Consultant - Labor Market Assessment

Job Summary:

Project Overview

On July 01, 2020, with financial assistance of Japanese Red Cross Society (JRCS) and technical assistance of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) commenced implementation of an integrated project with a component of livelihood to support disaster-affected households restore and/or develop their livelihoods. ARCS implements this project in Herat and Samangan provinces. The intended market assessment will be conducted in support of livelihoods intervention (income generation activities) planned under ARCS JRCS grant. Further details of this market assessment are below.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Labor Market Assessment is to inform JRCS income generation/entrepreneurial activities

ARCS with technical assistance from IFRC country office intends to conduct a labor market assessment to assess the entrepreneurial (self-employment and micro enterprise) options available in local and regional labor markets which can support the sustainable economic empowerment of disaster affected households in the urban and semi-urban context of Afghanistan. The result of this assessment will be used by ARCS and IFRC country program team as well as it will be shared with the wider government, other international organizations, national level coordination bodies, and the donor community providing services to disaster affected populations.

Methodology

The assessment will include qualitative and quantitative analysis, desk research and field work. The field work will include a broad scope of interview with key informants across target areas and sector actors, both male and female. In addition focus groups and group workshops will be conducted to cross-check and strengthen analysis. All tools will be in line with standard approaches to analysis of labor markets and activities. All tools will be shared at the close of the assessment.  

Main Objective

Identify self-employment or micro enterprise options for both women and men within key markets/value chains within the targeted implementation market areas.

Key Contextual information questions related to objective

• Background on self-employment/micro enterprise context, focusing on micro-business and/or home-based options
• Identify areas or sectors where there is potential pocket for growth

Methodology review 

Analysis; Economic Context and Background

Methodology; Desk research, Trade data, Macroeconomic statistics

Analysis; Value chains

Methodology; Desk research, Interviews with various actors and employers,

Sector data

Analysis; Supply of workers/self-employed

Methodology; Analysis of self-employment, Focus group discussions with sector actors, Interviews with actors

Analysis; Supply of and Demand for skills

Methodology; Review of skill level of potential cohort – foundational, technical and soft skills, Interviews with employers, Interviews with vocational skills providers

Analysis; Gender

Methodology; Desk review, Interviews with employers, and women run enterprise

Analysis; Stakeholder Mapping

Methodology; Desk review, Stakeholder interview

Assessment Areas: This labor market assessment will be carried-out in Afghanistan and in the following provinces: Herat and Samangan.

Audience of the Assessment findings:

Primarily in-house but to be shared with JRCS and others if possible

Activities and work-plan:

• Initial mapping (value chain, enterprise) to set target for key entrepreneurial options for further assessment
• Desk Research and refinement of assessment plan: Desk research will be done to develop a preliminary understanding of the target sectors and identify key organizations and individuals to interview during the fieldwork.
• Tool development and planning for field study: Develop (and adapt from existing tools) questionnaires, checklists and other tools that will be used to collect information from the various stakeholders. 
• Field Work: Conduct interviews with key informants and focus group discussions (FGDs) with relevant stakeholders in order to gather qualitative data as well as additional quantitative data about the specific project areas. Triangulate data/conclusions drawn from the desk research.
• Analysis and reporting: The consultant will consolidate and analyze outputs of the field study and present the key findings, which also includes recommendations to ARCS and IFRC Afghanistan programme office, in final workshop to Disaster Risk Management team and senior management team of ARCS and IFRC Afghanistan country programme office.
• The final report of this labor market assessment will include a written narrative report with all relevant desk research references; names, affiliations and contact information for all KIIs and FGDs, as well as dates; and original, cleaned data and a presentation slides for the final workshop/briefing session.

Timeline

Final report must be submitted and approved within two months from the starting date of the consultancy work. Consultant needs to submit a tentative plan for two months of consultancy work along with expression of interest.

Job Requirement:

Expected deliverables from this consultancy

• Inception report, including final methodology, after incorporating feedback from ARCS and IFRC country office staff, and data collection tools
• Draft report by xx day of the consultancy (specific date to be finalized on deciding the starting date of consultancy work)
• Final report (data set for quantitative and qualitative data attached if relevant)
• Debrief with programme staff
• A power point presentation that includes a summary of the Labor Market Assessment report (including process, findings and recommendations).
• The report should be clear and concise and no longer than 25 pages. Annexes should include the TORs, widely mentioning of key observations, finding and recommendations, a timeline of the responses, a list of individuals interviewed, a bibliography, a description of methods employed, a summary of survey results as appropriate and any other relevant materials.

 Requirements of the Consultant

• Afghan national with relevant qualification (advanced university degree) having acquaintance of local situation of west and north regions and Kabul province of Afghanistan.
• Technical expertise in market and value chain assessment and acquainted with the relevant information/ study by other national and international actors.
• Understanding of Food Security and Livelihood options for disaster affected populations and the vulnerable communities
• Have capacity to see the in depth critical areas of market and linkages with rural production.
• Experience of working directly with community without any prejudice and commitment to meaningful beneficiaries participation;
• Experience of using participatory techniques in data collection;
• Must have experience of qualitative and quantitative data analysis
• Fluency in English essential
• Ability to speak Dari and Pashto languages

Team

Based on the requirements, the consultant will take care of the enumerators in all target areas who will support the consultant in implementation of the assessment. In addition, ARCS project team in Herat and Samangan will also support the consultant if he/she will need any support from project team. The consultant will also take lead for developing the tools for this labor market assessment. The consultant will then provide training/orientation to the enumerators on data collection tools and data collection methodology.

Payment:

Negotiable and will be finalized later.

Job Location:

Submission Guideline:

Interested candidates who meet requirements are requested to send their,

• Cover letter
• Resume
• Sample of similar past work experience