UNDP Jobs - 51084- Re--advertisement - International Expert to Design

Re--advertisement - International Expert to Design Self-employment Programme

Location :

Prishtinë/Priština, Kosovo, UNSCR 1244 (1999)

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

17-Nov-2014

Application Deadline :

07-Nov-14 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

November 2014 – January 2015 ( 25 w/days within this period)

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

November 2014 – January 2015 ( 25 w/days within this period)

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

The high unemployment rate is arguably Kosovo's paramount socio-economic problem with both immediate and long-term consequences. This rate is about twice higher than in the other countries in the region. According to the latest Labour Force Survey results published in 2013, the unemployment rate in Kosovo is lower compared to the previous years, standing at 31%, however, this is partially explained with the instruction of a new methodology applied. The LFS results indicated that Kosovo’s labour force participation rate is the lowest in the Western Balkans (36.8%). Unemployment in Kosovo has several key distinctive dimensions: it principally affects youth, women, as well as those with limited education and no previous work experience, including people with disabilities and non-majority communities.

UNDP ALMP project, together with the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare has developed, tested and standardized a number of active labour market measure which has been successful to address the lack skills development opportunities for young vulnerable job-seekers. During its 9 years of implementation, ALMP has supported around 12,000 young job-seekers, and around 50% have found sustainable employment. In 2013, ALMP jointly with the EU funded project Kosvet VI has assisted the Ministry to draft the unified Operations Manual to implement these measures.

Similarly, and considering the limited experience of PES and VTC to implement self-employment programmes, under ALMP 2, it is envisaged to look at all the practices implemented so far by different donor funded projects and grasp the best practices in the Operations Guideline to implement self-employment programmes. The project shall take into account also the best practices from the region, specifically the successful self-employment programme implemented by UNDP office in Macedonia. Based on in-house expertise and the research done, ALMP 2 will ensure that the elements that contribute to the successful implementation of self-employment programmes shall be included in the design of the Operations Guidelines, specifically: proper targeting of beneficiaries, training and support to conduct market research in order to assess the viability of the ‘business ideas’, development of business plans, but also follow up support through monitoring and mentoring, through provision of additional training on government business accounting requirements, tax related responsibilities, targeted marketing etc.

Currently, ALMP is supporting the MLSW to develop and deliver self-employment measure, as part of it public employment services and as another active labour market measure targeting young vulnerable job-seekers. Through this, it aims to improve human capacities as well as to introduce sustainable mechanisms that would enhance service delivery. Self-employment is an important driver of entrepreneurship and job creation and thus contributes to growth and better jobs. Many policies relating to self-employment focus on its potential to support the unemployed to return to the labour market. There is a wide range of labour market policies and measures which support self-employment in Europe. The European Employment Observatory Review 2010 classifies several self-employment measures including financial support, such as subsidies, loans, or microfinance; specific support services for people wishing to set up a business, including one stop shops; the provision of training, mentoring and advice (including consultancy); measures to reduce bureaucracy/administrative burdens; existing favourable conditions for the self-employed or changes to tax/social security regimes; and measures to increase motivation towards self-employment.

Although entrepreneurship and self-employment are recognized to contribute to growth and decrease of unemployment, especially in transitional economies, there are several risks attached which may have negative impact on the success rate of the new businesses. The project shall include interventions to reduce the risks and lower the failure rate. A strong follow-up mentoring component will provide for continuous support, guidance and monitoring of the business development, and will contribute to the sustainability and long term impact of the project.

This activity has been recognized as a priority by Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and is part of the Sectorial Strategy on Employment and Social Welfare 2014 – 2020, and its Sectorial Action Plan 2014-2016. UNDPs ALMP Project has committed to support the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare in their efforts to develop and deliver the self-employment programme in Kosovo.

Assignment will be conducted in line with UN 8 Point Agenda and the UNDP Gender responsive mandate.

Objectives of Assignment
The overall objective of this assignment is to design a self-employment programme as part of the active labour market measures of the Public Employment Services in Kosovo. The expert shall work under direct supervision of the Project Manager of the Active Labour Market Programmes 2 and the Inclusive Growth Programme Analyst.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the UNDP Active Labour Market Programmes 2 Project Manager, in close cooperation with Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, Public Employment Services, and other partners, and in accordance with the Kosovo context, the international consultant is expected to:

Review the self-employment models in the region and in the EU. Conduct desk review of the relevant legislation, documents, materials and reports submitted by the project as well as MLSW on business operation processes in Kosovo and legal space to establish self-employment programme. Additionally, the expert will review the work that has been done in Kosovo so far, identifying the models that worked and the challenges faced by those that did not worl. For this task the consultant shall prepare a report and present it to the MLSW and other relevant institutions in Kosovo with a proposed model best fit for the Kosovo context. (5 w/d);
Identify the institutional and legal framework which could host the self-employment programme in Kosovo in consultation with all relevant actors. For this task the expert will conduct meetings in Kosovo with relevant ministries, partner agencies, PES, and private businesses. The consultant is expected to map all the relevant institutions that will be part of the self-employment programme in Kosovo and outline their responsibility within the business process (5 w/d);
Propose an action plan (including estimated costs) for the development of the self-employment programme that will be agreed by partners. Facilitate the working group meetings to develop the operational guidelines. The operational guidelines shall include roles and responsibilities of each party involved in the implementation of the self-employment programme, and training materials that will be used to support start-ups. The guideline shall also include annexes with unified forms and templates necessary to document the implementation of the programme. (12 w/d);
Present the draft of operational guidelines and finalize it for MLSW adoption (2w/d);
Conduct trainings on the implementation of the operational guideline to all the relevant institutions. For this task, the expert is expected to prepare the training materials, and other additional documents to be delivered during the training. (4 w/d).

Expected Results:

Deliverables/ Outputs

Desk review of the relevant documents, materials and reports is conducted; a report is prepared outlining the best self-employment models in the region and the EU and a model for Kosovo is proposed.