Published on May 7, 2018

INTRODUCTION

Atina in partnership with Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and NGO Macedonian Lawyers Association started with the implementation of the project Building Together: Community Monitoring and Advocacy which is financially supported by the European Union. The overall objective of the project is to improve the position of refugees and other migrants, especially children and women in local communities in Serbia and Macedonia. During the project KAS, Atina and MLA will develop participatory community-based mechanisms for continuous monitoring and advocating for the implementation of effective integration and protection policies and services for migrants, especially women and children.

The expected outcomes of the projects are that: Local Monitoring and Advocacy Networks are able to monitor local policies and protection practices in regards to integration of migrants; Local policies and services for migrants (especially children and women) are improved; similar initiatives gathering CSOs and institutions are implemented in Macedonia, Serbia and the region.

RATIONALE

The migrant and refuge crisis in Europe from 2015 became the worst humanitarian crisis since the Second World War. Since the breakout of the crisis, over 1 million migrants and refugees crossed into Europe in search of better opportunities. The main countries of origin of the migrants are: Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq. With its central geographical position, Macedonia and Serbia played a crucial role within the Balkan Route of movement of migrants toward Western European countries.

The crisis posed a serious challenge to both countries in terms of facilitating their journey and accommodating their temporary residence. With this being the case, both countries establish temporary registration centers in August 2015 as entry points where migrants and asylum seekers had their data recorded with the possibility to stay in the country for 72 hours.

However, the situation changed dramatically in October/November 2015 when the main countries of destination (Austria, Germany and Sweden) reversed their welcoming policies for the migrants and began to negotiate with Turkey for stemming the influx of migrants through Greece and the Balkan route further on. Finally, after months of negotiations, the EU and Turkey struck a deal for stemming the flow of migrants from Turkey and in early March 2016 the Balkan Route was effectively closed which left the migrants in limbo.

The situation left several thousand of migrants in the temporary centers in Macedonia and Serbia who were left with two options: apply for asylum or head back to Greece and return to their home destination.

As was the case with other countries in the region, the Governments of Serbia and Macedonia were initially overwhelmed with the large influx of new arrivals. While Serbia and Macedonia had recently established reception and asylum systems, implementation of the asylum law has been deficient and services inadequate, even more so as these systems were designed for much smaller numbers. In an effort to better cope with the situation and prompted by international actors and national NGOs, in the autumn of 2015 both Macedonia and Serbia adopted emergency plans in case of mass influx of migrants, with the support of international actors. However, the plans focus on the immediate priority of increasing accommodation capacities and winterizing shelters and, as UN Women observed, while referring to the need of special assistance for vulnerable groups, they are weak in addressing protection and gender concerns.

Recently, there have been some promising developments at the policy levels in both countries. For instance, in Macedonia, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) have been developed for processing unaccompanied children (November 2015), and for other categories of vulnerable refugees and migrants, including the elderly, pregnant women, single parents (April/May 2016), while SOPs for the prevention and response to SGBV in the refugee crisis are currently under consideration. The Serbian Government adopted “National Strategy for Gender Equality for the period 2016-2020”, which includes women refugees as a vulnerable group at risk of discrimination. A new draft Law on Asylum and Temporary Protection is currently being considered, which should improve the asylum procedure.

Migrants’ protection is a complex issue involving a wide range of aspects which need to be addressed by adopting a multidisciplinary and intersectoral approach. Dominant discourse in policy debates emphasizes migration aspects, transnational collaboration and national actions, leaving out human rights and protection aspects and the most relevant actors in protection of migrants, especially the most vulnerable ones – local communities.

SCOPE OF WORK

The Experts for gender sensitive approach to advocacy and monitoring will be responsible for development of a training program, conducting training and consultations until the end of implementation of sub-granting projects, and provision of reports on conducted trainings and consultations for 10 Local Networks for advocacy and monitoring in Serbia and Macedonia.

Specific responsibilities of the Experts are to:

1. Develop training program for gender sensitive advocacy and monitoring

Experts will be responsible for a development of a training program which should raise capacities of the Local Network members to have gender sensitive implementation of the sub-granting projects. Training program should cover the following aspects: migration issues in Serbia – before, during and after the refugee crisis with a specific focus on the position of women and children, cultural mediation, legislation regarding the protection of women and children, asylum seekers, refugees and migrants; gender, gender mainstreaming, gender-based violence and human trafficking, implementation of projects which are gender, age and culturally sensitive; gender mainstreamed monitoring. The training program should be developed based on the previous training programs of the project “Building Тogether”.

1. Conduct 2-day training

Experts will be responsible for conducting a two-day training for members of 10 Local Networks. Training should raise capacities of the members of Local Network to mainstream gender in activities of the sub-granting projects, monitoring and in general.

1. 3. Conduct consultations with the members of Local Networks

After the training, Experts should provide consultations until the end of the project implementation, in order to reach gender, cultural, age sensitive impact in the community.

1. Provide a report on conducted training and consultations with Local Networks

Experts should provide report on conducted training and consultations which should provide evaluation results, recommendations for future raising capacities of the Local Networks, and impact of the consultations and training.

OBLIGATIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CONSULTANT(S):

1. To develop training program on gender sensitive advocacy and monitoring
2. To conduct training on gender sensitive advocacy and monitoring
3. To conduct consultations with Local Networks’ members
4. To provide report on conducted training and consultations

TIMEFRAME

The assignment should take place from 30^th April to 31^st December 2018

BIDDING PROCEDURE

Interested consultant/team should develop and submit the bidding proposal in English language to respond to above mentioned specific tasks no later than 21^st May 2018. The bidding proposal should include:

1. CV of experts involved emphasizing relevant experience, description of previous similar work, including at least references from previous clients;

2. A clear description of the approach and the assessment methodology, as well as brief description of training program;

3. A detailed Budget Proposal;

4. Writing samples of previous training methodologies and/or programs.

SELECTION PROCESS

The selection process will be based on the following evaluation criteria:

1. Brief presentation of the experts and the experience in similar activities: description of previous work, samples of previous methodologies done;

2. Proposed methodology and approach

3. Relevance of biography (area of interest, years of experience)

4. Financial proposal

REPORTING

The consultant/team will work closely with the Project Co-manager and Project Assistant from Atina. It is the responsibility of the experts to ensure timely and quality reporting for each phase and deliverable in the assignment. Reports should be sent via email to mirko.rudic@atina.org.rs

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF BID

All bids must be submitted no later than 21^st May 2018, 5PM, in electronic version, to the email mirko.rudic@atina.org.rs. A selection will be made no later than 22^nd May, 2018 and the selected consultant will be contracted no later than 23^rd May, 2018.

Only short listed consultants/teams will be contacted.