Education is a fundamental prerequisite for economic growth and improvement of the standard of living. As such, the quality of education, inclusion and youth empowerment and participation have an inevitable impact on the improvement of human capital and the development of preconditions for social and economic development. However, despite numerous reforms aimed at improving the quality of education, Kosovo’s pre university education system continuous to be faced with numerous challenges. In one hand, education in Kosovo is faced with a lot of new policies and strategies, whilst on the other hand, it lacks the human and financial capacities to put them in practice, lacks adequate teaching materials, and updated books and materials to implement the competency-based curriculum. All these factors have contributed to low quality of education and student performance, which was once confirmed from PISA assessment 2018 results, which showed that Kosovo 15-year-old students performed amongst the lowest in all the testing disciplines, hence, making a strong argument that the education system in Kosovo fails to teach its citizens the basic skills needed throughout life. Therefore, as students reach the end of their schooling, they are unprepared for the labour market. The same applies to vocational schools, which are faced with many challenges including, lack of cooperation between VET schools and businesses, lack of practical learning and on the job training opportunities, lack of teaching materials followed with lack of career guidance and counselling services at school. These challenges of the education system inhibit young people from developing the relevant life- and practical skills, which often results in a significant gap between young people’s skills and their expectations of the job market and existing needs.

Additionally, Kosovo, recognized for having Europe's youngest population with 55 per cent of citizens under 30 and over a third under 18, faces significant societal challenges regarding youth unemployment, which stands at 29 per cent, with higher rates among women, marginalized groups, and non-majority communities. There is a notable disparity between young women and men’s participation in the labour market, with respective employment rates of 41.9 per cent and 22.5 per cent. Over a third of young people aged 15-24 are not engaged in employment, education, or training (32.7 per cent of young women compared to 30.8 per cent of young men). Only 33 per cent of young people find the quality of education satisfactory. Furthermore, young people often feel disenfranchised, with only 10 per cent believing their interests are well represented in decision-making.

As a response to the above-mentioned context, UNICEF Kosovo Office works with Kosovo institutions, partners and donors to provide access to quality and inclusive education to all children and youth regardless of gender, ethnicity and ability. This is achieved through different interventions aiming to improve teacher capacities on inclusive education, empowering student councils and youth to promote peace, tolerance and mutual understanding both within and between communities living in Kosovo, while fostering peacebuilding competences among youth.

Additionally, UNICEF is engaged on equipping adolescents and youth with the relevant skills to achieve their full potential and become agents of social change in their communities. These skills are provided through UNICEF Youth Programmes (Upshift, Podium, Ponder, Techstitution, Kosovo Volunteers, Kosovo Generation Unlimited) whereby young people get experiential learning opportunities in social innovation and entrepreneurship, advocacy and lobbying, critical thinking and media literacy, ICT, and volunteering, both through formal and informal education system. To leave no adolescent and youth behind, since the beginning of the new programme cycle, UNICEF Kosovo Office established 5 local Innovation Hubs in the following municipalities: Gjakova, Gjilan, Lipjan, Dragash and Zubin Potok, planning to replicate the model to other municipalities.

Furthermore, UNICEF has partnered with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS) to promote and increase capacities of young people, and CSOs on volunteerism. UNICEF is committed to partner with institution, young people and CSOs to advance capacities to improve standards and programmes for young volunteers in Kosovo through improved legal and policy framework, increase capacities to deliver quality volunteering and increase institutional support.

All UNICEF education and youth programmes are built under the principles of inclusion, equity, and entail the best methodological approaches for adolescents and youth development.

This partnership will contribute to the following UNICEF Kosovo programme results:

Outcome: By 2025, adolescents and young people (girls and boys), particularly the most marginalized, are resilient and equipped with skills for life and work and have access to high-quality education in an inclusive and equitable environment.

• Output One: By 2025, the education system has increased capacities to provide inclusive and quality education on relevant skills for work and life.
• Output Two: By 2025, young girls and boys, have participation platforms and increased capacities to amplify their voices; are connected, actively engaged, empowered and equipped with skills to create solutions to social unmet needs.

The Specific Expected results for this assignment are as follows:

1. By end of 2025, girls and boys and young women and men from the selected municipalities have increased capacities to promote peace, tolerance, and mutual understanding both between and among different inter-ethnic communities.
2. By end of 2025, adolescent girls and boys and young men and women from the selected municipalities have increased 21st century skills through the participation in skills-based programmes (UPSHIFT, Podium and Ponder).
3. By end of 2025, adolescent girls and boys and young women and men have increased capacities and opportunities to participate in quality volunteer projects that address educational, social and cultural needs in their communities.

The UNICEF Kosovo Office has initiated this Call for Expression of Interest to identify CSO partners interested in collaborating and partnership to achieve the planned interventions on Inclusive Education, Peacebuilding and Adolescent Development and Participation as specified above.

Partnerships with CSOs strengthen the capacities of national actors and communities to address development challenges in a sustainable manner and increase accountability of the civil society organization and other partners involved in the programme.

The transparent process will allow the identification of new partners or approaches; and for a comparative analysis of different strategies and costs to reach the desired results. Therefore, all CSOs with experience in the sectors and areas specified above are encouraged to submit a concept note providing a brief outline of proposed programmatic interventions to allow UNICEF to assess the potential for the partners to be included in the roster.

• Relevance of the CSO profile to the 2021-2025 UNICEF Kosovo Programme, Second Decade: Inclusive Education and Adolescent Development and Participation and to the achievement of the results outlined above.
• Registered and operational CSO
• Not be an entity named on any of the UN Security Council targeted sanction lists
• Have profile in UN Partner Portal.
• For CSOs not registered in UNPP, follow the link for registration

Yes

Sector expertise and integrated programme experience

The CSO has a minimum of one year of experience in one or several of the specified fields above, it is innovative while looking to ensure sustainability and develop a relevant and efficient intervention

Weight of criteria: 25

Local experience and presence - Knowledge of the local context and challenges faced by the most vulnerable children - The CSO has already implemented projects in one or several of the identified areas and at the local level involving the most vulnerable children.

Weight of criteria: 25

Relevance of proposal to achieving expected results - Demonstrated strengths in results-based management - The CSO is promoting a results-based management approach, as reflected by recent activity results.

Weight of criteria: 30

Project management - The NGO has the right expertise and institutional capacity to implement the project, respecting deadlines and ensuring the successful and sustainable implementation of the project.

Weight of criteria: 20