Terms of Reference / Call for Consultancy

Developing a Mentoring Program Methodology to Guide the Mentoring Initiative.

Background information:

The 21^st century is an era of unprecedented human mobility, with the greatest number of people ever living outside their country of origin. The EU Member States (MSs) have been largely affected by migration over the recent years when a large number of migrants made their way to the EU, fleeing poverty and war. Children represented a large share of the population reaching Europe over the past years (approximately 30%), and overall they make around 7% of migrants living in Europe, equal to 1 in 6 of the world’s migrant children .

Migration presents both challenges and opportunities for the realization of children’s rights and for its outcomes on origin and destination societies, where research uncovered that the benefits of migration – particularly on their economies – are manifold. In its European Agenda on Migration, the EC recognized that the EU and MS’s migration policy, in order to be successful, shall be underpinned by effective integration policies. The EC also acknowledged that notwithstanding efforts made so far, third-country nationals continue to fare worse than EU citizens in terms of employment, education, and social inclusion outcomes. This applies also to children and youth. Indeed, children and newly arrived refugees are groups at higher risk of poverty and social exclusion.

C/SEE MSs require particular attention and support in their policy-making and practice on the integration of migrants and refugees, and in realizing their role within the EU based on the shared principles of solidarity and fair and balanced participation to the common effort of protecting individuals in need of protection. These countries showed very low records on fulfilling their EU commitments. The overall political climate – which currently leaves space to anti-migrants and anti-refugees positions and statements – along with the limited capacity of relevant institutions and service providers, represent major obstacles to the implementation of EU commitments and subsequently of effective integration measures in the countries targeted by this intervention.

Recognizing those growing needs and challenges to implement more effective integration measures, MINT projectaims to contribute to the successful integration of third country national children residing in the EU, by enabling children and youth to fulfill their full potential and to lead secure, active and productive lives in the host societies, and enabling a better understanding of the intercultural benefits that interaction between newly arrived migrants and host societies bring.

While the project embraces an inclusive approach, it will specifically support the integration of newly arrived children, including separated and unaccompanied children, paying particular attention to the gender-specific barriers to integration of girls and boys.

The project builds on promising practices and tested models supporting the inclusion of vulnerable children, including migrant and refugee populations. In particular, the core methodology from the Big Brother Big Sister approach (also successfully applied to the reintegration of trafficked children) will be adapted to working with TCN children; whereas learnings and resources from the SHARE Network will be built upon and age-adapted. The experience of the Mario network in child and youth-led advocacy and awareness raising, including child-led video production, will be furthered and scaled up.

Project Objectives

The Project will promote the inclusion of TCN children (in Romania, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia) integrated in the social, cultural and political life of the host societies, as well as in education, through mentoring support; online language courses and cultural introduction; child-led awareness raising and advocacy actions on their lived realities and the huge benefits for host societies.

Main outputs include a methodological framework comprising of a mentoring guidance (with a potential of replicability in other MSs) complemented with child-led awareness raising and advocacy guidelines, child-friendly e-learning integration tools and national and international advocacy events supported by child-led video material.

This two-year project seeks to achieve the following specific objectives:

1. Specific Objective 1: By the end of the intervention, at least 120 recently arrived children in the four targeted countries are enrolled in (formal or informal) education and actively participate in local recreational and social activities, thanks to the support provided by trained peer mentors and the building up of cohesive peer groups.
2. Specific Objective 2: By the end of the intervention, 1000 third-country national children in the four targeted countries have acquired basic knowledge and skills to engage in social relations, thanks to trainings on local languages and socio-cultural context provided by the project.
3. Specific Objective 3: By the end of the project, at least 240 TCN children and local youths are empowered and benefit from a welcoming atmosphere within the host society, thanks to the implementation of child-led awareness raising and advocacy initiatives aimed to counter stereotypes and to spread a positive image of migrant and refugee communities at local and national level.

Objectives of this consultancy:

The main objective of this consultancy is to develop the various elements of the mentoring methodology (indicated in Specific Objective 01) through which youth volunteers (18-24 years) will mentor and support recently arrived migrant children (under the age of 18) to ensure easier and more successful integration process.

The mentoring program will last for 9 months in average, divided into two main sessions: from July 2019 to March 2020, and March 2020 to December 2020. Through the program A minimum of 120 TCN children are supported in their integration in local host communities (30 in Each country). The program should include individual meetings between children and mentors, indoor group activities and outdoor cultural and recreational activities.

The consultant will be required to produce mentoring guidelines covering the following elements of the mentoring program:

1. The Selection and recruitment process for both youth mentors and mentored children, including recommended selection criteria.
2. The 2-days training course planned for the mentors (including sample Training agenda and the outlines of the training curriculum).
3. Guidance on pairing newly arriving TCN children with a youth mentor.
4. Suggested indoor and outdoor activities that could be considered within the program, where applicable.
5. Best practices/ recommendations on how to overcome cultural and language barriers within the project, as well as ensuring gender balance and equality throughout the project implementation.
6. Guidance for the individual meetings between youth mentors & children.
7. Supervision and monitoring of regular meetings and activities.

Expected Deliverables:

● Mentoring Methodological Framework developed by the end of the consultancy contract (including but not limited to the elements mentioned above).

● Background research and preliminary agenda of a session during the kick off meeting that would aim at ensuring that the methodological framework is collaboratively design with all project partners.

● Visual presentation(s) to be delivered to project partners during the project kick off meeting.

Important Note:

The consultant is expected to participate in the MINT project kick off meeting (for at least one full day), which will take place in Budapest, Hungary between 12^th and 14^th of March 2019.

Foreseen deadlines

Expected starting date of consultancy: 06 March 2019

By 13 March 2019:

· Initial findings and concept notes to be presented and discussed during the kick off meeting in Budapest.

By 24 March 2019

· Submission of final drafts for required documents/ deliverables indicated above to be revised by the project team.

By 29 March 2019

· Feedback and comments on the submitted documents shared with the consultant.

By 04 April 2019

· Final documents submitted by the consultant.

Required/preferred experience and skills:

• Extensive experience in the field of Migration and integration with special focus on children.
• Expertise in working with/for youth and children in multicultural contexts;
• Knowledge on Child Rights and Child protection concepts and very good understanding of ethical considerations in relation to working with children;
• Excellent analytical and writing skills;
• Ability to work under time constraints;
• Outstanding level of English.

Remuneration

The total remuneration for this service will be in the range of 4000 – 4200 EUR.

Qualified applicants should submit their application package to the following email address alma.alsayed@tdh.ch by Thursday 28^th February 2019.

The application package should include the following documents:

● A proposed methodology concept of no more than two A4 pages, describing a tentative design and implementation of the work underpinning the development of the mentoring guidance.

● CV in English.

● Providing a sample of a previously developed similar work (mentoring in an intercultural setting) is an advantage.

● With the application package, the applicant should provide a clear indication of number of working days allocated**, work plan with deadlines per deliverable** and daily fee for their work (total cost, including VAT).