Background

The purpose of the consultancy is to ensure facilitation of the participatory project review, to enable productive assessment process and structured discussions of participating stakeholders. In this regard, a National Consultant to Facilitate Participatory Mid-Term Project Review will be engaged (herein after - the Consultant).

Objective
The main objective of the consultancy will be to offer moderation/facilitation of a one-day workshop,  where various project partners (line ministries, local governments, mjesne zajednica/local communities) will be invited to share their views, recommendations and reflections related to the project implementation, its achievements and bottlenecks. Moreover, the Consultant will prepare a succinct summary report capturing all aspects and suggestions provided during the assessment event.

Background Information
The Strengthening the Role of Local Communities (Mjesne Zajednice/MZs) in Bosnia and Herzegovina Project (2015 – 2019) is a joint initiative of the Government of Switzerland and the Government of Sweden, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The overall project objective is to contribute to better quality of life of BiH citizens through increased democratic participation and accountability, enhanced local services and infrastructure and social inclusion. The chosen means to achieve this goal is through encouraging community-led local development and revitalising community government by MZs, as the places where government comes closest to the people and as grass-roots organisations that serve communities of around 1,000 people, with the possibility for real participation and joint action. The three specific project outcomes are:

  • Citizens and governments are committed to realise the jointly agreed upon new inclusive and gender-sensitive vision of MZs, as foundation for more participatory and accountable local governance in the country.
  • Pro-active, capacitated and inter-connected MZs contribute to downward responsiveness of local governments and improved service delivery.
  • A new regulatory framework for functional MZs developed by governments enables more inclusive, gender-sensitive and accountable local governance in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The assignment needs to take into consideration that that there are 2,587 MZs in Bosnia and Herzegovina today, defined as areas within local governments. They vary greatly in their size and level of activity. In general, having in mind the varying legal status and functions prescribed by the relevant legal framework at both entities and Brcko District, MZs can be classified as semi-formal governance structures, existing and operating neither wholly in the public realm, nor fully in the informal. Hence, MZs in Bosnia and Herzegovina are not a formal tier of local government, and the closest they get to a formal decision-making role in government processes is in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, through the obligation to consult MZs in the development and adoption of zoning plans and in general issues of local matters of importance to the citizens. Therefore, MZs have the character of a community organisation which provides space and forums where citizens can come together to discuss issues, decide on strategies and formulate proposals on issues of local significance. The Project  works directly with 136 MZs country-wide and 24 local governments. This consultancy is planned within first phase of the MZ project.

Duties and Responsibilities

This consultancy will contribute to the participatory and interactive conduction of the mid-term project.
In this context, the Consultant is expected to facilitate a one-day workshop, where various project partners i.e. approximately 25-30 representatives from level of Mayors, local government officials, MZ representatives and CSOs representatives will be invited to share their views, suggestions and recommendations with regard to the project progress, achievements and bottlenecks. In addition, the Consultant has to summarise all participants’ inputs provided during the mid-term review event into a brief and structured report based on well prepared questionnaire for that day
More concretely the service is divided in the following three tasks described below:

Task 1- Preparation of the mid term project review  event
Prior to the mid-term review event, the Consultant is expected to familiarise herself/himself with the project document, as well as to discuss with the project management the proposed event facilitation/moderation techniques (if any particular approaches are envisaged to ensure structured discussion). The consultant is also expected to share structured discussion process and/or questionnaire based on which conversation will be facilitated.
Task 1 requires 2 expert days.


Task 2: Facilitation of the mid-term project review event to enable structured and productive discussion and feedback from participants
Based on the agenda for the 1-day mid-term partners’ project review event, the Consultant is expected to provide facilitation, as well as steer interactive and structured discussion among participants. Ultimately, the main aspects on which the review process will seek partners’ feedback are related to the outcomes 1 and 2 and its outputs in relation to the followings:

  • Outcome 1: Project processes and results : i) progress against the set targets; ii) timeliness/delay of policy processes; iii) capturing achievements, success factors and bottlenecks; iv) reflection on the relevance and quality of the assistance provided by the project; v) capturing suggestions for change/adaptation of project’s actions, so as to accommodate any observed bottlenecks and, importantly;
  • Outcome 2: Support to local governments and citizens (intruction of mechanisms/system that lead to greater citizen participation, functionality of MZs and improvement of service delivery): i) progress against the set targets; ii) timeliness/delay of processes; iii) capturing achievements, success factors and bottlenecks; iv) reflection on the relevance and quality of the assistance provided by the project; v) capturing suggestions for change/adaptation of project’s actions, so as to accommodate any observed bottlenecks and, importantly.

Task 2 requires- 1 expert day


Task 3: Prepare a succinct report capturing all findings and recommendations of the mid-term partners’ project review
Within this task, the Consultant is expected to prepare a structured report (in the languages of peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina), which captures all the findings, recommendations and key reflections from participants in the event. The report, among other possible aspects, should contain those elements listed as main discussion points under Task 1, including strong analysis and recommendations
Task 3 requires 2 expert day.

The Consultant is responsible for the following deliverables:

DELIVERABLES AND TIMELINES
MZ Project team will closely oversee the service provision, and work in close and continuous coordination with the Consultant.
The service deliverables, including papers and all relevant materials, will be available for future use within the MZ Project and by the relevant stakeholders, as well as by UNDP and other projects in the field of local governance.
The entire service will be delivered in the languages of peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The expected timeframe for the service is September 2017.

The Consultants are responsible for the following deliverables:
Deliverables (outputs) Schedule and level of effort

  • Task 1: Preparation of the mid term project review  event;  September 2017 (2 expert days);
  • Task 2: Facilitation of the mid-term project review event to enable structured and productive discussion and feedback from participants September 2017 (1 expert days);
  • Task3: Prepare a succinct report capturing all findings and recommendations of the mid-term partners’ project review September 2017 (2 expert days)

Competencies

Core values

  • Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values;
  • Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
  • Shares knowledge and experience.

Core competencies

  • Demonstrates professional competence to meet responsibilities and post requirements and is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results;
  • Results-Orientation: Plans and produces quality results to meet established goals, generates innovative, practical solutions to challenging situations;
  • Communication: Excellent communication skills, including the ability to convey complex concepts and recommendations, both orally and in writing, in a clear and persuasive style tailored to match different audiences;
  • Team work: Ability to interact, establish and maintain effective working relations with a culturally diverse team;
  • Client orientation: Ability to establish and maintain productive partnerships with national partners and stakeholders and pro-activeness in identifying of beneficiaries and partners’ needs, and matching them to appropriate solutions.

Required Skills and Experience

Education: 

  • University degree in social sciences, public administration, political sciences, law, or related field.

Experience: 

  • At least 5 years of relevant experience in facilitation/moderation of participatory process, preferably in the public sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina;
  • Proven skills and previous experience in facilitation of public consultative policy development processes in Bosnia and Herzegovina, engaging a diverse set of public, non-governmental and civic participants;
  • Sound expertise and knowledge in the domain of local governance and local development, with specific knowledge of the MZ status and situation in BiH;
  • Proven communication and advocacy skills;
  • Working experience in an environment requiring liaison and collaboration with multiple actors including government representatives, donors and other stakeholders;
  • Proven analytical skills and ability to conceptualise and write concisely and clearly;
  • Facilitators’ certificate will be considered as asset;
  • Excellent group-facilitation skills;
  • Previous concrete work at MZ level in the country is considered an unique asset;

Language requirements: 

  • Fluency in English and in the official languages in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Other: 

  • Excellent computer skills (MS Office applications) and ability to use information technologies as a tool and resource.

EVALUATION

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology:

Cumulative analysis
When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract should be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:
a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, and
b) Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

  • * Technical Criteria weight-70%
  • * Financial Criteria weight- 30%

Applicants are required to submit an application including:

Please scan all above mentioned documents and upload as one attachment only online through this website.

Note:

  • For an assignment requiring travel, consultants of 62 years or more require full medical examination and statement of fitness to work to engage in the consultancy;
  • Due to large number of potential applicants, only competitively selected candidates will be contacted for remaining steps of the service procurement process.

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points for technical criteria assessment would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.