TERMS OF REFERENCE (ToR)
FOR THE SERVICES OF INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT

GENERAL INFORMATION

Services/Work Description:	Conducting of the Baseline Study
Project/Program Title:	Resilient and Inclusive Community Program
Post Title:	Consultant/Expert
Consultant Level:	Expert
Location:	Prishtina/Kosovo
Duration:	30 Days
Date of publication:	14 February 2023	Deadline for application:	24 February 2023
Expected Start Date:	01 March 2023	Deadline for Final Report:	15 April 2023
Contracting Authority:	Advocacy Training and Resource Center (ATRC)

 

I. INTRODUCTION

Advocacy Training and Resource Center (ATRC) is a Kosovar non-governmental and non-profit organization that works in increasing citizen and civil society participation in decision-making, as a prerequisite for a developed democratic society and regional stability. Since its establishment in 2001, ATRC has assisted numerous NGOs in Kosovo wide to professionalize their work, articulate their demands, and advocate to government structures about issues affecting Kosovo society through mentoring, training, grant-giving, advocacy, information exchange and technical assistance.
This Resilient and Inclusive Community Program focuses on local communities as the ones that suffer the most from violent extremism (VE), and because they are optimally placed to understand and act upon the drivers of VE. Moreover, Reintegration and Rehabilitation (R&R )work in Kosovo is quite developed and this project aims to also support decentralization of R&R efforts to the municipal level.

II. BACKGROUND

ATRC within the Resilient and Inclusive Community Program funded by Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund aims to increase local community agency of Prevent Violent Extremism (PVE) and Reintegration and Rehabilitation (R&R) and build the sustainability of PVE and R&R in Kosovo by building the capacities of key actors and mechanisms. The programme is being implemented in a partnership between Advocacy Training and Resource Center (ATRC) and Community Building Mitrovica (CBM).
The programme will therefore target four main population groups:

1. Government and municipal institutions working on P/CVE issues and R&R;
2. Local CSOs;
3. Communities and local mechanisms, in particular youth;
4. Returnees/former terrorist offenders and their families/caretakers.

The programme’s four main objectives have an emphasis on the local level:

1.  Strengthening central and local level institutional operational and knowledge capacities.
2. Strengthening operational and knowledge capacities of Local CSO-s to work on PVE and R&R;
3. Reducing youth vulnerability towards violent extremism by increasing sense of purpos abd social cohesion
4. Raising community awareness to accept the reintegration of returnees and marginalised groups, by conducting systematic awareness raising.

In addition, it will provide local support to returnees/former terrorist offenders and their families/caretakers.
By strengthening capacities of the central and local institutions as well as other actors involved in PVE and R&R to understand different forms of VE, their roles and challenges, the consortium will enable a quicker and more structured response to violent extremism and R&R. This in turn leads to better services provided for vulnerable groups as well as returnees. Youngsters belonging to different ethnic groups through community activities will promote civic engagement and intercultural understanding and tolerance in the community. By providing livelihood activities including employment opportunities for vulnerable groups and returnees the consortium will intervene and improve the socio-economic situation, as well as aim to reduce the risks coming from one of the most known drivers of VE in Kosovo.

III. SCOPE OF THE WORK

The consultant is required to design, plan, carry out and present the project’s baseline study for results at all levels, project effectiveness and sustainability. The study is to be conducted in the focus geographical areas. The baseline study should adopt a mixed methods approach, integrating qualitative and quantitative methods to ensure that the data collected is triangulated and can be communicated, explained and contextualized. Research teams are encouraged to use innovative methods to collect and analyze data. Document and desk review should complement the collection of data and primary information sources. Criteria for and definition of specific indicators in the results framework should be discussed and designed in collaboration with the Consortium.

IV. EXPECTED OUTPUTS AND DELIVERABLE

The purpose of this baseline study is to collect information on the key project areas of work, covering population groups and key indicators, where applicable. The baseline should be lean and manageable within the project budget allocations, and the methodology should be replicable for the mid-term and final evaluation processes as well as for the ongoing monitoring processes. The baseline survey will provide the benchmarks against which any changes resulting from the project interventions and results will be measured. The baseline study aims to achieve the following objectives:

• Assess and provide an overview of the current state of local P/CVE and R&R structures (institutions, coordination mechanisms etc.), including youth mechanisms. Assess the current state of the capacities of central and local actors and identify possible areas of support, especially focusing on the current state of the multi-disciplinary teams at the local level.
• Assess the current state of the local CSOs’ operational capacity (financial, M&E, grant management) for implementing P/CVE and R&R activities.
• Assess the current state of the returnees and their families/caregivers covering rehabilitation and reintegration aspects.
•  
• Produce baseline data on key outcome indicators. The baseline should gather data from relevant targeted populations and produce baseline values for outcome indicators, where applicable.

No.	Deliverables / Outputs	Estimated Duration to Complete	Review and Approvals Required
1	Inception report prior to initiating the study, to be submitted electronically in English. The report is to be discussed with ATRC and partners, adjusted as needed and to be approved by ATRC. The report should include a clear planned design, methodology and plan of work on how it plans to approach the baseline (including key activities, methods, target groups, etc)	5 days	ATRC & GCERF 14 days after submission
2	·The first draft of the baseline report consisting of at least 80% of the content/structure completed. ATRC and potentially other key stakeholders will review and submit comments to the first draft to be addressed in the final baseline report consisting of detailed collected data, analysis of findings, conclusions, and recommendations. The report should present a clear link between each of these components. Produce baseline values for relevant indicators which are appropriate to be measured during the period that the baseline is implemented. The consultant/s will be informed by the project team about the relevant indicators. ·         All raw datasets and data sources.	20 days	ATRC & GCERF 14 days after submission
3	Final report	5 days	ATRC & GCERF 14 days after submission

The baseline report should provide findings and conclusions, also document the context in which the baseline took place, with the structure:

1. Executive Summary
2. Acronyms
3. Table of Contents
4. Purpose, Coverage, and Scope
5. Methodology
6. Analysis of the Findings
7. Conclusions
8. Recommendations

V. DURATION OF THE WORK

a. The duration of the consultancy is 30 working days. The Final report must be submitted on or before 15 April 2023

VI. QUALIFICATIONS OF THE SUCCESSFUL INDIVIDUAL CONTRACTOR

The Consultant is required to have the following professional and technical qualifications.

• Relevant degree(s) in development studies, political science, security studies, sociology or any other relevant field in social science.
• Strong experience with and knowledge of participatory qualitative and quantitative research methods and sampling strategies.
• Statistical analysis skills and strong proficiency with data analysis packages.
• Proven experience in conducting baseline study surveys and evaluations, with research experience in the areas of Violent Extremism
• Experience in public or private communications agencies, international organisations, journalism or civil society is an advantage;
• Knowledge and understanding of the local political, economic, and social context.
• Ability to present data concisely and clearly.
• Excellent communication and written skills in English.

VII. CRITERIA FOR SELECTING THE BEST OFFER

Upon the advertisement of the Procurement Notice, qualified Individual Consultant is expected to submit both the Technical and Financial Proposals. Accordingly, Individual Consultants will be evaluated based on Cumulative Analysis as per the following scenario:

• Responsive/compliant/acceptable, and
• Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation. In this regard, the respective weight of the proposals are:
• Technical Criteria weight is 70%
• Financial Criteria weight is 30%

No.	Technical Capacity and Related Qualifications	Weight
1	Relevant degree(s) in development studies, political science, security studies, sociology or any other relevant field in social science.	10
2	Strong experience with and knowledge of participatory qualitative and quantitative research methods and sampling strategies	20
3	Proven experience in conducting baseline study surveys and evaluations, with research experience in the areas of Violent Extremism	20
4	Prior work and evidence of undertaking similar assignments	15
5	Ability to work with minimal supervision, a high level of written and oral communications skills in English	5
6	Lowest Price	30
Total Score Technical Score * 70% + Financial Score * 30%		100

 

VIII. PAYMENT MILESTONES AND AUTHORITY

The qualified consultant shall receive his/her service fees upon certification of the completed tasks satisfactorily, as per the following payment schedule:

Installment of Payment/ Period	Deliverables or Documents to be Delivered	Approval should be obtained	Percentage of Payment
1st Installment	Submission of inception report	ATRC	30%
2nd Installment	Submission of first draft	ATRC	40%
3rd Installment	Submission and Approval of the final report	ATRC	30%

 

IX. APPLICATION PROCEDURE:

Interested candidates should submit their CV, an Expression of interest, Technical and Financial Proposals and work and evidence of undertaking similar assignments to [email protected] no later than the date specified at the General Information Section.
If you have any questions, please, do not hesitate to reach out to the same email address.

IMPORTANT NOTE

• Only the applicants who hold these qualifications will be shortlisted and contacted.
• Consultants are cautioned that any other communications whether or not in writing shall not form part of any contract and may result in your application being disqualified.
• ATRC reserve the rights to reject any or all accepted applications or request for further explanation from the consultants.
• ATRC reserve the rights to terminate or modify this invitation for expression of interest and re-issue the expression of interest.
• Before award, ATRC can request from the consultants to provide additional information or ask for interview for helping of the evaluation process.
• Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.
• Applicants who do not comply with the afore mentioned application guidelines or do not meet the essential requirements specified in this Vacancy Notice will not be considered.
• ATRC is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce and encourages the nomination of qualified female and male candidates from all religious, ethnic and social backgrounds.