For the three programmes in 2017 The Hague Academy for Local Governance will select a limited number of young, talented and motivated civil servants working for a local government in one of the countries on the DAC country list (including Ukraine) for its Talent for Governance programmes.

Here you will be able to you’ll be able to find the online application form for the Talent for Governance 2017 programmes from 14th October 2016 to 18th November (24.00 CET).

Talent programmes comprise the following components:

1. A two- week training course at The Hague Academy for Local Governance

2. Week-long internship at a Dutch Municipality

3. Talent for Governance networking activities

4. Back home action plan

• work in one of the countries listed on the DAC country list (including Ukraine);
• be 37 years of age or younger when you apply;
• have at least two years of work experience in local governance and
• have the intension to work there for at least two years more;
• speak and understand the English language well (all programmes are in English);
• be able to write down and orally defend your motivation for and relevance of the specific programme;
• be able to identify an issue/project as a real life case within the theme of the programme for which you will write a Back Home Action Plan during the talent programme;
• have written support of your employer to participate in the programme and to implement the Back Home Action Plan when you return home.

Three different programme themes

The talent programme will be organised three times in 2016 and each programme will revolve around a different local governance theme. There will be just one application period.

To apply for the talent programme candidates need to choose one of the following programme themes. These themes are based on the topics of the training course at The Hague Academy which is part of the talent programme:

• Fiscal Decentralisation and local Finance – Programme from 13 February to 3 March 2017 More information about the training course part of the programme: http://bit.ly/2esEUYc
• Citizen Participation & Inclusive Governance – Programme from 27 March to 14 April 2017  More information about the training course part of the programme: http://bit.ly/2eOu16G

• Local Economic Development – Programme from 27 November to 15 December 2017  More information about the training course part of the programme: http://bit.ly/2eploj0

Rules and Regulations

Please download and read the Rules and Regulations Talent for Governance 2017 before you start filling in the application form below. These rules and regulations contain important information on the application procedure, accommodation, allowances and criteria.

Procedure

• Only applications made through the online application form will be considered.
• Firstly, the applications will be screened for completeness of the form and basic eligibility of the candidates.
  – You need to upload a copy of your passport as well as an employer statement according to this format.
• Within one month after the application deadline, only the candidates that are accepted into the next round will be contacted by Talent for Governance.

If you have not been contacted in one month after the application deadline, you have not been selected for the next round of the application procedure. This decision will not become the subject of discussion and/or correspondence.

• In the following round the application will be scrutinised and checked even closer. The application will be screened on various criteria such as relevance, completeness, motivation, the feasibility and relevance of the real life case and the dissemination plan. We may conduct a telephone interview to evaluate the knowledge of the English language and get to know the candidate more. Furthermore, we will need a statement that the candidate, once selected, will be willing and able to transfer the contribution for your participation in the programme.

Within six weeks after the first positive response you will receive the preliminary result to your application.There are three possible outcomes:

1. You are selected for the talent programme.
2. You have been put on the shortlist of candidates.
   Talent for Governance largely depends on funds from third parties and the cooperation of Dutch local governments (internship places) to be able to organise the talent programme. If more financial resources and internship placements are raised during the year, it could be possible that we invite more talents than expected.
3. You are not selected. This means you were an eligible candidate but in comparison to other candidates you scored a few points lower. Please do try again next year.

All possible rejections will be based on the documents and information provided by the applicant (specifically the letter of motivation and the possible phone conversation) and the amount of internships and funds available. Talent for Governance holds the right to reject the applicant during all stages of the selection procedure.