1. Background
The strategy of DWH/GAA in Tajikistan is to strengthen local initiative and capacity to identify and address needs for development. The organisation has facilitated the creation of local NGOs, such as “JOVID” in Sughd Province and “HAQIQ” as a Micro Loan Fund in Central Tajikistan. DWHH/GAA also cooperates with other Tajik NGOs (NGO “National Association of Business Women”, NGO “Nav”) in different projects and for short-term consultancies.
In Central Tajikistan, Community Interest Groups have emerged as local partners and are well functioning; at present 17 CIGs have been registered officially as legal entities, allowing them to apply for funding to carry out small-scale projects locally. As a further step in local capacity building these groups are to give themselves an overarching structure, forming a Consortium of Community Interest Groups (CCIG) which shall work as a local NGO. The different steps of the facilitation process leading to the establishment of the CCIG are explained under point 4.9 “Activities”. The CCIG once in place will continue the rehabilitation and development works already undertaken by DWHH/GAA.
At this stage of intervention in the proposed project area 17 Community Interest Groups have been legally registered as local Community Based Organisations with the capacity to manage a small portfolio for addressing needs identified at the community level. Direct contribution of German Embassy to CIGs in order to carry out small-scale projects was already secured. DWHH/GAA is intensively working on facilitating the networking of these CIGs in the Rasht valley in order to become a local NGO with the involvement of DWHH/GAA local staff members. The newly formed NGO will continue the intervention of development goals using the experience and expertise gained with DWHH/GAA over the past 10 years. It is anticipated that this set up will be operational from 2006 onwards. Once these structures established and working, DWHH/GAA’s role and function would consist mainly in provision of training, organisation of short-term consultancies, and fund raising.
2. Overall Objective
Using a participatory approach, facilitate the formation of a Consortium of Community Interest Group (CCIG) in Central Tajikistan.
3. Purpose
The purpose is to bring together the existing Community Interest Groups, local experts and leaders of opinion into a network called Consortium of Community Interest Groups, which will act as registered NGO in Tajikistan and will participate in economic and sustainable development of rural populations.
4. Methodology
It is envisaged that the consultant will use a participatory approach in the facilitation of the CCIG. This is to break up with the traditional approach where often local organizations and community development strategies have utilized top down approaches with little chance to community members and especially the poorest to be the main actors of their own development. By initiating a participatory approach which should be used as learning tool it is anticipated that the CCIG will be having more warranty for sustainability as it is relying on a solid social structure which has emerged from the grass root.
The scope of the work will comprise both desk and filed studies.
5. Field study
- Meeting with the project relevant staff in the project office
- Review of existing project documentation
- Meeting with existing local organizations established by German Agro Action in Tajikistan (JOVID, HAQIQ and AZAL)
- Meeting with relevant International and National Organizations (NGOs, UN Organizations)
- Field visit and meeting with existing Community Interest Groups (CIGs), local authorities and other relevant Community Based Organizations (CBOs).
- Convene a participatory meeting and establish an ad hoc working group whose task will be to define conditions and steps necessary for the effective facilitation of CCIG.
As leader of the established working group the consultant will deliver the following main outputs:
1. Work to clarify the goal and target area where the CCIG wants to work in;
2. Work to clarify type of relation between CCIG and AZAL
3. Conduct an assessment of existing organizations (international and local), their missions and cross cutting issues with the envisaged goals of the newly set up CCIG;
4. Assist in developing the statutes, procedures and rules under which the organization will operate; these include provision on the board of directors and nomination process, financial management, project implementation and how to amend the statutes;
5. Assist in designing and developing the organization’s programme over the next three years;
6. Facilitate registration of the CCIG with the ministry of justice and in the target communities to ensure acceptability, trust, and programme and project effectiveness;
7. Facilitate the application for tax-exempt status in Tajikistan;
8. Make sure that the CCIG has applied for partnership agreement with DWHH/GAA
6. Duration: 60 days
7. Location
The consultancy will be carried out in Central Tajikistan, especially in the Rasht valley. A visit should be organized in the Sughd region where JOVID is located. If necessary, field trips will be carried out to other regions of Tajikistan.
8. Qualification
- University degree in social sciences and others related topics
- Very good knowledge of Participatory Training and Organization Development
- Extensive knowledge and working in Community Development
- Good Russian language will be an asset
9. Other
Performance of any other related duties as requested
10. Submission of the reports
The draft report should be submitted immediately after the exercise to German Agro Action in Dushanbe. The final report should be submitted 3 weeks after the end of the exercise.
