1. Background
a) Organizational Overview
Pro Peace (Forum Ziviler Friedensdienst e.V.), formerly forumZFD, is a non-profit peacebuilding organization that supports individuals affected by violent conflict in their pursuit of peace and works to overcome war and violence.
Pro Peace currently collaborates with peace consultants in Germany and 12 other countries across Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. Its Academy for Conflict Transformation provides a learning space for professional, international peace work. Through dialogue events, educational initiatives, and advocacy campaigns, Pro Peace actively promotes civil peace policy.
The organization is recognized by the German Federal Government as a member of the Civil Peace Service (CPS) consortium and finances its work through public and private grants, donations, and membership fees.
b) Western Balkans Programme
Pro Peace has been operating in the Western Balkans (WB) region for 25 years, in Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia, with the aim of strengthening peace throughout the region by working with partner civil society organisations (CSOs) to overcome persisting conflicts that are driven by ethnocentric divisions and resistance to building reconciled cohesive multi-ethnic and democratic societies. Pro Peace’s Western Balkans regional programme currently employs 29 national and international staff.
The current three-year programme was launched in early 2024. It focuses on outcomes related to youth, educational actors, media, civil society organizations (CSOs), and professionals in research, arts, and culture as well as evidence-based and partner-oriented advocacy efforts toward transitional justice and peacebuilding. The strategic orientation of the programme is structured around three core projects:
- Youth and Peace Educational Actors is an initiative in the Western Balkans that unites young people across borders. It engages them through both formal and informal education to explore peace-building themes and develop their personal visions for peace.
- Media and CSOs focuses on building partnerships with media organizations and CSOs to foster fact-based and multi-perspective reporting through training, mentoring, and strengthening the wider media environment.
- Research, Arts and Culture uses research and artistic production to explore topics and the stories of the most marginalized and to promote a culture of dialogue throughout the Western Balkans.
1.2. Scope of work
We are currently implementing the three-year programme which ends in December 2026, and are preparing a proposal or the new funding phase. Preparation for the new funding phase includes developing a new Systemic Conflict Analysis (SCA), which will serve a basis for the development of the new WB programme strategy. As part of this process, Pro Peace is seeking to engage an expert to conduct, guide, and facilitate the SCA process. The SCA will serve as a baseline for setting up the next WB peacebuilding programme and informing peacebuilding priorities and strategies.
The task of the expert will be to participate in the production of an SCA and stakeholder mapping based on evidence drawn from key stakeholders (desk research and interviews/focus groups discussions/surveys). The SCA will be conducted in accordance with the Pro Peace’s standards and requirements. This will include identification of the most important conflict driving factors as well as strategic entry-points. The SCA and the subsequent outcome mapping will, in turn, inform and the development of the programme’s strategy.
As the WB programme is regional - covering Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Kosovo - the scope of the SCA should encompass all four countries. It should apply a regional approach to examine the peacebuilding environment and identify opportunities to strengthen peace across the region. The final deliverable will be a SCA report in English submitted to the Pro Peace WB programme team to support further programme/project design and planning. Throughout the process of developing the SCA, the consultant will coordinate and work closely and in consultation with the Pro Peace WB Programme PMEL advisor and WB Programme SCA team. The consultant will also participate in and facilitate the workshops/meetings organized as part of the SCA development, including those with WB Pro Peace Programme’s partners.
2. Systemic Conflict Analysis
2.1. Duties and responsibilities
The consultant will be requested to carry out the following activities as part of the SCA, envisaged as three phases:
Inception phase and data collection
- Propose methodology including different approaches to data collection in consultation with the WB Programme and PMEL advisor
- Conduct desk review of existing systemic conflict analyses and other relevant research as well as key informant interviews/FGDs/surveys
Facilitation and drafting phase
- Facilitate workshops/meetings, conduct actor/power mapping, and identify key stakeholders playing a role in fueling and/or addressing the sources of tensions
- Conduct analysis [three box analysis, conflict driving factors (KDFs), feedback loops] and identify regional and country-specific conflict and peace dynamics
- Identify opportunities for peacebuilding initiatives (entry points) and draft the SCA report
Follow-up, validation, and finalisation phase
- Revise the draft SCA report based on the received comments and submit the final version
2.2. Methodology
The methodology will adhere to the following principles: participatory, cultural and gender sensitivity, committed to building capacities, affirming and positive while being honest and constructively critical, valuing approaches. In the 1st phase, the Systemic Conflict Analysis will draw principally on secondary qualitative and quantitative data available through desk review. In the 2nd phase and for the final SCA report, primary qualitative data collected jointly with the Pro Peace team will be incorporated.
2.3. Timeline
The SCA development process is tentatively scheduled to take place between November 2025 and mid-March 2026. Upon finalisation and approval of the TOR, a final time schedule and methodological approach will be prepared and agreed upon for the implementation of the SCA.
2.4. Qualifications
- Proven experience in practical research or in an academic institution or NGO and strong analytical, facilitation and presentation skills
- A sound knowledge of conflict resolution and peacebuilding programming
- Extensive knowledge on conducting systemic conflict analyses and proven skills in designing and drafting SCA reports
- Extensive knowledge and experience in peacebuilding and conflict prevention mechanisms at the local, national, or regional level
- Strong experience in the Western Balkans, preferably with a range of institutions, organisations, CSOs, authorities and local actors
- Understanding of rights-based-approach, conflict sensitivity and do no harm approaches.
- Fluent in English, both written and spoken
- Knowledge of local language(s) in the countries of analysis is considered an asset
- Cooperative spirit, ability to work with a variety of actors (communities, civil society actors, partner organisations, authorities and project staff)
2.5. Application procedure
Interested candidates are requested to send in the following documents in English:
• Motivation letter and resume
• A 2-page proposal that contains the following methodological topics:
- Consultant´s understanding of the process (including a tentative time line)
- Instruments and tools to be used for data collection
- Financial proposal with a daily rate and other expenses
For clarifications regarding the process, applicants are welcome to contact the Pro Peace PMEL Advisor, Ms Sandina Bosnjak, at sandina.bosnjak@propeace.de.
Applications should be sent by the latest 17:00pm (CET) 15 October 2025 to Pro Peace at application-westernbalkans@propeace.de.