UNDP Jobs - 86541- Local consultant to support NGO establishment and

Local consultant to support NGO establishment and functioning for youth tourism NGOs in Dragash/Dragaš Shtërpcë/Štrpce and Viti/Vitina Municipalities

Location :

Dragash/Dragaš, Shtërpcë/Štrpce, Viti/Vitina, Kosovo, UNSCR 1244 (1999)

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

13-Aug-2019

Application Deadline :

08-Aug-19 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

National Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

13 August 2019 to 30 September 2019 (23 working days within this period)

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

13 August 2019 to 30 September 2019 (23 working days within this period)

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

The Integrated Territorial Development 2 project builds on the successes of the Austrian Development Cooperation-funded UNDP “Local-level Response for Employment Generation and Integrated Territorial Development (INTERDEV)” project that has been implemented in southern Kosovo’s municipalities of Dragash/Dragaš and Shtërpcë/Štrpce since 2014. This project has proven to address some of the paramount challenges citizens of not only the partner areas, but of Kosovo in general, face: high rate and long spells of unemployment, lack of decent income generation, poor public services, as well as socioeconomic exclusion of women, youth, and other vulnerable groups.
The project continues to utilize tested methodologies and has expanded its services to a new municipality of Viti/Vitina in the south-east of Kosovo. It is expected that as a result of project’s three core pillars of activities, 1) municipal officials have enhanced capacities in provision of services in rural development; 2) local micro and small enterprises and farmers have been supported to upgrade their businesses; and 3) bottom-up approaches and local-level concertation for employment generation in the form of Territorial Employment Pacts operate at the municipal level.
The Territorial Employment Pacts in the Municipality of Dragash/Dragaš, Shtërpcë/Štrpce and Viti/Vitina are an institutional innovation based on negotiated planning where different actors at the local level assume complementary and inter-connected roles and responsibilities in views of employment objectives. They constitute a model of territorial concertation that has been adopted in many European countries.
Rural tourism allows the creation of a replacement source of income in the non-agricultural sector for rural dwellers. Rural tourism is particularly relevant in developing countries where farmland has become fragmented due to population growth. The wealth that rural tourism can provide to poor households creates great prospects for development. Rural tourism exists in developed nations in the form of providing accommodation, food and get-to-know the nature in a scenic location, ideal for rest and relaxation. There are many scenic towns that have become quaint spots for vacationers.
The Municipalities of Dragash/Dragaš and Shtërpcë/Štrpce, as well as the municipality of Viti/Vitina have the potential to develop and market unique tourism products that can be integrated into already existing regional resources. A crucial aspect of this is the place-based authenticity which presents the link between nature and rural mountain culture. For example, the municipality’s isolation in Dragash/Dragaš region has been able to preserve much of the traditional activities of agriculture and livestock, traditions and ways of life that has disappeared in much of Europe and may thus be an attractive location to tourists. The three pillars of tourism potentials in the three target municipalities are: Natural Beauty (mountains, biodiversity), Culture and Heritage (Albanian, Serbian, Gorani), and Hospitality and cuisine (locally produced food; village hospitality).
The municipalities of Dragash/Dragaš and Shtërpcë/Štrpce, as well as the municipality of Viti/Vitina contain a wealth of as yet unexplored opportunities for outdoor activities and tourism, including: animal tracking, bird watching and nature observation (including for academic and research purposes); Fishing; Hiking and hillwalking; Mountain biking; Picnicking sites; Camping; Exploration of heritage, archaeology and rural culture; Skiing; Snowshoeing; Horseback riding; Cycling; Scenic drives; Local, natural products and cultivation (herbs, honey, fruits and vegetables).
In Dragash/Dragaš this TOR contributes to the expected result no. 2: Local micro and small enterprises and farmers have been supported to upgrade their businesses, respectively Activity 2.2. Support local development in line with analysed value chains. An intervention proposed by the Municipality of Dragash/Dragaš under the value chains development aims at establishing a youth group for organization of tourism services (hiking, camping, biking etc.) and management of touristic attractions and facilities and improvement of the infrastructure for organization of such services, respectively installation of 10 wooden resting points in attractive locations of Dragash/Dragaš’s territory, which will serve as picnic spots and resting points for the hikers and bikers.
While in Shtërpcë/Štrpce and Viti/Vitina this TOR contributes to the expected result no. 3: Bottom-up approaches and local-level concertation for employment generation will be operationalized at municipal level through Territorial Employment Pact (TEP), namely Actions number 2 which promote employment opportunities for youth and women in tourism.

Objectives of Assignment
The objective of the assignment is to develop NGO-management capacities of three youth groups to operate as coordination and management structures for the rural/mountain touristic services/activities in Dragash/Dragaš, Shtërpcë/Štrpce and Viti/Vitina Municipalities (one per municipality). The youth groups to be supported consist of approximately 8 youngsters each (yet to be selected in cooperation with the Employment Offices) who will set up an NGO for this purpose.
As a result of the assignment, the youth groups/NGOs will become operational and providing high-quality services to travellers in the area. Furthermore, the NGOs will also serve as connection point with the new supported guesthouses (in Dragash/Dragaš) and the producers of local products, facilitating the access to the B&B services and the products for all interested clients.
In addition, and separately, to this assignment, the project will also be contracting an expert on tourism to deliver technical training to the selected youth groups. The two experts are expected to work together where possible to maximize results and ensure sustainability of the selected NGOs and their services.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the INTERDEV Project Manager and in daily cooperation with the respective UNDP Municipal Project Support Officers (MPSO) in Dragash/Dragaš, Shtërpcë/Štrpce and Viti/Vitina and representatives from the relevant municipal departments, the consultant is expected to:

In collaboration with the engaged expert on tourism, facilitate the discussion with the selected groups of youth and define the scope of work, activities, structure and legal procedures for the establishment of NGOs. The consultant should meet the three groups. (3 working days)
Prepare the NGOs registration documentation in accordance with applicable legal framework in Kosovo (Law.04/L –057 on freedom of associations in non-governmental organisations) and together with the groups define the vision and the mission of the NGOs, scope of work, and structure, and support proposed representatives of the groups during the registration process; (6 working days)
Train the youth on NGO management, project cycle management and organisation. The training should also include information for the beneficiaries on compliance with relevant NGO regular legal obligations. (6 working days)
Design a management plan for the NGOs including organisation structure, responsibilities and main activities, fundraising strategy, as well as a clear and practical sustainability plan. (6 working days)
Submit to UNDP a final report on implementation of the assignment, elaborating on the results of the assignment. The report should also provide further recommendations for effective approaches of NGOs in tourism services for the beneficiaries and in relation to the sustainability of all 3 NGOs. (2 working days)

Expected Outputs and Deliverables

Meeting with the youth groups conducted; potential services to be organized/provided in Dragash/Dragaš Shtërpcë/Štprce, and Viti/Vitina territory discussed and defined (3 working days)
The NGO registration documents (including defined vision and mission, scope of work) completed; support provided during the registration process (6 working days)
The youth groups trained on NGO management, project cycle management and organisation (including information compliance with relevant NGOs legal obligations) (6 working days)
A management plan for the NGO is designed and includes organisation structure, responsibilities and main activities, fundraising strategy, as well as a sustainability plan. (6 working days)
A final report on implementation of the assignment is prepared, submitted to, and validated by UNDP. (2 working days)

Remuneration - Lump Sum Amount

The Contract is based on lump sum remuneration and shall be processed subject to deliverables as per the schedule listed below:

Upon successful completion and certification of deliverables and validation of the final report: 100% of the total amount

Recommended Presentation of Offer

The following documents are required to be submitted:

Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability;
P11 and CV (signed), indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the candidate and at least three (3) professional references;
Technical proposal, a max. 2-page document briefly outlining the methodology envisaged for the assignment for delivering the expected results within the indicated timeframe, and why the candidate is considered him/herself as the best candidate for the assignment.
Financial proposal, the consultant is expected to provide an all-inclusive lump sum amount financial proposal. The Offeror must indicate at this point and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNDP. The contract price is fixed regardless of changes in the cost components.

Criteria for selection of the Best Offer

Offers will be evaluated utilizing a combined Scoring method – where the qualifications and technical proposal will be weighted a max. of 70% and combined with the price offer which will be weighted a max of 30%.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

Committed to professionalism, impartiality, accountability and integrity;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality, ethnicity, and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Demonstrates substantial experience in gender equality. Actively promotes gender equality in all activities;
Treats all people fairly without favouritism.

Functional Competencies:

Empathy and patience, people orientation;
Ability to follow and understand latest trends in tourism and apply them to the local context.
Punctuality and honouring of commitments;
Ability to draw conclusion on the related subjects;
Ability to pay attention to details;
Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing;
Ability to establish effective working relations in a multicultural team environment;
Good organisational skills;
Commitment to accomplish work;
Responds positively to critical feedback;
Results and task oriented.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

University degree in Economy, Business Management, Social Sciences, or other relevant fields is required.

Experience:

At least 4 years of demonstrated work experience with NGO management and designing and delivering capacity development interventions in NGO and project management topics is required.
Excellent knowledge of up-to-date specifics and trends of the NGO sector in Kosovo and the Western Balkans is required.
Proven experience and knowledge of rural development and local economic development is a strong asset.

Language requirements:

Knowledge of fluent spoken and written English and Albanian is required. Knowledge of Serbian is considered an asset.

Application Instructions:

Click on the "Apply now" button;
Input your information in the appropriate sections: personal information, language proficiency, education, resume and motivation; you can type in, or paste your short Resume into the last box;
Upon completion of the first page, please hit "submit application" tab at the end of the page. On the next page, you will be asked to upload your Resume;
System will only allow one attachment. All docs (CV; P11; financial offer; list of similar profiles should be included as one attachment).
Please make sure to submit all the requested documents/information; otherwise, your application will be considered incomplete.