Market Needs Assessment for TS/LT level

Terms of Reference – Call for Proposal

Market Needs Assessment for TS/LT level

Industrial maintenance specialization

Beirut, Lebanon

PROJECT BACKGROUND   

IECD (Institut Européen de Coopération et de Développement) is a French non-governmental organization founded in 1988 and operating in the field of social and economic development in partnership with local institutions. IECD’s main sectors of action are vocational training and professional integration, assistance to micro and small enterprises and access to education for the most vulnerable. In Lebanon, IECD has been operating in the country since 1994 and opened a regional office in Beirut in 2007. Semeurs d’Avenir (SDA) is a Lebanese association, created in 2010, registered under the number 1905. It is the operational partner of IECD in Lebanon.

Together, IECD and Semeurs d'Avenir are developing certified training in job-creating sectors at the local level, targeting vulnerable populations and youth. The two associations help their educational partners improve their educational offer and strengthen their institutional capabilities.

Based on its partnerships with companies, IECD has noticed that the Lebanese labor market is suffering from a shortage of technical skills in the maintenance field. This shortage is due to a discrepancy between the skills demanded by the market and the qualifications of young graduates and has been a real handicap for the development of Lebanese companies.

To answer the market’s needs, IECD developed with “Académie de Paris” and the DGVTE a new, innovative curriculum, specifically tailored to the technologies currently used in the market. The new technical baccalaureate dedicated to Maintenance was officially launched in October 2017.

The first promotion graduated in 2020.

The IECD maintenance specialization objective is for graduates to be able to generate income and live a decent life by integrating the civil society through the labor market either as an employee or freelancer.

PURPOSE OF ASSIGNMENT  

Following the first and second cohorts’ data on vocational integration, it appeared that 67% of the Lebanese BT graduated students in the maintenance specialization pursue their studies.

To meet the IECD objectives, IECD decided to call upon a consultant or consultancy agency to conduct a market needs assessment for TS/LT maintenance technicians. This study will allow IECD to launch the TS/LT maintenance specialization design based on the actual market needs and the drafted TS/LT technician profile, with the tasks and competencies required.

SUGGESTED RESEARCH METHODOLOGY  

In-depth study of industrial maintenance sector

The study will focus on targeting business owners, HR managers, mid to senior technicians, supervisors, and engineers while taking into consideration proportional sample of companies from different regions and different sizes that execute in house maintenance activities or maintenance service providers. IECD needs to agree on the sample of companies identified and the questionnaires developed by the agency before conducting interviews and focus groups.

Expected outputs on this level:

• Identify companies executing maintenance activities, their sizes, their employees’ technical profile, salary scale, and any other item that is relevant to this study.
• Present the level of the professional tasks of a BT maintenance to the companies.
• Identify the tasks and activities and their respective autonomy level that a TS/LT maintenance technician execute in the job.
• Compare the outcome of the 2nd and 3rd point and deduce the new tasks needed in the TS/LT level.
• Identify the needed technical and soft skills for TS/LT technicians.
• Identify the added value of having a TS/LT in the Lebanese industrial maintenance sector.

This study should include:  

Field Research 

To carry out the study, the consultant will:    

• Develop a questionnaire that permits to gather and analyze data relevant to the points mentioned above in addition to conducting the needs assessment and the market study
• Meet business owners, HR representatives, mid to senior technicians, supervisors, and engineers to conduct structured/standardized in person interviews and collect data of the needs.
• Hold Focus Group Discussions and Key Informant Interviews with the companies and the communities (mid to senior technicians – both males and females).
• Meet with some school administration, a DGVET representative and representatives from the Ministry of Education and other relevant ministries to collect data. IECD will facilitate the contact for this phase if needed.

Data Analysis and Interpretation:

Based on the information collected, the market observations, and on a broad contextual analysis, the consultant will submit a detailed report with concrete recommendations for IECD to have a clearer view on the market needs in order to develop a TS/LT maintenance curriculum.

The analysis should be, whenever possible, supported by references, factual and quantified data.

GEOGRAPHICAL SCOPE  

 The research will cover all Lebanese regions: South, North, Bekaa, Beirut and Mount Lebanon.

MISSION:

The mission will start in August, after signature of the contract and should be finalized in 3 months.

FINAL DELIVERABLES  

Upon completion of his/her assignment, the consultant will deliver:  

• A consolidated report for the whole study conducted, with all the references, an executive summary and full needs assessment report written in English or French.
• A detailed Job Description for the TS/LT maintenance technician.
• A MS PowerPoint presentation summarizing the needs assessment findings in English or French and Arabic.
• A session during which the consultant will share their needs assessment findings to IECD and its partners.
• All raw data in an MS Excel file.  
• Transcriptions and/or recordings of the interviews and data collection.

 All deliverables should be in the form and format agreed upon by IECD.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED  

The project will be awarded to either an independent research consultant or a recognized research institution which meet the following criteria: 

• Proven experience in conducting qualitative and quantitative research across Lebanon.
• Experience in conducting market needs assessments and/or similar studies in Lebanon.
• Strong ability to present and analyze data concisely and clearly. 
• Fluency in English or French and Arabic. 
• Strong knowledge of the technical educational system and stakeholders in the field of maintenance sector. 
• Proven capacity for network and outreach to a wide range of companies (i.e., factories, corporates, registered companies, etc.).
• Strong analytical and presentation skills.
• Neutrality and sense of diplomacy
• Strong information technologies skills.
• Can navigate and produce results within a complex and challenging environment.
• Demonstrate a strong work ethic and professional integrity.
• Consultant must be located in Lebanon.
• Knowledge of gender issues is a plus.

HOW TO APPLY

Required documents for applying:

Interested consultants and agencies are invited to submit their proposal in English or French based on the TOR. The proposal should include:

• The Technical offer with proposed methodology to be adopted in the research, proposed timeline of research activities, the expected level of effort and, number of working days in a tabular form.
• Offeror’s letter to IECD confirming interest and availability for the individual contractor (IC) assignment.
• Profile of the organization (in the case of an institution) including experience with similar research in the past.
• Full list of the team that will implement the study, with respective roles and CVs of the lead members of the research team. 
• A detailed financial offer that includes all fees, the payment methods and all the needed information for payments.
• A copy of one similar research report written by the consultant to validate the quality of analysis and presentation of findings.
• List of references includes information about organization and people who worked with before.

The Consultant will be working directly with the maintenance project manager and the program manager and with the officers if needed.

IECD will provide the Consultant with documentation regarding the current activities carried out by the NGO, and information needed, and will mention the available budget and the target number of interviewees and companies to help the Consultant design the survey and elaborate relevant recommendations.

Job Location: Lebanon.

Contract Type: Consultancy

Deadline for application submission: 2nd of August 2022.

Starting date: 5 days after receiving a confirmation email from IECD, and an invitation to a meeting with IECD team, the consultant should send the inception report after the meeting.

Date end of assignment: September 2022

Contact Information: rania.nasr@iecd.org

Please add the Proposal Title to the email subject. Applications without the proposal title will be discarded.