Promoting Right and Just Administrative Procedures for Citizens and Businesses 

FINAL EVALUATION                                                                                                                                                Terms of Reference 

1. Project Overview 

This project focused on two core components:  

• promoting and protecting the right of citizens to seek compensation for damages caused by public authorities in Kosovo;  

• providing direct support for the implementation of the Government’s Administrative Burden Prevention and Reduction Programme (hereinafter: ABPR Programme). The latter aims to simplify and digitize public service delivery while reducing unnecessary administrative procedures. 

As the project enters its final phase, this evaluation will focus on assessing its overall impact, effectiveness, and long-term sustainability. It will look into how well the project’s objectives have been achieved, the success of its advocacy efforts, and the extent of engagement with policymakers, civil servants of public institutions (ministries, municipalities, regulatory bodies and independent agencies), judges and civil servants of the courts, lawyers, business sector, civil society organizations (CSO), media and citizens at large.  

Furthermore, the evaluation will assess the project’s supportive role in the implementation of government administrative reform efforts, as well as its broader impact on the community. It will also examine whether adequate measures have been taken to ensure the sustainability of the project’s results. The project contributed to the implementation of the ABPR Programme by supporting institutional efforts to streamline public service delivery. At the same time, it empowered citizens through advocacy and awareness-raising on their right to seek compensation for damages caused by public institutions. It will also identify key accomplishments, ongoing challenges, and any remaining gaps that need to be addressed after the project’s completion.  

The evaluation will offer valuable insights and best practices to guide future initiatives that contribute to Kosovo’s public administration reforms.

2. Project Summary

The project, “Promoting right and just administrative procedures for citizens and businesses” addresses two systemic governance challenges in Kosovo: the lack of implementation of the legal right to compensation for damages caused by public authorities and the persistent administrative burden faced by citizens and businesses when accessing public services. 

D+ has implemented this 30-month project aimed at promoting the right to compensation and supporting the government’s administrative simplification agenda. The project had two main objectives: 

1. Exercising public pressure to demand to implement the guaranteed citizens’ right to seek compensation in cases of wrongdoings and   
2. Advocating for the implementation of public administration reforms and the reduction of administrative burden for citizens and businesses. 

These objectives correspond to the project’s two main components: the first focused on increasing awareness of the right to compensation for administrative wrongdoing, and the second on contributing to the reduction of the administrative burden. Both components ultimately aimed to ensure that citizens in Kosovo benefited from more accessible and efficient public services, and that their rights were upheld to the full extent of the law. The implementation of activities outlined in the action plan played a crucial role in achieving the desired outcomes.  

Significant progress has been made in both key objectives, which align closely with the project’s overarching goal: to strengthen civic oversight of public administration reforms aimed at reducing the administrative burden on citizens and businesses, and to advocate for the protection of citizens’ right to compensation in cases of harm caused by state institutions. 

Through the implementation of this project, D+ has contributed to reach the following goals: 

1. Informing and supporting citizens about their right to seek compensation in cases of damage caused by public bodies. 
2. Supporting targeted institutions and municipalities to simplify administrative procedures for services and to digitalize services.  
3. Giving businesses a voice and the opportunity to sit at the table with decision makers and discuss administrative burden. 
4. Building a culture of co-creation of digital services between government on one side and citizens and businesses on the other side. 
5. Changing the way citizens and businesses view and can contribute to public administration reforms.   

To reach the objectives as above, D+ has conducted the following activities during the project timeframe:  

• A policy paper with recommendations was developed based on a thorough and comprehensive review of legislation relevant to seeking compensation in cases of wrongdoing. The paper, titled “A review of the legislation regarding the right to compensation in cases of damage by public authorities in Kosovo”. 

• Around 15 advocacy meetings were held with the Kosovo Judicial Council (KJC), courts, government officials, members of the Assembly, and other stakeholders to advance the recommendations from the analysis and fast-reaction briefs, urging institutions to take them into serious consideration. 

• Monitoring of 20 cases involving administrative wrongdoing at the Basic Court in Prishtina and the Appeal Court 

• Preparation of 10 fast-reaction briefs related to compensation claims filed by citizens. 

• Seven awareness raising discussions on the right to compensation with citizens of Prishtine, Prizren, Gjilan, Mitrovice, Ferizaj, Gjakova and Peja.  

• Four prime-time TV debates were organized on national television with the aim of raising awareness about the right to compensation among citizens.  

• D+ offered direct support to the Agency for Free Legal Aid, by assigning three experienced legal officers specializing in administrative cases to Agency branches with the highest case volumes including Prishtine, Mitrovice, and Gjakove. 

• An animated video on legal guarantees for compensation in cases of administrative wrongdoings was created and shared by D+ across social media platforms and media portals. 

• Three policy papers for simplification and digitalization of administrative procedures in one Ministry, one Regulatory/Independent Agency, and one Municipality. 1. “Towards user-oriented public services in Kosovo”, 2. “Towards Efficient Governance: Evaluation of Public Services in Kosovo”, 3. “Towards the digitalization of public services: the case of the Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure and the Independent Commission for Mines and Minerals.” 

• Two meetings with the business community to discuss their concrete needs and concerns on how to reduce administrative burden, present best practices from different institutions and share know-how. 

• Eight Inter-Stakeholder Consultative Body meetings were organized, bringing together beneficiary institutions and civil society organizations to coordinate and discuss efforts to reduce administrative burdens. 

• Two prime-time TV debates were held to raise awareness of the ABPR Programme and the challenges citizens and businesses face in accessing administrative services. 

• Four infographic visual summaries were created for the ABPR Programme. 

• Two video animations were produced addressing administrative burdens 

• A regional conference on reduced administrative burden bringing together perspectives from Kosovo and neighbouring countries on how administrative burden for citizens and businesses was reduced 

To accurately measure the project’s impact, the final evaluation will assess its overall effectiveness and examine how each activity has contributed to achieving the project’s intended outcome: increasing civic oversight of public administration reforms, reducing the administrative burden on citizens and businesses, and advocating for the guaranteed right of citizens to compensation in cases of wrongdoing by public authorities. 

3. Objective and Scope of Evaluation 

D+, through its procurement process, will identify one external evaluator to conduct this final evaluation of the project. Its primary purpose is to assess the extent to which the project objectives were achieved throughout the entire implementation period. The evaluation will also identify areas that may require further improvement, uncover any overlooked elements, and offer practical, actionable recommendations to inform future programming and policymaking efforts. A key focus will be placed on drawing out lessons learned—including both effective strategies and encountered challenges—to support the long-term impact and sustainability of the initiative. 

Spanning the full duration of the project—from February 1, 2023, to July 31, 2025—the evaluation will be guided by the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) criteria: relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, coherence, and sustainability. This comprehensive framework will ensure a robust, evidence-based assessment of results that can support learning and inform future strategic decisions. 

The evaluation will cover all institutions and regions targeted by the project, including selected ministries, municipalities, and independent regulatory bodies. In addition, it will include input from a wide range of stakeholders such as the donor, public institutions, courts, judges, economic chambers, business sector representatives, and citizens. To facilitate this process, the project team will prepare a list of beneficiaries and key stakeholders—complete with contact details—prior to the evaluation. This list will be used by the selected evaluator to identify and engage stakeholders through interviews, ensuring a broad and inclusive evaluation of project outcomes and stakeholder feedback. 

4. Evaluation Management and Financial Arrangements 

The evaluator will report directly to the D+ Project Manager, who will act as the primary point of contact for this assignment. The evaluator is expected to manage all logistical aspects independently, including initiating and scheduling interviews and meetings with relevant stakeholders. In case of difficulties, D+ will assist in coordinating with institutional representatives. 

The total allocated budget for this evaluation is EUR 3,000.00 (inclusive of all applicable taxes). Payment will be issued in two phases: 

• 20% upon approval of the evaluation methodology, data collection tools, and work plan. 

• 80% upon satisfactory delivery and approval of the final evaluation report and all required documentation. 

5. Eligibility and Required Expertise 

This opportunity is open to individual consultants with a proven track record in conducting project evaluations. Applicants with experience in service delivery and administrative reforms will be prioritized. Familiarity with EU-funded projects is considered an asset. Fluency in English is mandatory. 

6. Application Process 

Interested candidates should submit their applications via email to: [email protected], using the subject line: D+ Final Project Evaluation – [Your Full Name Surname]. 

Deadline for submission: 5th of June 2025 

Applications must include the following: 

• Updated CV 

• A brief methodology proposal (maximum 2 pages) outlining your approach to the evaluation 

• A detailed financial proposal 

• A sample of a previous evaluation report or similar deliverable 

• Contact information for two professional references, ideally from comparable assignments 

Only applications that include all required documents and are submitted before the deadline will be reviewed. Candidates selected for the shortlist will be notified and may be invited for an interview or to provide additional information. 

Disclaimer: This call for the evaluation of the project is made with the financial support of the European Union. The content of this call is the sole responsibility of Democracy Plus (D+) and does not represent the views of the European Union. The project “Promoting Right and Just Administrative Procedures for Citizens and Businesses” is funded by the EU and implemented by Democracy Plus (D+).