Terms of Reference for an external consultancy to support the review of the National Strategic Framework for TVET

Background

The Government of Lebanon launched the National Strategic Framework (NSF) for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in 2018 for the period 2018-20221. The NSF reflects the government’s commitment to promote a TVET system that provides the competencies and skills required in the labour market to enhance access to decent work and meet the skills demand for economic growth. The main strategic goals of the NSF are to expand access to TVET, enhance its quality and market-relevance, and improve TVET governance, including through greater engagement of employers.

The TVET national strategic framework in 2018 identified eight pillars around which the strategic directions revolved; these pillars were acknowledged by the following building blocks:
1. TVET system that guarantees equal opportunities and comprehensive education.
2. Effective human resource management system.
3. National qualification system based on a competency-based education approach.
4. Quality assurance system.
5. Teaching life and work skills.
6. Providing modern training equipment and materials related to the labor market needs.
7. Participation of representatives of employers and workers.
8. Diversified funding framework.

Since 2019, however, Lebanon has been struggling to cope with a prolonged economic and financial crisis, the outbreak of COVID-19, and the Beirut blast, causing major disruptions in the implementation of the NSF. Whereas the implementation of the NSF was derailed, several skills initiatives emerged to serve the direct needs of the affected population including in the areas of healthcare and reconstruction, as well as to meet the urgent needs of TVET students and schools.

In the light of the current challenges in Lebanon, the ILO and UNICEF organised a roundtable discussion in December 2021, in collaboration with other development partners and social partners, to discuss their respective skills interventions in the country, develop recommendations for upgrading the NSF, and enhance coordination mechanisms between development partners. The workshop served to take stock of new skills initiatives emerged to address the direct needs of the affected population including in the areas of healthcare and reconstruction, as well as to meet the urgent needs of TVET students and schools. The report highlighted the need to revisit the NSF to ensure better alignment with national priorities, including measures for crisis response, and rapidly changing labour market demand and improved coordination to better respond to the crisis. In addition, it concluded with a set of recommendations to be considered in the review.

In February 2022, the Ministry of Education with its three directorate organized a National Conference on Education with various stakeholders during which the Directorate General for TVET presented the challenges facing TVET education and the immediate needs to sustain the sector and support its development towards a quality TVET system. As a result, a set of strategic goals were drafted for discussion and consideration as part of the NSF review process.

The DGTVET in collaboration with UNICEF, ILO, GIZ and IECD formed a central working group in May 2022 to support the review of the NSF for 2023-2030 in consultations with key stakeholders taking into consideration the priority emergency needs of DGTVET for the short term and development goals for the medium-long term. The central working group is meeting on a weekly basis.

The updated National TVET strategy would focus on ensuring a quality, relevant, inclusive, sustainable and continuous TVET education. Namely, a system that supports access to all (including vulnerable groups, women, out-of-school youth, PWD), strengthen public-private partnerships, facilitate lifelong learning opportunities, improve quality of services and HR capacities and qualifications development (managers, administrators, and teachers), support infrastructure upgrade and funding sources, enhance advocacy/including image of TVET education and sustainability. It will also guarantee a continuity for learners to transit from basic and secondary education and TVET to tertiary and higher education, and review pathways and bridges between the formal and non-formal education programmes. This work is expected to be completed by the end of November 2022 and the dissemination of the new NSF in December 2022.

Objective of the consultancy

The objective of this consultancy is to support DGTEVT in developing a comprehensive and responsive NSF TVET policy and action plan for 2023-2030 that takes into consideration the needs of the government, public and private TVET schools, TVET cadre, students, and employers. Building on the current NSF 2018-2022 and emerging needs for a quality, relevant and inclusive TVET system, the consultant will closely coordinate with DGTVET, the Central working group and ILO and will consult with a broad-based key stakeholders.

Scope of work

The consultant will work under the overall supervision of the Senior Skills Development Specialist and will closely coordinate with the National Project Coordinator to support preparation, organization, facilitation of meetings/workshops and reporting on efforts related to the review of the National Strategic Framework for TVET. The consultant will be required to provide deliverables in English and Arabic as indicated in below deliverables table.

Tasks and duties
• Literature review: to (a) analyse key trends in skills delivery in three key strategic directions((a)policy, governance and financing, (b) quality and relevance, and (c) inclusion) of the NSF and challenges faced, esp. in the context of economic crisis, and (b) identify gaps between directions of the current skills delivery situation and what is needed currently. The literature review would include relevant available reports3, ministerial decrees/resolutions , National commitments of HLM, donors skills development programmes/projects, labour market skills needs assessments, data from CRDP and DGTVET departments
• Present findings of the literature survey to the identified groups of youth, including TVET students, and other stakeholders engaged in skills supply and demand to seek feedback and schedule meetings with different categories of stakeholders to seek their suggestions and insights into three key strategic directions- (a) skills policy, governance and skills financing, (b) quality and relevance, (c)
2 Meetings are held on weekly basis at DGTVET in Dekwaneh for 1h.
3 NSF 2018-2022, National Education conference outcomes, report on youth consultations for HLM 2022, , Roundtable workshop on Skill interventions, school map, ETF Torino process Lebanon 2020, among others
inclusion and equity. (stakeholders includes but not limited to: youth/TVET students, private sector (employers associations), INGOs/NGOs, ministries, TVET public and private schools directors and TVET Directorate head of departments, etc ). List of stakeholders attached
• Participate in the central working group meetings and facilitate discussions within the group to report progress on the revision/development of the vision, mission and key strategic objectives of the NSF new action plan; document decisions and reflect them accordingly in the NSF document including the background and diagnosis of TVET system.
• Conduct KII with specific key stakeholders (DGs or Ministers) at the request of NSF review central group or as per needs to collect/validate necessary information/inputs
• Closely coordinate with DGTVET, ILO, UNICEF and other members of the central working group for guidance on pertaining issues including outline of the revised NSF and provide monthly reports on activities progress. • Based on consultations, analyze emerging trends in skills delivery and skills mismatch, challenges and new strategic directions in the provision of TVET in the context of current economic crisis and examine potential sustainable financing model. • Analyze the key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to new emerging strategic directions after consultations and determine priorities to finalize the key policy directions in consultation with the central working groupDraft the new TVET National Strategic Framework based on consultations and analysis conducted and produce a 7 year national strategic plan draft articulating the strategic intervention area, the main activities, and performance indicators, time frame and estimated cost of activities, divided into two phases: an emergency plan and a medium term plan; review drafts with central working group and integrate feedback received
• Validate drafts with stakeholders consulted and finalize in close coordination with DGTVET and central working group
• Present the Revised NSF 2023-2030 to public at large during the launch event under the patronage of DGTVET (MEHE)

Deliverables and timeline

It is expected that the consultant will produce this work over a period of 4 Months from 15 August to 15 December 2022. 

Please check the ToR attached for more details.

Budget and Payment Schedule

Payment will be made upon submission of deliverables and against invoice as approved by ILO.

Please check the ToR attached for more details.

Required Qualifications

- Master’s Degree in Education, Social Sciences or other relevant field:
- Very good knowledge of the educational context in Lebanon, its issues and opportunities and of the role played by the Lebanon public and private sector institutions, especially in relation to TVET;
- A solid professional background (7 years or more) in the domain of policy making and/or policy research and development ;
- Very good analytical (conducting surveys and data analysis), synthesis, and report writing skills;
- English and Arabic proficiency.
- Proven experience in facilitating workshops and consultation meetings, and working in multi-stakeholders environment