Project title Digital Inclusion Initiative (DII) – Regional Project
Start Date: July 2025
End Date: November 2025
Number of Experts to
be engaged Two
Publication reference: 2024/458-876/TD04

Purpose of the consultancy
The purpose of this consultancy is to support the successful design and delivery of a regional summer school focused on advancing digital inclusion. The consultants will contribute to enhancing the capacities of consortium members and grassroots organizations through content development, facilitation of interactive sessions, and delivery of practical training. The summer school aims to serve as a learning and exchange platform to equip participants with the knowledge and skills required to implement localized digital inclusion interventions in the Western Balkans region.

Project Background
The Digital Inclusion Initiative – DII Project, funded by the European Commission, is implemented by consortium of organizations: Kosova Education Center (KEC) from Kosovo, Civil Society Development Center (CSDC) from Albania, proMENTE social research from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Centre for Educational Initiatives Step by Step from Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Macedonian Civic Education Center (MCEC) from North Macedonia, and Centre for Education Policy (CEP) from Serbia.

The DII project is focused on enhancing civil society organizations (CSOs) roles and capacities, promoting inclusive policy development and advocacy, and fostering an environment where digital inclusion serves as a pillar for stronger participatory democracies and EU approximation efforts in the target region. By focusing on digital inclusion, the project addresses a critical aspect of modern participatory democracy – ensuring equitable access to digital tools and information, which is essential for informed citizen participation and engagement in democratic processes, also addressing an important aspect of EU approximation process. The specific objective of the project is strengthening CSOs capacities and engagement opportunities in policy- and decision-making.

In order to fulfil the project objectives and goals, one grassroot organization will be selected, in North Macedonia. Embedded within communities, this organization should directly interact with marginalized groups and be well connected to local communities. The Consortium aims to enhance the capacities of these grassroots organizations to support digital inclusion for marginalized groups through mentoring, active participation in policy development and advocacy, as well as engagement in networking activities at both national and regional levels.

To enhance the capacity of consortium members and selected grassroots organizations, the Project will host a summer school. Two experts will be hired for a total of 14 days each: seven days will be dedicated to developing the curriculum and materials for the summer school, and another seven days will focus on program delivery, including preparation and reporting.

Activity Background

The summer school's curriculum will be carefully designed, and later performed by the same experts engaged based on a needs assessment, to address the unique challenges and opportunities within the digital inclusion landscape, particularly as they pertain to the Western Balkans. The key components of the summer school will include:

• Introduction to Digital Inclusion: Participants will be introduced to the core concepts of digital inclusion, emphasizing its critical role in ensuring equitable access to digital tools and services. This component aims to build a foundational understanding that will support all subsequent learning.
• Interactive Workshops on Policy and Technology: Workshops will facilitate deeper insights into how policy-making and technological advancements intersect to drive digital inclusion. The facilitators will bring perspectives from both local contexts and international best practices.
• Case Studies from EU: Focusing on EU countries with contexts similar to the Western Balkans, these case studies will explore successful models of digital inclusion. The lessons drawn will help participants understand the components of successful strategies and how these can be adapted to their respective environments.
• Preparing Participants for Local Interventions: A central component of the summer school curriculum will focus on training participants to effectively plan and execute local interventions, utilizing the Guidebook on Digital Inclusion Interventions. Developed prior to the summer school, this guidebook will provide comprehensive, step- by-step instructions for designing and implementing impactful digital inclusion projects, emphasizing the three key phases of intervention design: conducting comprehensive needs assessments to accurately identify community-specific digital barriers, crafting detailed intervention plans that address these needs, and navigating the approval process to align with overarching project goals and standards. This training aims to ensure participants are well-equipped to translate digital inclusion concepts into practical, community-specific actions. The sessions will cover how to apply the methodologies and strategies for local interventions, including tailored mentorship techniques that consortium members can use to support grassroots organizations.

Key tasks and responsibilities

The experts will collaborate with the project team to:

• Co-design and adapt the Guidebook on Digital Inclusion Interventions as well as the training content based on the training needs assessment.
  • Deliver sessions and workshops, (in English) including:
    • Foundational concepts of digital inclusion
    • Interactive modules on digital policy and technology
    • Facilitation of EU case study discussions
    • Practical training on local intervention planning
  • Apply adult learning methodologies to ensure inclusive, participatory, and engaging workshops tailored to diverse audience needs.
  • Contribute to mentorship strategy by equipping participants with tools for supporting grassroots digital initiatives.

• Coordinate closely with the organizing team, including attending pre-event planning meetings (virtual or in person).

Expected outputs

• Guidebook on Digital Inclusion Interventions
  • Facilitator notes, session outlines, and presentation slides (tailored to each component)
  • Delivery of high-quality, participatory sessions at the summer school
  • Post-training report including reflection on participant engagement and feedback.

Qualifications

Required:

• Proven expertise in digital inclusion, digital rights, digital policy, or a closely related field
  • Minimum 10 years of experience in adult learning, facilitation, and curriculum development
  • Demonstrated familiarity with the sociopolitical and digital inclusion landscape of the Western Balkans
  • Strong intercultural communication and collaboration skills
  • Fluency in English (written and spoken) Desirable:
  • Experience working with grassroots organizations or civil society networks
  • Knowledge of relevant EU digital inclusion frameworks or case studies
  • Working knowledge of Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian or Albanian is an asset

Timeline

The selection process is planned to be finalized by the end of July 2025.

The experts are expected to develop and deliver a first draft of Guidebook on Digital Inclusion Interventions until first week of September 2025 and final version of the Guidebook by the end of September 2025.

The Summer school on Digital Inclusion will take place in Sarajevo, 13-19 October 2025 (experts are expected to be fully available for training delivery for the whole duration of the summer school).

Remuneration

Two experts will be hired for a total of 14 days each: seven days will be dedicated to developing the curriculum and materials for the summer school, and another seven days will focus on program delivery, including preparation. Maximum daily rate per expert is 300,00 EUR, inclusive of all taxes and contributions.

Application/Tender Process

Interested experts should submit tenders consisting of a short cover letter outlining relevant experience and expertise, a CV, and Financial offer (template attached) in electronic format, as pdf documents, via e-mail to: procurement@coi-stepbystep.ba, with the following subject: DII 2024/458-876/TD04 – Experts for the summer school – Applicant’s Name.

Applications/tender offers should be submitted no later than 8^th of July, 15:00 p.m.

Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest

The selected consultants shall treat all information received in connection with their work as confidential and proprietary to the consortium and its partners. They agree not to disclose any information, documents, or data provided during the course of the engagement to any third party without prior written consent, unless such disclosure is required by law.

The consultants shall avoid any conflict of interest and immediately declare any potential conflict that could affect the impartiality of their duties. They must not be engaged in any activity or business that may compromise their ability to deliver this consultancy with integrity and independence.

By accepting this assignment, the consultants confirm that no such conflict currently exists and that they will promptly notify the project team should one arise during the consultancy.

Contact Information

For further details, please contact DII Project Coordinator: Adnan Pripoljac at adnan@coi-stepbystep.ba.

ToR Experts for the summer school