Consultancy: Youth Labor Market Assessment of Urban Locations

Terms of Reference

Role:    Consultancy: Youth Labor Market Assessment of Urban Locations

Supervisor:     Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL) Technical Advisor

Timeframe of the assignment: 1 October – 16 November 2018         

Location: Bourj al Borajne, Chatila, Bourj Hammoud (Beirut), and Ain Helwe, Saida, (Saida)

Date of TOR:  3 August 2018 

Background

Sufficient and secure basic incomes are essential if parents and caregivers are to meet their children's daily needs and invest in their futures. Livelihoods have to be reliable enough so that families can obtain food, clothing, health care, shelter and other necessities for their children, and keep them safe, while having the scope and confidence to save and spend for their learning and other development needs, including in times of stress and crises. These expenditures are key to reducing childhood deprivations and achieving the rights of all children.

Save the Children Lebanon (SCL) places the achievement of better outcomes for all children at the center of our livelihoods work. We aim for this by focusing on building sustainable child-sensitive livelihoods based on both market needs and household economy analysis baselines. Child sensitive livelihoods minimize potential harms for children and maximize positive outcomes in three Breakthrough Goals: Survive, Learn and Be Protected. This ensures that the rights of children are intentionally pursued and maximized.

The Syria Adolescent Program is a 3-year regional program funded by SIDA, with the overall objective that adolescents aged 14-19 affected by the Syria crisis are resilient and act as agents of change in their society. Specific objectives of the program relate to child rights and participation, protection, and livelihoods opportunities. In terms of specific livelihoods interventions, this project aims to strengthen adolescent girls’ and boys’ skills through the provision of lifeskills and vocational trainings. Adolescent girls’ and boys’ will be also given the opportunity to translate the skills acquired into practice through professional traineeships, technical apprenticeships, and youth-led community projects.

Identfying and applying market forces and opportunities is a key approach to designing or refining SC programs. Experience in similar projects has demonstrated that engaging private sector stakeholders from the outset of an intervention is essential to have better understanding of the opportunities available to vulnerable households. This consultancy will require a market-based assessment of opprotunities for youth in vulnerable areas of Beirut and Saida, including identifying and communicating with private sector stakeholders, conducting and applying market systems mapping and assessments, and identifying market entry points for vulnerable beneficiaries. Technical trainings, coaching, and market activities will then be either designed or updated based on identified market needs.

Scope of the consultancy

In the context of the described project, the consultant will conduct a labor market assessment to identify employment opportunities and promising vocational sectors in the following vulnerable urban areas: Bourj al Borajne, Chatila, Bourj Hammoud (Beirut), and Ain Helwe, Saida, (Saida).

The labor market assessment will inform the design of the program and will enable SC to identify external training opportunities, businesses or industries with growth potential in the targeted areas, and specific employers willing to accept low-skilled youth as apprentices or trainees. The consultant is expected to collect robust quantitative and qualitative data about the labor market in target locations, the hiring preferences and practices of employers in these areas, and the skills necessary for young people seeking employment in these businesses or industries. The LMA methodology will be a mixed approach of market surveys, key informant interviews, and focus groups discussions. It is foreseen that the consultant is an independent expert with technical, methodological and practical expertise, as well as social and political understanding of the targeted areas.

Objectives

1. Identify sectors of potential growth and employment trends in the targeted urban areas
2. Analyze current employment practices and working conditions in the local labor markets
3. Determine constraints faced by vulnerable adolescents in these labor markets
4. Identify potential apprenticeship or employment opportunities for vulnerable adolescents in targeted areas
5. Make private sector-informed and evidence-based recommendations for the industries or professions relevant to adolescents in the target locations

Responsibilities

Task 1: Desk review of related material

Conduct desk research to develop a preliminary understanding of the sectors and identify key stakeholders to interview during the fieldwork. This will include identifying any existing assessments of the labor market with similar objectives in the project areas and collecting data on the size and growth rates of the relevant sectors in the project areas. Considering the multiple labor market assessments conducted in recent years in Lebanon, at both national and local levels, it is expected the consultant would review these materials and incorporate them in a short literature review relevant to the planned assessment. The FSL TA can provide access to all published materials if necessary.

Task 2: Inception report and tools development

An inception plan will detail the revised workplan for the duration of the consultancy, including full methodology of the assessment and description of tasks of assistants or enumerators, as needed. Any support requested from SC to conduct the assessment should be agreed and scheduled at this stage. Working closely with Save the Children’s technical team (FSL, MEAL, and Operations as needed) the consultant will then develop questionnaires, checklists and other tools that will be used to collect information from the various stakeholders such as associations, employers and training service providers.

Task 3: Field work

The methodology for this assessment is mixed, and will be largely based largely on field research with private sector stakeholders.  It is expected that the bulk of the assessment will be conducted in the areas of Bourj al Borajne, Chatila, Bourj Hammoud (Beirut), and Ain Helwe, Saida, (Saida). Qualitative information will also be required, obtained through key informant interviews with businesses, government authorities where appropriate, local partners, and youth and adolescents for the purpose of triangulation. The consultant is free to select any mix of approaches suitable for each task within the allotted timeframe, but with full coordination with the FSL TA. Any forms and/or questionnaire used during the evaluation are to be developed by the consultant, reviewed and accepted with full coordination with the FSL TA. Triangulate data/conclusions drawn from the desk research.

Task 4: Analysis and reporting

The consultant will consolidate and analyze outputs of the field study and present the key findings at least two times: a) a draft report at week 5; and b) final report at end of assignment, which includes recommendations to Save the Children. Both analyses will be presented to SC in the form of workshop(s). SC and the consultant will mutually agree as to whether separate workshops are needed in the different project areas or whether these may be combined (more likely for the final workshop).

The consultant will conduct an analysis of the identified sectors that includes the following outputs:

1. A detailed mapping of the different labor sectors and sub-sectors within the targeted geographic locations. This mapping should focus on labor options that are available for the specific population, which are vulnerable Syrian, Palestinian, and Lebanese adolescents aged 14-19.
2. A detailed listing of the types of beginner/entry-level job opportunities within these sectors. The listing should provide estimates of the volume of demand that should be expected for each of these opportunities in the near and medium term (1-2 years, 3-5 years) as well as job-specific information that should include:

• Description of the job (role, major activities, etc.)
• Specific skills (vocational skills & employability skills) or any other skills requirements
• Minimum requirements (certification, high school degree, etc.)
• Average salary/income potential
• Standard protocols related to employment in the job category e.g. probation periods or casual/daily work requirements, etc.
• Career path and time it would take to progress from one level to next
• Highlight any specific qualitative risks of the job such as: Workplace safety issues and/or Long hours or physical labor, or any further risks presented by the age or nationality of the adolescent

3. Mapping of the skills training eco-system for the needs of the sector, with particular focus on suitable skills trainings opportunities for vulnerable Syrian, Palestinian, and Lebanese adolescents. Sources of relevant content could be public and private vocational trainings providers, as well as national or international NGOs
4. Listing of major employers in the sector and identification of specific large employers who can become strategic partners for SC. The consultant should initiate dialogue with potential strategic partners and short–list those that demonstrate interest in further discussions for the purpose of hosting apprenticeships or traineeships.
5. Description of hiring practices of major employers especially potential strategic partners. Hiring practices include typical practices for advertising positions, interviewing process, cost of hiring, whether there are any specific challenges faced by employers in recruitment, etc. The consultant(s) should recommend actions that SC could take to help the employers improve their recruitment processes.

After the initial round of field study, the consultant will lead a workshop(s) to report progress, and initial findings, and to mutually agree with SC (and stakeholders it invites) on the areas for further study.

A written narrative report which incorporates feedback from SC staff, annexed with all relevant desk research references; names, affiliations and contact information for all KIIs and FGDs, as well as dates; and original, cleaned data. The consultant and SC will jointly agree on outline of the report. The consultant should also develop presentation slides for the final workshop based on this materials and programmatic recommendations.

Deliverables

All deliverables will be validated by the FSL Technical Advisor and approved by the Deputy Country Director Programs before considered complete. Coordination of all activities with the FSL Technical Advisor is required.

The study will take place during the period of 1 October– 16 November 2018, following the tentative schedule below.

1. Inception report on the workplan for the consultancy period, including methodology for each section and outline of tools to be developed (2 days after signing contract)
2. Tools or questionnaires to be utilized for qualitative methods (5 days after signing contract)
3. Delivery of a comprehensive draft labor market assessment and presentation to SC for comments and discussion (Friday 19 October 2018)
4. Delivery of the final findings and presentation of recommendations in a programmatic choices workshop (Wednesday 31 October 2018)

Required competencies

The successful candidate will have the following required qualifications:

• Advanced university degree in social sciences or any related field
• Experience conducting assessments in Palestinian camps or gatherings in Lebanon is required
• Professional experience conducting assessments in themes related to the project, including access to markets, livelihoods, youth employment, or dual track programs. Experience in conducting labor market assessments for INGOs is preferred.
• Knowledge of cross-cutting issues and relevant approaches for the project, in particular conflict sensitivity and gender transformative approaches
• Excellent communication skills in English and Arabic
• Proven experience with M&E methods and approaches (including quantitative, qualitative and participatory), information analysis and report writing
• Good inter-personal and teamwork skills, networking aptitude (the consultants will contact various actors and stakeholders of the project)

Evaluation Criteria:

Interested bidders will be selected based on the below criteria’s:

Essential Criteria:

• Bidder’s registration in Lebanon: submit copies of company registration and Tax Certificate if applicable; or a permission from the relevant authorities to trade in that market (in case of individual consultants).
• Bidders to submit copy of I.D.
• Bidder’s confirmation of compliance with the attached Conditions of Tendering, Terms and Conditions of Purchase, Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policy, Child Safeguarding Policy and IAPG Code of Conduct The bidder should Read and sign T&C in Bidder response document
• Bidders must provide a proof of expertise in similar tasks, at least 02 letter of reference from governmental bodies or International or Local organizations within the last 02 years.
• Bidders must provide copy of individual C.V.s along with degree and certificate.
• Bidders must provide sample of report was conducted by bidder similar to the nature of this project.

• Bidders must provide A short description highlighting any past experience working with the Ministry of Health and/or hospitals in Lebanon

Technical Criteria (60%):

• Quality of proposal (level of effort/details put into proposal and level of understanding of assignment scope). (15%)
• Methodology (approach) and the extent to which the proposed sample covers all concerned stakeholders). (10%)
• Candidate profile (the strength and relevancy of the candidates’ academic background and technical and evaluation expertise). (15%)
• Delivery of final reports within 45 days (including weekends and holidays) (20%)

Financial Criteria (40%)

• Total Price: Bidder’s prices demonstrate an economically advantageous position for SCI. (40%)

APPLICATION PROCESS AND REQUIREMENTS

• Interested researchers or research firms are required to submit their technical & commercial proposals in a sealed envelope, addressed to Save the Children International. Lebanon at the below address. The envelope should indicate the Procurement Request reference number, but have no other details relating to the bid. They should be labelled as such:

PR/B/2018/241

Consultancy: Youth Labor Market Assessment of Urban Locations

And submitted at our

Admin Office, SCI, Lebanon Country Office, Beirut Main Office 1st Floor, Bloc B, Sodeco Building, Al Nasra Street, Ashrafieh, Beirut, Lebanon

• The deadline of submission bids is September 24, 2018 at 15:00 PM