February 21 2018
A Consortium composed by Eptisa, GIZ and DRC has recently been awarded a € 5.4 million contract for implementing a three-year technical assistance project in four partner countries: the phase II of the Regional Housing Programme (RHP). The Programme is a joint initiative of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia, which is an integral part of the "Sarajevo process on refugees and displaced persons initiated in 2005.
The same Consortium has implemented the Phase I of the project, which started in 2012 and is still ongoing. This means that the newly won contract will build up on the results of this previous phase, by continuing delivery of technical assistance to the partner countries in the provision of durable housing solutions to the most vulnerable refugee and displaced population, following the 1991-1995 conflicts on the territory of former Yugoslavia, including internally displaced persons in Montenegro from 1999.
In addition to managing the selection of beneficiaries and managing the provision of housing solutions, the project tends to create the additional value by contributing to institution building in the partner countries, including local authorities.
The overall objective of the project is to comprehensively contribute towards completion of the protracted displacement situation in partner countries by providing durable and sustainable housing solutions, with full respect for the rights of refugees and internally displaced persons, and the mutual obligation to closely cooperate and synchronize activities in order to ensure durable solutions for them, either through voluntary return and reintegration or local integration.
This project has two main purposes. The first one is the provision of durable housing solutions, a contributory factor to the integration of refugees, internally displaced persons and other displaced or vulnerable groups into national and local communities; and, the second, living conditions of current refugee population upgraded through provision of housing and related services of an appropriate standard.
The results to be achieved by the Consortium are envisaged at Territorial WP and Regional WP levels, through implementation of activities like project management and control or sub-project preparation and approval including implementation of quality control of sub-project grant application. It will also carry out the implementation (provision of the housing solutions), procurement, communication and strengthening RHPs visibility in the region and more broadly in the EU. Monitoring Management Information Systems (MMIS), and provision of complementary and auxiliary support to the process of selection of beneficiaries, which is led by national authorities under supervision of UNHCR and OSCE, are other activities that are planned to be carried out.
For the next 36 months, a team of international and local experts will be responsible for implementing this project.
