Background

The sub-regional Project Promoting Inclusive Labour Market Solutions in the Western Balkans aims to assist the Western Balkans economies (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia) in their efforts to enhance the inclusiveness of their labour markets. To achieve this, the project will pilot and promote an integrated approaches to employment and social policies as well as collaborative practices in service provision between local employment and social welfare centres, business sector as well as the civil society organizations. 

All countries/territory have developed national employment strategies and local economic or other forms of area based development plans and this specific activity will contribute to further concretizing these strategies into pro-employment action plans as well as to foster multi-stakeholder local-level partnerships, embracing  in a coordinated fashion the capacities and resources of all local agents i.e. PES, CSWs, private and public sector employers, educational institutions, civil society and jobseekers’ representatives.

Under this action, the existing national and local level strategies of municipalities or a group of municipalities in which TEPs will be implemented will be reviewed, labour market challenges carefully analysed and context specific programmes and actions proposed. The project will facilitate establishment of territorial employment partnerships, underpinning a proactive role and engagement of the relevant local agents. The bottom-up approaches and local-level concertation for employment generation operationalized at municipal level through Territorial Employment Pacts (TEPs) is an important segment of this 20 month project. As a demonstration, after reaching the consensus on the local employment plans, the project will provide seed funds for implementing small-scale projects in the priority areas identified in the TEPs, such as skills development programmes, micro-business startup, social entrepreneurship, green jobs initiatives or similar. Nonetheless, the main energy will be focused on mobilizing the relevant local actors, including the private sector to embed training or jobs creation programmes as part of their regular activities and budgets or set up local support system for accessing micro-lending or other forms of financing schemes thus ensure sustainable sources of funding.

Based on developed criteria (size, gravity of the unemployment challenge, economic potential, institutional capacities of ECs, CSWs, VETs, business sector, civil society etc.) during the inception phase, the following TEP locations were selected: (Zvornik, Bratunac, Srebrenica, Milici and Vlasenica in BiH,  Mojkovac in Montenegro and to be defined in Serbia).

The methodology will follow similar models already piloted in Kosovo and Albania. 

As the project covers 6 Western Balkans economies, two international consultants shall be hired (each one covering 3 TEPs) to set up methodology, develop guidelines and support local consultants in conducting territorial assessments, analysis of the jobs market and facilitating development of local employment  solutions. Nonetheless, the international consultant shall be responsible for the final deliverables and the quality assurance of the process. At the end of the process, the international consultants shall conduct rapid assessment of the initiatives, collect lessons learned and develop a toolkit that can be used as a suite of recommendations and might be used to support replication of the experience in other municipalities.  

In addition, a local consultant(s) will be hired, and their work will be instrumental in carrying out the field assessments, data gathering, facilitation of the consultation process and formulation of TEP documents.   

Location: home-based, with travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and the Serbia (5 days per country/territory).

Duties and Responsibilities

The specific objective of this assignment is twofold:  to develop Territorial Employment Pacts of Zvornik, Bratunac, Srebrenica, Milici and Vlasenica (BIH) Mojkovac (Montenegro) and TBD (Serbia) with a concrete plan of action based on the territorial audit that take lead in designing diverse and innovative set of employment promotion measures for targeted individuals to increase opportunities for employment and self-employment in target municipalities.

He/she will coordinate inputs of the local consultant(s) who will be also engaged under the project to facilitate data gathering, organizing a semi-structured interviews with the local stakeholders and facilitating consultation process. He/she will ensure that applied methodology and format of TEPs is customized to the local context and yet adhere to TEP standards and good practices from the region and EU member states.
TEPs will be developed in a truly participatory manner. International consultant, together with local consultants will meet all relevant stakeholders from the public and private sector, business community, civil society organisation, business centres and equivalent, to design interventions under the TEP, which meet the characteristics of the context.  The design of TEPs will be unique to each municipality, and it will aim to address the root causes of unemployment in a holistic manner embracing activities for skills development, business start-up support, self-employment and micro business upgrade, social entrepreneurship etc.   

The consultant will be responsible to undertake the following tasks: 

• Initial virtual meeting with local TEP consultants (1 or 2 per territory, depending on the local context) to set the common approach to the TEP process;
• Finalize guidelines / methodological approach that is going to be applied;
• A desk review of relevant documents and mapping of the economic development potentials of the territory, diagnostic of the local labour market, main obstacles for accelerated employment growth, vulnerabilities of the active and inactive labour force, skills gaps, main drivers for employment generation etc.; 
• A field visit in 3 municipalities/territories (one per country/territory) for conducting territorial audit or the prioritization workshop. A workshop in each territory with main stakeholders to present the objective of the Territorial Audit/TEP and propose a local action groups establishment for the purpose of TEP design and implementation. This workshop would form the basis of the assignment. Follow up meetings with individuals from relevant municipal departments;
• Review the 3 territorial audit reports;
• Based on findings of the Territorial Audit, develop 3 Territorial Employment Plans for each municipality, including a capacity development plan and an M&E framework
• 2nd field visit (one per country) to present the findings to Local Action Groups or equivalent, UNDP and relevant stakeholders
• Review and finalize the Territorial Employment Pacts based on inputs/recommendations received
• Prepare a report on the process, pinpointing the lessons learned from the applied methodology and areas for improvement

List of Activities (to be reviewed and approved by Regional Project Manager, based on feedback and inputs from National Project Coordinators):

• Activity 1. Virtual meeting with local experts (estimated no of w/d: 3w/days; due date: 15 February 2017);
• Activity 2. Desk review of relevant documents and information gathering and preparation of the methodology (estimated no of w/d: 6 w/days    28 February 2017);
• Activity 3. Review 3 TA reports (estimated no of w/d: 6 w/days due date: 20 March 2017);
• Activity 4. Preliminary visit to municipalities/territories  for workshops and meeting with municipal relevant departments – Territorial Audit (estimated no of w/d: 6 w/days due date: 30 March 2017);
• Activity 5. Draft TA narrative report and the 3 TEPs  (estimated no of w/d: 9 w/days due date: 10 April 2017);
• Activity 6. Field visit to selected municipalities/territories to present the findings to LAGs, UNDP and relevant people in the municipalities (estimated no of w/d: 6 w/days due date: 30 April 2017);
• Activity 7. Review and finalize the 3 TEPs based on comments/inputs received (estimated no of w/d: 6 w/days due date: 15 May 2017);
• Activity 8. Review the process, pinpointing the lessons learned (estimated no of w/d: 3 w/days due date: 30 May 2017).

Milestone deliverables

• Deliverable 1 - A methodology and guidelines on the process, content structure of TEPs as well as data and information requirements (Activity 1, 2, 3);
• Deliverable 2 - Comprehensive Territorial Audit narrative report for 3 target municipalities/territories (Activity 4, 5);
• Deliverable 3 - Final TEPs for 3 target municipalities/territories, including capacity development plan and M&E framework.  (Activity 6, 7);
• Deliverable 4. Narrative report on the process, lessons learned and areas for the improvement of methodology (Activity 8).

Payment schedule

• 20% upon submission of the methodology and guidelines on the TEP process and documents structure (Deliverable 1);
• 50% upon submission of the Territorial Audit Narrative Report (Deliverable 2);
• 30% upon submission of the final TEP documents and the report on the lessons learned (Deliverable 3 and 4).

Competencies

Functional competencies:

• Good research, analytical and problem-solving skills. Conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results;
• Excellent and effective written and oral skills; ability to persuade people with varying points of view and to present information in a concise and accurate manner, ability to clearly communicate links between the organizations. Flexible and prepared to pursue goals through teamwork;
•  Proven ability to plan, coordinate and monitor own work and that of others. Ability to work under pressure and uses time efficiently. Identifies priority activities and adjust them as required.

Corporate competencies:

• Sensitive to gender issues and issues of concern to vulnerable groups;
• Ability to works collaboratively and solicits input by valuing others ideas and expertise;
• Willing to take responsibility, act professionally at all times, and make sure tasks are fully completed.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications/Education: 

• Master's degree in Economic and Social Sciences.

Experience: 

• Minimum of 8 years of relevant international work experience in areas related to local economic development planning or employment generation programme design and implementation or development of local employment action plans;
• Experience in the Western Balkans in the above areas will be considered an asset;
• Prior experience in performing territorial employment assessments, local employment action plans or local development will be considered an asset;
• Experience in designing or supporting the implementation of employment and social policies;
• Substantive experience on issues related to micro business promotion, employment generation and formalization of household-based enterprises.

Language skills: 

• Excellent writin on issues related to micro business promotion, employment generation and formalization of household-based enterprises. g and oral communication skills in English;
• Knowledge of local languages spoken in the Western Balkans is an asset. 

Evaluation of Applicants:

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on a cumulative analysis taking into consideration the combination of the applicants’ qualifications and financial proposal.

The award of the contract should be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

• responsive/compliant/acceptable, and
• Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical (P11 desk reviews and interviews) and financial criteria specific to the solicitation. 

Only candidates who will get at least 70% of points in each step of the process (the desk review and interviews) will be considered for financial evaluation. 

Technical Criteria - 70% of total evaluation – max. 35 points:

• Criteria A (experience in designing and implementing employment and social programmes, experience in the Western Balkans) max points: 5;
• Criteria B (experience in local economic development planning, territorial employment assessments, local employment action plans or similar) max points: 5;
• Criteria C (relevance of education) max points: 5;
• Criteria D (language) max points: 5;
• Criteria E (methodology – technical knowledge and approach) max points: 5;
• Criteria F (Interview –technical knowledge, familiarity with the region and motivation and communication skills) max points: 10.

Financial Criteria - 30% of total evaluation – max. 15 points.

Application procedures:

Qualified candidates are requested to apply online via this website. The application should contain:

• Cover letter explaining why you are the most suitable candidate for the advertised position Please paste the letter into the "Resume and Motivation" section of the electronic application. 
• Filled P11 form including past experience in similar projects and contact details of referees (blank form can be downloaded from http://europeandcis.undp.org/files/hrforms/P11_modified_for_SCs_and_ICs.doc); please upload the P11 instead of your CV. 
• Brief methodology on how you will approach and conduct the work (max. 500 words)
• Financial Proposal* - specifying a) total lump sum US$ amount for the tasks specified in this announcement and b) mission related costs (including i) travel costs and ii) per diem for 3 missions to Albania, Kosovo and the FYR Macedonia (5 days each)) . 
• Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials

*Please note that the financial proposal is all-inclusive and shall take into account various expenses incurred by the consultant/contractor during the contract period (e.g. fee, health insurance, vaccination, personal security needs and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services...). All envisaged travel costs must be included in the financial proposal. 

Payments will be made only upon confirmation of UNDP on delivering on the contract obligations in a satisfactory manner. 

Individual Consultants are responsible for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director. Consultants are also required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under dss.un.org
General Terms and conditions as well as other related documents can be found under: http://on.undp.org/t7fJs.

Qualified women and members of minorities are encouraged to apply.
Due to large number of applications we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidates about the outcome or status of the selection process.