UNDP Jobs - 79253- Expert in Vocational Education and Training (VET)

Expert in Vocational Education and Training (VET)

Location :

Home based consultancy, with one 17-day travel mission to Tbilisi and Sukhumi, GEORGIA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

25-Jun-18 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

up to 34 working days during July - October 2018

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 “Horizons. Strengthening community resilience in Abkhazia” (Horizons) project is aimed to promote the social and economic resilience of local communities, especially youth, through improved access to high quality health and education services in Abkhazia. In doing so, the project aims to increase the space for reconciliation, confidence-building and social cohesion, thus expanding the ‘horizons’ of local communities affected by 1992-1993 conflict. The project is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in cooperation with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The 5-year project intends to achieve its goal through reaching targets within and across three primary objectives of the program:

Improved access to quality health services for vulnerable populations in Abkhazia;
Improved access to quality education, skills development and social participation opportunities for children and youth;
Enhanced dialogue across respective youth and professional groups;
Enhanced Business Development Skills and Access to Vocational Trainings for Young People

The Horizons project will focus on the following key outputs: improving the healthcare system through expanding HIV/AIDS prevention and providing screening on STIs, Hepatitis B and C, and TB; improving maternal and child health care services; and expanding learning and social participation skills and opportunities for youth in Abkhazia; enhancing business development skills and access to vocational trainings for young people.

VET sector in Abkhazia faces multiple challenges including low quality of education (a result of outdated curricula and teaching methods not responding to labour market requirements), and weak linkages with employers. UNDP intends to conduct the assessment of vocational training institutions and map key challenges they face in reaching educational results. The assessment and mapping exercise will assist UNDP in identifying and addressing gaps and challenges in an evidence-based manner.

The preliminary analysis and consultations with stakeholders in Abkhazia already showed that one of key gaps already identified is lack of up-to-date equipment in vocational education institutions, often precluding meaningful training in professions for young people. Taking this into consideration and based on assessment, UNDP will equip existing facilities with essential materials, tools, handbooks in order to improve educational results of colleges in Abkhazia. As a result of this activity, young people in Abkhazia will have access to tools and equipment to learn skills and gain practical job experience.

UNDP will collaborate with administrations of vocational training institutions – ‘colleges’ – to design consultations process with employers to ensure employability of graduates of VET institutions. To this end, it will support platforms (series of events) with employers in VET institutions to get their feedback on skills currently needed on market to ensure that these requirements and qualifications are factored in educational process.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under overall guidance from the CPR Team Leader at UNDP, direct supervision of the Project Manager and in close coordination with the Programme Officer and the Project Officer on Business Education and VET, the Consultant will assess the Vocational Education and Training sector as well as labour market in Abkhazia. The assessment and mapping exercises envisage travel to Abkhazia within the summer 2018 to conduct series of meetings and consultations with a range of partners and stakeholders engaged in the area of vocational education to collect relevant information and data about the VET sector and labour market in Abkhazia. The consultant, prior to his/her departure to the region, will be briefed by UNDP team on current state of affairs for better understanding of the context as well as estimated outputs he/she is expected to produce.

Summary of Key Functions:

Assessment of the vocational education and training sector in Abkhazia with the focus on existing policies, regulations and needs (human resources, technical, financial);
Preliminary mapping of labour market needs in Abkhazia and to identify the needed professions and skills;
Elaboration of a VET intervention strategy for UNDP in order to better address identified needs and problems

Assessment of Vocational Education and Training sector in Abkhazia, including the existing policy framework, to identify and map key issues and assist UNDP in addressing the gaps and challenges in an evidence-based manner:

The assessment is to target overall gaps in vocational education and provide analyses of the state of VET reflecting key findings and recommendations for all actors engaged to enable UNDP further elaborate strategies in improvement the access to quality education for young people in Abkhazia as well as equip them with better employment opportunities. The assessment should focus on areas for improvement and/or professional development of both teachers and students (Human Resources gaps), enhancement of their competences in all aspects of VET through relevant capacity building, including review of curricula and proposal how to improve identified gaps. Additionally, the consultant is to evaluate technical resources and relevant skills and prepare a list of recommendations on what kind of technical (equipment, tools, visuals and or ICT support) and teaching materials should be provided and/or elaborated for targeted VET institutions.

Preliminary mapping of labour market needs in Abkhazia and its linkages to VET sector:

The VET sector in Abkhazia faces multiple challenges, including the weak linkages with employers. The preliminary mapping exercise will identify the professions and skills currently needed on labour market in Abkhazia to ensure that these requirements and qualifications are factored in the VET process.

VET Intervention Strategy in Abkhazia for UNDP based on key findings and recommendations of the Assessment:

The assessment and mapping exercise will define the grounds for elaborating by the Consultant a strategy enabling UNDP with entry points for relevant interventions in the area of VET, including building the links between VET beneficiaries and the needs of the local employment market.

Deliverables and payment modality: The consultant shall be paid lump sum in two (2) installments after satisfactory completion of each task as certified by UNDP:

Assessment of the vocational education and training sector in Abkhazia with the focus on existing policy framework, regulations and needs (human resources, technical, financial); Preliminary mapping of labour market needs in Abkhazia and its linkages to VET sector: 60% of total consultancy fee;
Elaboration of a VET intervention strategy for UNDP in order to better address identified needs and problems: 40% of total consultancy fee.

Description of deliverables and timelines:

Consultation with UNDP staff in Tbilisi and Sukhumi; briefing the consultant on current state of affairs for better understanding of the context as well as estimated outputs he/she is expected to produce: 2 days (including travel to Sukhumi, logistical support to travel to Sukhumi will be provided by UNDP);
Field visit within Abkhazia to collect data and information for the assessment and mapping report (pending on clearance of access to Abkhazia): 15 days (Translation services (if needed) will be provided by UNDP);
Drafting and finalization of the assessment and mapping report: 10 days (home based);
Drafting and finalization of the Intervention Strategy: 5 days (home based);
Revision of the assessment and the strategy based on the feedback provided by UNDP team, if required: 2 days (home based).

Competencies

Core Competencies:

Demonstrated commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values;
Sensitivity and adaptability to cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age;
Highest standards of integrity, discretion and loyalty.

Functional Competencies:

Excellent drafting skills and ability to collect field data;
Strong analytical and quantitative and qualitative research skills;
Ability to work independently and achieve quality results within tight schedules;
Ability to work under pressure with several tasks and various deadlines.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s degree or equivalent in education, social sciences or relevant field (minimum qualification requirement: Master's degree - 5 points; Ph.D. - additional 3 points).

Experience:

Minimum 10 years of work experience in the field of Vocational Education and Training, as well as Relevant experience in designing and implementing research consultations (minimum qualification requirement: 10 years – 14 points; more than 5 years -additional 4 points (depending on nature of expertise, relevance, international nature of work etc.);
Extensive experience in the thematic area of vocational education and training, including in Technical and Vocational Education Systems and Governance, Vocational Training and Employment, VET Linkage to Labour Market, Evaluation of Education Systems, etc.;
Recorded track of at least 1 similar written assessment/strategy as international assignments (to be reflected in application form or CV) (minimum qualification requirement: 1 report – 9 points; more than 1 relevant report – additional 5 points).

Language Requirements:

English - fluency in both written and spoken (a must);
Russian - fluency in spoken (a must); written (an asset).

Evaluation:

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on Cumulative scoring analysis, against combination of technical and financial criteria. Technical evaluation stage encompasses desk review of offers and interviews. Offerors not meeting any of minimum technical qualification requirements will be automatically excluded from the list of offerors for further technical evaluation. In addition, offerors not meeting Language requirements will as well be disqualified. Maximum obtainable score is 100, out of which the total score for technical criteria (desk review and interview) equals to 70 points (70%) and for financial criteria 30 (30%). Offerors who meet language requirements and pass 70% of maximum obtainable scores as a result of desk review (i.e. 40 x 70% = 28 points) will be considered as short-listed Offerors, and will be invited to the interview. Those offerors passing 70% threshold of maximum obtainable scores as a result of the technical evaluation (desk review and interview), i.e. obtain minimum 49 points will be shortlisted and requested to provide financial proposal.

Financial Proposal:

Short-listed Offerors will be requested to provide financial proposal. The financial proposal for 34 working days shall specify a total lump sum amount (with indication of specific sub-components of the payment, including daily fee, travel costs, living allowance etc.), and payment terms around specific and measurable (qualitative and quantitative) deliverables. The total amount quoted shall be all-inclusive and include a breakdown of all cost components required to perform the deliverables identified in TOR. The payment will be performed in two (2) installments paid upon submission of deliverables and its approval by the Project Manager. Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR.

All envisaged travel costs must be included in the financial proposal. UNDP will not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources. Travel costs will be paid per conducted mission.