Senior Methodology and Training Expert in Public Procurement (part-time) | EU4Reconstruction Stream 2 

General background 

EU4Reconstruction. The European Union (EU), together with Denmark, Germany, France and Lithuania, launched EU4Reconstruction, a €37 million Team Europe Initiative (TEI) that unites the strength, experience and solidarity of the EU to support Ukraine’s ongoing recovery and reconstruction. 

The initiative aims to strengthen governance, improve public investment management, and enhance coordination across levels of government, with a strong emphasis on EU values. The TEl is divided in two parallel streams; one stream is composed of GIZ (Lead Organisation) and Expertise France (Partner Organisation) and the other gathers the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark (Lead Organisation) and Central Project Management Agency (Partner Organisation). 

EU4Reconstruction will reinforce the leadership of the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development, strengthen the State Agency for Reconstruction and Development of Infrastructure (SARDI or Agency), empower local governments to manage reconstruction professionally and sustainably, and support civil society and independent media to play an active role in oversight, ensuring public trust and reducing corruption risks. 

The Programme will strengthen the policy dialogue around reconstruction and recovery and will focus in particular on the governance of public investment management, public infrastructure management at national, regional and local levels and how to link this with necessary capacity development to make the system work. Part of this process will ensure that the stakeholders in the programme and their policy and regulatory setup are prepared for EU accession. This will, in particular, ensure resources are allocated effectively, transparently, accountably and with broad inclusion in infrastructure planning and execution, reflecting the subsidiarity principle. 

Denmark together with Lithuania implements Stream 2 of the EU4Reconstruction programme aimed at strengthening the capacity of the SARDI and its subordinated entities to act as contracting authority and Project Implementation Unit for major reconstruction projects. 

This assignment concerns Output 2 of Stream 2 of the EU4Reconstruction: “SARDI has the capacity to operate as a transparent, efficient, and EU-compliant institution, effectively managing sustainable and accountable reconstruction efforts”. 

SARDI and its ecosystem. SARDI was established by the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, dated 13 January 2023. It was created through the renaming of the State Road Agency of Ukraine and the merger with the State Agency for Infrastructure Projects. 

SARDI is structured around a central authority in Kyiv and a broad network of regional and subordinate entities, including 24 Regional Offices for Restoration and Infrastructure Development (the SARDI ecosystem). 

SARDI is currently responsible for prioritisation, planning and implementation of road infrastructure projects, as well as implementation of other reconstruction projects delegated by the Cabinet of Ministers. 

With the support of EU4Reconstruction Stream 2, the Agency is currently undergoing comprehensive institutional and operational transformations, in particular in the area of public procurement. The transformation is focused on centralization, standardization, and unification of procurement approaches and documents, and the introduction of modern procurement instruments within the Agency’s ecosystem. 

On 1 April 2025, the Government of Ukraine launched an experimental project for centralized procurement in the construction sphere and designated SE “Infrastructure Project” as the Centralized Procurement Organization (the CPO) under the SARDI. 

This decision directly responds to the urgent need for efficient management of procurements required to restore infrastructure destroyed in Russia’s full-scale invasion. Centralization of procurements is a key element of the broader transformation of SARDI’s infrastructure procurements. The reform is essential to overcome fragmentation across SARDI’s regional offices for recovery and development of infrastructure (RORs), introduce international standards, and strengthen institutional credibility. 

Although the procurement process is up and running, it still needs support in procedures and tools to be able to function properly. The SARDI needs support to develop and implement internal standardized and centralized processes, procurement instructions and procurement-related documentation. SARDI requires development activities to increase capacity of its procurement-related staff. 

In view of the above, the Agency – supported by the EU4Reconstruction – seeks for a Senior Methodology and Training Expert in Public Procurement (part-time) to support SARDI procurement transformation, who will be embedded within the Agency and report directly to the Project Manager of EU4Reconstruction responsible for procurement transformation. 

Objective 

The assignment’s main objective is to support SARDI ecosystem in centralization, standardisation and modernization of its local procurement procedures and increasing SARDI ecosystem capacity in the relevant sphere through: 

• conducting specialized training events on public procurement, including centralized procurement, for enterprises, institutions and organizations under the management of the Recovery Agency; 
• analyzing and summarizing practice in the field of public procurement, in particular the practice of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine, the State Audit Service of Ukraine, etc.; 
• analyzing and summarizing practice in the field of public procurement, in particular the practice of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine, the State Audit Service of Ukraine, etc.; 
• participating in the development and provision of recommendations on draft regulatory legal acts, methodological recommendations and internal documents of the SARDI ecosystem in the field of public procurement, in particular centralized procurement, as well as preparing proposals for their improvement and harmonization with the requirements of the European Union; 
• providing expert consulting and practical support in complex, non-standard or high-risk procurement procedures related to infrastructure recovery projects. 

Scope of work 

The scope of work of the assignment includes different tasks, including, but not necessarily limited to: 

1. Monitoring and summarizing of legislation amendments related to construction works, related services and proper public procurement practices; 
2. Monitoring of ongoing and finished procurement procedures and summarizing of common mistakes and best practices; 
3. Analysis of the practice of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine, the State Audit Service of Ukraine in relation to public procurements; 
4. Training of procurement authorized persons, managers and other procurement-related staff of Agency, RORs, CPO and other SARDI ecosystem entities (“procurement staff”) for transparent and effective procedures for procurement of construction works and related services (procurement training should be coordinated with EU Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI) to the extent that it is related to the implementation of anti-corruption programs). 
5. Practical support, consulting and mentoring of procurement staff in complex, non-standard or high-risk procurement procedures related to infrastructure recovery projects; 
6. Methodological support to the procurement staff on procurement-related issues, including centralization of procurements; 
7. Providing expertise to support the centralization of public procurement within the Agency and institutional development of entity responsible for centralised procurements; 
8. Review / preparation of draft regulatory legal acts, methodological recommendations and internal documents of the Agency’s ecosystem in the field of public procurement, including centralization of procurements, ensuring harmonisation with EU requirements; 
9. Other tasks as agreed upon with the Agency and the EU4Reconstruction related to this assignment. 

While the expert may take part in the drafting / review of specific procurement documentation and/or tender procedures, the expert shall not take part in or have any responsibilities regarding the selection of the winner of specific tenders or take any management decisions on behalf of SARDI, CPO, RORs or any other SARDI ecosystem entity or represent SARDI in negotiations with potential contractors. 

Deliverables 

It is expected that the Consultant will demonstrate tangible progress through the implementation of agreed activities and the provision of methodological support and capacity building, as detailed below: 

1. Plan for training and other capacity building activities (to be approved by the Agency and EU4Reconstruction). 
2. Delivered trainings and other capacity building activities to procurement staff in line with the plan (at least 12 trainings, not less than 30 participants per training). 
3. Training materials (presentations, manuals, case studies etc.) for each training. 
4. Feedback / evaluation forms completed (upon request of the EU4Reconstruction). 
5. Reports based on the result of monitoring and summarizing legislation amendments in the procurement sphere, monitoring and summarizing common mistakes and best practices of SARDI procurements (at least one report semi-annually). 
6. Drafts / inputs to / review of regulatory legal acts, methodological recommendations and internal documents (procurement methodologies, internal instructions, template documents) related to procurements (not less than 4 acts). 
7. Expert inputs and recommendations for complex or non-standard procurement cases (not less than 4 cases). 
8. Final report – comprehensive overview of support provided, including methodological, training, and advisory contributions (in English). 
9. Monthly timesheets (progress reports), summarising actual days worked and expenses incurred, as well as progress made and results achieved over the period (in English). 
10. Other deliverables as agreed upon with the Agency and the EU4Reconstruction. 

Written deliverables should be in Ukrainian, unless otherwise specifically indicated herein or agreed with the EU4Reconstruction. Deliverables 

Qualification 

The contract will be awarded to the expert meeting the following criteria: 

General qualifications: 

1. A minimum of a Master’s or Specialist’s degree in construction, engineering, economics, or a similar field; 
2. Additional education or training in public procurement will be an asset; 
3. A minimum of 8 years of professional experience working with construction sphere, including with development / review of tender and procurement documentation and procedures;
4. Experience in training/consulting in public procurement or construction works/related services; 

Adequacy for the assignment: 

1. Proven experience in cooperation with stakeholders in the national government, local self-government, development partners, state enterprises, public contracting authorities, and civil society; 
2. Proven experience of development/ review of draft regulatory legal acts, methodological recommendations and internal documents; 
3. Experience in centralization of procurements will be an asset; 
4. Excellent written and oral communication skills. 

Experience with the region and languages: 

1. Practical experience working in Ukraine. 
2. Fluency in Ukrainian (written and spoken). Fluency in English (written and spoken) will be an asset. 

Budget, timeframe, and location 

The maximum budget available for this assignment is EUR 24,000 (inclusive of all applicable expenses and taxes). 

Payments to the Consultant shall be done on a monthly basis against Consultant’s timesheet and invoice for the respective period. Payments shall be based on the actual days worked, the agreed daily fee rate, and the expenses occurred by the Consultant during the period (if any). Payments will require verification of completion of deliverables and approval of the Consultant’s timesheets and expense outlay by Project Manager of EU4Reconstruction responsible for procurement transformation. Reimbursable costs will only be accepted if they are in compliance with the guidelines in the contract. 

The intended commencement date is the date of signature of the contract with the Consultant and the period of implementation of the contract will be 12 months, with a start in January 2026. The assignment includes up to 120 working days per full term of the Contract (up to 10 working days per month). 

The expert is expected to work from Kyiv, having the possibility to join offline meetings at the Agency upon short notice. 

Reporting and management 

The performance of the Consultant will be judged upon reaching the purpose of this contract as well as obtaining its results, as indicated in the section “Objective” and “Deliverables” herein respectively. Moreover, the performance of the Consultant will be judged upon the successful implementation of all the specific activities indicated in Section “Scope of work” of this document. 

By signing the contract, the Consultant agrees to hold in trust and confidence any information 

or documents (“confidential information”) disclosed to the Consultant or discovered by the Consultant or prepared by the Consultant in the course of or as a result of the implementation of the contract, and agrees that it shall be used only for the contract implementation and shall not be disclosed to any third party. The Consultant also agrees not to retain copies of any written information or prototypes in its archive and for its use. 

Senior Expert will refer to SARDI Deputy Head responsible for procurement function and will report to the Project Manager of EU4Reconstruction responsible for procurement transformation, who will review / approve deliverables indicated above. Regular planning and reporting sessions with the representative of the Agency and EU4Reconstruction are expected. 

How to apply 

The deadline for submitting the proposal is 7 January 2026, 18:00 Kyiv time. 

All interested candidates should submit the following documents in English: 

• Completed Annex 1, including: CV (Section 3), Supplier’s Technical Proposal / Methodology (Section 4)  and Workplan (Sections 5).
• Financial offer (Annex 2, forms 1 and 2) in EUR, including daily fee and other related expenses (taxes, if applicable), with calculation of maximum 120 working days. 

If these documents are not submitted in line with the requirements above, the bid will not be considered. 

The proposal shall include the aforementioned information and should be submitted within the above deadline to [email protected] cc to [email protected] indicating the subject line: “Senior Methodology and Training Expert in Public Procurement (part-time)”. 

Bidding language: English. 

Any clarification questions regarding the terms of reference should be addressed to [email protected] cc to [email protected], not later than 2 January 2026, 18-00 Kyiv time. 

Evaluation criteria