Terms of Reference (ToR) - Local Expert(s) or Consulting Company

General information

Short term consultancy: Capacity building training to rural women of Municipalities Pejë/Peć and Gjakovë/Djakovica in agribusiness management

Duration: 18 consultancy days

Project title: WEERA - Women’s Economic Empowerment in Rural Areas of Kosovo

Funded by: Austrian Development Cooperation

Implemented by: CARE International Balkans in cooperation with CARE Austria

About CARE International Balkans

CARE’s work in the Balkans started in 1993, when it provided humanitarian support to people affected by war. In the late 90-ties, CARE shifted its focus in the region from humanitarian post-war assistance and rehabilitation to socio-economic development, engaging in interventions directed at conflict prevention and peace-building, sustainable livelihoods, gender equality and the prevention of gender-based violence.

CARE International in the Balkans places the quality of its program at the centre of its mission and has developed a regional strategy that encompasses two main program directions: Gender Equality and Social and Economic Inclusion. CARE’s Gender Equality Program aims to empower women vulnerable to violence, discrimination and poverty, to reach better life opportunities and social justice and to work on prevention of peer violence and building of tolerance among young men in the Western Balkans. The goal of the Social and Economic Inclusion Program is to strengthen capacity and create opportunities for the marginalized, socially excluded and poor to integrate into society and access rights. CARE’s engagement and contribution lies in strengthening sustainability of key regional, national and/ or local civil society organizations and networks promoting equality and diversity, in the context of social inclusion and non-violence.

Project Background

CARE International Balkans, office in Kosovo (in further text: CARE) is implementing the Women’s Economic Empowerment in Rural Areas of Kosovo-WEERA Project, funded by Austrian Development Cooperation-ADC. The action contributes to a more equitable and inclusive socioeconomic development in rural areas of Kosovo and enhances economic and social inclusion of Kosovo rural women by improving the competitiveness of their businesses and their civic participation capacity.

The project is expected to contribute to the following results:

1. Women led rural businesses are equipped to introduce financially sustainable and environmentally sound solutions and improve their market position, through a competitive financial and technical assistance scheme.

2. Women from rural areas are aware of their economic and social rights and provided with capacities and opportunities for active participation in local decision-making processes.

3. Wide recognition of the role of women in rural areas of Kosovo through promotion of project’s best practices and success stories.

Objective of the consultancy:

CARE is looking to contract a consultant expert or local consulting company for a capacity building program tailored made for rural women of the target municipalities Pejë/Peć and Gjakovë/Djakovica, in the following areas:

• Business management
• Marketing
• Modern agribusiness trends & new technologies
• Environmental protection & organic production
• Digital tools in agribusiness
• Fine-tuning of a business plan (including further online consultations)
• Access to finance

Scope of work

The contracted consultant is expected to undertake the following:

• In communication with CARE team, develop a customized 8 days training program, to be realized in phases, upon which CARE and the consultant will agree. The trainings will be adapted to rural women’s needs and challenges they face in agribusiness and particular sets of training materials will be developed for different topics, tailored for the participants’ use;
• Deliver the trainings in the agreed phases, in the target area, to two groups of 25 women. The trainings will be undertakenin local language and if needed, CARE would provide translation to Serbian/Albanian. Training delivery will be in a participatory manner, with the usage of modern interactive tools, in a format accessible and convenient for rural women;
• Connect participants with resources and networks that can help them to continue to grow and improve their agricultural business, accessing financial opportunities and being informed about the regulations and trends concerning agribusiness in Kosovo;
• Provide technical assistance and mentoring to participating women to design their business plans and prepare final applications for project grants;
• Prepare the final consultancy report, in 5-7 pages plus Annexes, in highest quality English, with all accompanying documentation.

Deliverables

• A detailed implementation plan outlining the steps and timelines for the whole capacity building program.
• 8 days tailored made trainings in local language in agribusiness topics and business plan development, for two groups of 25 women in Pejë/Peć and Gjakovë/Djakovica (the total of 16 training days). The training sessions will be implemented in a participatory manner, will include both theoretical and practical components and be designed to be interactive for participants.
• Customized training materials for each of the focus areas mentioned as above.
• A final consultancy report in English summarizing the results and outcomes of the consultancy.

Timeframe and daily fee

The capacity-building program will take place during February and March 2023 (16 working days) for Pejë/Peć and Gjakovë/Djakovica municipalities. The consultant(s) will have additional two paid days for planning and reporting. The deadline for the final consultancy report delivery is 15 April 2023.

The timeframe and consultancy days shall be presented within the Consultancy Contract, determining days of engagements and financial support. In the financial offer, the consultant shall provide the timeframe document with presented days and tasks, according to the elements mentioned in this ToR.

Required qualifications and experience:

• Master degree in the field of Agriculture and Rural Development, Agribusiness or Economic Development or other related areas;
• Great understanding of functioning principles and business logic of agricultural businesses, rich experience in and great capacity for business consulting;
• Excellent knowledge of the Kosovo agribusiness landscape, regulations and stakeholders. Proven networking capabilities with the main actors;
• Experience in working with entrepreneur rural women, thorough understanding of the gender equality principles and complexity of the position of rural women in the society;
• Excellent presentation, training and coaching skills, proficiency in usage of modern and interactive training tools and methodologies. Proven long term experience in training.
• Excellent oral and written skills in English language. Excellent skills of at least one of the official languages spoken in Kosovo.

Application process

THE APPLICATION- BID SHOULD BE IN ENGLISH!

The consultant expert or local consulting company is requested to submit following documents to [email protected] by 30 January 2023:

• CV(s)/portfolio, with detailed information relevant to the required qualifications, indicating the past experience from similar projects;
• Contact details (email and telephone number) of the consultants and professional references;
• Financial offer: the Consultant/Company shall suggest a daily fee/rate per day per consultancy day. Please note that no additional costs for trainings will not be covered by the project. The financial offer should be presented in gross amount.

We thank to all applicants for their interest. Only those who are to be selected will be contacted. For any additional information concerning the application, please contact us at the above-mentioned email.