Overview
Consultancy to support the establishment and operationalization of a referral coordination mechanism for women's economic empowerment and to play a central role in designing and launching the Investment Facility for Economic Empowerment.
Key Responsibilities
- Liaise with the RS Gender Equality Centre to coordinate the consultation process on the design of the Investment Facility.
- Plan and organize consultation meetings with relevant stakeholders, applying the consultation methodology implemented in FBiH and adapting it to the centralized institutional structure of RS.
- Coordinate all logistical arrangements required for the consultations.
- Jointly facilitate the consultations with representatives of the RS Gender Equality Centre.
- Organize and facilitate consultations with relevant ministries in Republika Srpska, Employment Bureau representatives, Chambers of commerce and business associations, Startup incubators, Impact investors, Selected private sector companies, and Employment Bureau branch offices.
- Prepare a consultation report following each meeting, summarizing key findings, lessons learned, and recommendations for improving the design and governance of the Investment Facility.
- Replicate the consultation methodology in Brčko District and consolidate the findings from FBiH, RS, and Brčko District into one integrated investment model.
- Refine the design of the Investment Facility on the basis of stakeholder feedback.
- Support the establishment of referral pathways connecting inactive and marginalized women with employers participating in preferential employment schemes.
- Engage employers to identify workforce needs and employment opportunities.
- Coordinate with Employment Bureaus and relevant institutions at all administrative levels.
- Establish and support referral pathways between women's shelters, employment services, municipalities, and employers.
- Identify barriers to employment and proposing practical solutions.
- Support the preparation of co-financing applications under Employment Bureau employment programmes.
- Advise institutions and employers on sustainable employment pathways for project beneficiaries.
- Support the organization and implementation of two stakeholder validation conferences: in Sarajevo, for stakeholders from FBiH, and in Banja Luka, for stakeholders from RS.
- Prepare a consultation methodology and work plan.
- Prepare consultation reports for all stakeholder meetings.
- Support the organization of two stakeholder validation conferences.
- Prepare a consolidated consultation report with recommendations.
- Prepare final design recommendations for the Investment Facility.
- Prepare a referral coordination framework for economic empowerment.
- Prepare a pipeline of eligible beneficiaries.
- Provide technical support for Employment Bureau applications.
- Prepare periodic mentoring and monitoring reports.
- Prepare progress reports, including a final assignment report.
Required Experience
- At least five years of progressively responsible professional experience in empowerment, employment/entrepreneurship, or social inclusion programmes for marginalized groups.
- Demonstrated experience in referral coordination across a diverse and broad range of stakeholders, connecting protection, employment, and economic development actors into one functioning system.
- Hands-on experience working directly with marginalized women, survivors of violence, and economically inactive women.
- Proven ability to navigate and collaborate with government partners, the United Nations system, and women's shelters.
- First-hand experience working with employment benefits and incentives for self-employment, including public co-financing instruments administered by employment services.
- Practical experience in entrepreneurship support, including business planning, mentoring, and facilitation of access to finance.
- Proven experience in programme design and implementation, and in monitoring and evaluation.
- In-depth understanding of the institutional and administrative structure of Bosnia and Herzegovina, including entity, cantonal, and Brčko District competencies for employment and economic development.
- Experience with investment and financing mechanisms, including grants, guarantee instruments, blended or catalytic finance, and impact investment, is considered a strong asset.
Qualifications
Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in economics, business administration, policy, development studies, gender studies, social sciences/humanities, or another relevant field. A first-level university degree combined with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree.
