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REQUEST FOR QUOTATION FOR A TECHNICAL CONSULTANCY

ON TRAINING ON STRENGTHENING CSOS CAPACITY

 

Term of Reference for expert in Civil Society Organizations

 

Introduction

 

We World is an Italian independent humanitarian, non-governmental, non-profit organisation born from the merger between GVC Onlus (founded in Bologna in 1971) and WeWorld Foundation (founded in Milan in 1999), with the aim of increasing the impact of their Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid projects in 25 countries worldwide. WeWorld started its operation in Cambodia in 2006 and since then it is committed to promote the respect and promotion of the rights of vulnerable communities, with a special focus on children and women, within a vision of dignity, exchange and reciprocity. Starting from 2009, WeWorld has been working in the promotion of education and children protection through both long-distance sponsorship and grant-funded projects. In this context, WeWorld vision is: “The rights of child and every woman recognized and guaranteed around the world”.

 

Background

 

WeWorld is currently co-implementing “BMZ: Education for Youth Employment”, project co-funded by the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany, with Kampuchea Action to Promote Education (KAPE) and Buddhist Social Development Action (BSDA). The project aims “To increase access to inclusive quality education for vulnerable children and youth and to decent work opportunities in Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Cham, and Tboung Khmum provinces, through access to inclusive quality education, vocational training and communities CSOs empowerment, that will contribute to ensure inclusive education and improved employability opportunities for Cambodian youth”.

 

Within the project, WeWorld is responsible of the empowerment of CSOs by “improving their ability to mobilise communities, the communication between the local population and the authorities, and involving them in strategic decision-making processes”.

 

Context of the project

 

Cambodia’s population growth rate has increased in the last 20 years, reaching a total estimated at about 17.29 million in 2025, with a projected growth of 26% to 21,931,455 by 2050 (WHO, 2025). The proportion of the population under 30 is now about 65%. Although the increase in the population under 30 has now begun to slow, Cambodia will continue to have a very youthful population make-up for many years to come.

 

Given that only about a third of the country’s youth complete lower secondary education, there is a major need for massive investment in Cambodia’s human capital. Failure to make such investments now will likely lead to many social problems and will greatly constrain economic expansion. Although poverty levels have declined markedly over the last 10 years and economic growth averages about 6% annually (GDP growth rate, WB, 2025), approximately 71% of Cambodians still live on less than $3 per day. A lack of good jobs is at the heart of the problem and indeed, most of the working population is employed in the informal economy or vulnerable forms of employment that foster marginalization or lead to unsafe migration to look for better opportunity to urban areas in Cambodia or abroad.

 

Studies and research made by WeWorld and other relevant actors revealed the gaps of information about Labour Rights among Cambodian migrant workers (only 33% informed), a scarce reliance of using regular channels of working migration (31%), lack of participation to trade unions (1%) high reluctance to seek assistance in case of work abuses (24%, only 6% cases resolved). Network of friends and family remains the main channel of protection.

 

Children and young migrant workers (main target of the current project proposal) are one of the most affected by the current situation: most of children, especially female children, drop out school to work and support their parents to earn money, mainly to pay back debts contracted from financial institutions or private moneylenders. Young female children, especially around 15 years old, migrate as well to look for job in Phnom Penh as domestic workers or shop assistants, with the perspective to continue after in the garment and textile sector. If they do not migrate with parents, often children are left behind with their grandparents and they have to take care of the farming job or their younger siblings, or they have difficulties in accessing school due to long distance or lack of financial support. Without proper care and attention from grandparents or guardians, children, and young left behind often become victims of violence and abuse.

 

Although the education of the working-age population has increased significantly (the number of people with post-secondary and upper secondary education has doubled between 2013 and 2017), still, most of the working-age people have low levels of education and skills.

 

The unemployment rate (15 years+) is at a lower rate than 1%, but the youth unemployment rate (15-24 years), especially young men, is higher than the national unemployment rate reaching 4% and this is concentrated in the rural area as labour force demand is unequal between urban and rural areas (job offers concentrate in the cities while free workforce is available in the rural area). Employment services and information are not available and there is a mismatch between job seekers and recruitment. This causes the phenomenon that skilled people miss out job opportunities in the economic sectors and push people to migrate abroad in search of job opportunities.

 

In terms of workforce skills, Cambodia ranks 120 out of 141 ranked countries (World Economic Forum data), underlying the urgent need for investments in career counselling, rights awareness raising, and the development of information and learning centres that can advise youth about training and employment opportunities. Cambodia's National Employment Agency reported that technician and associate professional positions were the most difficult to fill in the country because of skill shortages. Indeed, in 2017, only 1.5% of Cambodia's labour force held a formal Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) qualification.

 

In the Provinces of intervention, youth have even more limited choice in terms of more requested types of job opportunities as it exists only few Vocational Training centres per province located in the main cities, far from the rural areas. Youth in rural areas cannot access a wide range of information and training, due to the lack of job counselling services and job seekers are not supported by functional job-matching systems. In this field, some CSO’s provide few services but the services are fragmented and there is no articulation with national labour market needs. Indeed, CSOs have very limited ability to carry out their own research on local skill needs and cannot face difficulties in information, as it does not exist a functional service network.

 

To address these gaps, Activity 3.4, with the collaboration of the Consultant, will strengthen CSOs to:

• Monitor education service delivery
• Engage in school governance
• Advocate for improved youth learning and employment outcomes
• Mobilize resources and manage funds
• Participate meaningfully in local decision-making processes

 

The selected consultant will play a central role in this multi-year institutional strengthening process.

Consultancy description

 

WeWorld, in the framework of the project “Education for Youth Employment” (BMZ 26-01), is looking for an expert-Consultant in Civil Society Organizations to conduct a training to the CSOs selected by the WW and project’s partners.

 

The scope of the training is teaching them how to write policy briefs on education and employment issues, conduct structured lobbying with local councils and ministries, use MEAL data to support proposals, and communicate effectively with the public and the media.

 

The Consultant should:

1. Conduct an Initial Capacity Assessment
2. Conduct a 3-day training with selected representatives from the chosen CSOs
3. Conduct a minimum of 6 follow-up missions
4. Assess the results of the above activities and prepare a Final Evaluation

 

Scope of the work

1. Initial Capacity Assessment
   • Map and assess at least 30 CSOs/CBOs in the target provinces that can become potential beneficiaries of the project, given their composition, relation with nearby communities, track-record of past activities and ability to effectively implement new ones;
   • Recommend the final 15 CSOs that will be analysed by WeWorld and its Partners and selected as beneficiaries;
   • Produce an Assessment Report about the selection process, the major gaps and potentialities of the analysed communities, and of the targeted CSOs.

 

1. Conduct a 3-day training that will be based on the following topics:
   • CSO governance and management
   • MEAL tools for monitoring education
   • Advocacy and policy dialogue
   • Policy brief writing
   • Negotiation with education authorities
   • Transparency and accountability
   • Fundraising and resource mobilization
   • Cooperation with NEP

 

1. Follow-up Missions, in the minimum number of 6, on activities such as:
   • Field mentoring in the three provinces
   • Coaching and application of tools
   • Support dialogue events with stakeholders
   • Strengthen monitoring and fundraising skills
   • Submit follow-up reports

 

1. Produce a Final Evaluation, structured as follows:

• Endline assessment, with proven and detailed data about the increased capacity of targeted CSOs in apply the trained skills and capabilities;
• Comparison baseline–endline, that clearly shows the progression of project’s CSOs in upgrade their community reaching and decision-making capabilities;
• Final Evaluation Report, that summarize all the above elements, clearly explain the impact of the project towards the abilities of targeted `CSOs, and forecast possible future evolutions or further interventions.

 

Deliverables

Writing materials that needs to be submitted, during and at the end of the Consultancy, will consist of:

• Inception Report
• Assessment Report with shortlisted CSOs
• Training Package (agenda, modules, materials)
• Six Follow-Up Mission Reports
• Final Evaluation Report

 

Coordination

The Consultant will work and plan closely with KAPE in the target provinces, adapting training schedule and objectives with the NGO staff expertise and priorities.

 

Furthermore, the core of the Consultant activity will be conducted directly with targeted CSOs and their representatives, assuring a sustainable and scalable impact of the procedures and best practices learned during the implementation.

 

Locations

The Consultant activities will be conducted and will target CSOs coming from the following provinces:

• Kampong Chhnang:
• Kampong Cham;
• Tboung Khmum.

Required profile

The ideal profile for this Consultancy is represented by the following elements:

• Khmer nationality (individuals), mandatory, given the communicational difficulties of the targeted provinces;
• At least 3+ years of experience in education or civil society, with a proven track-record, recommendation letters will be considered an asset;
• Strong understanding of CSO governance;
• Training and facilitation experience;
• Advocacy and policy dialogue experience;
• Ability to deliver training in Khmer and report in English.

 

Duration

The consultancy is intended to last a minimum of 24 months between 2025 and 2027, with activities, trainings, follow-ups and documentation editing included in this specific timeframe.

 

Financial Conditions

 

WeWorld will cover:

• The 3-days training lodge, refreshments and per diems expenses for CSOs representatives;
• Logistical costs of the above-mentioned activities.

 

The Consultant will cover:

• Personal expenses incurred during the implementation of the activities;
  • Including Lodging, Travel and Board expenses.

 

Payment Schedule

 

The compensation for the Consultancy will be disbursed in the following tranches and temporal windows:

• 20% at signature
• 40% after selection of 15 CSOs
• 20% at start of follow-up missions
• 10% after 3 follow-up missions
• 10% after final evaluation

 

Application Requirements

• A Technical proposal, with details about the implementation of the above Consultancy in all activity’s points;
• Financial offer referred to the totality of Consultant’s activities during the Consultancy, that needs to be submitted in a separate and close envelope;
• CV/company profile, clearly highlighting the requested abilities of this Consultancy;
• A summary of Past experience in the field of CSOs training, empowering or technical consultancy;
• Ability to invoice;
• Signed Annex I–III.

 

Evaluation Criteria

 

Proposals will be evaluated by the following measures:

• Technical aspect, 70% of the value, divided between:
  • methodology 30%;
  • past experience 30%;
  • context understanding 10%.

 

Financial aspect 30% of the value.