Request for Quotation (RFQ007-2021) Tracer Survey - Employment Intensive Infrastructure Programme in Lebanon (EIIP)

1. Introduction

The Employment Intensive Infrastructure Project (EIIP), currently at the start of its fourth phase, supports the Government of Lebanon in creating immediate jobs through employment intensive projects in targeted municipalities in the whole country, for both Syrian and Lebanese women and men living in host communities. Key stakeholders in the implementation of the project in addition to ILO and KfW are government Ministries (principally MoL and MoSA but also CDR/MPWT and MoA/Green Plan and Beirut Municipality), local government and municipalities, the local host communities and the workers (Syrian refugees and vulnerable Lebanese households).

The Overall Programme Objective is: to strengthen resilience of local host communities by improving livelihoods for host community members and Syrian refugees through job creation and infrastructure development EIIP was designed to create decent short to medium-term work opportunities for displaced Syrians and members of host communities in Lebanon through infrastructure improvement.

The programme utilises Local Resource-Based Technology (LRBT) including labour-intensive approaches to rehabilitate and improve priority infrastructure. The programme applies a gender sensitive programming approach with participation of women at all levels of design, implementation and evaluation. Furthermore, infrastructure measures are complemented by capacity building activities for local contractors and public institutions in LRBT and Decent Work principles. As such, a key objective of the project is to achieve an enhanced capacity for job creation and asset management through institutional development, contractor training, and on the job training of workers for enhanced employability.

2. Background

The EIIP involves private contractors for implementation of the works. These contractors trained in LRBT and ILO/UNDP procurement processes. EIIP strategy also includes capacity building for labourers and public officials. A simple self-assessment tool measuring before and after knowledge are used for all training events.

Throughout the first three phases of its implementation, it was mandatory that all contractors attend a pre-bid meeting and basic LRBT training as a prerequisite for bidding. The training was provided to local construction company owners, contractor engineers as well as technical municipal officials and aimed at introducing the Lebanon EIIP project and the employmentintensive approach. The training also provided orientation on LRBT work methods and principles, contract documents, tendering procedures and conditions, productivity norms and work costing and programming as well as decent work principles including social, environmental, health and safety aspects including COVID-19 measures.
In addition, the project organised a training workshop for Social Safeguard Officers and MoL Inspectors covering International Labour Standards, Decent Work, Occupational Safety and Health and implementation of a Social Safeguards Framework (SSF). The respective guideline was later endorsed by both MoL and MoSA in 2020.
EIIP plans to broaden its capacity building strategy during its fourth phase to cover not only contractors, and government officials (including ministries and municipality staff), but also direct users/workers through on the job trainings.

3. Objective

The assignment aims to asses:
a. Whether the material provided during the training sessions proved relevant, adequate, and need-based for participants,
b. Whether there are suggestions to have more in-depth training on select topics in order to better meet EIIP standards as well as expectations from the sessions provided, and
c. Whether participants were able to apply the acquired knowledge during their projects at EIIP and elsewhere in their careers.
The aim of the study therefore is to identify gaps and challenges observed during previous capacity building activities and provide recommendations on enhancing training curricula (if needed), modes of training, and develop a more detailed list of possible beneficiaries for similar future interventions.

4. Scope of the assignment

In coordination with the designated team at EIIP, the consultant shall refine the survey methodology and survey tools.
It is advisable that the consultant considers a mixed method of data collection to be gathered through both quantitative and qualitative methods of enquiry.

The consultant shall aim to contact all training participants (approximately 250) who were registered on the different attendance sheets via phone/email in order to complete the survey. Register with phone numbers will be provided by the ILO. In rare cases where some contact information is missing/incorrect, it is the responsibility of the consultant to trace the individuals through contacting the respective employer.

The consultant shall also consider having open ended discussions with some of the participants mainly those from the Ministerial side, NGOs, and other partners that have received EIIP trainings in order to better capture their perceptions about the attended trainings and benefits gained or lack thereof.

A preliminary analysis of the results shall be presented to the EIIP team for validation. A draft and a final report shall be produced, including introduction, methodology, analysis and recommendations. All raw data shall be provided electronically.

5. Specific tasks and responsibilities of the consultant

a. Develop a detailed work plan to be approved by EIIP team
b. Establish the methodology of the survey with sampling framework and data collection approach to be approved by EIIP team
c. Design the survey instrument (both quantitative questionnaire) and discussion guideline to be approved by EIIP team
d. Pilot-test survey instruments and act on relevant corrections if deemed necessary in coordination with EIIP team
e. Train surveyors and collect data
f. Collate and analyse data
g. Submit draft report and initial finding to get feedback from EIIP team
h. Issue final report

6. Responsibilities of the ILO EIIP team

a. Provide all relevant information to the consultant in a timely manner, including
registers of all previous training participants
b. Timely review and duly approval of all documents to be shared by the
consultant during the course of the assignment
c. Provide regular technical support and feedback
d. Provide support for engaging all participants

7. Timeframe and logistics

The work shall be completed within one month from the beginning of the commencement date and shall tentatively take place from the first week of August until the end of August.

Contacts with previous training participants and high level officials will be facilitated by the ILO.

All phone calls and email correspondences are to be incurred by the consultant and are to take place at their own offices.

8. Expected Deliverables

a. Inception report of the study, including a comprehensive methodology of the study that covers the sampling strategy, survey instrument to be employed, as well as data collection and analysis method and overall work plan
b. Submission of major findings through PPT and a draft report
c. Submission of the final report and PPT

9. Report (proposed format)

The final report shall include the following sections:
a. Executive summary
b. Introduction
i. Background and rationale of the study
ii. Objectives and cope
c. Methodology
i. Sampling framework
ii. Survey tools
iii. Data collection
iv. Data analysis methodology
v. Limitations of the study
d. Study findings and analysis
e. Conclusion and recommendations
f. Annexes
i. List of participants surveyed with date and time. It is recommended to
assign codes to each participant to respect anonymity
ii. Survey instrument/questionnaire used
iii. Database where all information collected form the study is stored