Labor Market Assessment and Validation Study (Individual Consultants, Consortium of Consultants or Firms)

1. Project Background

The Lebanon Community Support Program (CSP) is a multi-year project funded by USAID to support municipalities and underserved and vulnerable communities in providing better services and enhanced economic opportunities to improve lives and reduce tensions that contribute to conflict and violence, primarily in Lebanon’s North, South, and Beqaa regions.

Under Task Order No. 4 (TO 4), the project will provide technical assistance and other support to improve labor skills and job placement opportunities through partnerships with companies, private sector associations, Private Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) providers, municipalities, and other public sector entities.  The main objective of this 3-year task order is to improve skills and job placement opportunities for at least 1000 beneficiaries from vulnerable communities.

2. Summary of Activity

Chemonics CSP is seeking a firm, consultant, or a consortium of consultants to undertake comprehensive Labor Market Assessment and Validation study for our newly awarded 3-year workforce development activity. The target areas for this consultancy are the North, Bekaa, and South regions of Lebanon. The ultimate goal of the consultancy will be to inform the selection of Private TVET and SME partners, training courses and curricula, and subsequent upgrades to curricula, infrastructure, equipment and human resources of selected partners for the program.

The activity will first consolidate quantitative and qualitative data on labor market dynamics and specific private sector employment opportunities with MSMEs and private TVET centers Once any gaps are identified, the activity will then undertake limited and focused labor market study or analysis to fill in missing information specific to those gaps. This study will be used to confirm the appropriate skills training activities; and to identify potential MSME partners and skills gaps among potential employers and employees. The study will identify or validate skills in demand by the job market (including both private and public employers) and employer perceptions of skills. Based on the findings, skills training courses will be developed that are relevant, context-specific, and able to effectively leverage existing local educational infrastructure and assets. The study will also be used to validate anticipated activities in key program sectors. The activity will map the landscape of private TVETs to assess the range and quality of training programs currently offered, including infrastructure/asset availability, which will commence the activities under component II.

 The offeror will work closely with the Chemonics CSP team with regular check-ins on the progress of the activity.

The consultancy will be divided into three phases.

Phase 1 - Consolidate and review all labor market assessment/workforce research to identify promising areas of intervention and gaps for further field research.

 In this phase the offeror is expected to review and analyze the abundantly available research on workforce development in Lebanon from the past 5 years. Chemonics has compiled to a comprehensive database of reports, data, interviews, and analysis of workforce development activities. The consultant is expected to update the database with current WFD reports, then perform a comprehensive data review and analysis. The offeror will undertake a mapping exercise to identify and profile Private TVET providers in target areas. The mapping exercise will inform the selection of 7 to 10 TVETs in Phase 2 and for further in-depth analysis in Phase 3. The review will identify potentially promising economic sectors, training and soft skills curricula, and partnerships for further field research. In this phase, the offeror will develop the research tools and questionnaires and adapt and finalize the research methodology based on the Chemonics approval of the inception report. The Consultant shall deliver an inception report within 3 weeks of starting the consultancy.

Phase 2 – Targeted Labor Market Field Research –Validation

In this phase, the offeror will validate the findings of the desk review with in-depth KII, FGDs, and/or Surveys with WFD actors. The offeror will undertake a mapping exercise to identify and profile Private TVET providers in target areas. The mapping exercise will inform the selection of 7 to 10 TVETs for further in-depth analysis in Phase 3. This phase shall include the profiling of the selected labor market sector with a focus on labor market demand and supply, specific occupation vacancies and/or soft skills and technical/vocational training gaps.. Finally, the offeror will map and profile the existing WFD programming landscape to identify potential synergies and potential pitfalls for Chemonics WFD programming. The offeror is encouraged to explore wide range of survey and assessment tools including digital and mobile platforms to provide statistically significant and accurate findings. The mid-term report will be due 3 weeks after the inception report is approved. The report should be given as a narrative and presented to the CSP team for approval.

Phase 3 –Partner Profiling with Curricula and TVET Upgrade Strategy

In this phase, the offeror will undertake an in-depth profiling of 7 - 10 potential TVET and 15 to 25 Private Sector partners to be included in the programming. The profiles for the selected TVETs should include a capacity assessment, current training curricula and training infrastructure and equipment including recommendations for upgrading. The private sector partners should include an in-depth assessment of internship potential, hiring practices, human resource capacity, technical and soft skills needs, training facilities and practices including recommendations on upgrading and incentivizing their ability to hire, train and retain employees. The deliverable shall be completed 3 weeks after the approval of the mid-term report as a narrative and presentation to the CSP team for approval.

3. Specific deliverables:

The Offeror will be responsible for providing:

Phase 1 – Consolidate and review all labor market assessment/workforce research, and

conduct an assessment study to fill gaps and validate findings.

• Brief Summary of Labor Market Supply and Demand Trends

• Initial Sector Identification for Field Research

• Initial Training and Curricula Identification for Field Research

• Development of tools and questionnaires for field research.

• Private TVET Mapping w/ summarized profiles

• Final Field Research Methodology

Deliverable – Inception Report with 3 weeks

Phase 2 – Targeted Labor Market Field Research –Validation

• Labor Supply Validation– FGDs and/or Surveys

• Labor Demand Validation – KIIs, FGDs and/or Surveys

• Occupation and Skills Gap Profiles

• Soft Skills gaps, needs and training options

• Labor Market Sector Profiles

• Proposed TVET and SME partners

• Mapping and profiling of complimentary WFD programming in Lebanon

Deliverable – Mid-term Report including presentation within 3 weeks after approval of Inception Report

Phase 3 –Partner Identification with Curricula and TVET Upgrade Strategy

• Comprehensive Private TVET profiles including capacity assessment, training curricula and infrastructure and equipment.
• SME Partner Identification and Profiles to include hiring practices and capacity, internship absorption capacity, in-house training capacity equipment and infrastructure
• Current Training Curricula from recommended occupations
• Recommendation on upgrading training curricula in-line with labor market/sector needs including soft skills
• Recommendation on upgrading TVET training infrastructure and equipment
• Recommendation on upgrading human resources (TVET and SME)
• Recommendations on soft skills curricula

Deliverable – Final Report within 3 weeks of the approval of the Mid-Term Report

4. Submission Guidelines

• Proposed Methodology for completing the assignment

• Proposed Tools for completing the assignment. Draft examples are not required, but are advantageous.

• Past Performance with similar activities with budget and timeframe

• Links to, or excerpts of completed similar studies

• CVs of Proposed Key Staff

• Initial Workplan with Timeline with total Level of Effort required

• Budget

5. Minimum Qualifications

• At least ten years undertaking economic development research and analysis activities with four years specific research and analysis in Workforce Development Programming

• 5 years’ experience in Economic Development and/or Workforce Development Programming in Lebanon

• Completion of at least three labor market assessments in the past five years in Lebanon.

• Completion of at least two program evaluations in Lebanon, one of which is in workforce development.

• Copy of legal and financial registrations/certificates (for firms)

• DUNS number (for firms)

6. Level of Effort and Period of Performance

Activity shall be completed within 9 weeks. Offeror shall determine the total LOE needed to complete assignment

7. Place of Assignment

Lebanon ( Beirut, Bekaa, North, South)

8. Reporting

The Offeror will report to the TO4 Director

9. Application guidance:

Consultants and consortia of consultants should apply by email to recruitment@lebanoncsp.org as per the above Submission Guidelines section

Firms should request a Request For Quotation (RFQ) by sending an email to cspprocurement@lebanoncsp.org and follow the guidance included in the RFQ

Chemonics is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants that can legally work in Lebanon will be considered for employment based on their qualifications without discrimination.