TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR Participatory Research on Environmental Challenges and Inclusiveness of Green Transition Processes
TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR
Participatory Research on Environmental Challenges and Inclusiveness of Green Transition Processes
Date: 11.03.2025
CARE Deutschland e.V. Office in Kosovo (in further text: CARE), within its project “Green Horizons - Youth and Community Led Green Transition Initiative in Western Kosovo” (in further text: the Project), financed by the European Union - EuropeAid/179419/DD/ACT/XK EU Civil Society Facility and Media Programme for Kosovo – 2023 Lot 2: Local governance, development and activism, Contract no. 2024/461-252 is planning on engaging external Consultant(s) or company/organization to perform a participatory research in western Kosovo, on environmental challenges and inclusiveness of green transition processes, particularly concerning the involvement and roles of women and youth.
General Information
Project title: Green Horizons - Youth and Community Led Green Transition Initiative in Western Kosovo
Place(s) of work: Prizren, Peja/Peć, Gjakove/Đakovica and Mitrovica (North and South) regions - Western Kosovo.
Anticipated consultants: the consultancy team, preferably comprised of one local expert focused on gender and one international expert with EU expertise in Green Deal and environmental protection issues, with diverse and complementary skill sets, fitting the consultancy task (see chapter “Qualifications” for more details).
Engagement period and duration: estimated 28 days of engagement, over the period 04 April - 22 May 2025.
About CARE in the Balkans
CARE’s mission in the region of Balkans is to contribute to post-war recovery, socio-economic development and building the societies of equality in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania and North Macedonia. 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 peacebuilding, sustainable livelihoods, gender equality and the prevention of gender-based violence. CARE in the Balkans places the quality of its program at the centre of its mission and has developed a regional strategy with key impact areas of Economic Justice (enhancing inclusive climate-smart economic empowerment and resilient livelihoods), Social Justice (fostering social transformation leading to enhanced) and Humanitarian Action (in emergencies, CARE will support people affected by natural or man-made disasters, conflict or displacement with lifesaving and urgently required support in line with CARE International’s global strategy). These efforts are guided by cross-cutting priorities, including promoting gender equality, advancing climate justice, strengthening social cohesion, and empowering civil society.
1. Project Information
Basic Project information
The Project Green Horizons - Youth and community led green transition initiative in Western Kosovo is implemented by CARE and two local partners: non-government organizations Emancipimi Civil Ma Ndryshe (EC Ma Ndryshe) from Prizren and Syri i Vizionit (SiV) from Peja/Peć.
The Project, which started on 1st January 2025 and has a duration of 28 months,is implemented in the municipalities of Gjakova/Đakovica, Mitrovica (North and South), Peja/Peć, and Prizren.
The overall objective of the project is to strengthen the resilience and role of youth and civil society of Kosovo in advancing participatory democracy, local development and social inclusion processes. This contributes to strengthening the resilience, role and capacities of civil society and media in advancing participatory democracy and social progress along with the EU integration and approximation agenda in Kosovo. Specifically, the action aims to support gender just, youth and community led local development processes focused on circular economy and green transition in Prizren, Peja/Peć, Gjakovë/Đakovica, and Mitrovica (North and South).
The project aims to tackle youth and civil society actors and engage them in environmental protection, circular economy, and green transition programming and activism, by raising citizen awareness of environmental preservation and effective strategies, and cooperate with local policymakers to increasingly priorities green transition in local development, with a heightened focus on amplifying the voices of youth and women in decision-making processes, thus a sustainable transformation in the local policy landscape will occur, enhancing resilience and fostering participatory democracy in Kosovo.
Target groups of the project: The main Project target groups are young people aged 14-25, local and national public servants and civil society actors (local CSOs’ representatives).
Project Outputs:
- Output 1 will encompass participatory research, focusing on identifying key environmental challenges, stakeholders, and the inclusivity of green transition policies and local processes, particularly in relation to women and youth.
- Output 2 will focus on capacity-building activities around circular economy and green transition, aiming to foster environmental resilience and social activation among youth and CSOs. The School of Activism for Environment aims to enhance local youth engagement by educating students on citizens’ rights, the green transition, circular economy principles, youth activism, and peer-to-peer exchange.
- Output 3 will focus on fostering collaboration with cultural institutions, supporting local youth activism and volunteerism, and encouraging regional exchange to build social cohesion and a sense of shared responsibility for environmental and sustainable development issues.
- Output 4 focuses on ensuring the participation of youth, women and other marginalized groups in decision-making related to green transition. The project will engage youth and civil activists in structured advocacy, including training and round table discussions on local environmental protection and inclusive policy-making processes.
2. Purpose, Objectives and Tasks of the Consultancy
Purpose of the participatory research:
The participatory research aims to comprehensively assess the environmental challenges and inclusiveness of green transition processes in the target municipalities, particularly concerning the involvement and roles of women and youth. It will provide concrete recommendations that will contribute to the implementation of the Project activities, as well as to the design of the local environmental protection policies. The research will particularly focus on the unequal impact of climate change on vulnerable populations, primarily women and youth, as well as the possibilities for their increased involvement in processes and measures regarding environmental protection.
The vulnerability assessment will be based on the premise that marginalised societal groups, particularly women and youth, are more vulnerable to shocks and stresses caused by environmental degradation, climate change and pollution, because of their limited access to and control over property, information, education, and access to state-organised services, including health and financial services. The research agenda will be particularly informed by EU Green Agenda and Gender Equality Strategy (including GAP III) elements, CARE International’s Gender Equality Framework and Climate and Environment Policy, as well as the related policies and local experiences of EC Ma Ndryshe and Syri i Vizionit.
The research will assess the inclusiveness of current local and national environmental policies and measures, particularly regarding gender inequalities, and the potential for involvement of youth and other vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities, minorities and similar. It will determine recommendations for improving capacities of the target groups (agency), channeling and strengthening the voices of women and youth towards decision-makers for increased influence in environmental decision-making and for more gender sensitive measures (relations).
The research will also examine current local policies and measures, including existing local action plans for climate action and environmental protection. It will gather input from local stakeholders such as authorities and academia (specifically the Faculty for Life and Environment in Prizren), aiming to recommend potential adjustments that enhance the inclusion of gender and youth perspectives. As a practical output of this segment of the research, a policy brief will be generated, capitalizing on the research findings, to communicate the key priorities for the enhanced participation of women and youth in environmental protection decision-making processes, which will aim to raise awareness among local authorities about the need for adjusting local environmental protection policies to be more inclusive and responsive to the needs of marginalised groups.
Overall objectives of the participatory research are:
- Review of the existing local and national policies, programs and initiatives related to the green transition and gender equality. Review the current policies and strategies for enhancing inclusivity and equity (in particular regarding gender equity and youth inclusion), relevant stakeholders (local communities, government, civil society organizations, etc.).
- Identify and assess key climate and environmental challenges that affect primarily women and youth. Identify key national and local stakeholders, and processes critical for the inclusivity of green transition policies and local processes (particularly in relation to participation of women and youth) in the Project target region.
- Assess the current participation of women, youth and marginalised populations in environmental protection and sustainability initiatives and policy making. Identify the barriers (including gender power relations) and challenges faced by women and youth, as well as potential opportunities/measures for their engagement in climate and environmental measures.
Consultancy tasks:
- Design a research plan, based on the objectives and the logframe indicators of the project, in communication with CARE, Project Manager.
- Review relevant project documents, CARE/partners’ policies and tools, primarily CVCA (CARE’s Climate Vulnerability and Capacity Analysis), as well as official reports, decisions, studies and surveys, laws/policies on the subject of the consultancy.
- Undertake a field analysis throughout the target project area, analyse relevant data, employing qualitative and quantitative data collection methods necessary for obtaining relevant and required information, i.e. interviews with project target groups, main stakeholders, agencies, focus group discussions for the subject.
- Collect research data on the project log-frame indicator:
- IOC 1: # of youth from target regions engaged in civic activities linked with circular economy and green transition development processes.
- IOC 2: % of local authority (and institutional) respondents who report to have increased gender equitable attitudes as a result of project involvement and claim to actively promote the importance of women and youth participation in decision-making processes related to environmental protection at local, national, and regional levels.
- Generate a comprehensive Research Report in English.
- Compile a Policy Brief based on the Research findings, a practical output containing suggestions for the adjustment of local environmental protection policies in the target municipalities, to be more inclusive and responsive to the needs of marginalised groups, primarily women and youth.
3. Outputs, Deliverables and Methodology
CARE Outputs:
- Provide necessary information and documentation on the project (logframe, Vetting forms, tools etc), partners, associates, and stakeholders. Agree on the work plan with the Consultant(s).
- Coordinate with the Consultant and partner organisations – EC Ma Ndryshe and Syri i Vizionit during the preparation and realisation of the task.
- Provide logistical support to the Consultant/s necessary for the realisation of the task, other than travel logistics (travel and accommodation costs for the fieldwork envisaged should be included in the Consultants’ bid).
Expected Consultant(s) deliverables:
- Field work: participatory assessment and community engagement, interviews/ questionaries and meetings with different stakeholders.
- Workshop: Design and deliver a one-day participatory workshop in English language, with the project team (CARE and partners), to discuss the research findings, recommendations and ways to instal the research recommendations into project activities’ plans. The logistics for the workshop will be organized by the Green Horizons project. The workshop report (including PP presentation, instalment table, minutes and evaluation) should be prepared in English and delivered to CARE.
- Report: a comprehensive well-structured research report in English language, outlining findings, analysis, and recommendations is to be submitted to the CARE Project Manager. Research report should consist of the 20-30 pages (plus Annexes), including the executive summary (up to 2 pages), the overall description of the research process and methodology, presentation and analysis of the gathered data, main findings and conclusions with recommendations for future planning of project activities.
- Policy Brief containing policy recommendations: The Brief in highest quality English, 3 - 4 pages in total, containing: short executive summary, context & problem statement, policy options and recommendations, conclusion and references, all written in a simple and concise manner. The Brief will provide concrete policy/measures development recommendations for local and national decision makers and stakeholders on how to enhance women and youth involvement in environmental sustainability.
- Data: Hand over to CARE the entire original quantitative and qualitative data documentation collected for the purposes of the consultancy, workshop documents, questionnaires and other data collection tools, data on evaluation of the participatory workshop, lists of interviewees.
|
No. |
Tasks/Deliverables |
Detailed Description |
Estimated time allocation (TBC with the consultants within the planning process) |
|
1 |
Field work |
Participatory assessment and community engagement, interviews/ questionaries and meetings with different stakeholders (institutions). |
7 days |
|
2 |
Draft Research Report |
Draft Research Report (20-25 pages) with the key findings. |
5 days |
|
3 |
Workshop |
1-day participatory workshop, 3 days Integrating research findings in implementation plans (including preparatory work). |
4 days |
|
4 |
Final Research Report |
The Report with annexes and all original documents. |
6 days |
|
5 |
Policy Brief and recommendations for all levels |
Design policy brief on the research findings. |
6 days |
Methodology:
The detailed research methodology and schedule will be required from the external consultants, as initial documentation for the agreement on the work plan with the CARE Project Manager. The planning process will be informed by the CARE’s Climate Vulnerability and Capacity Analysis (CVCA) tool which provides basis for the participatory engagement, gender-specific instruments to identify vulnerabilities of different groups, specificities of decision making with potential pathways to adapt, etc. The consultants will be requested to utilise those elements of the CVCA tool which are in accordance with the research objectives and tasks.
The consultants should adopt a participatory approach to the task, capturing the perspectives of beneficiaries (mainly women and youth) and key stakeholders. The research information and data (both quantitative and qualitative), will be collected directly from beneficiaries and stakeholders and indirectly through desk analysis of the assembled documents - current laws and national/local policies and measures related to green transition and gender equality, project documentation, third party reports etc. This will be followed by cross referencing and formulation of the research conclusions and recommendations for project activities, as well as local/national policies improvements.
Whenever applicable, and in communication with the Project Manager, the consultants will analyse data corelating to the project logframe indicators and suggest the methods for their regular follow up.
Data Collection Methods: focus group discussions, surveys, interviews, community consultations.
Data Analysis: Qualitative and quantitative analysis to identify key themes, barriers, and opportunities.
Approach: a participatory approach that ensures that methodologies are gender-sensitive and youth-friendly, fostering safe and inclusive spaces for discussion of the topics.
CARE and co-applicants will support the realization of the research, which includes providing of contacts of local communities, vulnerable individuals (such as women and youth), and local stakeholders.
The Policy Brief which will be one of the practical outputs of the consultancy, should be written in a simple, concise, and communicative language, using bullet points and visuals where appropriate, to make it practical for decision-makers and suitable for dissemination via digital portals (websites). The policy brief should be designed as a primary advocacy tool aimed at local authorities and key stakeholders.
4. Process & Timeline
The consultancy is limited to 28 full consultancy days, over the period 04 April - 22 May 2025, according to the following timetable:
Action Responsible Deadline
- Submission of the bid (electronically) Consultant 24 March 2025
- Contract signing, initial agreements CARE, Consultant 04 April 2025
- Submission of the draft report Consultant 25 April 2025
- Conduct the one-day workshop Consultant, CARE 06 May 2025
- Submission of the Final Research
- Report, with documentation Consultant 14 May 2025
- Submission of the Policy Brief Consultant 22 May 2025
5. Payment Schedule
CARE will undertake two payments for the consultancy. The first payment 50% of the contracted amount, upon the approval of the Consultancy report (including the supporting documents), and the second/final payment upon the approval of the Policy Brief. The detailed payment schedule will be outlined in the Consultancy Contract. The Payment will be carried out in line with all necessary documentation as per CARE’s administrative procedures (timesheets, consultancy final report, submission of the policy briefs etc).
6. Required Qualifications of the Consultant(s)
CARE invites individual experts, expert teams, companies’ and/or NGOs agencies, experienced on environmental issues and research reports to the subject, to submit their bids and present their relevant expertise and experience. The general requirements for Consultants’ expertise are:
- Consultancy team:
- In-depth knowledge of gender and youth issues with minimum of 5-8 years of relevant professional experience in environmental protection /climate change, gender equality, social inclusion and youth programming.
- Excellent knowledge of the EU Green Agenda and Gender Equality Strategies (such as GAP III).
- Familiarity with green transition processes and current environmental policies in Kosovo, on the national and local levels.
- Proven experience in working with vulnerable communities (including women, youth, minorities, people with disabilities) and marginalized groups in the context of gender equality, climate and environmental issues.
- Extended experience in participatory research methods and data gathering.
- Expertise and proven experience in preparing policy briefs - recommendations based on research findings.
- Excellent knowledge of English and Albanian languages, highest standard of written English, knowledge of Serbian language is an asset.
- Good presentation skills, and workshop techniques.
- Clear demonstration that the consultant(s) can meet the consultancy task in the envisaged timeframe.
- Expert 1 MA qualification in Gender Equality, Social Science, or related fields, with vast knowledge of Kosovo gender landscape, regulations, norms, stakeholders, civic actors.
- Expert 2 MA Degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Policy, Climate Change, Sustainability, with extensive EU expertise in Green Deal programming and practice
7. Application Process
The Consultant’s bid/application should consist of the following:
- Portfolio including the Consultant(s)'s CV(s) (preferably in EU Format), with detailed information relevant to the required qualifications including two relevant references from similar consultancy conducted for international organisations.
- Draft consultancy plan – implementation plan (schedule/timeline) for the consultancy.
- Bid – financial offer: The Consultant shall suggest a gross daily fee/rate in EUR per consultancy and an excluded VAT daily fee/rate in EUR for the companies. Transportation, food and accommodation costs should be included in the daily rate. There is no standard format for the bid.
- Copy of IDs for consultant(s), business registration certificate VAT etc. (if any) for the companies and/or NGOs.
THE APPLICATION BID SHOULD BE IN ENGLISH!
Interested candidates are invited to apply to the e-mail: [email protected] . Closing date for applications is 24.03.2025.
For any additional information concerning the application, you may contact: [email protected] no later than 20th of March 2025.
8. Criteria for Selection of Best Offer
The received applications will be evaluated against the following criteria:
The elevation will be awarded based on the assessment of both a technical and a financial proposal submitted by applicants. The received applications will be evaluated based of the cumulative analysis methodology: technical and quality evaluation weigh 70% and financial criteria weigh 30%.
Only the bids obtaining a minimum of 70 points in the technical evaluation shall be considered for the financial evaluation. The evaluation criteria that shall be as follows:
| Criteria | Weigh | Max points |
| Technical and quality evaluation | 70% | 100 |
|
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND, EXPERTISE
|
40 | |
|
WORKING REFERENCE /HISTORY
|
30 | |
|
METHODOLOGY / APROACH
|
15 | |
| SKILLS NEEDED (for the task) | 15 | |
| Financial offer (value for money) | 30% |