CARE International in the Balkans

CALL FOR PROPOSAL – External Consultant for design and implementation of training
program in business development for women cooperatives and women social entrepreneurs in
Tuzla and Bijeljina

Terms of Reference (TOR)

For design and implementation of training program in business development for women
cooperatives and women social entrepreneurs in Tuzla and Bijeljina for the project
“ Empowerment of Women Vulnerable to Violence“ in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Background

CARE International is a federation of international non-government organizations implementing its

programs for fighting poverty and social injustice in more than 80 countries throughout the world. CARE
has been active in the Balkans region since 1992. Over the years, CARE’s program has expanded and
elaborated to meet the changing needs of the region’s vulnerable population. Its aim in the Balkans
today is to ensure social, economic and political rights of vulnerable and marginalized groups are
recognized and fulfilled, contributing to sustainable peace in the region. CARE’s work in the Balkans
revolves around the two programme strategies: social and economic inclusion and gender equality.

Summary

“Empowerment of Women Vulnerable to Violence“ in Bosnia and Herzegovina is a 3 year project

funded by Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC), Oak Foundation and CARE Austria.

The project Empowerment of Women Vulnerable to Violence will be implemented in partnership with
three local women’s NGOs: „Maja“from Kravica/Bratunac, „Lara“ from Bijeljina and „Bolja budućnost“
from Tuzla.

Project Objectives

The objectives of the Project are to stimulate inclusive economic growth and employment generation
through economic opportunities for 120 women vulnerable to violence and to enhance their socio-
economic rights. They will by supported by vocational and business training and with grants to launch
and to develop small business activities. In cooperation with relevant local institutions (e.g Centers for
Social Work and Employment Offices) the project partners will provide up to 50 women with assistance
to create income generating opportunities including vocational training, business advisory support and
financial assistance in form of social loans. The social loans will require a financial or in-kind repayment
to the community or a family in social need.

The project will also launch and build upon existing cooperation with municipalities and local service
providers, in order to facilitate employment and enhance socio-economic rights of women vulnerable to
violence.
Project goal
To increase economic opportunities for socially deprived and marginalized women vulnerable to violence
by fostering their economic empowerment, enabling them to achieve their economic rights and financial
independence.

Project expected results are:

ER1: The 3 project partners successfully support and represent women vulnerable to violence, and
advocate on their behalf in the struggle for the right to access the labour market and to found their own
business.

ER 2: At least 50 marginalized and vulnerable women supported to successfully operate their own
businesses.

ER3: The 3 project partners have become business resource centres, and successfully manage their
own cooperatives/social enterprises.

ER 4: CARE and its 3 project partners promote women and social entrepreneurship as a sustainable
business model in Bosnia and Herzegovina through networking and best practice exchange.

Objectives and description of the task

On the basis of the needs assessment and situational desk analyses, CARE plans to engage external
trainers/experts in the fields of cooperative, women and social entrepreneurship for the project’s
technical support to two women cooperative/social enterprises in Tuzla and Bijeljina.

The training of women cooperatives entrepreneurship in Tuzla and Bijeljina will have the following goals:

1) To provide the training for two women social enterprises/cooperatives and their members;
2) To facilitate implementation of their cooperatives business plans as a sustainable business model
cooperatives/social enterprises and their member producers:
3) To support the 2 partners (Bolja budućnost from Tuzla and Lara from Bijeljina) to develop sustainable
business plans for start up their cooperatives in each of the target municipalities;
4) To support 2 partners (Bolja budućnost from Tuzla and Lara from Bijeljina) with mentoring in the
business plan development scheme by helping them to become a resource centre for women/social
entprereneurship.

The training is expected to be entirely designed and implemented/facilitated by external expert/s (in
consultation with CARE and the project team) and to cover a wider range of topics around the subject
of business plans development: analysis of the business idea, competition and sales prospective,
importance of good marketing, business development and utilization of external investment funding and
other possible topics deriving from the experience of the trainer/s and projects’ needs assessment and
situational desk analyses.

The main purpose of the mentoring will be the design and development of business ideas of the 2 project
partners (Bolja budućnost from Tuzla and Lara from Bijeljina) into feasible and comprehensive business
plans that should be served as focal input in planning of the cooperatives' activities.

Selection criteria

The Consultant/s must comply with the following criteria:

o Have excellent knowledge and previous documented consulting experience in business

development (in particular agricultural business development – SMEs and cooperatives) and in
 technical support and in business plan writing. Have proven knowledge in the principles of women
and social entrepreneurship and its practical benefits;
o Have excellent knowledge of gender equality issues and their implications to (agricultural) business
development
o Have excellent knowledge in environment protection, in particular in the influence of agricultural
businesses on the environment and in concrete preventative measures to be installed as prevention;
o Have knowledge and experience in participatory training and mentoring methodologies in supporting
women and social entrepreneurship;
o Have a good knowledge in regards to the business environment, especially for agricultural SMEs,
cooperatives and producers;
o Have a good understanding of the idea, aims, principles and expected results of the social
entreperneurship;
o Submit references/recommendation on the experience in supporting women and social
entrepreneurship

Additional requirements (desired):

o Have experience from previous involvement in the similar projects;

o Prior experience on international donor funded projects;
o Relevant university degree in business, business administration, economy or similar;
o Excellent knowledge of English and local languages.

There is no a standard format for the proposal. The consultant's proposal should consist by
following:

1. Consultant's CV (preferable CV in EU Format) with detailed information concerning past

experience in the field of consultation, particularly dealing with the economic development and
woman entrepreneurship sector, as well as the list of biographical information of the conducted
consultations. Consultant's CV attach as an Appendix.

2. The proposal should be clear and concise with goals and objectives for the consultation as
well as described working methodology and implementation plan for the consultancy, as
well as Bid (financial offer) and References.

3. Consultant's Budget -The Consultant shall suggest a daily fee/rate per day in BAM and the
number of days predicted for the work under Schedule. The Consultant should make a
breakdown of costs in the budget part of their proposal, including activities and types of costs
(travel related costs should be included into the budget, if any). The Consultant is required to
make the daily work report in accordance with CARE International in the Balkans policies
(through the daily time sheets).

Consultant’s Outputs

In order to accomplish the requested consultancy, the Consultant/s will conduct the following tasks:

o Review of the documentation and inputs relevant for the project, provided by CARE;
o In communication with CARE Project Manager, design of the detailed plan for training and
mentoring consultation;
o Consult with the “Women's Economic Empowerment ” lessons learnt for the delivery of training
modul in the framework of fostering women and social entrepreneurship and search for
synergies with regards to the training tools/manuals developed earlier.
o Design training and mentoring programs for two project partner (in English, 4-5 pages)
o Creation of scoring plan for business plans developments, where special attention shall be
placed on the encouragement of social entrepreneurship/cooperative (on the level of job
creation and impact on the local communities).
o Revision and adjustment of the training and mentoring programs and scoring plan in
consultation with CARE.
 o Implementation of the training and mentoring programs adopted by CARE (in Bijeljina and in
Tuzla) and logistically supported by the project.
o Provision of the training and mentoring consultancy report to CARE (in English 3-5 pages). Apart
from the general consultancy coverage, the consultancy report will contain the annex with the
completed business plans of the two project partners (Bolja budućnost and Lara) cooperatives.

CARE’s Outputs

o Provide to the Consultant/s the documentation relevant for the consultancy – initial and upon
Consultant’s request
o Agree the training and mentoring program with the Consultant/s;
o Coordinate with the Consultant throughout the training and mentoring program consultancy
period;
o Monitor the training and mentoring program;
o Provide logistical support for organization of the training.

Methodology

The Consultant/s will base their work on the relevant project documentation and inputs, which will be
provided by CARE (e.i. Investment for life document and the training handbook from Women Economic
Empowerment project, reserach evidence from the project „Inclusive Economic Growth and
Employment Generation in Eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina – Birac Region / IEG“ (2013/336-866), and
data collection from various sources, etc.), basing their work on the project logframe and findings of the
project’s needs assessments and situational desk analysis, as well as on close and permanent
consultation with the Project Manager throughout the consultancy and mentoring.

The delivered training and mentoring program will be tailor made for the project purposes and oriented
towards maximizing the effects of the trainings and sustainable training results. The Consultant/s will
implement interactive working and group work methods, utilize the latest knowledge and information,
modern equipment (such as: IT, graphics, info graphs etc.) and materials as tools in the learning
process.

In consultation with CARE, the consultant/s will select an up-to-date methodology, most suitable for the
consultancy subject and characteristics of beneficiaries, which will enable participatory approach to be
implemented. Both training and mentoring programs will be carried out in Tuzla and Bijeljina, in the
premises provided by the project.

Language and outline of the reports and consultancy

The training and mentoring report should be writte in English language by consisting of the 3-5 pages
of methodology and a table with practical points for all activities related to the conducted training and
mentoring program.

The Consultant will perform the training in local language.

Schedule and logistic

The Consultant/s will be engaged in the period November 20, 2015 – December 20, 2015 and until the
completion of the named consultancy obligations. The entire consultancy engagement will sum to
maximum 20 working days.

Deadline
 Review of the documentation and imputs November 25,2015

Training program design November 27, 2015

Implementation of the training program December 04, 2015

Mentoring program to the 2 project partner organizations December 18,2015

Consultancy report and annexes December 20, 2015

The payment for the work defined in Contract will be made upon the work completion and the final
product delivered to CARE, with the necessary documentation (i.e. time sheets, etc.) as per CARE’s
administrative procedures.

Apart from the logistical support in organization of the training, CARE will not provide logistical support
to the Consultant for the mentoring, nor will accept extra costs for it – organization and costs for meals,
accommodation, transportation and other logistics that may occur will be entirely born by the Consultant.

Management and organization

The Consultant/s will report to Dubravka Kovačević, Project Manager.

Interested candidate should send the proposal to the following address:

CARE International in the Balkans,
Hasana Kaimije 11, 71 000 Sarajevo
Or via e-mail: shalkic@carenwb.org

For eventual additional information, you can contact: dkovacevic@carenwb.org

+387 33 536 790.
Deadline for applications is November 18, 2015
Sarajevo, November 09 , 2015