Author: Reform Monitor

More than 180 participants from across the Western Balkans and the European Union joined the official launch of the WB Reform and Growth Monitor Project, a three-year regional initiative implemented by the Think for Europe Network and led by the European Policy Institute – Skopje (EPI) with financial support from the European Union. The project supports structured stakeholder engagement in the implementation of the national Reform Agendas under the EU’s Growth Plan for the Western Balkans (GPWB).

Opening the event, Simonida Kacarska, Director of EPI, emphasized the collaborative nature of the initiative:

“This launch event aims to showcase what we have done so far, what is the focus in the next 30 months, and how we can foster partnerships—with institutions, civil society organizations, the European Commission, and other regional partners.”

Representing the European Commission’s DG ENEST, Olivier Lanoo, elaborated on the goals of Pillars 1 and 2 of the Growth Plan:

“Pillar 1 is about gradual integration of the region into the EU, covering priorities such as free movement of goods and digital market access. Pillar 2, on the other hand, focuses on creating a competitive and integrated regional market.”

Giorgio Zecca, Acting Head of Sector at DG ENEST, emphasized the role of civil society and transparency:

“The regulation explicitly states that the involvement of civil society organizations and main stakeholders is a guiding principle. We are committed to ensuring this happens throughout implementation.”

In a strong endorsement of the initiative, two national coordinators for the Reform Agendas provided remarks. The Minister for European Affairs of North Macedonia, Orhan Murtezani and the Minister of European Affairs of Montenegro, Maida Gorčević shared their views.

“Clarity in reform monitoring is not a technical issue, but a strategic necessity… The Reform and Growth Monitor offers the possibility to integrate evidence-based reform tracking into policy planning, funding decisions, and accountability mechanisms” said  Orhan Murtezani, Minister for European Affairs of North Macedonia.

He added that the national Reform Agenda reflects “a nationally driven platform of transformation,” grounded in consultation with civil society, line ministries, and development partners.

Maida Gorčević, Minister of European Affairs of Montenegro, praised the project’s timing and impact:

“Inclusiveness is not just a formality. It ensures expertise, strengthens institutions, and enhances predictability in managing EU funds.”

She also announced the planned establishment of a formal oversight committee that will include civil society, academia, and the expert community.

Stefan Ristovski, Lead Researcher on the project, presented the project’s goals and the new platform www.reform-monitor.org:

“The project is built around four pillars: monitoring, national consultation mechanisms, re-granting, and strategic communication… We aim to provide regular updates, comparative assessments, and data-based tools to track the implementation of reforms and conditionalities.”

The “RA Talks” panel, moderated by Aleksandar Ivković from European Western Balkans, brought together key voices from the region and the EU

Milena Mihajlović Denić, Programme Director at CEP (Serbia), emphasized the complexity of monitoring, stating that the reform agendas vary, not only in content, but also in methodology.

“The reform agendas vary not only in content but in methodology. It will be challenging to compare, but we are prioritizing reform areas that can offer regional benchmarks.”

Besar Gërgi, Country Researcher for Kosovo at GLPS, explained that the government cannot implement all the reform steps alone.

“The government alone cannot implement 111 reform steps. Civil society has a crucial role, yet we were not properly consulted in the design phase. We hope the implementation phase will bring more opportunities.”

Krisela Hackaj, Executive Director of CDI (Albania), shared encouraging news coming from Albania.

“The Albanian government has now included our recommendation to create an inclusive monitoring committee—this is a significant step forward.”

She added that to have a real dialogue, the civil society needs data and that’s why the reform trackers are important.

Matteo Vespa, Policy and Project Officer at Civil Society Europe, offered comparative insights from the EU’s Next Generation EU experience.

“Involvement of civil society in the EU’s national recovery plans was often promised but rarely delivered. The Western Balkans can do better—by building on structured models like the partnership principle from cohesion policy.”

The WB Reform and Growth Monitor project will support civil society in all six Western Balkan countries to engage in evidence-based monitoring, dialogue, and regional cooperation. Its goal: to ensure that reforms funded through the EU’s €6 billion Reform and Growth Facility are effective, inclusive, and transparent.

The Think for Europe Network (TEN), under the regional project “WB Reform and Growth Monitor” funded by the European Commission, invites qualified expert/s to apply for the development and support of a methodology to monitor the implementation of strategic projects financed under the Western Balkan Investment Framework (WBIF), financially supported by the Reform and Growth Facility (RGF).

Scope of Work and Key Responsibilities

• Design a Draft Monitoring Methodology: Develop a comprehensive methodology for monitoring WBIF-funded strategic projects, incorporating tools, indicators, templates, and a gender-sensitive framework.
• Facilitate Consultations: Support consultations with stakeholders and refine the methodology based on feedback received.
• Guide Piloting Process: Assist in the piloting of the methodology and ensure that findings are integrated into the first deliverable: WBIF Projects Updates.
• Finalize Methodology Booklet: Prepare a finalized methodology booklet, including developed practical tools and templates.
• Contribute to Reports: Provide input and review national and regional reports to ensure consistency with the established methodology.

For more details, please find the Terms of Reference (ToR).

ELIGIBILITY: Applications may be submitted:

• Individually, or
• As part of a team of two experts

REMUNERATION:

The fee for this position is 5,250 EUR gross, covering 15 working days. Payment will be made in three instalments, as outlined in the ToR.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:

Interested applicants should submit their applications to [email protected] no later than May 15, 2025, with the subject line: “Application for Expert/s for the Development of a Monitoring Methodology for WBIF-Funded Projects.”

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

• Detailed resume (biography) in English:

A comprehensive CV outlining relevant professional experience and qualifications, as specified in the ToR. If applying as a team, a separate CV must be submitted for each team member.

• Overall work plan:

A concise plan detailing the proposed implementation of the assignment. For team applications, the work plan should clearly indicate the division of tasks among team members. It must also include a breakdown of the 15 working days across the tasks and deliverables outlined in the ToR.

• Concept note on methodology development (maximum 2 pages):

A brief description of the proposed organization and approach for developing the monitoring methodology, highlighting the key steps, methods, and tools to be applied.

• References to previous work:

A selection of three relevant written outputs (e.g., academic publications, research studies, policy papers, or analytical reports) that demonstrate the applicant’s professional expertise and experience. In the case of a team application, each team member must submit their own individual set of three written references.

Inquiries:

For any questions or clarifications regarding this call, applicants may submit inquiries to the same email address ([email protected]) no later than May 2, 2025. Responses to all received questions will be published on the official websites of TEN (www.thinkforeurope.org) and EPI (www.epi.org.mk) on May 7, 2025.

Answers to the questions regarding the Call for expert/s to develop a monitoring methodology for WBIF-funded projects.

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The overall objective of this action is to enable civil society organisations (CSOs) in the Western Balkans (WB) to actively contribute to the design and credible implementation of reforms related to the four pillars of the Growth Plan for the WB.

Summary of the project in English

Summary of the project in Macedonian

Summary of the project in Albanian

Summary of the project in Serbian

Summary of the project in Montenegrin