

Note: The implementation of the activities of the Academy for Public Policy will follow the guidelines and recommendations of the government and health authorities related to COVID-19 pandemic.