International Consultant to conduct a policy review and strategic recommendations for advancing TVET in Iraq and Kurdistan Region under ILO PROSPECTS

1. Position Information

• Organization: ILO, through Stars Orbit Consultants and Management Development (SOC).
• VA No. VA24-164
• Position Title: International Consultant to conduct a policy review and strategic recommendations for advancing TVET in Iraq and Kurdistan Region under ILO PROSPECTS Project-PhaseII.
• Duty Station : Iraq
• Duration: 6 months
• Vacancy Date of Issue: 12 November 2024
• Vacancy Closure Date: 25 November 2024
• Expected Starting Date: 1 December 2024

This vacancy is announced by ILO through Stars Orbit Consultants and Management Development (SOC). SOC is a sub-contractor for ILO, assisting the programme in implementing their activities through HR and contract management of consultants working in their support.

2. Assignment Background

The Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region faces challenges in alignment with the evolving needs of the labour market and the socio-economic context. To address these challenges, the International Labour Organization (ILO) aims to assess and review the existing policies and strategies within the TVET sector**. This review will identify gaps and areas for improvement, propose potential policy reforms to strengthen the system, and recommend priority areas for ILO interventions under the Education and Learning Pathway of the PROSPECTS Project.** The assignment will focus on ensuring that TVET policies are aligned with current labour market demands, particularly for youth, including forcibly displaced individuals and host communities, while considering technological, social, and environmental trends. This work will guide future ILO programming to enhance skills development, improve employability, and promote decent work opportunities within Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.

2.1 Project activity related to the assignment

Under Pilar I: Education and learning

This assignment is implemented in the frame of the following project activity defined in the workplan of the project

Activity 01: “Assess support for advancement of policies, frameworks, and guidelines developed under TVET reforms.”

The assessment’s findings will enable the ILO to:

• Support the ongoing TVET reforms and the implementation of the National Education Strategy.
• Strengthen TVET institutions’ capacity to identify skills demand, deliver quality vocational training and work-based learning (WBL), and effectively assess the outcomes of skills development program

Building on the National Educational Strategy (2022-2031) and identified priorities, this intervention will assess with the Ministry of Labour (MOLSA) and related TVET bodies and actors, the support for advancement of the policies, frameworks, and guidelines developed under TVET reforms. Pending consultation with national actors, including ILO’s tripartite constituents, TVET specific reform/implementation may include operationalising the Technical Vocational Qualification Framework (TVQF), piloting programs for RPL, drafting Work-Based Learning (WBL)/apprenticeship framework, establishing a unified system for developing the National Occupational Standards (NOSs), developing national framework for developing TVET curricula based on the TVQF, and piloting National Sector Skills Councils. This is in addition to building the institutional capacities of national stakeholders to sustain the reforms in the medium and long-term. Efforts will also be made to ensure that the framework is inclusive to both FDPs and HC, including women, young people and persons with disabilities. This will include engagement of women led organizations

3. Assignment Objective

The overall objective of this assignment is to assess and review existing policies, strategies, and legislative frameworks within the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector in Federal Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. The consultant will identify gaps, suggest policy and legislative enhancements, and recommend priority interventions for ILO under the Education and Learning Path of the PROSPECTS project. A key focus will be on integrating forcibly displaced persons into national skills development programmes, ensuring the TVET system is inclusive and aligned with labour market needs.

4. Scope of Work and Methodology

ILO’s PROSPECTS initiative in Iraq, seeks to hire an international consultant to conduct a comprehensive policy review and provide strategic recommendations for advancing the TVET system in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. This assignment will particularly focus on identifying gaps and opportunities within existing policies and strategies, with a key emphasis on legislative measures to ensure the inclusion of forcibly displaced persons (FDPs) in national skills development programmes. This study will cover the Federal Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), focusing on ILO activities primarily implemented in Ninawa, Baghdad, and Duhok (KRI)

The methodology:

The consultant will begin with an intensive desk review of the existing policies, strategies, and legislative frameworks in the TVET sector in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. This review will focus on identifying areas for improvement, with particular attention to policies related to the inclusion of forcibly displaced persons in national skills development programmes. Following the desk review, the consultant will conduct field visits to key locations, including Baghdad, Erbil, and PROSPECTS-covered areas, to engage in consultations with key stakeholders, including government entities, TVET institutions, and relevant partners. These consultations will inform the development of comprehensive policy recommendations aimed at strengthening the TVET system, aligning it with labour market needs, and promoting inclusive skills development for both the host community and forcibly displaced persons.

To review the full ToR, click here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cUxMNspd-YoCe36FaeftZuVqGA8-2Nct/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=104884024946145696197&rtpof=true&sd=true

5. Required qualifications, experiences and competencies

a. Minimum requirements

• Master’s degree or higher in education, social sciences or any another relevant field.
• Good knowledge of the educational context in the region preferably Iraq, its issues and opportunities and of the role played by the public and private sector institutions, especially in relation to TVET.
• A solid professional background (6 years or more) in the domain of policy making and/or policy research and development, cooperating with public bodies.
• A solid professional experience (6 years or more) with international organisations in conducting training needs assessment, policy papers, research studies, and assessments.
• Very good analytical (conducting surveys and data analysis), synthesis, and report writing skills.
• Fluency in English.
• Proven experience in facilitating workshops and consultation meetings and working in multi-stakeholders’ environment with national and international communities.
• Proven excellence in writing, demonstrated through the development of high-level strategic documents with supporting evidence.

b. Preferred requirements

• Arabic language is an asset.
• Previous experience for similar policy and strategy development in at least two Arab countries.
• knowledge of strategy development using a participatory process, of TOC and formulating results frameworks.