TERMS OF REFERENCE
FOR AN EXTERNAL EXPERT IN SUPPORTING/FACILITATING THE FOUR WORKING/ADVOCACY GROUPS  OF THE CIVIL SOCIETY 

Overall Objective 

CiviKos within the framework of the Citizen Engagement Activity (CEA) is looking for an external  expert to: Support/facilitate the four working/advocacy groups of the civil society. 

Introduction and Overview 

About CiviKos 

CiviKos Platform is an initiative of civil society organizations in Kosovo established to create and  promote an enabling environment for cooperation of the formal civil society sector and state  institutions of Kosovo. Continuously growing and currently with more than 272 member  organizations of civil society, CiviKos Platform is committed to deepen the cooperation between  member organizations, as well as public authorities and other relevant stakeholders in the  development of civil society in Kosovo. With its mission to enable a civil society environment in  Kosovo, CiviKos will utilize the expertise and the already solid formalized structure with public  institutions to create a sustainable environment for CSOs focusing their expertise on public  procurement.  

CiviKos Platform in partnership with the Kosovar Civil Society Foundation (KCSF), and the  United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Kosovo, will be supporting the  implementation of the Citizen Engagement Activity (CEA).  

About Citizen Engagement Activity (CEA)  

The Citizen Engagement Activity (CEA) in Kosovo aims to support Civil Society Organizations  (CSOs) to build constituencies, diversify their resource and partner base, and affect change by  connecting different actors around locally driven development solutions, and to enhance  government accountability. CEA is a five-year program (2021-2026) supported by the United  States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by the Kosovar Civil  Society Foundation (KCSF).  

Building on long-standing experience and expertise of KCSF in civil society development, including  recent approaches towards a more constituent-based civil society, and complementing it with the  mandate and expertise of local partners and proven models of international partners, CEA will  contribute towards the achievement of the following objectives: 

• Objective 1: Strengthened civil society links to constituencies, energized community activism  and increased demand for accountability. 
• Objective 2: Established cross-sectoral partnerships and increased trust between CSOs,  citizens, private sector, and public institutions.
• Objective 3: Developed capacities of CSOs and an enabling regulatory environment to mobilize  alternative domestic and diaspora resources.

Background and Scope of the Facilitator of the working groups of civil society  CiviKos is facilitating the process of cooperation between civil society and the government and  is co-chairing the Council for Cooperation between Civil Society and the Government. 

The current Strategy for cooperation between civil society and the government covers the period  2019-2023 and consists of four objectives:  

• Objective 1: Increasing civil society participation in policy-making.
• Objective 2: Improvement of the regulatory and institutional framework for financing  sustainability of programs and projects of CSOs in public interest.
• Objective 3: Developing practices and procedures of contracting of CSOs for the provision of  public services.
• Objective 4: Increasing volunteering in programs of public interest.

The Government Strategy for Cooperation with Civil Society 2019-2023 can be found in the  following link: 

https://zqm.rks-gov.net/assets/cms/uploads/files/Strategjia%20ne%20tri%20gjuhe.pdf

The Strategy was designed to help improving the cooperation between government and civil  society and it creates the preconditions for an improved participation of the civil society in policy making and good governance. The role of CiviKos is to facilitate and coordinate the activities that  should be undertaken for implementing the objectives of the Strategy.  

CiviKos within CEA has established four working/advocacy groups among Council CSO members  and non-members, and civil society activists, aiming to identify the main challenges and  shortcomings regarding the implementation of the Strategy and the overall legal framework  pertaining to an enabling environment for civil society development. 

In order to facilitate and coordinate the work of the working/advocacy groups established from  CiviKos in line with the four objectives of the Strategy, CiviKos within CEA is looking for an  external expert to support/facilitate the work of the working/advocacy groups. 

Aim and Objectives of the Supporter/Facilitator of the working/advocacy groups

The aim of the external expert/facilitator is to support/facilitate the working/advocacy groups of  the civil society established based on the four objectives of the Government Strategy for  Cooperation with Civil Society 2019-2023.

Specific Objectives:  

• Identifying the needs of the working/advocacy groups of the civil society established by  CiviKos; 
• Supporting/facilitating meetings of the four working/advocacy groups;
• Preparing a workplan for the working/advocacy groups;
• Supporting the work of the four working/advocacy groups based on their needs.

Methodology  

The proposal methodology should contain a detailed description on: 

• The support/facilitation of the working/advocacy groups will be done.
• Methodology of the support/facilitation of the meetings of the working/advocacy groups. 

Timeframe and deliverables 

Meetings of the working/advocacy groups will take place periodically during the period of May July 2022.  

Expected outputs/deliverables will include the following: 

• Detailed workplan for the four working/advocacy groups. 
• Support/facilitation of the working groups/advocacy meetings. 
• Assisting the preparations of the draft reports of the working/advocacy groups.  

Eligibility Criteria 

The consultant shall have: 

• Extensive experience (at least 5 years) in completing similar assignments.
• Solid knowledge and understanding of political and socio-economic situation in the  country, as well as the activities undertaken by CSO sector. 
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience working with civil society sector, and the  government. 
• Experience working with the Council for Cooperation between Government and Civil  Society will be considered as advantage.  
• Demonstrated high level of professionalism and an ability to work independently and in  high pressure situations under tight deadlines. 
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills including experience of support/facilitation  and presentation. 
• Full working knowledge of English, and of Albanian and excellent report writing. Serbian  language is an advantage. 

Proposal and budget 

The proposal shall provide a description of the consultant including an outline of the consultant’s recent experience on similar undertakings.  

The budget proposal in Euro. 

Note: Members of the Council for Cooperation between Government and Civil Society are not  eligible to apply for this call. 

The required documents should be delivered at the email: info@civikos.net , no later than 19  May 2022.