Background

• UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub in cooperation with International Labour Organisation (ILO) is implementing a sub-regional project Promoting Inclusive Labour Market Solutions in the Western Balkans to assist national actors in 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 pilots and promotes integrated approaches to employment and social policies, as well as collaborative practices in service provision between Public Employment Services and Centres for Social Welfare, and with civil society organisations. 

The project consists of three mutually interlinked outputs:

• Improvement of labour market governance through expansion of institutional capacities of Public Employment Services (PES) and Centres for Social Welfare (CSW) to develop integrated support and outreach to individuals at risk of exclusion:
• Innovative solution fostering inclusive labour markets through piloting and/or scaling up new tools and approaches to reach those who are most distant from the labour market; and
• Promoting convergence towards EU and global practice through peer learning.  

The project addresses the above issues at central, local and grassroots levels in order to impact policies and programmes pursued by the national Ministries of Labour and Social Policies (MLSPs), working modalities of national and local level branches of PESs and CSWs, but also of social partners, private sector and civil society.  Since the project focuses on policy and institutional barriers that create adverse labour market outcomes, in particular for the unemployed and inactive population facing different and multiple vulnerabilities, it targets the long-term unemployed and those who are least likely to be reached by standard active labour market policies and conventional practices currently used by the PES and CSW.  

This consultancy will support Project’s Output 1: Improvement of labour market governance through expansion of institutional capacities of PESs and CSWs to develop integrated support and outreach to individuals at risk of exclusion.

Both PESs and CSWs as specialised and separate agencies offer different but also partial solutions to individuals excluded from socio-economic life. In some cases, PES and CSWs have the same users- for example long term unemployed, social assistance users, persons with disabilities, Roma as well as members of other target groups identified by labour market policies (young persons, women, etc). While delivering their services, these two agencies follow their own mandate and logic, both using various models of personal advisors and service entry points which are very rarely linked. As a result, complex needs of many users who require both cash and care services delivered by social policy mechanisms and support services raising their employability enabling access to labour market cannot be met adequately. In turn, lack of synchronisation of social and labour market policies interventions results in sub-optimal outcomes for users of both systems.

One of the approaches to create links between social and labour market interventions is a design of model of services for personalised route to labour market through creation of a cross-sectoral package of services. A need for a cross-sectoral package of different support services can be identified in most of the national employment and social policy documents. Creation of such packages and their delivery is complex and often discouraging in reality since it requires additional time (and sometimes skills and decision/makers approval) to identify similarities in terms of methodology, pro-active and open attitude towards other agency and inclusion of different actors from private sector and civil society and to agree joint approaches and forms of formal cooperation.

Individual case management is identified as a method which can support creation of integrated package of social and labour market policy activities involving a number of state and non-state actors delivering services resulting in labour market inclusion of individuals with complex needs. While there are diverse definitions of case management in different contexts and systems (i.e. social work, health care etc) there are certain similarities which point to a possible umbrella approach to key elements of case management. These imply that case management refers to linking user to the service system and coordination of the various components of the system to achieve a successful outcome. The five case management activities include: i) needs assessment in cooperation with user; ii) planning (i.e. creation of individualised action plans); iii) linking (i.e. bringing needed service  providers together and agreeing on who is going to do when, with what inputs to achieve overall goal); iv) monitoring (representative of one agency or case manager is in charge to monitor the timeliness, adequacy and quality of services provided, and this is done in cooperation with a user); v) advocacy (case manager is also an advocate for the user needs with other actors involved). 

Case management method is relevant for both PESs and CSWs since, as stated above, both institutions work with users with complex needs requiring a range of services which neither PES nor CSW can deliver on their own, and since sometimes they ‘share’ users. In this latter case management method is particularly important as it reduces the time both institutions spend working with particular clients.  The method requires the assignment of a key worker, sometimes known as a case manager, responsible for arranging, coordinating, and monitoring the package of services best tailored to meet the needs and wishes of a user. Such a case manager is usually, but not necessarily, a statutory social worker. Within the model proposed through this project case manager can be PES counsellor trained to use the method, and he/she focuses on labour market inclusion aspects of service provision. Case manager elaborates with the individual clear plan to promote social reintegration, labour market inclusion and ensures access to entitlements promoting overall well-being. It is also important that key workers advocate on behalf of their clients and ensure that gaps in services are brought to the attention of higher levels of local and regional governments. Elements of a case manager’s role and, crucially, the services themselves, may be provided by a range of service providers, including not-for-profit and, in some cases, for profit organizations. 

Work input:

• approximately 30 working days for Activity 1-6;
• up to 6 days for Activity 7.

Location:

• home-based, with travel to one WB country/territory for conducting a two-day training of trainers workshop.

Duties and Responsibilities

In accordance with the projects goal to expand institutional capacities of Public Employment Services (PES) and Centres for Social Welfare (CSW) to develop integrated support and outreach to individuals at risk of exclusion (and specifically for persons with disabilities) and under the supervision and support of the IRH Social Inclusion and Employment Specialists, International consultant will: 

Task 1 - Assess methods currently used by PESs and CSWs in the region supporting labour market inclusion of hard-to-employ groups and individuals with a view to identify: 

• Innovative methods/interventions used resulting in sustainable outcomes from the perspective of hard-to-employ users, and persons with disabilities in particular, of PES and CSW services; 
• Solutions that aim to meet the needs of different groups by allowing for diversity. Such solutions go beyond standard responses by CSW and PES with respect to the content of the services provided, and with respect to involvement of partners (state, non-state/ CSOs and for-profit) be it formal, semi-formal or non-formal cooperation; 
• Use of social mentorship as tool to support work place retention of new workers with no or very limited work history;
•  Champions in use of (or attempts to introduce) case management in each country/territory participating in the project.

Task 2 - Develop guidelines and toolkits, including training material for individual case management to be used by both PESs and CSWs when working with identified hard to employ individuals.

Based on assessment carried out under activity 1 (above) and on the good examples of case management use for labour market inclusion in the European Union Member States, the international consultant will develop guidelines and toolkits for individual case management to be used by both PES and CSW. The main purpose of these guidelines and toolkits is a labour market inclusion of hard to employ users of CSW and/or PES. However, they will not be limited to detailing actions and services needed to personalise routes to employment exclusively, but will aim to look at overall well -being and living conditions of clients (and their families) in order to provide holistic assessment and integrated solutions. 

Guidelines should include on integration of case management into workflow processes within PES and CSW:

• Protocols for cooperation between PES and CSW;
• Proposal for joint supervision and management of interventions implemented by both CSW and PES (joint supervision could refer to assigning a representative on a decision making level from one agency and/or senior advisor from the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy);
• Codes for cooperation with civil society organisations and for -profits (if and where applicable);
• Proposal for ways to institutionalise innovative models of collaborative work between PES and CSW.

Toolkits should include:

• Working definition of individual case management ;
• Step by step model of needs assessment, service planning, coordination and monitoring of services provided;
• Protocols for individual plans development ;
• Code of ethics (focusing on interactions with users);
• Qualifications and experiences required from case managers (in CSW and PES);
• Capacity development support and supervision for case managers.

Task 3 - Capacity expansion of PES and CSW staff in designing and use of individual case management method for labour market inclusion of disadvantaged individuals and groups. This will be done through a set of trainings (for trainers) for national consultants and selected PES and CSW staff from each country participating in the project. Civil society organisations working on empowerment of disadvantaged groups for labour market inclusion and social mentorship will also be invited to participate in these trainings. Capacity expansion activities include:

• Adapt the guidelines and toolkits into training materials for a training of trainers workshop;
• Develop Agenda and methodology for training of trainers;
• Deliver two-day train the trainers workshops for national consultants and CSW and PES champions (20 participants);
• Given that national/consultants, trainers will form initial pool of experts working on individual case management, international consultant will cooperate with them during the project: they will provide required inputs and will serve as a liaison with national counterparts in different stages of the project. Upon request the international expert shall support national consultants in adapting training package and agenda for CSW and PES workers to national context.

Task 4 - Provide back stopping to national experts in delivering to end beneficiaries

Based on training materials and methodology developed by the international expert, national consultants shall adapt the agenda, methodology and main concepts to the local context and deliver two two-day trainings to CSW, PES and CSO representatives.  International Consultant might be requested for assistance in reviewing training materials and/or coaching national experts  on technical or methodology related questions. 

Overview of activities (to be approved by IRH Regional Project Manager and Social Inclusion Specialist, based on feedback and inputs from National Project Coordinators):

• Activity 1. Virtual meeting with local experts (estimated work input: 1 w/days; deadline: 25 February 2017);
• Activity 2. Desk review of relevant documents/methods currently used by CSW and PES (estimated work input: 5 w/days; deadline: 5 March 2017);
• Activity 3. Develop guidelines and toolkits in line with above proposed structure (estimated work input: 15 w/days; deadline: 31 March 2017);
• Activity 4. Develop agenda, methodology and training materials for the Training of Trainers workshop (estimated work input: 4 w/days; deadline: 10 April 2017);  
• Activity 5. Conduct Training of Trainers workshop (estimated work input: 3 w/days; deadline: 25 April 2017); 
• Activity 6. Prepare exit report (estimated work input: 2 w/days; deadline: 30 April 2017);
• Activity 7. Provide remote support to national experts in adapting guidelines, toolkits and training materials to relevant national context (work volume of this activity is not guaranteed and will depend on demand from COs) (work input: Up to 6 w/days; deadline: 31 May 2017.

Deliverables:

• Deliverable 1 - A report (circa 30 pages) assessing the methods currently used by PESs and CSWs in the region supporting labour market inclusion of hard-to-employ groups and individuals, and persons with disabilities, including dimension described under Task 1 in the Section on Duties and Responsibilities. Report will be based on inputs provided by national consultants who will work under the guidance of IRH and COs specialists and international consultant (Activity 1 and Activity 2).
• Deliverable 2 - Guidelines on integration of case management into workflow processes within PES and CSW, including aspects described under Task 2 in the Section on Duties and Responsibilities. Report will be based on the assessment of the existing policy and institutional framework and present practices as well as relevant experience from EU member states (Activity 3).
• Deliverable 3 - Training toolkits and materials, covering aspects described under Task 2 in the Section on Duties and Responsibilities (Activity 3).
• Deliverable 4 - Design agenda, deliver two-day workshop for national consultants/trainers, write an exit report circa 5 pages long focusing on capacity development needs and follow up (Activity 4, Activity 5 and Activity 6). 
• Deliverable 5 - If demanded by COs, provided back-stopping to national experts in preparation and/or delivery of training for end beneficiaries (Activity 7). 

Payment schedule:

• 20% upon submission of the report on the methods currently used by PESs and CSWs in the region for supporting labour market inclusion of hard-to-employ groups (Deliverable 1);
• 30% upon submission of the guidelines on integration of case management into workflow processes within PES and CSW (Deliverable 2);
• 20% upon submission of training toolkits for training of trainers and PES and CSW counsellors (Deliverable 3);
• 30% upon delivery of the training and submission of exit report (Deliverable 4);
• Per number of working days delivered for backstopping national experts, but not more than six (Deliverable 5.) 

Competencies

Corporate competencies:

• Sensitive to gender issues and issues of concern to vulnerable groups;
• Willing to take responsibility, act professionally at all times, and make sure tasks are fully completed;
• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards; 
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP; 
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability; 
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism; 

Functional competencies:

• Strong interpersonal skills, communication and diplomatic skills, ability to work in a team;
• Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback;
• 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;
• Strong research, analytical, reporting and writing abilities;
• Excellent public speaking and presentation skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic qualifications/education:

• Master degree in social policy, sociology, economy or other relevant development field.

Experience: 

• Minimum 8 years of international experience working on social policy issues and labour market integration of hard to employ groups;
• Proven experience of at least 5 years of work on issues of case management and integrated inter-agency service delivery;
• Minimum 3 years of experience in training design and delivery.

Language skills: 

• Excellent writing, editing, and oral communication skills in English.

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 developing and implementing integrated case management approaches in employment and social services) max points: 5
• Criteria B (experience in training design and delivery) 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 Activity 1 – 6 and b) daily consultancy fee in US$ for providing support to national experts (Activity 7). Travel costs must not be included in the price offer as they will be paid separately as per UNDP rules and regulations.
• 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...). Travel costs must not 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.