EU TACSO 3

Call for Experts under the Strategic Mentoring Support 2024

Deadline to apply: 30 August 2024, 15:00 CET

What is Strategic Mentoring Support?

Strategic mentoring is part of the EU TACSO 3 Capacity Development Programme and is envisioned as pragmatic and in-depth mentoring support from experts to CSOs and CSO networks in the Western Balkans and Türkiye (WBT). With this activity, EU TACSO 3 will provide targeted hands-on capacity development support to a limited number of CSOs representing current grant beneficiaries of the CSF regional projects. The support will be in-depth, tailored to individual organisations or networks, and pragmatic, resulting in concrete outcomes.

How does the Strategic Mentoring support work?

Strategic mentoring consists of the provision of an expert to work with a CSO or CSO network over a period of time to facilitate the development of a solution to an organisational challenge. Typically, up to 14 days of expert time is needed over a period of up to 6 months. The aim is to create an organisational solution that leads to tangible improvement in organisational performance.

The support will be provided in response to challenges identified by the interested organisations in areas of organisational development having strategic importance for the organisation or the network. Experience has shown that organisations often struggle to articulate the specific challenges they face. Typically, the definition of the challenge and solution is developed through initial contacts between the EU TACSO 3 Key Expert for Capacity Building and/or an assigned mentor and the applicant organisation. Usually, further diagnostics and reflection are needed to bring to the surface the real nature and extent of the challenge.

The EU TACSO 3 project will keep the scope of areas quite open considering the different needs of the organisations and networks including:  strategy building; Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL); funding strategies and fundraising; communication strategies; rights-based approaches and gender mainstreaming; green transition mainstreaming, research, advocacy and campaigning; information activism and data visualisation; internal governing structures and organisational development; constituency building, optimising FSTP procedures, and more.

The mentoring process is planned jointly between mentor and ‘client’ organisation and approved by EU TACSO 3. Typically, the process will consist of a series mentoring sessions, which can be a combination of: facilitation of workshops, training, individual team members’ coaching; on-line sessions; practical work on documents, etc.

Who are the beneficiaries of the Strategic Mentoring Support?

Organisations targeted by the strategic mentoring support will be selected by a separate public call. They are expected to be CSOs and CSO networks (including project-based networks) in receipt of regional/multi-country EU Civil Society and Media Facility (CSF) grants.

Organisations and solutions that have the potential for replication through sub-granting CSOs and networks will be preferred in order to maximise the impact of the intervention.

The EU TACSO 3 project will provide the following support to selected organisations:

• Support in the final assessment of the needs for mentoring support and defining the ToR for the engagement of the mentor;
• Engagement of one Senior Non-Key Expert mentor for a duration of up to 14 working days, including coverage of travel and accommodation costs when needed (up to two travels).

The beneficiaries of the strategic mentoring will be expected to:

• Cooperate with the selected mentor on the development of the mentoring plan and implementation of other tasks and activities agreed upon;
• To invite participants of the mentoring support to meetings, consultations, workshops and other related sessions and activities as agreed with the mentor;
• To provide the mentor with necessary documentation and information;
• To cover expenses related to the implementation of agreed mentoring activities (provision of meeting venues, travel of participants, refreshments, etc.);
• To prepare a short report on the effects of the mentoring process.

What do we expect to achieve with Strategic Mentoring Support?

• Strategic mentoring support will be provided to approximately 7 CSOs or CSO/project networks – current regional CSF grant beneficiaries;
• Approximately 7 CSOs or CSO/project networks – current regional CSF grant beneficiaries should increase their knowledge in specific areas: strategy building; MEL; funding strategies and fundraising; communication strategies; rights-based approach and gender mainstreaming; green transition, research, advocacy and campaigning; information activism and data visualisation; internal governing structures and organisational development; constituency building; FSTP; etc. The provided list is not exhaustive.
• Approximately 7 concrete outputs will be delivered by 7 CSOs or CSO/project networks – current regional CSF grant beneficiaries, such as: strategy of the organisation/network; gender equality policy; green transition policy, communication strategy; advocacy strategy/campaign or brief/paper; system of internal governance; etc.
• Capacities of approximately 7 CSOs or CSO/project networks – current regional CSF grant beneficiaries will be increased to apply the knowledge and outputs provided within the mentoring support provided.

Whom do we envisage as Strategic Mentors?

Experts interested in cooperating with the EU TACSO 3 on the provision of their expertise and mentoring support to CSOs and CSO networks – current regional CSF grant beneficiaries from the WBT region are expected to fulfil the following requirements:

Qualifications and skills

• University degree in economics, finance, law, non-profit management, social sciences, education, political science, international relations, EU studies or equivalent (i.e. 8 years of professional experience following secondary education).
• Digital skills to operate via online learning platforms.
• Fluency in English.
• Fluency in at least one language of the WBT region.

Experience

• At least 10 years of experience working in the civil society sector.
• In-depth understanding of civil society capacity in the WBT region.
• Strong knowledge of one of the strategic mentoring areas listed in this Call (i.e. strategy building; MEL; funding strategies and fundraising; communication strategies; rights-based approach and gender mainstreaming; green transition, research, advocacy and campaigning; information activism and data visualisation; internal governing structures and organisational development; constituency building; FSTP; etc.).
• At least 5 years of practical experience (project design, implementation, consultancy, training, mentoring, strategy development, reporting, etc.) in working in a specific topic-related area.
• At least 5 years of experience in working on organisational development issues with civil society from the WBT region.

Attitude

• Understanding the challenges of the CSOs and CSO networks’ organisational development.
• Respect deadlines in producing the outputs.
• Respect for the CSOs and CSO networks’ constraints and limitations (i.e. reasons for making particular decisions, differences in opinion on how to approach organisational development, etc.).

The EU TACSO 3 project will contract selected experts-mentors based on the specific ToR that will be developed for each specific support to be provided to the selected CSO or CSO network. The EU TACSO 3 will sign a contract with the expert-mentor for her/his services, including a limited number of mission-related costs (travel and accommodation for up to two travels).

Please note only short-listed candidates will be contacted by the EU TACSO 3 team.

Are you interested in becoming a Mentor providing Strategic Mentoring Support to CSOs and CSO networks from the Western Balkans and Türkiye?

Please apply by sending your CV in the standard EU format to opportunities@gdsi.ie by August 30, 2024, 15.00 CET time. In your application, please also select the specific areas from the above-mentioned list in which you would be interested.

Should you have additional questions, please contact Ms. Andreja Tonč, a Key Expert for Capacity Building, via capacitybuilding@tacso.eu.