Antecedentes

A. Project Title

Effectively and efficiently expand access to social protection to women informal sector workers in Timor-Leste – assist the assessment of the access of women informal sector workers in Timor-Leste to social protection

B.Project Description

Timor-Leste ranks at 111 out of 187 countries on the UN Gender Inequality Index (GII), indicating high levels of gender inequality. It has one of the highest rates of gender-based violence. Despite advances to protect and promote women’s rights and in particular, gender equality, the integration of women’s human rights into legislation still lacks a systematic and comprehensive approach, rendering many laws gender-blind or non-compliant with international gender commitments. Pairing with this, Timor-Leste is one of the world’s least developed countries in the world and poverty remains extremely pervasive, with the latest estimates indicating that 42% of Timorese live below the poverty line, and a further 40% are close to and at risk of falling below the line.

The formal sector in Timor-Leste employs only about 15 per cent of the labour force. The rest are engaged in the vast and growing informal sector. Results from the 2015 census show that the informal sector in the country represents around 66% of the total employed population aged from 15-64, the majority of which being women. Most of the informal sector is small scale, self-employed workers undertaking low-skilled work with few capital inputs. These are often vulnerable workers – not subject to labour laws, minimum wage or work protection such as social security. As a result, often those in the informal sector, are poorly equipped to cope with shocks and to access support during these shocks.

The majority of women in Timor-Leste have limited access to formal employment and instead, earn their living through the informal sector such as selling vegetables in the markets, selling foods at schools and churches, working in restaurants, retail care and domestic work. According to official sources, among employed women in Timor-Leste, 75%, compared to 64% of employed men, are in vulnerable employment, that is, are own-account workers, contributing family workers, or involved in the informal economy. In rural areas, this increases to 83% of women.

The difficulty for women in Timor-Leste in accessing formal employment compared to men, is deeply related to gendered barriers born by a strong patriarchal culture. Lower literacy, limited access to education and training, coupled with unpaid care work limit women’s ability to gain paid work beyond subsistence cultivation, informal small-scale trading, and home-based industries. Consequently, women represent only 32% of formal employment, while males represent 61%.

The COVID-19 pandemic has further pushed women into poverty, accentuating their vulnerability. This because their capacity to absorb economic shocks is minimal and their survival means via the informal sector have been halted by governmental measures such as home confinement and social distancing, leading to the loss of business; school closures and overall need to respond to house and family duties in a society with, as mentioned, strong patriarchal norms and practices. If other intersectional vulnerabilities are considered, such as single women heads of households, the effects are even more concerning.

Such disparity is also evident in the economic recovery measures taken by the Government in the context of the current pandemic. During the outbreak, the government of Timor-Leste introduced several economic packages both to help households and individual workers to fill income gaps. Such subsidies for families and workers seem to have been unable to reach many of the women most in need as a large part of them are not employed. To be eligible for a household payment, one must be the head of a household earning an income, be registered in the social security and contributing regularly. The reality is that more than 80% of the head of households in Timor-Leste are male with significant control over resources. In addition, the subsidies provided by the government to workers were only for people in formal employment, or those registered and actively contributing for the social security scheme. However, many women workers in the informal sectors were not and continue to not have access to contributory social security or other non-contributory social protection benefits.

Access to non-contributory and contributory social protection benefits through the life cycle would make a significant impact on the lives of women in Timor-Leste, helping to reduce and prevent poverty and overcome inequalities and dependency on husbands or other male family members. There is a need to identify clearly what are the concrete obstacles preventing women in the informal sector from registering in the social security schemes and more broadly, accessing the social protection system, including non-contributory systems (for example, lack of universal and rights based social protection schemes, social or geographical barriers to access registration; lack of access to information, difficult administrative procedures etc), and what are the strategies that should be developed by the respective state institutions to remove those obstacles and ensure the social protection system enable them to enjoy an adequate standard of living, at present and in the future, their economic independence, as well as to better navigate shocks as the COVID-19 pandemic and multiple other crises the country has recently faced (among others, floods).  

Timor-Leste’s Law No. 12/2016 established the Social Security Contribution General Scheme. It includes a mandatory contributory regime and a voluntary contributory regime, both functioning at present. This is the first social scheme in Timor-Leste that aims to cover all workers and their families. On the non-contributory/social assistance side, there are several other social programs that target the most vulnerable and poorest people and it would be relevant to assess whether those program reach women in informal sector and in which measure.

The Ministry of Social Solidarity (MSSI) and the National Institute of Social Security (INSS), with the technical support of ILO, are currently leading major reforms in the social protection system to improve coverage and adequacy of programs, to increase efficiency in the programs’ administration and to improve effectiveness.

In November 2021, the Government adopted the National Strategy for Social Protection (NSSP) 2021-2030, after several years in discussion. Its Annex I outlines a table of three strategic objectives, 12 areas of priority intervention and 22 priority activities. Within the objective of reducing poverty, particularly focusing on expanding social protection support to the most vulnerable groups, the NSSP 2021-2030 highlights the need to assess the coverage, adequacy and potential impact of the programs on the most vulnerable groups. While some profiles are known, there is a lack of characterization of specific groups in the informal sector, which impede the development or adjustment of more tailored and efficient programs and initiatives. The NSSP 2021-2030 was publicly launched on 4 February 2022 by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Social Solidarity and Inclusion, showing a political commitment to the social protection sector and the need to increase appropriate support.

In addition to the legal framework, Timor-Leste’s commitment for social protection is also inscribed in key strategy documents, including the Program of the current Eighth Constitutional Government, in the Government Economic Recovery Plan 2020 and in the country’s Strategic Development Plan 2011-2030. The Government Economic Recovery Plan reaffirms that “human development must become the epicenter of the economic policy” with “social protection, education and health as the main pillars of human capital development, important for the functioning of a modern society and the country’s long-term economic and sustainable development”.

Several United Nations Human Rights mechanisms (example, Special Procedures, Treaty Committees and the Universal Periodic Review), have put forward recommendations to Timor-Leste to ensure national coverage, transparency, accountability and access without discrimination to social protection; and to ensure that social protection programmes reached the most vulnerable as a matter of priority, including women. In addition, SDG 1.3 of the 2030 Agenda calls upon countries to implement nationally appropriate social protection systems for all, for reducing and preventing poverty. Social protection is also a means to achieve several other SDGs.

The present project is seeking a national consultant who will be supporting an international consultant to assess the enjoyment of the right to social protection of women informal workers in Timor-Leste and the obstacles they face in accessing social security and other relevant social protection programs. Specifically, this project will point out obstacles preventing women in informal sector to access contributory and non-contributory social protection schemes and recommend a way forward to build a universal, human rights and life cycle-based system that would protect women informal workers from risks and contingencies and increase their resilience to socioeconomic and other unpredictable shocks.

Deberes y responsabilidades

C. Scope of Work/Duties and Responsibilities

B.1. The national consultant is tasked to support technically the international consultant delivering two key outputs:  1) An assessment study using a human rights-based and participatory approach that includes:

1. Brief description of the current access to contributory and non-contributory social protection benefits for women informal workers in Timor-Leste.
2. Analysis that describes and characterizes the women informal sector workers (women informal sector workers profile) and their access to contributory and non-contributory social protection benefits (formal or informal) in Timor-Leste based on the national official statistics, particularly the Labour Force Survey, but also other data sources. Who are they? Where are they? What do they do? What are their informal safety nets? What are their coping mechanisms?
3. Complement the analysis mentioned above with specific cases studies that sets a profile and deepens the characterization of certain specific groups of women informal sector workers, such as women in agriculture, domestic workers, women market sellers among other potentially relevant groups. The selected cases studies are based on data collected through interviews and/or focus groups discussions with key stakeholders.
4. Identification of the main barriers and obstacles for women informal workers in Timor-Leste to access social security schemes. Important to disaggregate and focus on specific groups of women in informal sector such as women in agriculture, domestic workers, women market sellers among other potential relevant groups or women with particular vulnerabilities (example, disabilities).
5. Proposal of policy and operational recommendations based on an evidence-based and participatory approach for the extension of social security coverage to women informal sector workers. This has to stir towards human rights-based social protection options to overcome the obstacles identified in the analysis.
6. List of relevant and best international practices on the extension of coverage to women informal sector workers.

  2) A presentation on the assessment study and other related necessary materials to support dissemination meetings

B2. Under the guidance of the international consultant and overall, the UN Human Rights Advisor’s Unit, the national consultant will carry out the following activities:

• Familiarize him/herself with relevant social protection legal, technical, strategies, policy framework and programs in Timor-Leste
• Compile any relevant information and data on social protection legal, technical, strategies, policy framework and programs in Timor-Leste
• Assist to conduct the desk review of available literature and national data (quantitative and qualitative) by State institutions, UN entities, NGOs and financial institutions that profile or gather data about informal workers in Timor-Leste, and in particular women, as well as their access to social security contributory scheme and social protection in general.
• Assist to set out profiles of women informal sector workers based on the evidence and participatory approach.
• Assist to review recommendations put forward by human rights mechanisms to Timor-Leste related to the subject matter and that will be relevant to integrate in the assessment to ascertain their implementation.
• Support the preparation of an outline or inception report to ensure assessment is on track with expectations.
• Design and prepare tools for data (qualitative and quantitative) collection, including meetings, surveys or group discussions with several actors, including different groups of women in informal sector.
• Support the liaison with relevant state institutions, in particular MSSI and INSS, among others.
• Provide inputs to the draft assessment.
• Organize meetings/workshops to validate draft assessment study with relevant stakeholders.
• Help develop presentations and other necessary materials to support meetings/workshops, dissemination meetings, including meetings with INSS, other government and development counterparts.
• Ascertain the integration of a gender perspective in all steps taken and methodology used while supporting the development of the assessment.
• Help with interpretation at meetings and translation of relevant documents within the scope of the assessment.

D. Expected Outputs and Deliverables

E.Institutional Arrangement

The national consultant will work under the supervision of the international consultant and the UN Human Rights Adviser.

The Human Rights Adviser’s Unit will consult closely on this assessment, and advise the consultants accordingly, with ILO and the Ministry of Social Solidarity and Inclusion, particularly with the National Institute for Social Security.

The Human Rights Adviser’s Unit and ILO will work closely in all the technical aspects to ensure the quality of the study.

F. Duration of the Work

The consultancy has a duration of 40 working days over a period of 2.5 months. The consultancy will commence in 20 September and is expected to be completed by 30 November 2022.

G. Duty Station

Dili, Timor-Leste.

Competencias

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Habilidades y experiencia requeridas

H. Qualifications and experience of the successful individual consultant/contractor team

Education:

• Degree in human rights, social sciences, economics or related field with five years of work experience

Experience:

• Good knowledge of social protection systems, social development, labour market, the international human rights system and its standards
• Demonstrated experience in supporting or conducting assessment studies and research
• Demonstrated experience in gathering and preparing analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data.
• Demonstrated experience in providing inputs to assessment studies and/or reports
• Demonstrated experience in collecting data or supporting data collection through a participatory approach
• Experience of working in related fields in Timor-Leste is an advantage

Language requirements:

• Good communication skills
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Tetum is required. Knowledge of Portuguese is an advantage.

I. Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments

Interested candidates should submit their proposals in an “all-inclusive” lump sum amount supported by a breakdown of costs as applicable per the template provided. It is noted that the contract price is fixed regardless of changes in the cost components.

Payment will be made in three instalments contingent upon satisfactory accomplishment of tasks and submission of the deliverables identified under Section D of the TOR as follow:

J. Recommended Presentation of Offer

Interested consultants must submit the following documents to demonstrate their qualifications:

1. Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability and Submission of Financial Proposal using the template provided by UNDP;
2. Personal CV and P11, indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references; or for a Contractor, Personal CV and P11 of the technical team and at least three (3) professional references of past clients
3. Brief description of why the individual/contractor considers him/herself/itself as the most suitable for the assignment, and a brief methodology (500 words maximum) on how they will approach and conduct the work;
4. Financial Proposal that indicates the “all-inclusive” Lump Sum fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per the template provided by UNDP. 

K.        Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer

Cumulative analysis

Individual consultant will be evaluated based on the following methodology:

Combined Scoring method – where the qualifications and experience will be weighted 70%, and the price offer which will be weighted 30%. The award of the contract will be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, and

b) Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

* Technical Criteria weight; 70%

* Financial Criteria weight; 30%

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points of the technical criteria would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Technical Evaluation (70%)

Qualification, Experience and Technical Proposal (70 marks):

Financial Evaluation (30%):

The following formula will be used to evaluate financial proposal:

p = y (µ/z), where

p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated

y = maximum number of points for the financial proposal

µ = price of the lowest priced proposal

z = price of the proposal being evaluated

Annexes (click on the hyperlink to access the documents):

• Annex 1 - IC Contract Template (for information);

• Annex 2 -  Financial Proposal Template using the template provided by UNDP (to be completed at later stage upon request by UNDP);
• Annex 3 – IC General Terms and Conditions (for information);
• Annex 4 – RLA Template (if consultant wishes to be recruited through an employer) - (for information).

Incomplete applications will not be considered and will be disqualified automatically