Terms of Reference for Consultancy on

“Development of Municipal Action Plans for Reintegration 2023-2025”
Within the Municipal Action for Reintegration and Diaspora (MARDI) Project

General information

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Job title: Consultancy on “Development of Municipal Action Plans for Reintegration 2023-2025”

Project title: Municipal Action for Reintegration and Diaspora, MARDI

Beneficiaries: Repatriated persons (RPs), internally displaced persons (IDPs), asylum seekers and refugees, Municipalities

Project country: Republic of Kosovo

Duration of the project: 2022-2025

About Caritas Switzerland in Kosovo

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Caritas Switzerland (CACH) is an independent Swiss NGO, engaged in Switzerland and in more than 20 countries worldwide, including Kosovo. Our mission is to prevent, combat and eradicate poverty in a sustainable manner. To achieve this goal, CACH employs a policy of equity: we support inclusive communities with opportunities for everyone regardless of their ethnic background, group affiliation or gender. CACH has been working in Kosovo since 1999, focusing on social inclusion, rural development and rehabilitation. Based on the Strategy 2021-2025, our central themes are Income, Climate Change and Migration. For more than twenty years, CACH has worked closely with municipalities to increase incomes in agriculture and preschool education, and for three years for the sustainable (re)integration of returnees.

The bilateral Country Programme defines country-specific outcomes: In the area of migration, CACH in Kosovo has been focusing on the reintegration of Repatriated Persons (RPs) in the last three years. The approach of CACH, combining labour market measures with psycho-social services is unique in this field and fits well for particularly vulnerable RPs, which face diverse, interlinked challenges and need specific support. During its first project on this topic, CACH has developed detailed concepts and manuals for project implementation, which are ready to be scaled up and out. With the additional focus on income generation, CACH has also good experience in supporting skills enhancement and economic empowerment through counselling, business support and on-job training and job placement.  

The MARDI Project

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In January 2022, CACH in Kosovo started implementing the Project “Municipal Action for Reintegration and Diaspora” – MARDI, seeking to address the challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic for RPs. The MARDI project aims to enhance coordination amongst multiple stakeholders to address the underlying and longer-term needs of people returning and integrating. At the same time and under the lens of diaspora cooperation, the project aims to make use of the untapped potential of the diaspora to see back-migration as something positive, that can be combined with investment and economic development in increasingly attractive communities in Kosovo. In particular, the MARDI project will reach to returnees and provide them with psycho-social and economic support based in a holistic approach that is increasingly practiced in municipalities and is being implemented consistently. Additionally, to ensure sustainability, capacity building will be provided to psychologists and social workers living and working for the municipalities; as well as, to all front line responders/staff of Kosovar municipalities, including MOCRs, CSWs, education departments, MIA regional coordinators and Employment Offices (EOs) etc.

This assignment focuses mainly on the first component of the project:

1. Capacity Development: MARDI aims to strengthen the capacities of governmental and non-governmental actors, and coordination to better address challenges in the field of migration and (re) integration management.

Purpose and Objectives of this Assignment

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Municipal and non-governmental actors improve their capacities and coordination to better address challenges in the field of migration and (re)integration management.

A selected team of consultants shall work to develop new and update the existing Municipal Action Plans for Reintegration (MAPPs) for the municipalities of Kosovo, in close collaboration with MOCRs and in alignment with the National Strategy on Migration beyond 2022.

In particular, the assignment will focus on following specific objectives:

1. Development of the Municipal Reintegration Plans for 2023-2025:

• Conduct desk research and interviews with relevant actors on (re)integration of repatriated persons and integration of foreigners, for the evaluation of the Municipal Action Plans for Re-integration 2019-2022 and development of Municipal Action Plans for Re-integration 2023-2025;
• Final Evaluation Report on MAPR 2019-2022 (derived findings to be used as a base for the development of the MAPR 2023-2025);
• Organize workshops for each Region in Kosovo (including all municipal actors of the municipalities of region) for the development of the MAPRs;
• Organize meetings with each municipality for the finalization of the development of the MAPR;

*Note:  Municipal Reintegration Plans will be developed specifically for each Municipality of Kosovo, including specifics for each Municipality in terms of Re-integration priorities and challenges.

The written feedback from CaCH, partners and the donors is planned to be given within a maximum of three weeks after submission of the reports. 

Management Arrangements

The team should consist of at least four experts, facilitators and relevant staff with experience in Reintegration Processes and Administration of Local Government, as well as, organisation and facilitation of workshops. In particular, the consultants must have experience in working with Municipalities of Kosovo. At least on one of the consultant must have international experience in research, training development and delivery on reintegration and reintegration mechanism and best practices. The consultants will work in close cooperation with the MARDI Project Manager and the Integration Coordinator. The MARDI Project team will provide administrative support if needed.

Additionally, the consultants team is expected to have the following skills:

• At least 7 years overall professional experience in relevant field as in Management, Economics, Social Sciences, Migration or any other related university degree; Preferably Master’s degree;
• Experience in conducting evaluation;
• Experience in Reintegration Processes and Administration of Local Government.
• Experience in migration management and specifically with repatriated persons, internally displaced persons, asylum seekers and refugees is desirable;
• Fluency in Albanian, Serbian and English languages;
• Excellent research, writing and presentation skills;

Specifications for the Submission of Offers Application process

Interested candidates/companies are requested to submit an electronic copy of their expression of interest/proposal by 19^th of July 2022 with the subject REF: “Development of Municipal Reintegration Plans” to [email protected]  with CC to [email protected]

Applicants must submit:

• Professional profile of the team/company

(CVs of all individuals included in the consultancy team);

• The consultants’ suitability for the assignment and match with previous work experience, qualifications etc.;
• Composition and division of work between team members;
• Methodology;
• Draft work plan including suggested timetable;
• Financial offer including budget broken down and individual daily fees;

All budget items need to be presented without VAT. The offer will be evaluated by using the best value for money approach (combined scoring method). Technical proposal will be evaluated with 80% weight, whereas the financial one will be evaluated with 20%.

*Note: This contract is subject to the availability of funding. Transportation cost need to be included in the offer. The offer should also include workshops and sessions expenses (organization, venue, translation and other related costs).