Education Access and Quality Improvement Program EAQIP” Horumarinta Elmiga IV

Labor Market Assessment Survey

Terms of Reference (TOR)

Background

CARE Somaliland seeks a short-term consultant’s assistance, to conduct a Labor Market Assessment Survey in Hargeisa, Burco, Berbera, Borama, Erigavo, Gabiley, Ainabo, Saylac, Badhan, and Lasanod. In Somaliland, youth and adults face many challenges that have been intensified by political and environmental instability. These challenges include lack of quality and availability of formal education, poverty, frequent and prolonged droughts, and poor access to employment and self-employment opportunities. Youth/adults are also faced with a lack of opportunities for practical job training and formal employment in the region is scarce. They have also not been able to access adequate or appropriate resources for engaging in enterprise development. With few structured opportunities for access to education and viable employment, youth in the region have increasingly engaged in piracy, terrorism, forced migration, and other anti-social behaviors which have thus contributed to the instability in the region.

Due to current dynamics and complexities in the market including COVID-19, climate crises, and surging unemployment, a comprehensive labor market assessment will be used to assess the skills and employment landscape, identify how the market system is unfolding and whether there are innovations in the landscape. The review will provide substantive and evidence-based and gender sensitive and inclusive recommendations about emerging sectors in the market, and innovative marketable skills available in each action location and subsequently align to the respective TVET and professional diploma courses to be offered by target TVET centers. It is envisaged that this assessment will exclusively focus on high-growth sectors in Somaliland and how this will be streamlined with the existing TVET capacities and job centers to provide market-driven opportunities for young women and men with and without disabilities (15% with disabilities). The review will also focus on identifying specific skills and training for women and girls to enhance their competitiveness in the labor market.

Various Ministries will support the assessment including the Ministry of Employment and Social Affairs, MOE&S and the Somaliland Chamber of Commerce, the all ministries will be coordinated by the MESAF with substantial support from the consortium, to ensure the overall quality and expectations of the assessment are systematically gauged. The assessment will be conducted by an experienced research consultant with substantive experience and skills in Labor Market Systems, job creation, TVET, and economic inclusion.

In this context CARE’s Horumarinta Elmiga project intend to increase the participation of youths and adults in quality technical and vocational education and training linked to employment and economic opportunities.

The project acknowledges that in Somaliland, Labor Market Assessment Surveys have been conducted in the past mostly by agencies implementing vocational skills training. These studies had a narrow focus, primarily on understanding the relevance of the various skills provided to trainees by organizations and giving advice on the market demands of such skills. The result was used to tailor the training to the market needs. However, the private sector investment in Somaliland is increasingly generating a dynamic labor market. There is a need to understand the opportunities that exist for youth in the labor market and in premises sectors.

Purpose and objectives:

The purpose of this Labour Market Assessment (LMA) is to help the project team determine the most immediate and obvious labor needs and the range of skills required in Somaliland. Based on this information, and in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor, Somaliland Chamber of Commerce, and Ministry of Education, the Horumarinta Elmiga project is focusing its initial training programs and offerings on preparing the target youth for the most immediate employment needs and opportunities.

Additionally, the LMA will identify the constraints and opportunities in the supply and demand for labor and subsequently advise on a possible menu of options for the project. The LMA will also map scenarios and opportunities which will focus on identifying and building the capacity of youth-serving organizations in the Somaliland region to deliver effective skills development and employment generation programs for youth/communities most at-risk for social disaffection.

The survey will be conducted in conjunction with consortium partners, government ministries, youth groups, and the private sector in all regions of Somaliland.

Scope of the Labor Market Assessment Survey:

The primary question that the assessment will answer is:

• Identify employment opportunities or work experience programs for youth in the following geographic areas: Hargeisa, Burao, Berbera, Borama, Erigavo, Ainabo, Gabiley, Badhan,, Saylac, and Lasanod. The survey should also research existing and prospective employment opportunities. Data should be disaggregated by location, qualifications, organization, industry sector, and specific details on the types of opportunities that exist.
• Identify the specific sectors where investments are being made in Somaliland and neighboring communities and generally high potential growth sectors with regards to short and long-term employment opportunities for youth/adults.
• Determine the demand for certain professions and the skills needed that will inform technical/vocational course offerings for students of the TVET institutions in Somaliland.
• Identify and compile a list of companies and available positions likely to open within the next few months and the skills required for youth/adults to qualify and adequately compete for these positions. This information must be disaggregated by industry sector.
• In which sectors of the local economy are the most youth/adults currently engaged in terms of formal employment and informal economic activities Which sectors show the greatest potential for increased youth engagement, both in terms of involving new adults/youth and increasing benefits for adults already involved? From what sectors are new economic opportunities most likely to emerge (both formal and informal) – in the near term – 6 months 1 year and medium term – 2 to 3 yrs.
• Determine the potential for youth/adults in Somaliland to engage in viable economic opportunities along the livestock, fishing industry, and gums and resins industries value chains (key livelihood enterprises) and identify the specific entry points along the value chain where entrepreneurship could thrive, or formal employment could be secured.
• Identify potential consumer demand, demand patterns, and unmet market demand, and prepare an inventory of available local resources and raw materials that could be used for new products and services
• Assess the capacity of TVET providers including government centers (Burao, Borama and Hargeisa center) to deliver quality market-driven skills training with a particular focus on:
  • Examine the relevance of existing TVET strategies and the sustainability of these business models
  • Center infrastructure: training classrooms, machines, washing, and sanitary facilities, suitability of central location, etc.
  • Instructors: Experience, level of education, trained or untrained, etc.
  • Post-training support: Existence of post-training support
  • Center Management: center structure, the capacity of the board of directors, center manager, and other subordinate staff.
  • Working relation with MOE&HE and whether accredited by the government.
  • Specifically, find out the capacity gaps of both Burao Technical Institute and Hargeisa Technical Institute for the provision of higher technical skills to establish pathways to higher education.
• Assess the extent to which rural youths are benefiting from TVET programs and identify strategies that can be employed to improve rural youth access and uptake of TVET skills training
• Assess the gender-specific constraints in access to the labor market and make practical recommendations to overcome these
• Assess the Ministry’s capacity to coordinate and support TVET providers and the adequacy of existing quality assurance mechanisms
• Identify some of the policy issues that need to be addressed in the selected regions to promote productive employment for youth and create a supportive environment.

Methodology and Approach:

The Assessment will use a mixed method approach which encompasses the use of Surveys, Key informant Interviews, Focus Group Discussions, and market observations supplemented by secondary research and interviews with relevant stakeholders. The following will be expected of the consultant:

Pre-Field Work

• Desk review of secondary data including project documents, reports of assessments/evaluations, and reports of previous labor market surveys.
• Submit an inception report ( draft and final) that outlines the research methodology, including data collection tools, a detailed analysis framework, and a detailed work plan outlining all tasks to be completed by each of the research team.

Finalization of tools, including back-translation supervision, in collaboration with CARE and Save the Children.

Field Work

• Qualitative and quantitative data collection
• Follow up and directly supervise researchers’ work in the field during data collection ( qualitative and quantitative ) and provide the necessary technical support to the data collection team to ensure the quality of data including overnight checks of electronic datasets.

Post Field Work

• Validate qualitative data (inclusive of full transcription and translation ) and quantitative and ensure it is valid and clean
• Write and submit a report that provides an analysis of the labor markets (both formal and informal labor markets) in Hargeisa, Burco, Berbera, Borama, Erigavo, Gabiley, Ainabo, Saylac, Badhan, and Las anod and Ministry of labor centers (Burao, Borama and Hargeisa)
• Include recommendations for securing positions for youth/adults in the project area and the minimal qualifications/skills required to actively compete for pre-identified jobs. Develop an action plan for the project to keep informed about future job openings and industry trends.
• Conduct a formal presentation/report – out of key findings to consortium members and key project stakeholders (i.e., the community and partner institutions) and the EU.

The consultant will also be expected to strongly engage key stakeholders in the design and execution of this assignment. Key activities include:

• Liaise and closely work with the Ministry of Employment, Social Affairs and Family which is responsible for the labor market as the government mandate,
• Participate in planning sessions for undertaking this assessment with the project team members, Ministries of Education, MESAF, Chamber of Commerce and Labor, and selected TVET institutions.
• Conduct a workshop for consortium members and project partners on how to conduct ongoing assessments that will include capacity-building sessions to support ongoing monitoring and evaluation of existing and future employment and apprenticeship opportunities.

Expertise Required

The consultant must possess the following or similar qualifications: –

• Advanced degree in Economics, Business Administration, or related social sciences.
• The consultant must be conversant with the use of a market development approach to identifying and supporting livelihood opportunities for youth.
• 7 years of work experience.
• Excellent analytical and report writing skills.
• Experience in conducting similar work in the region.
• Familiarity in working in the Somaliland context.

Deliverables

In reference to the scope of work above, the consultant is expected to accomplish and submit the following.

An inception report includes:

• Research methodology including the sampling methodology and the analysis framework
• Draft collection tools
• Detailed work plan outlining all tasks to be completed by each of the members of the consultant team for the duration of the assignment

Data collection protocols

Technical support for training guidelines for enumerators including training tool kits and training session plans

Out-briefing Presentation: The assessment team leader will coordinate a presentation and discussion of preliminary findings and recommendations, for consortium members and EU Somalia, after fieldwork.

Assessment Report: The final Assessment Report identifies public and private sector institutions and their capacity to absorb youth/adults from Somaliland; industry trends and emerging markets that present income-earning potential for youth/adults. In addition to the final report, the selected organization must provide access to raw data and any intermediate data analysis, such as databases in which data has been entered.

Contact List: A list of persons/organizations and key informants interviewed and or encountered during the assessment complete with titles and contact information; this may be submitted as an annex to the final Assessment Report.

Work plan and timetable

The LMA is expected to take place in September the overall effort under this consultancy is 30 days divided as follows:

Milestone

Number of days

Literature/ project document review/LMA studies

2

Draft inception report and data collection tools submitted for review and comments

3

Presentation to CARE, SCI, MESAF and other key stakeholders

0.5

Review complete and comments returned to the consultant

2

Finalization of the inception report

Training of Researchers and Tools pilot testing

2

Field data collection

11

Draft Labour Market Survey report submitted for review

6

Presentation of findings to CARE and other key stakeholders

0.5

Review by CARE, SCI and MESAF’ comments provided to consultant

Consultant address comments and revises LMA study

3

Final LMA report submitted

Total

30

Terms and Conditions of the Contract

During the study, CARE is responsible for coordination/guidance, logistical arrangements, approval of the final report, payment for the consultancy, and dissemination of the report to all stakeholders.

The Consultant will be responsible for the development of methodologies and the survey tools in liaison with the CARE and other consortium staff, conducting the assessment, analysis, and reporting. CARE will only pay the entire consultancy fee (as per the contract) after the submission and acceptance of the final report.

Interested consultants or firms are expected to submit their applications, updated CVs of individuals to conduct the study or profile of applying company to: SOM.Consultant@care.org Please indicate “’ Education Access and Quality Improvement Program EAQIP” Hermelinda Elmiga IV Labor Market Assessment Survey’ as the subject heading not later than 29th September 2022

Female applicants with requisite Somalia experience are highly encouraged.

CARE is an equal opportunity employer promoting gender, equity, and diversity. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. Our selection process reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse

How to apply

Interested consultants or firms are expected to submit their applications, updated CVs of individuals to conduct the study or profile of applying company to: SOM.Consultant@care.org Please indicate “’ Education Access and Quality Improvement Program EAQIP” Hermelinda Elmiga IV Labor Market Assessment Survey’ as the subject heading not later than 29th September 2022