Background

Since the Western Balkans were declared “safe countries of origin” the region has seen a significant number of returnees from the EU. Still, in 2017, Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia were ranked among the top 20 countries with the highest number of nationals with unregulated residence status in the EU. Limited work opportunities, low-paid jobs, large informal sector and the poor quality of health and education services, among others, due to neglect and disinvestment in social infrastructure, are some of the main drivers of outward migration.

While irregular migration spreads across all demographic, social and ethnic groups, Roma men and women comprise  a significant share. The quantitative and qualitative surveys conducted by UNDP and the World Bank in 2017 underscore disproportional social and economic hardship as a main trigger of irregular migration and asylum application of Roma men and women, where Roma women are even more vulnerable.

While health, social and economic impact of COVID-19 crisis is still trickling down and affecting all segments of society, statistical evidences single out migrants among the hardest hit groups alongside informal, seasonal and gig workers[1]. Returnees often remain invisible for the social safety nets  or Governments’ relief and recovery packages.  Although various dimensions of migration and reintegration of returnees are being addressed in national strategic and policy frameworks, their implementation has suffered from the ineffective mechanisms for horizontal (inter-institutional) and vertical (central-local level) coordination, weak institutional capacities and scarce financial resources.

In such context, the 'Strengthen national and local systems to support the effective socio-economic integration of returnees in the Western Balkans' project aims to enhance the capabilities of the Western Balkan authorities to implement holistic solutions to economic and social empowerment of returnees. By tackling the root causes and negative drivers of migration of Roma and vulnerable populations, the project is contributing to implementation of the broader social inclusion agenda in the Western Balkans.

While, UNDP will primarily address local level challenges, the ultimate objective of the project is to translate the tested models into national regulation and public policies and programmes for sustainable reintegration of vulnerable returnees.

The project is part of the IPA II Multi-Country Action Programme entrusted to UNDP, the WB and the CoE, to support the fundamental rights of Roma community and other vulnerable returnees, though implementing three main intervention pillars:

Output 1- Local returnee integration strategies are developed with selected municipalities foresees development of local reintegration strategies, aiming to  improve the livelihoods and social wellbeing of returnees and the broader community, tackle local governance issues, capacity and institutional bottlenecks and gaps of service providers and business ecosystems, which hinder the effective implementation of  reintegration policies

Output 2 - Elements of local returnee integration strategies are implemented in selected municipalities, including innovative activities on livelihoods and skills building, etc aims to demonstrate new approaches to economic empowerment and social cohesion, which will form the main pillars of local reintegration strategies.

Output 3- Significant number of urgent administrative issues faced by returnees are addressed will seek to identify and develop innovative approaches to public service provision, by developing and utilising a number of digitalized tools and laying the ground for introducing integrated case management. 

A mapping conducted in 9 municipalities of Albania at early 2021, highlights that asylum-seeking and emigration is a relatively new and little-studied subfield in the country. The phenomenon escalated in the early 2010s, reaching a maximum in the year 2015 when around 67,000 Albanian citizens applied for asylum, primarily in Germany. In 2015, Albania was among the top countries (fourth after Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq) as regards the number of asylum-seekers. Despite fluctuations, during the period from 2010 to December 2020, around 210,000 Albanian citizens applied for asylum for the first time in EU countries. However, EU statistics show that, in 2018, only 2.1 percent of asylum applications from Albanian citizens were accepted by the host countries. The rest have either returned or presumably will return to Albania in the near future.

During the three years 2015–2017, Albania was top of the list of countries for the number of returnees from EU countries. Some of the Albanian asylum-seekers and emigrants (mainly Roma and Egyptians), after returning to the home country, have tried out to applied for asylum or emigrate two or three times in various EU countries – becoming, therefore, a group that is neither re-integrated in the home country nor accepted in the host country.

As regards the Roma and Egyptian communities, accurate numbers and their share returnees in are difficult to calculate in Albania as, at the border crossing points and upon arrival, data on the ethnicity of returnees are not collected. Germany, the only EU country providing data on the ethnicity of asylum-seekers, reported in 2011 that around 11 percent of Albanian asylum-seekers belong to Roma and Egyptians minorities, while the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) estimated that Roma represented 6–10 percent of asylum-seeker flows into Germany, which shows that the dimensions and intensity of the migration of Roma and Egyptians from Albania had increased and that these migrants were over-represented in the population of migrants from Albania. 

However, in spite of the high share of the Roma and Egyptian population in the total number of asylum-seekers and emigrants from Albania, these flows do not have a marked Roma/Egyptian nature. At local level data on Roma and Egyptian returnees neither are sistematically collected from local institutions, nor is conducted any profiling of the Roma and Egyptian returnees and their individual or family needs for reintegration. The Boarder Police record the returnees upoin their return in Albania, but official data segregation on the bases of ethnicity is not easy, due to the self-declaring nature of the registry. Moreover, meetings with stakeholoders and beneficiaries in Municipalities of Berat, Fier and Devoll, have revealed that local institutions do not recognise Roma and Egyptian returnees as a specific group for the sake of service provision and therefore they remain either invisible or are treated as all other Roma and Egyptians.  Local Labour Offices have data only for those returnees who get themselves registered as unemployed jobseekers. Regardlees, knowing that not all Roma and Egyptians returnees get themselves registered in Labour Offices, the majority of them remain unknown in the official statistics. In addtion, the majority of Roma and Egyptian unemployed jobseekers, remain unemplyed even after being registered and seeking support from the labour offices, due to complexity of vulnerabilities they face upon their return. This might be an indication and imply that the methodology used for the profiling of Roma and Egyptian unemployed jobseekers might need further adoption.

The project includes a strong component (output 2) of supporting Roma and Egyptians returnees with regard to job preparednes and income generation/employement activitites. In this context, it is crucial for the project to identify Roma and Egyptian unemployed jobseekers in the community and support them get registered in the labour offices. The project will cooperate with the local labout offices to find out whether the methodology for profiling the Roma and Egyptian unemployed jobseekers and the support providedto them needs further adoption to the needs and vulnerabilities of this group.  The project intends afterwards to offer specialised support to Roma and Egyptian returnees in job preparedness or employment/income generation activities.

To lay the ground for the implementation of output 2 of the project, UNDP is looking to engage a national consultant, who under this ToRs will be assigned to develop standard forms and guidance notes for the preparation of individual employability improvement plans for Roma and Egyptian returnees in Devoll, Berat and Fier, based on the methodology utilized for identification, assessment and case management by Labor Offices, and if necessary being adopted for the specific needs of Roma and Egyptian returnees.

[1] UNDP commissioned Socio-economic impact assessments (SEIAs) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, aiming to scan the social and economic impact of Covid-19 of the households, micro, small and medium enterprises.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Scope of Work

Under the supervision of the UNDP Project Coordinator, the consultant will be working on:

• Desk review of all relevant documents and consultations/meetings with relevant institutions at national and local level (particularly with National Agency for Employment and Skills and Local labor Offices), relevant for the preparation of the inception report, describing the methodological approach of the assignment, tools to collect data and information, list of stakeholders and beneficiaries to be consulted and the workplan with clear timelines for the implementation of the assignment.
• Cooperate with Local Labor Offices to identify the need for adoption of the methodology used by Labor Offices to conduct the identification, assessment, profiling and case management of Roma and Egyptian returnees;
• Develop/adopt standard forms (the methodology) and guidance notes for the identification, assessment, profiling and case management of the Roma and Egyptian returnees, both registered and unregistered ones, as unemployed job seekers in the Labor Office in Municipalities of Devoll, Fier and Berat. Develop recommendations for adoptions needed to the profiling’ methodology used by Labor Offices, in order to make the employability programs more accessible and beneficial for Roma and Egyptian returnees.
• Develop employability improvement plans for a sample of about 15 Roma and Egyptian returnees in each of the Municipalities of Devoll, Berat and Fier selected carefully in cooperation with local coordinators. The sample will be selected on specific criteria developed in cooperation with UNDP.  Each employability improvement plan shall indicate the need for job preparedness support and courses, offered by certified training providers (both private and public ones), in the areas of adult education, vocational training, soft, basic financial literacy skills, digital skills and other job preparedness skills identified contacts with individuals included in the sample. Pending to the individual situation of each returnee screened, the employability improvement plans shall indicate the role sharing and coordination modality between the project (UNDP) and respective Labor Offices; courses available in each project location and costs involved for Roma and Egyptian attendees; identified initiatives for start-up businesses coming from individuals or groups in the screened sample for each municipality, potential costs involved and recommendations on how UNDP and Labor Offices can cooperate to share costs to support these startups; available social businesses in the three Municipalities and recommendations for the project to support them, with the aim to increase employability of Roma and Egyptian returnees through such social businesses. 
• Coach three local coordinators of Devoll, Fier and Berat to conduct ongoing independent case management for the employability of Roma and Egyptian returnees throughout the project implementation scope.
• Produce a short report indicating the issues with employability programs of the National Agency for Employment and Skills/Labor Offices. The issues might relate to specific criteria that hinder the accessibility of Roma and Egyptian returnees to this programs, or other aspects of the employability programs that does not allow the project target group to fully benefit from these programs. The report shall include also recommendations for policy change/amendments to make the employability programs accessible and beneficial to vulnerable returnees, with special focus to Roma and Egyptian returnees.

The draft documents produced under all tasks described in this ToRs, shall be brainstormed with the Project team and all documents shall be submitted to the peer review process organized by the Consultant in collaboration with the Project team.

The final version of the documents shall be accepted by the Project Coordinator in Albania in consultation with the Regional Project Manager in UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub (IRH).

1. Deliverables and Timeline

The consultant is expected to produce the following deliverables.

Institutional arrangement

The consultant will work under direct supervision by the UNDP Albania Project Coordinator on daily bases, while UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub will ensure quality assurance. The consultant will be in regular communication with the supervisor through e-mail and will provide regular progress reports on bi-weekly basis. UNDP estimated lead time to review outputs, give comments, certify approval/acceptance of outputs, etc. to the consultant shall at least 5 working days. All documents and produced materials shall be submitted in a suitable digital format, upon agreement with the project team.

In the course of performing the job, the consultant will need to organize meetings in the country with stakeholders deemed important for the task. The UNDP office will assist with scheduling the meetings, on ad hoc bases and whenever needed.

Competencies

• Strong analytical, reporting and writing abilities.
• Proved expertise in the area of social protection and employment in Albania.
• Familiarity with Roma, migration and returnees’ policy in the country.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Willing to take responsibility, act professionally at all times, and make sure tasks are fully completed.
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
• Ability to work under pressure and uses time efficiently. Identifies priority activities and adjust them as required.

Required Skills and Experience

Master’s degree in relevant fields (i.e., social or public policy, business administration, economics or related fields) is required.

Work experience:

• 5 years of professional experience in integrated forms of support for socio-economic integration of Roma and Egyptian communities; 

• Previous working experience and familiarity with Labor Offices and/or National Agency for Employment and Skills in designing or implementing employability programs and employability preparedness support plans for vulnerable categories of job seekers.

Knowledge

• Good knowledge of social protection sector, on national and local level in Albania, and related strategic, legal and institutional frameworks for Roma and returnees in Albania.

Language requirement:

• Excellent command of written and spoken English; fluency in Albanian language.

Evaluation Procedure

UNDP applies a fair and transparent selection process that would consider both the technical qualification of Individual Consultants as well as their financial proposals. The contract will be awarded to the candidate whose offer:

• Is deemed technically responsive / compliant / acceptable (only technically responsive applications / candidates will be considered for the financial evaluation)
• And has obtained the highest combined technical and financial scores.

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

• Criteria A: 5 years of professional experience in integrated forms of support for socio-economic integration of Roma and Egyptian communities - max points:  20 points
• Criteria B: Minimum 2 years’ of work experience and familiarity with Labor Offices and/or National Agency for Employment and Skills in designing or implementing employability programs and employability preparedness support plans for vulnerable categories of job seekers- max points:  25 points
• Criteria C: Good knowledge of social protection sector, on national and local level in Albania, and related strategic, legal and institutional frameworks for Roma and returnees in Albania – max points: 15 points
• Criteria D: Educational background– max points: 10

Financial Criteria - 30% of total evaluation – max points: 30

Application Procedure 

Interested applicants are advised to carefully study all sections of this ToRs and ensure that they meet the general requirements as well as specific qualifications described. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials. 

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. 
• Completed and signed UN Personal History Form (P11) for Service Contracts (SC) and Individual Contracts (IC) – Blank form Download here or latest Curriculum Vitae
• Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability & Detailed Financial Proposal - please fill in the attached form. Download Here (kindly use Firefox browser)
• Financial Proposal in ALL*- Specify a Total Lump Sum in Albanian Lek for the tasks specified in this announcement. The attached template may be used - Download Here (kindly use Firefox browser) Please note that the financial proposal is all-inclusive and shall consider various expenses incurred by the consultant during the contract period (e.g. fee and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services). 
• Copy of Diplomas and copy of Passport. 

*Kindly note that Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability and Financial Proposal are two separate documents and should be both part of your application. 

How to Submit the Application: 

To submit your application online, please follow the steps below: 

• Download and complete the UN Personal History Form (P11) for Service Contracts (SCs) and Individual Contracts (ICs); In the P11 Form make sure to include Email Addresses of the Persons who are willing to provide References on your past experience in working with them.
• Merge your UN Personal History Form (P11) for Service Contracts (SCs) and Individual Contracts (ICs) or latest CV, Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability and cover letter into a single file. The system does not allow for more than one attachment to be uploaded; 
• Click on the Job Title (job vacancy announcement); 
• Click “Apply Now” button, fill in necessary information on the first page, and then click “Submit Application;” 
• Upload your application/single file as indicated above with the merged documents (underlined above); 

• You will receive an automatic response to your email confirming receipt of your application by the system. 

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