Call for CSOs to apply for Strategic Mentoring (Deadline: Tuesday, 17 November 2020)

EU TACSO 3 is offering a unique learning and development opportunity to civil society organisations from the Western Balkans and Turkey (WBT)* through its Strategic Mentoring Programme. The Programme is a part of EU TACSO 3 Capacity Development and People to People (P2P) Programme. It enables interested and qualified organisations to get an in-depth mentoring support to improve areas of their work according to their needs and in line with EU TACSO 3 project priorities.

Objectives:

  • Provide practical and in-depth mentoring support by mentors/experts to CSOs in the WBT;
  • Supported organisations improve specific areas of their work, including the internal organisational capacity and tangible outcomes in the given area.

 Application procedure:

Please fill in the Application form and the Budget form and submit it before Tuesday, 17 November 2020 by 17:00hrs CET.

 Beneficiaries: 

The Programme is primarily aimed at CSOs such as: national and regional thematic networks; CSOs experience in leading complex EU projects; women CSOs; grassroots and movements; CSO implementing sub-granting schemes; human rights organisations etc.

It is expected that approximately 10 CSOs will be selected for mentoring support.

Benefits for CSOs:

  • Mentoring support by expert(s) in targeted area over the period of several months to one year;
  • Improved CSO capacity/staff learning in specific areas;
  • Tangible outcomes in the form of strategy/policy/system etc.

 Priority focus areas: 

Strategy Building; Monitoring and Evaluation; Funding Strategies and Diversified Fundraising; Communication Strategies and Digital Literacy; Rights-Based Approach and Gender Mainstreaming; Participation in Decision-Making, including Research, Advocacy and Campaigning; Information Activism and Data Visualisation; Internal Governing Structures and Organisational Development; Constituency Building and Activism; Networking and other.

 Selection criteria:

  • Proposed mentoring support sessions are listed under the Priority focus areas;
  • Proposed mentoring support sessions have clear objectives;
  • Proposed mentoring support sessions will result in concrete outputs such as: strategy of the organisation; gender equality policy; communication strategy; advocacy strategy/campaign or brief/paper; system of internal governance; etc.;
  • Proposed monitoring support sessions are of strategic importance for the organisation;
  • Organisation/network has the capacity to manage the mentoring process;
  • Organisation’s leadership is committed to the process and is accountable to relevant stakeholders;
  • Activities, timeline and budget are relevant, clear and realistic;
  • Ability and willingness of CSOs to share and replicate knowledge and outputs.

Eligible activities:

The core of mentoring support consists of assigning an expert (or a team of experts) who will support the organisation over a period of several months up to one year in the development of certain organisational area, including the process of learning/capacity building and the production of specific outputs (strategies, policies, systems etc.). Mentoring support sessions can be one off or a combination of: facilitation of workshops, training, individual team members’ coaching; on-line sessions; practical work on documents etc. CSOs should propose specific activities to be realised under mentoring process in the Application form, which will be fine-tuned with mentors and approved by EU TACSO 3. When proposing activities, please have in mind the ongoing COVID-19 pandemics and that official protocols on gatherings and events in location the activities are to take place need to be observed. Note: EU TACSO 3 is currently organising and supporting its activities only through on-line tools. Therefore, with the continuation of the pandemics, organisations are encouraged to prioritise mentorship support that could be realised through on-line tools and activities.

Eligible costs:

EU TACSO 3 will select, assign and cover only the expenses of experts’/mentors’ fees and activity-related costs (e.g. meetings, workshops, training). Operational costs, costs of the regular work of the organisation and costs of salaries are not eligible.

The maximum amount for activity-related costs is:

  • For on-line type of mentor support: up to 4,000 EUR;
  • For mentor support to be conducted in physical setting (pending conditions and approval from the EU TACSO 3:

o in case of regional CSOs/networks and activities: up to 15,000 EUR;

o in case of national-level CSOs and activities: up to 4,000 EUR.

Duration of support:

Several months to maximum one year.

How the Programme works:

Step 1: Interested CSOs from the WBT apply with their proposals for mentoring support till Tuesday, 17 November, 2020 17:00hrs CET by submitting the filled-in Application form and the Budget form. Only dully filled in and submitted Application and Budget forms in the prescribed format will be considered for support.

Step 2: EU TACSO 3 evaluates and publishes the list of pre-selected CSOs based on pre-defined selection criteria.

Step 3: Defining and approval of the needed expertise/ToR for mentors (in consultation with the pre-selected organisations), which considers clear definition of the scope, purpose and outcomes of the mentoring process, as well as competences and qualifications of mentor(s).

 Step 4: Creating individual mentoring plans, which considers EU TACSO 3 facilitation of the creation of the mentoring plan with specific steps/activities, mentoring techniques, responsibilities, objectives, timeline, outcomes and reporting. This plan will serve as the main guide in the mentoring process and at the same time the document to be referred in CSO reporting on the activities and results.

Step 5: Implementation and monitoring of strategic mentoring support sessions which considers: 1) implementation of mentoring support sessions, which will be conducted by selected mentors and CSOs in line with mentoring plans submitted to and approved by EU TACSO 3; 2) monitoring of mentoring support sessions by EU TACSO 3 staff, which will be conducted on a bi-monthly bases through briefs with mentors and CSOs.

Step 6: Reporting on the mentoring process considers mid-term and final reports by mentors to EU TACSO 3. It includes reporting on the process, assessment of learning outcomes and progress in capacity of the organisation in certain area, as well as reporting on final outcomes with submitted products.

Q&A:

All questions related to the Strategic Mentoring Programme should be sent to: Tanja Bjelanovic, Capacity Building Expert at capacitybuilding@tacso.eu latest by Tuesday, 10 November, 2020 17:00hrs CET.

 

 

* Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo**, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey

** Kosovo – This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.