Open Call for Consultancy Services. Reference Number:

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1 Open Call for Consultancy Services Reference Number: Terms of Reference: The EU expert guidance and support to six national experts in the WB6 economies in their efforts to review and assess in-depth direct and indirect policy approaches with regard to undeclared work and provide rapid appraisal of applicability and transferability of EU policies to the WB6 economies Title: The EU expert on informal employment in the EU and the WB6 economies Contracting Authority: Regional Cooperation Council Secretariat Starting Date: 26 March 2018 Reporting to: RCC Secretariat Duration: 26 March July 2018 Application Deadline: 22 March 2018 Number of Consultants: 1 (One expert from the EU) Reference Number: I BACKGROUND Purpose The purpose of this assignment in the field of undeclared work is to provide guidance and support to six national experts on undeclared work from the WB6 economies in their efforts to evaluate the existing policy approaches to undeclared work and institutional set-ups in the WB6 economies using holistic approach and to provide concrete policy recommendations. Background Information

2 The Employment and Social Affairs Platform (ESAP) is a regional project financed by the European Commission and jointly implemented by RCC and ILO in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo *, Montenegro, Serbia and The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The project, which began its implementation in 2016 and lasts for 3 years, aims to strengthen regional cooperation and institutional capacities of national administrations, employers and workers organisations, enabling them to develop and effectively implement labour market and social policy reforms in their EU enlargement process. The four specific objectives of RCC-implemented action of the Employment and Social Affairs Platform project are directed towards: 1. Enhancing regional cooperation and establishing of a structured regional Employment and Social Affairs Platform 2. Supporting the processes for preparation, monitoring and follow up of the integrated Economic Reform Programmes (employment and social component) and monitoring of the current Employment and Social Reform Programmes 3. Enhancing the capacities of the relevant administrations for improved policy outcomes and policy reviews related to the prioritised employment, human capital and social policies 4. Strengthening the capacities and the existing PES Network with a view to facilitating the SEE 2020 labour mobility objective and preparations for future participation in the European Employment Services (EURES) Informal employment that is, work that in itself is legal but not declared to the authorities for tax, social security and/or labour law purposes plays an important role in virtually all economies. It is an issue that affects many aspects of the economy and society through, for example, breaches of workers rights, unfair competition and reduced tax revenues. Undeclared work not only causes costs to the economy but also produces benefits through, for example, reduction of barriers to entry to work or acting as a brake on government developing burdensome regulations. However, the social costs of informality outweigh the potential social benefits outlined above. As a result, social welfare can be significantly enhanced by employing effective policies to promote formal employment. A large share of employed persons works informally in the Western Balkans region (WB6). The estimates of informal employment range from 20 percent in The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Serbia to 57 percent in Albania. The large informal sector has important ramifications for the WB6 economies. A number of studies find that developing countries lose 1-2 percentage points in annual GDP growth to informal firms. * This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence

3 Despite being a wide-spread phenomenon in the WB6 economies there is limited research on labour informality. Until now there has not been comprehensive assessment of the adequacy of direct and indirect policy measures and their evaluation that aim at addressing undeclared work in the WB6 economies. EU policies for tackling undeclared work can serve as invaluable guidance on appropriate policies that could be effective in addressing undeclared work in the region. Accordingly, ESAP Project engaged six national experts from the WB6 economies to assess direct and indirect policies in combating informal employment and provide rapid appraisal of applicability and transferability of EU policies to the WB6 economies. The scope of services of national experts on undeclared work includes the following deliverables: Task 1: Review and in-depth assessment of direct and indirect policy approaches and related institutional set-ups and identify needs and barriers to formalisation. This particular objective aims to answer the following key questions: What is the extent and nature of undeclared work in the WB6 economies? What are direct and indirect policy approaches to tackling undeclared work in the WB6 economies? What are the institutional set-ups for tackling undeclared work using direct and indirect policy approaches? What are the barriers preventing the adoption of a wider range of direct and indirect policies? What are the identified needs which will further foster more effective formalisation of undeclared work using direct and indirect policy approaches? Methods: To identify the direct and indirect policy approaches and to understand organisation of the fight against undeclared work it is necessary to first carry out a comprehensive literature review of undeclared work in the WB6 economies followed by desk-based survey of the institutional structures that employ direct and indirect policies in tackling undeclared work. In order to close the gaps in understanding and provide up-to-date information on policies an e-survey based on Dekker et.al s (2010) survey instrument can be used. This survey instrument should contain a set of carefully engineered questions along the lines of Dekker et.al s (2010) e-survey that was used to analyse undeclared work in EEA countries. E- survey should involve all relevant stakeholders and social partners in the WB6 economies involved in the fight against undeclared work. Finally, in-depth interviews should cast additional light on the results of e-survey and offer richer understanding of policy approaches and institutional set-ups in the WB6 economies. Output: The above analysis should be able to explain the scale and nature of undeclared work in the WB6 economies, describe and asses the direct and indirect policy approaches, analyse

4 the organisation of the fight against undeclared work with regard to direct and indirect policy approaches and identify barriers to formalisation and needs in the area of undeclared work. All the results should be compiled into a set of working papers and published on ESAP website. Task 2: Policy recommendations and rapid appraisal of applicability and transferability of best EU policies to the WB6 economies. This particular objective aims to answer the following key questions: Taking into account the identified barriers to formalisation and needs what are the prospective policy recommendations for the WB6 economies with regard to the fight against undeclared work? What are the EU policies that best match each economy s identified barriers to formalisation and needs by rapid appraisal of applicability and transferability of these EU policies to the WB6 economies? Methods: Apart from the methods listed in the previous section it is crucial to make use of a knowledge-bank that has been created by Eurofund. With over 186 examples of policies tackling undeclared work in 36 European countries Eurofund database is invaluable source of smart ideas for more effective approach to undeclared work in the WB6 economies. Output: The output of the above exercise are policy recommendations with special focus on policy transfer of the EU policies that best match identified barriers and needs in the WB6 setting. Each proposed relevant EU policy should be analysed within the scope of transferability and applicability and enforcement in local context. A set of working papers with policy recommendations for the WB6 economies should be written and published on ESAP website. Taking into account the nature and broad scope of tasks faced by national experts a need arises for the engagement of an EU expert on undeclared work who will guide and support the work of six national experts. The EU expert will provide a wide range of assistance to national experts ranging from the production of reports, quality assurance of the final country reports, design of a harmonised e-survey, directing the experts to the key direct and indirect policy initiatives in the EU, etc. II DESCRIPTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES Objectives and Scope of the Assignment The overall objective of this assignment in the field of undeclared work is to provide expert guidance and support to six national experts in the WB6 economies in their efforts to review and assess in-depth direct and indirect policy approaches with regard to undeclared work

5 and provide rapid appraisal of applicability and transferability of EU policies to the WB6 economies. Specific Tasks The scope of services under this assignment includes the following contributions of the EU expert to the work of national experts as defined in Task 1: 1. Provide: (1) a common template for the production of the report; (2) examples of such reports from the 28 member states of the European Union to help the experts produce their reports; and (3) detailed information as the reports start to be produced on specific issues that should be added, which might otherwise be missed [5 Days] 2. Quality assure the final country reports [6 Days] 3. Design a harmonised e-survey for all six economies in the form of a questionnaire that will produce the evidence required to develop the report and will enable policy recommendations to be made regarding (i) the policy measures required and (ii) the way formal institutions (e.g. their strategic objectives, scope of activity and coordination between them) need to be modernised to effectively tackle undeclared work [5 Days] The envisioned level of effort is set at a maximum of 16 days of expert input. The scope of services under this assignment includes the following contributions of the EU expert to the work of national experts as defined in Task 2: 1. Direct the experts to the key direct and indirect policy initiatives which are required to overcome the identified barriers to formalisation [6 Days] 2. In addition to Eurofound knowledge bank, there is also a more up-to-date knowledge bank of the European Platform tackling undeclared work. Ideally, the EU expert has used both knowledge banks and will aid the experts by helping them identify individual policy initiatives that are transferable to their national-level context and discuss how these could be tailored to it [6 Days] The total level of effort is set at a maximum of 12 days of expert input. Lines of Communication The expert will submit all reports and timesheets to the ESAP Project Team Leader and RCC for review and approval of deliverables. The expert will work closely with the ESAP Project Team from whom they will seek guidelines to efficiently conduct the work. The final outputs will be

6 shared with the national stakeholders and will be presented and discussed in a regional meeting of the ESAP working group. Timeframe The service contract will be concluded for a period from 26 March 2018 to 31 July Deliverables Due date Detailed methodology and work plan 1 April 2018 Final Report 31 July 2018 III PROFILE AND COMPETENCIES OF THE TENDERER The expert should have thorough understanding of the labour markets in the EU and the WB6 economies, excellent understanding of informal employment, excellent knowledge of recent developments in the field of the fight against undeclared work in the EU and the WB6 economies and a record of projects and published articles on labour policies and informal economy. In addition, the expert should be well versed and experienced in data collection, mutual learning, statistical analyses and drafting high quality reports. Criteria related to the expert delivering the service: Education: PhD degree in economics, statistics, social sciences or related field. Qualifications and Skills Required Experience: years of relevant experience in the fields of labour markets, labour policies and informal economy in the EU and the WB6 economies; Extensive experience in analysing respective quantitative and qualitative data; Excellent knowledge of labour policies and informal employment issues in the EU and the WB6 economies; A record of projects and publications in the fields of labour economics and informal economy; Excellent communication and report writing skills; Analytical skills and ability to conceptualise and write concisely and clearly;

7 Able to interact with professionals of and representatives from the national administrations in the SEE region. Language requirements: Fluency in English, as the official language of the RCC. Knowledge of other languages of the region desirable. Core Values Demonstrates integrity and fairness by modelling RCC values and ethical standards; Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability. Core Competencies Demonstrates professional competence to meet responsibilities and post requirements and is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; Result-oriented; plans and produces quality results to meet the set goals, generates innovative and practical solutions to challenging situations; Communication: Excellent communication skills, including the ability to convey complex concepts and recommendations clearly; Team work: Ability to interact, establish and maintain effective working relations in a culturally diverse team; Ability to establish and maintain productive partnerships with regional and national partners and stakeholders. IV QUALITY CONTROL The expert should ensure an internal quality control during the implementing and reporting phase of the assignment. The quality control should ensure that the draft reports comply with the above requirements and meet adequate quality standards before sending them to stakeholders for comments. The quality control should ensure consistency and coherence between findings, conclusions and recommendations. It should also ensure that findings reported are duly substantiated and that conclusions are supported by relevant judgment criteria. The views expressed in the report will be those of the expert and will not necessarily reflect those of the Regional Cooperation Council. Therefore, a standard disclaimer reflecting this will be included in the report. In this regard, the expert may or may not accept comments and/or proposals for changes received during the above consultation process. However, when comments/proposals for changes are not agreed by the expert, he/she should clearly explain the reasons for his/her final decision in a comments table.

8 Quality Control by the Regional Cooperation Council The expert outputs shall undergo external reviews by all relevant stakeholders, including the representatives of the ESAP Project Team, and the Regional Cooperation Council. V APPLICATION RULES Qualified candidates are invited to send an application via to ProcurementforRCC@rcc.int no later than 22 March 2018 by Central European Time; The assignment will be awarded to the highest qualified applicant based on the skills, expertise, and the quality of the concept note and the cost-effectiveness of the financial offer; The best value for money is established by weighing technical quality against price on a 80/20 basis; Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the competency based interview. The application needs to contain the following: Letter of interest; CV(s) including relevant knowledge and experience; Reference list including contact details ( addresses) of referees; Brief concept note describing the main issues, information, data sources, research and analytical tools to be employed by the expert as well as detailed proposal of the work to be undertaken, proposed timeline and financial offer; Application Submission Form, Annex 1; Financial offer. When preparing the financial offer, the applicant should take into account the following: - The proposed budget should include daily fee rate for consulting services broken down by tasks; the fee rates should be broadly consistent with the EU framework rates for these types of professional services for international and national consultants. VI EVALUATION AND SELECTION The application is evaluated on the basis of the profile and competencies of the candidate and the responsiveness to the Terms of Reference (ToR).

9 1. Profile and Competencies 2. Brief Concept Note 3. Financial evaluation based on Annex II The best value for money is established by weighing technical quality against price on a 80/20 basis. Technical Evaluation EVALUATION GRID Education Qualifications and Skills Required Maximum score Brief Concept Note 30 Language Skills 10 TOTAL SCORE 100 In addition to the results of the application, a competency-based interview will be held with the selected candidates. Financial Evaluation Financial Proposal/ cheapest price has maximum score 100

10 ANNEX I: APPLICATION SUBMISSION FORM This project is funded by the EU REF: Title: Expert on informal employment in the EU and the WB6 economies One signed copy of this Call for Consultancy Submission Form must be supplied. 1 SUBMITTED by: Name Surname Address Telephone Fax 3 DECLARATION [Name ] hereby declares that we have examined and accepted without reserve or restriction the entire contents of the Call for Consultancy. And we are not in one of the following situations: (a) Bankrupt or being wound up, are having their affairs administered by the courts, have entered into an arrangement with creditors, have suspended business activities, are subject of proceedings concerning those matters, or are in any analogous situation arising from a similar procedure provided for in national legislation or regulations; (b) Have been convicted of an offence concerning their professional conduct by a judgment which has the force of res judicata; (c) Have been guilty of grave professional misconduct proven by any means which the Contracting Authority can justify;

11 (d) Have not fulfilled obligations relating to the payment of social security contributions or the payment of taxes in accordance with the legal provisions of the country in which they are established or with those of the country of the Contracting Authority or those of the country where the contract is to be performed; (e) Have been the subject of a judgment which has the force of res judicata for fraud, corruption, involvement in a criminal organisation or any other illegal activity. (f) Are civil servants or other agents of the public administration of the RCC Participants, regardless of the administrative situation, excluding us from being recruited as experts in contracts financed by the RCC Secretariat. We offer to provide the services requested in the call for experts on the basis of supplied documentation subject of this call, which comprise our technical offer and our financial offer. Name and Surname of the Consultant Signature Date

12 ANNEX II: BUDGET BREAKDOWN REF: No Cost categories Daily fee rate Total Cost 2 TOTAL COSTS 3 VAT (if applicable): GRAND (2+3): TOTAL Proposed daily fee rate for consulting services should be broadly consistent with the EU framework rates for these types of professional services.