TERMS OF REFERENCE Youth Responsive Labour Market Assessment and Technical Capacity Building in Market Systems Development

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1 VA releasing date 28 November 2018 TERMS OF REFERENCE Consultancy: Location of assignment: Duration of assignment: Responsible to: Youth Responsive Labour Market Assessment and Technical Capacity Building in Market Systems Development Sittwe, Rakhine State, Myanmar At least 25 working days (may be longer / effective from January 2019) Livelihood Coordinator Rakhine State Background 1. The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is a humanitarian, non-governmental, non-profit organization working in Myanmar since 2009 in response to Cyclone Giri and currently supporting operations in four different States (Kachin, Northern Shan, Kayah, Rakhine). 2. Rakhine is one of the poorest states in Myanmar. Rice is the main crop in the region, occupying around 85% of the total agricultural land. Rakhine State currently ranks as the second worst performing State or Region in terms of overall poverty, with a poverty rate of 78% against 38% nationally, and fares poorly on most social development indicators including malnutrition, low education levels, poor health, and susceptibility to natural hazards. The population in Rakhine is largely dependent on fishing and agricultural casual labour as the main sources of income. Casual labour accounts for 26% of the income source. The agriculture sector hires the highest number of casual labourers during harvest season, and during the rainy season for land preparation. Fishing also accounts for 26% of the income source, while small non-agricultural businesses account for around 15% of the income source. 3. As part of DRCs support to the protracted displacement and conflict in central Rakhine State, a multi-year Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) for youth (aged 15-25) component is underway in 4 key townships (Sittwe; Pauktaw; Mrauk U; Kyauktaw) with funding from various donors including GIZ, LIFT and the EU. The component responds to the Government of Myanmar s prioritization of youth development, and falls within the overall recommendations of the Rakhine Advisory Commission, the Rakhine State Economic Development Plan, and the National Education Strategic Plan. 4. Under its TVET for youth component, DRC has have four key activities: i. Youth responsive Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) for formal and informal sector employment, together with apprenticeships and/or on-the-job training;

2 iii. iv. ii. Entrepreneurship and financial literacy training with linkages to microfinance (savings and/or start up grants) Institutional strengthening to trainers in both private and public sectors; and A rigorous approach to periodic evaluation and routine monitoring while continuously documenting progress, learning from challenges and results, and improving implementation from the data that is collected. 5. The success of the TVET for youth component depends on the orientation of targeted youth beneficiaries towards active and growing sectors of the Rakhine State economy including the creation of a Special Economic Zone. In the coming years a large number of skilled entrepreneurs and employees will be needed for diverse sectors in Rakhine State including agriculture, renewable energy, manufacturing, infrastructure, livestock, fisheries and tourism. Recent research also suggests that international organisations should increase TVET in relation to improved techniques of farming and fishing. This would see a rise in quality of produce farmed and quantity of produce but also long-term sustainability of these value chains. 6. A first round of TVET programming between 2016 and 2018 endeavored to identify a range of possible skills gaps and related sub-sectors, which might provide relatively high returns to investment in skills training. However, a lack of labour market data and analyses persists as one of the largest barriers for TVET stakeholders in Rakhine State. A Youth responsive labour market assessment is essential to enable the DRC Livelihood team to: i. Make decisions about beneficiary TVET and soft skill pathways by understanding the needs of the youth labour market; ii. Manage employment and wage expectations explicit to trainees, communities and partners; and iii. Identify current and future market opportunities (this is especially relevant for youths who want to start their own business). 7. Against this backdrop and encouraged by a shift toward an adaptive programming culture (USAID 2014; The Utility of Market Analyses: Key findings from a Landscape review; LEO Report No.40), DRC is seeking an experienced consultant(s) to provide the DRC Livelihood team with a good enough understanding of the youth labour market system in 4 key townships of Central Rakhine State, putting DRC in a position to commence implementation post consultancy. Objectives DRC invites consultant(s) to develop an innovative and novel framework with which to approach the objectives outlined below. The ability to access timely and credible data in a dynamic environment is particularly critical for DRC (and donors alike) and there should be with a special focus on how the consultancy will help the Livelihood team to optimally explore ways to leverage,

3 analyze and present data for effective action and learning. DRC are especially interested to receive bids that are experimental in their approach, do not see this consultancy as a one-off study and strive to tailor the outputs for different audiences. In discussion with the Livelihood coordinator, the Consultant(s) will: 1. Draw on available literature to conduct desk-based research to dramatically reduce the time needed to complete the assessment. Where possible, the Livelihood coordinator will share previous market analysis reports (see existing information sources below); 2. Train relevant livelihood team in market systems theory and practices adjusting the learning style of the team using the consultancy as a vehicle for team capacity building; 3. Conduct action research with the Livelihood team to inform the market assessment ensuring direct contact with youth beneficiaries, businesses/employers; industry associations; government departments and the TVET working group; 4. Work with existing capacities of the DRC Information Management unit using Kobo and Microsoft Power BI to create an easy-to-use and real-time labour market database that can be updated periodically; 5. Using an appropriate analytical framework, profile the major sectors and occupations (demand side) and training providers from the private and public sectors including informal traders (supply side) to produce a user-friendly summary report capturing, but not limited to: a. The demand for labour i. What types of employment are available in the main markets (Sittwe; Mrauk U; Kyauktaw; Pauktaw) that can be filled by youth? There should be a special focus on high demand skills ii. What are the skill gaps in the main markets? These should be classified into specific type of jobs available and locations. iii. What level of skill is required, including attention to aspects of gender, ethnicity and location? b. The supply of labour i. What are the characteristics of the labour supply in Rakhine? Who are the youth, what is their education, what skills do they have? What skills are they lacking? ii. What are the labour market characteristics and conditions of young women and ethnic minorities? What are they doing? Where are they engaged? What are their skills? iii. Who are the youth training and service provider? What are their capacities and gaps? c. The rules of the labour market i. What are the formal or informal rules of the labour market in general are there laws, customs or regulations that inhibit labour mobility?

4 ii. Are the specific constraints facing young women in Rakhine State s labour market? Are young women prevented or discouraged from entering certain sectors? d. The potential for micro-small enterprise development i. Where are there strong links between micro-small enterprises and the growing formal sector? Between the rural and urban centers? ii. What goods and services will be required to support a growing urban economy, and can be supplied by micro-small enterprises? iii. What are the constraints facing start-up businesses in Rakhine? What are the key recommendations for overcoming them? iv. What obstacles to entrepreneurial activity especially affect young women and ethnic minorities, (i.e. individual skills training may reinforce physical and emotional isolation for some female youths; while for others, they may be limited to low-skilled work such as sewing and agricultural labour) v. Advise on innovative/niche skills or products that are in demand. 6. Develop a series of user-friendly knowledge products for the Livelihood team and internal/ external audiences (management; donors) based on market assessment findings; 7. Validate the findings with key stakeholders including project partners and team involved in data gathering. A final set of knowledge products and presentation will be made to the Livelihood team and senior management. Recipients of the consultancy: 1. Rakhine State Livelihood team 2. Country senior management 3. Donors and partner agencies engaged in livelihoods/economic recovery Proposed Timeline The exercise is expected to commence in January (ideally no later than 21 January) with a final presentation by end of February (dependent on start date). Outputs/Deliverables : 1. Inception report after 1 week detailing the methodology including the main research methods, the sampling framework, proposed sources of data, procedures for data collection and analysis, and ideas for user-friendly knowledge products (factsheets; case studies; info-graphics and briefs). The proposed research tools will be discussed and approved by the DRC Livelihood Coordinator before data collection commences. 2. Concise, clearly laid out set of market assessment knowledge products with key recommendations and supporting information (e.g. photographs and graphics). Consultant(s) are welcome to suggest a report structure/format. DRC will provide standardized reporting templates.

5 3. Power BI database with labour market needs through primary data collection (gender/ethnicity/location disaggregated) together with simple step-by-step instructions for its periodic updating. 4. Presentation of key outputs and preliminary findings to senior management team. 5. Final labour market assessment report based on standard outline. The Consultant(s) will provide regular updates to the DRC Livelihood Coordinator with regard to the completion of the above outputs. Existing Information sources: Project proposals, reports, baselines and relevant annexes Databases of existing training providers (names; role; agency; contact details); Key internal /external technical reports (DRC Empowering Gender Solutions; DRC Cash Feasibility Assessment; DRC Summary report on Social cohesion; DRC Myanmar protection strategy; INGO Rakhine Initiative reports; various value chain analyses; UN/INGO market assessments) DRCs 2020 Global Livelihoods Strategy UNHCR Refugee Livelihoods and Economic inclusion : Global strategy concept note Minimum Economic Recovery Standards Handbook (3 rd Edition) Profile of the Consultant(s) Previous experience undertaking market assessments within a TVET / private sector/ M4P initiative preferably with an INGO (essential); Post-graduate degree in Social Sciences, Business, Economics, Statistics or related field (essential); Fluency in English with effective communication and report writing skills (essential); Strong background and experience in data collection and analysis (essential); Previous experience with Microsoft Power BI or similar software (essential); Ability to provide real-time capacity building for national team in M4P and simple data interpretation (desirable); Knowledge of Myanmar or south east Asia region (desirable)

6 Application Qualified candidates are expected to send their applications to DRC in English including: 1. CV of the consultant(s) 2. Technical proposal with professional fee. Proposal should include: research methodology and analytical framework including method of identifying the key informants for interview, data gathering tools; capacity building of team on the design and use of appropriate/needed tools; and work plan 3. Sample of previous high-quality report Professional Fee - the costs should cover charges for consultancy days including hotel accommodation and international/domestic flights and any stationery costs. DRC will assist with the logistics for the timely completion of this consultancy, including Sittwe airport-hotel transfer; field visits; and visa assistance. Closing date for applications: Friday 21 st December 2018 Interested parties are to submit applications by clicking on the apply button here before 5pm on Friday 21 th of December All questions related to this consultancy should be sent to ben.corrigan@drcmm.org and zemenu.alemayehu@drcmm.org Please note: this post will be advertised on DRC website and relief web. Submission of application documents will be made through DRC online system and the online application will be closed after the deadline. If you have any problem to access the online system, please immediately contact us using the above contacts. Danish Refugee Council are equal opportunity employers and consider all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, national origin, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, age, marital status or physical or mental disability.