National Consultant(s) – Technical and Vocational Education

About Chemonics

Chemonics International is an international development company based in Washington, D.C. Our mission is to promote meaningful change around the world to help people live healthier, more productive, and more independent lives. Since 1975, we have worked in 150 countries around the world, and we are currently implementing 118 projects in 84 countries. Our main partner is the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and we also work with foreign donors such as the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) and the Global Fund. We have more than 4,000 staff in our project offices around the world, and more than 500 staff based in our headquarters in Washington, D.C.

1.  Program 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) which is a 3-year pilot task order, CSP will provide technical assistance to improve labor skills and employment opportunities for underserved Lebanese citizens through partnerships with private TVET schools, municipal governments, and the private sector. TO 4 supports and improves access to quality TVET. It is working to cultivate sustainable connections with the private sector to facilitate practical internship opportunities for students and job seekers. TO 4 intends to improve curricula, educational training, and job placement infrastructure and services within selected TO4 partner private TVETs and provides scholarship opportunities to their students. TO4 also intends to collaborate with private sector partners to place TVET graduates in internships leading to job opportunities via offering technical assistance to improve the human resources and recruitment systems at selected partner private sector firms/SMEs. At the same time TO4 will establish coordination mechanisms between private TVETs and relevant private sector firms/SMEs. TO 4 aims to build a commercially viable market for TVET providers with stronger links to the private sector on the demand side and a more accessible and beneficial market for students and job seekers on the supply side, with a focus on beneficiaries from underserved and vulnerable areas of Lebanon.

TO4 intends to improve the enabling environment for TVETs and for workforce development by taking the lead and serving as a thought leader to bring multiple donors, collaborators, experts, and strategic stakeholders together via a series of working group sessions to compare their respective program initiatives, identify practical ways to combine efforts on the priority action areas, or, at a minimum, contribute to raising awareness to change perceptions about TVET education and enhance the credibility and quality of the TVET education as well as foster strategic communication campaigns for private sector TVETs. The series of working group sessions will eventually create a community of change agents for improving the TVET enabling environment. TO 4 will lead the initiative, acting as the facilitator and coordinating body as well as in documenting the outcome of sessions’ discussions.

The outcome of TO4 activity will be the demonstration that USAID interventions can lead to a more commercially viable ecosystem for TVET in Lebanon that strengthens the ability of private TVETs and students to meet the demands of the private sector while meeting USAID/Lebanon’s Development Objectives.

2.  Summary of “Fact-finding study” Activity

Chemonics CSP is seeking a national consultant to undertake comprehensive fact-finding national study for the technical and vocational education in Lebanon to serve CSP ‘workforce development activity. The study aims to support CSP in building an updated comprehensive picture of the status of the technical and vocational education sector in Lebanon; the history, the trends, the regulations, the challenges, the players within the sector, the status of collaboration and coordination among stakeholders, the current/future reform opportunities, and the role that this sector can play to develop the local and national socio-economic conditions. 

Context considerations while conducting the fact-finding study:

1. Under the current deteriorating economic and financial crises in Lebanon, businesses, including private TVETs, are expected to be reluctant to invest in a new or unproven activities and technologies, even though these investments will likely lead to improved growth and profitability in the medium term.
2. TVETs are producing both too few and insufficiently qualified graduates to meet private sector demand, despite the fact that donor-funded workforce development programming is ongoing in Lebanon, with activities focused mainly on working with the government of Lebanon and associated public sector TVETs on policy issues and infrastructure upgrading.
3. In the absence of an effective government strategy on Workforce Development, numerous donors and NGOs have attempted to step into the breach. However, according to the USAID WFD assessment “collaboration around workforce development is not generally taking place. This has led to a fragmented landscape in which actors are funding and implementing interventions in a seemingly uncoordinated manner and without up-to-date labor market data or information on effectiveness, making most efforts redundant at best.”
4. The social perception of TVET continues to be unfavorable among top target groups: parents, teachers, youth, and businesses. This creates a barrier for improvement of the sector on many levels. While most TVET players realize this, it is not clear what efforts have been made to improve perception about TVET in Lebanon and which of those seem promising.

3.  Consultant Core Tasks:

• Work under the supervision of the program director and will be expected to hold weekly progress update meetings throughout the duration of the study. The consultant will have access to assigned “interns” working with the program (this will be determined in consultation with the program director).
• Conduct a perception research/survey to identify the current credibility challenges of the TVET sector in Lebanon in terms of how and why it is perceived by the Lebanese community (private and public TVETs).
• Map the eco-system of the technical and vocational education sector in Lebanon, including a consolidated review on the past and or current research and studies and a summary of the most common trends effecting social perception.
• Review the existing national TVET strategy to identify how it impacts the work of major stakeholders/agencies and programs paying particular attention to what collective priorities have been established and what commitments to action have been obtained.
• Map the main players (strategic stakeholders) of the technical and vocational education sector in Lebanon (identifying who is doing what?) and create a comprehensive database of those who are most influential to sector improvement and those who could have more positive influence on social perception This database should include a one paragraph biography on each stakeholder entity. Main players include, but are not limited to: government bodies, main educational institutions, donors, local and international organizations, research centers and/or others who play a role in forming and developing the sector.
• Identify synergies and coordinated reform-aimed efforts among strategic stakeholders (in case they exist). Strategic stakeholders include, but are not limited to: MEHE, DGVTE, Donor agencies, international organizations (ILO, UNESCO, UNICEF, GIZ, Mercy Corps, IECD, the French development organization AFD, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the European Union Madad Fund and others), the Lebanese League for Women in Business (LLWB), universities, and international/local experts as well as champion representatives from the private sector that are in favor of developing the regulatory and enabling the environment for TVET sector. Include other stakeholders that could help CSP influence social perception.
• Present the governing legislature policies and procedures for the technical and vocational education sector in Lebanon with special focus on the process of accreditation for new vocational courses by DGVTE.
• Map the current implemented programs within the technical and vocational education in Lebanon including the name of the implementers, the location, scope/coverage/capacity of programs, and other program related information.
• Conduct a SWOT analysis for the technical and vocational education sector in Lebanon.
• Establish a simple baseline for where are Lebanon’s biggest challenges in addressing the issue of social perception about TVET.
• Analyze the current relationship of the technical and vocational education sector with the private sector in Lebanon and the existence of workforce development networks in communities where TVET institutions operate. Recommendations for improving this relationship.
• Suggest cooperation avenues with relevant government entities such as Central Administration of Statistics, the National Employment Office, and the Ministries of Economy, Trade, Labor, Social Affairs, Youth & Sports, and other.
• Present the status of TVET institutions in Lebanon transitioning to competency-based training models and, if existing, the path being followed to do so.
• Highlight the impact of technical and vocational education sector in Lebanon on the socioeconomic status.
• Use different techniques that allow the gathering of the required data and information, starting by reviewing and consolidating quantitative and qualitative data from existing research and studies related to technical and vocational education in Lebanon. The consultant can also conduct key informant interviews, questionnaires, focus group discussions and other techniques as deemed necessary.

4.  Consultant Deliverables:

1. Submit a final detailed report at the end of the fact-finding study (2 months after signing the consultancy contract).
2. Submit a concise executive summary report that will be presented at the upcoming stakeholder engagements working group sessions.
3. Submit a separate report on perception survey results.
4. Provide observations and recommendations on specific types of collaboration among major stakeholders as well as recommended synergies, opportunities for coordination and collaboration schemes in reform-aimed efforts (how to coordinate efforts and interventions and transfer success stories).
5. Submit a comprehensive eco-system database of those stakeholder organizations and individuals who are most influential to sector improvement and those who could have more positive influence on social perception This database should include a one paragraph biography on each stakeholder entity that outlines the role it could play on improving social perception.
6. Submit all reviewed studies, reports, research, FGD, interviews etc. as annexes.

5.  Minimum qualifications:

• • University degree required (Preferably in social sciences/humanities, Education or any other relevant fields)
  • At least five years of working experience in market research and fact finding studies
  • Working experience in the education and higher education field (Orientation, admission, students’ recruitment) is an asset
  • Working knowledge in the Lebanese educational system and specifically technical and vocational education
  • Proven experience fostering effective relationships with a variety of stakeholders, including local government, community-based organizations, and the private sector.
  • Strong writing and reporting skills.
  • Excellent communication and networking skills.
  • Fluency in spoken and written Arabic and English languages
  • Access to a car for transportation to site visits.
  • Ability to work independently.

6.  Interested applicants are requested to submit the following:

• Resume, biography, and past performance with similar activities including selection of completed similar studies (links to these studies are accepted).
• Proposed Methodology for completing the fact-finding study and perception survey including proposed tools.
• Initial Workplan and timeline with total level of effort (LOE) required.
• Proposed budget and extra anticipated costs (if any).
• Three references.

 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.