“Terms of Reference for a consultant to facilitate the process of the review of the Strategy of Tuzla Canton as a part of project Inclusive4All: Inclusive education for all children in Bosnia and Herzegovina.”

“Terms of Reference for a consultant to facilitate  the process of the review of the Strategy of Tuzla Canton as a part of project Inclusive4All: Inclusive education for all children in Bosnia and Herzegovina.”

1.     Introduction

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In the North-West Balkans and around the world, we work every day to give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn, and protection from harm. When crisis strikes and children are most vulnerable, we are always among the first to respond and the last to leave. We ensure children’s unique needs are met, and their voices are heard.  We deliver lasting results for millions of children, including those hardest to reach. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share.

2.     Background and Rationale

Children with disabilities[1] and their families are among the most marginalized and excluded groups, often experiencing discrimination and violation of their rights guaranteed under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the medical approach to children with disabilities is still omnipresent, which focuses on the defects of the child rather than their potentials and environmental barriers, and the complementary charity approach that focuses on the provision of social welfare as the only means of community support. Children with disabilities often experience discrimination and social exclusion in every aspect of their lives, including negative beliefs, lack of knowledge, and discriminatory behavior.

Although data on the number of children with disabilities is scarce, it is estimated that there are over 70,000 children who have some disability in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Over 7,500 of them live in Tuzla Canton[2].

The project: Inclusive4All - Inclusive education for all children in Bosnia and Herzegovina, code: AID 011522, funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), started on May 1^st 2018. The project aims to enable children with disabilities to develop their potentials and thoroughly enjoy their right to education and social inclusion.

Specifically, the project aims to reach the following three main results:

1.      Children with disabilities and their families have access to several diverse support services in Tuzla Canton;

2.      Tuzla Canton authorities are strengthened and supported in the review and adoption of the local strategy for the inclusion of children with disabilities in the regular education system;

3.      The population and civil society organizations of Tuzla Canton understand and support the bio-psycho-social model of educational and social inclusion of children with disabilities.

Concerning the second result, this consultancy’s main objective is to support the working group members nominated by the Ministry of Education and Science to review the Cantonal strategy for the inclusion of children with disabilities in the regular education system by facilitating meetings and record keeping. In cooperation with the Pedagogical Institute, the Cantonal Ministry of Education and Sciences leads the process and appointed a working group with cantonal experts from the education, health, and welfare sectors.

SC, therefore, invite requests for proposal from various experienced individual consultants to support this process of revision of the Cantonal strategy.

3.     Objective

Concerning the process to review the strategy, the consultant will be a mediator/facilitator, attentive and present in responding to different needs and problems that various stakeholders will face. He/she will accompany the working group, set up by the Ministry of Education and Science, to analyze the strategy's critical aspects.

In particular, the consultant will be in charge of:

·        Facilitating the meetings of the working group with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science and Pedagogical Institute in Tuzla Canton;

·        Keeping the participants in open communication with each other facilitate dialogue and cross-fertilize ideas between them while enabling an ambiance of open communication and trust between participants;

·        Facilitating the exchange of knowledge and information between the members of the working group to review the cantonal strategy;

·        Developing an activity timeline with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science and Pedagogical Institute in Tuzla Canton;

·        Providing feedback to SC on the process and activities;

·        Keeping a record of the meeting;

·        Up-dating the working document.

    4.    Expected outputs:

The expert consultant is expected to provide the following:

·        Propose goals and plan for the meetings;

·        Facilitate the meetings of the working group;

·        Up-date the working document with conclusions drafted on the meeting;

·        Submit report after each session in the Bosnian language.

5.  Timeframe and methodology

To complete the above-specified task, the consultant will be engaged from May 7^th to September 30^th, 2021. The consultant will develop and implement the work plan in consultations and support SCINWB designated staff, in line with the proposed timeframe below.

1. *Timeframe can be changed in consultations with SCINWB.

The final deliverables should be the following:

·        Timetable and plan of meetings

·        Agenda, list of participants, and meeting minutes

·        Up-dated working document (First draft of the strategy)

·        Final report

   6. Funding and logistical support and organizations

Funding will be provided by Save the Children in North West Balkans to cover the consulting fees and materials costs for the participants in the working group.

   7.Qualifications and Specialised Knowledge/Experience Required  

A consultant engaged in performing the task should possess the following expertise and skills as a minimum:

·        Qualified skills and competencies in the area of inclusive education;

• Know inclusion values and principles;
• Know the educational system in the Tuzla Canton and BiH;
• Very familiar with the local context and education policies;
• Familir with the work of CSO representatives of presons with disabilities in Tuzla Canton,
• Exceptional organization, ability to plan, realize and monitor work progress;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

 8. Evaluation Criteria

The proposal evaluation criteria are as follows:

   9. Formal Expression of Interest for Consultancy

The interestedconsultantshoulddevelopandsubmitthefinancialproposaltorespondto the above-mentionedspecifictasks.Theproposalshouldinclude:

1.      Submission of the Bidders response document with a specified budget breakdown (Annex 1);

2.      Curriculum Vitae (CV) in SCI template (Annex 2).

The interested applicants should submit their proposals on Procurement.NWB@savethechildren.org no later than May 5^th, 2020, 12:00 h. Only the shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

Please find all relevant documents for application: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1o3x5pPPCe4cAhR-yH2HVR4JuaU0QaIs4/view?usp=sharing

Particular requirement: no person is performing any task on behalf of Save the Children may, in any way, be involved in or connected with abuse or exploitation of children.