Terms of Reference - Position Paper for Employers’ Organisations on the National Employment Policy of Lebanon

1. Background and rationale

The compounded crises that have rocked Lebanon since 2019 triggered wide-ranging economic and social shifts. With the skyrocketing inflation levels, devaluating currency and poverty levels, the former structure of the Lebanese economy is now obsolete on many levels and there is a need for new drivers for growth and employment. However, such a monumental shift can have devastating effects on existing economic establishments and workers if it is not accompanied by effective labour market policies. The latter can minimise the human and economic costs of such a shift by supporting private sector growth and job creation, in tandem with supply-side labour policies that can help ensure that workers have the right skills and competencies to fill those newly created jobs. 

The ILO has been working on supporting a National Employment Policy process with tripartite engagement that guarantees that the government, workers and employers have a say in shaping the economic future of the country and can work together to achieve a fair and sustainable job-rich recovery in Lebanon. As part of its efforts to support its constituents, the ILO has organised a National Employment Policy training for employers’ representatives to introduce them to the NEP process, the major challenges facing Lebanon and how policymaking and social dialogue can be used to improve the labour market conditions and promote decent work for all.

In light of the above, the ILO is commissioning a consultancy to develop a position paper that outlines the position of employers’ organisations – represented by the Association of Lebanese Industrialists – on the main priorities for the coming period, especially in terms of policies that could fit within the broader National Employment Policy and that would boost private sector growth as a means to create decent jobs for the workers and business opportunities for the industrialists and the broader private sector. Special focus should be placed on MSME support, the promotion of formalisation, export promotion and the improvement of the start-up ecosystem.

2. Scope of consultancy

The objective of this exercise is to assist the Association of Lebanese Industrialists – and other private sector employers’ selected in consultation with them – in developing a common position on the National Employment Policy in light of the compounded crises and the economic shifts taking place throughout the country and on the basis of the employers’ key priorities. That position paper will then inform and ensure the employers’ effective participation in the NEP development process.

To ensure the relevance of the position paper moving forward, it must include specific, actionable, realistic and possibly costed recommendations. Moreover, they must indicate – to the extent possible – the stakeholders that are responsible for the reforms outlined and the role that the employers’ organisations can and are willing to play in that regard. 

3. Duties and responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Senior Regional Employment Policy Specialist at the Regional Office for Arab States in Beirut and in close coordination with the Senior Regional Employers’ Activities Specialist, the consultant will undertake the following:

• Prepare a position paper that identifies the employers’ priorities and expectations from the National Employment Policy, their position on decent work deficits, and proposed policy priorities and recommendations
• The paper will build on existing literature as well as meetings, consultations and focus group discussions with relevant key stakeholders. These will include:
  • Association of Lebanese Industrialists (ALI);
  • Large employers in select sectors that show potential for growth and where Lebanon holds a competitive advantage (these sectors should be selected through consultation with the ILO and ALI); and,
  • Experts and researchers in related subjects.
• The paper will provide a number of recommendations on key priorities that the employers believe must be tackled within the framework of the upcoming National Employment Policy. This will include, but not limited to, specific bottlenecks and obstacles that hinder investment and decent employment creation, measures to tackle the skills mismatch in the labour market, legal reforms necessary for the formalisation of activities and work arrangements, and policy measures to mitigate the effects of the compounded crises on the private sector and to support labour demand.

4. Main deliverables 

Deliverable 1: Zero
draft position paper (approximately 15 pages, in Arabic)

Deliverable 2: Final
draft of the position paper after incorporating comments received from the ILO
and other stakeholders

5. Timeframe and remuneration

The consultancy will be carried out for 20 workdays between 5 September 2022 and 10 October 2022.

The Consultant will be paid in one instalment after the delivery of a final draft of the position paper.

6. Qualifications, experience and competencies required

The Consultant is expected to have the following functional qualifications, experience and competencies:

• Education: Advanced University degree in Economics (preferably labour or development economics), Development Studies, Social Sciences or a related discipline.
• At least 10 years of relevant professional experience.
• Knowledge and previous working experience within the field of labour, employment and development in Lebanon
• Experience working with Employers and Business Membership Organizations
• Excellent command of spoken and written English and Arabic.
• Excellent analytical and organizational skills.