Mentorship for CSOs: ToR for selecting an expert for implementation of the “Resilient CSOs + Responsible Budgeting = Accelerated AA implementation” Project

1. Brief project description

Donors: European Commission and Friedrich Ebert Foundation

Implementation period: January 2023 – June 2025

Project total budget: EUR 1.1 million

Independent Analytical Center Expert-Grup, as lead partner, in consortium with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, the Institute for European Policies and Reforms (IPRE), and Institutum Virtutes Civilis (IVC) started implementation in January 2023 of the EU-grant project “Resilient CSOs + Responsible Budgeting = Accelerated AA implementation”.

The general objective of the project is to build and consolidate the capacity of civil society organizations (CSOs) to support the implementation of the conditionalities attached to Moldova’s accession process to the EU and the Association Agenda, at the national and local levels.

Specific objectives:

1. Improve capacity, ensure resilience, and enhance participation of CSOs in the budget monitoring and advocacy at the central and local levels, with a priority focus on budget analysis in the context of AA implementation and Moldova’s accession process to the EU.
2. Enhance the capacity and involvement of the three CSOs' platforms (i) the Moldovan National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (ii) the EU-Moldova Civil Society Platform and (iii) the Domestic Advisory Group on Trade and Sustainable Development, to provide cohesive support for the implementation of the AA and the conditionalities attached to Moldova’s accession process to the EU.

The main activities of the project are:

• Developing and delivering a capacity-building training program for CSOs on budget expenditure monitoring aiming at enhancing their participation in budget expenditure monitoring and advocacy at central and local levels;
• Drafting and publishing 30 expenditure monitoring reports by the selected CSOs, covering topics on certain projects and policies at the local and central levels related to the Europeanization agenda;
• Conducting visibility and advocacy events on budget monitoring at the local and central levels;
• Establishing a well-functioning joint secretariat for the coordination of the three above-mentioned CSOs platforms, aiming at ensuring that their members act in cohesion with regard to the implementation of the AA and Europeanization agenda;
• Delivering a capacity-building training for members of the 3 CSOs platforms (mentioned above) in key competencies linked to the AA and Europenization agenda;
• Launching an awareness-raising and information campaign among CSOs on the importance of civic engagement in advancing the AA and Europeanization agenda;
• Launching an advocacy campaign on national and European levels, aiming at informing the domestic and international audience, about the state of play with the Europeanization reforms agenda.

Target groups and final beneficiaries of the project:

For the implementation of the specific objective 1 of the project, the target group is 15 community-based CSOs from 5 development regions of the country: North, Centre, South, TAU Gagauzia, and Transnistria, that will benefit from capacity building and will be provided grants to conduct budget monitoring and advocacy activities.  It is planned that 45 members of the selected CSOs will be trained to receive expertise and be capable to engage constructively in the budgetary processes: analyzing the local and state budgets, monitoring the budgetary planning and execution, with a special emphasis on monitoring budgets in the context of AA implementation, Europeanization agenda and use of the EU assistance.

For the implementation of the specific objective 2 of the project, the target group is the three platforms of CSOs: the Moldovan National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum, the EU-Moldova Civil Society Platform, and the Domestic Advisory Group on Trade and Sustainable Development, whose capacity will be improved and be supported financially.  It is planned that about 75 CSOs will be selected to receive training on organizational management and development, fundraising, financial reporting, policy advocacy, and other key aspects for the successful development of CSOs.

2. Scope of the assignment and key activities to be conducted by the selected expert

The scope of this assignment is to hire an expert that will be responsible for completing the following tasks:

1. Preparing the presentation and conducting a one-day capacity-building training for CSOs on expenditure tracking activities in social and human rights areas (public services, social services, employment policies, human rights and gender policies)
2. Offering mentorship and guidance to beneficiaries CSOs in drafting budget expenditure monitoring reports. Expert will engage actively with the CSOs to ensure the necessary quality, relevance and impact of these reports;

3. Deliverables and Timeline of project activities

4. Tasks distribution and allocation of expert-days

5. Requirements for experts depending on the area of application:

• Master degree in economic areas, public administration, finance, social area, human rights, international relations, or other relevant areas;
• At least 4 years of experience in monitoring policies and developing policy studies related to economic or social areas, public administration, finance, human rights, gender equality and other related areas;
• Knowledge and experience in conducting budgetary analysis, at the central and local levels;
• Knowledge of concepts of budgetary participation, budgeting based on human rights, gender equality, social services, concepts of the territorial approach to budgeting and participatory budgeting techniques;
• Excellent teamwork and communication skills;
• Excellent public communication and presentation skills.

6. Evaluation grid 

The evaluation of the applications will be carried out in two stages: 

Stage 1: Analysis of the technical offers according to the specified criteria with the respective scoring, including verification of compliance with the ToR. 

Stage 2: Analysis of financial offers and calculation of the score according to the unique calculation formula. 

The evaluation score (maximum 100 points) will represent a sum of the score obtained through the technical offer (maximum 80 points) and the financial offer (maximum 20 points). 

In the first stage, the technical offer, submitted by each expert, will be evaluated against the minimum compliance requirements as follow:  

The minimum qualification score for the technical offer – 90 points. 

In the second stage, the Evaluation Committee will examine only the financial offers of the bidders that meet the minimum qualification score following the evaluation of the technical offers, mentioned above. 

Contracts will be awarded on the basis of the most economically advantageous tender established for the call for tender under the best price-quality ratio. A weighting formula will be applied.  

7. Submission of CVs 

Interested candidates should submit their: 

• CVs in English;
• The financial offer indicating the net daily rate to be paid for a full working day (8 hours).

The offers will be submitted by email at: fes@fes-moldova.org

Deadline for submission: June 26, 2023, 18.00.