Public Employment Services Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (PES MEAL) Advisor

About Caritas Switzerland

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CARITAS Switzerland (CACH) has been working in Ethiopia for more than 40 years. Currently CACH cooperates with national partners in Ethiopia. Recently, CACH has successfully been registered as an International Non-Government Organization in Ethiopia and has therefore become operational at project implementation level. CACH’s main working fields are the field Climate Change, Income, migration as well as supporting and implementing emergency and relief operations (Humanitarian Response). Our current working areas are in Oromia, SNNPR, Tigray and Sidama Regions. CACH supports and implements currently different projects in these regions.

About the EnJOY project

The European Union (EU) is co-funding this project that has been conceived to address root causes of limited economic opportunities and unemployment by means of stimulating economic development and job opportunities. The EnJOY project envisages job creation measures to be piloted through capacity building and structural improvement of government authorities at different levels. The intervention is carried out by four consortium partners:

the lead organization Caritas Switzerland (CACH) and the implementing partners the Ethiopian Catholic Church – Social Development Commission (ECC-SDCO), Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo (VIS) and Vita/RTI.

The project lasts for three and a half years from 2020 – 2023 and the total budget is 8.7 Mio Euro. Target areas are eight districts in Oromia (Adama, Gedeb Hassasa, Gimbi and Sibu Sire), Sidama (Dale) and Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Regions (Dila Zuria, Sankura, Dugna Fango). These districts were pre-selected by the EU in close cooperation with the regional governments.

Our partners at regional government level are: Bureaus of Finance and Economic Cooperation, Bureaus of Labour and Social Affairs, Bureaus of Women, Children and Youth Affairs, Bureaus of Enterprise and Development Cooperation, and Bureaus of Technical and Vocational Education and Training.

In order to tackle the constraints and needs of unemployed youth and women, the EnJOY project approaches them through existing public structures which are mandated to support job seekers. Consequently, the target groups consist of individuals (unemployed youth, women and internally displaced persons; students of Agricultural/Technical and Vocational Education and Training Institutes (A/TVET); micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs)) and public institutions (A/TVETs, job centres, government line offices) who act as intermediaries but benefit directly as target group as well with the aim to provide better services to the individual target group.

To assess the impact of the project and support the governmental line bureaus and ministries to be able to take informed decision on the job market solutions, the action foresees the collection and analysis of data to produce an evidence paper to assess the relevance and sustainability of the employment schemes. Through a participatory approach, favoured by the PPPs at local over zonal to regional levels, data collection from main beneficiaries both institutions (namely Public-Institutions - A/TVETs, job centres, eight SACCO-Unions, five MFIs and ca. ten different concerned line government agencies and offices at all levels) and also individuals (youth, women, returnees, IDPs, and SMEs owners) will be gathered. Consistent data collected will become the ground base for the elaboration of the evidence paper. First part of the paper will be a background analysis of policy coherence with baseline data available, analyses the implemented policy measures, the education and social inclusion, to assess if and to which extent they address the needs of and tailor provisions on vulnerable youth and women. Second part of the paper will analyse the effectiveness of the measure introduced at project level (job portal, existing OSJC and development of new standard service packages and guidelines) and will suggest the framework to standardize models and tools used. Finally, a specific section of the paper will be dedicated to the study of possible measures to make school (TVETs, colleges) to work transition schemes (especially apprenticeship) sustainable in the medium-long run (for example, economic benefit for the companies that host apprentice especially for vulnerable categories).

The actions foresee the development of a MEAL methodology. The methodology will involve a consistent monitoring of the progress of the action assuring adjustments and assessing the outcome. The participative use of theses information will be addressed to foster change within the project organizations and stakeholders, and through the PPPs, to the rural job creation system. The focus of this activity is to assess the achievement of the outcomes, evaluate if and to which extent it contributed to the achievement of each the six strategic pillars of job opportunity creation (1. Entrepreneurship/private development 2. Livelihood diversification 3. Labor market 4. Social safety net programs 5. Capital centric programs 6. Human capital investment); evaluate the efficiency of the proposed strategy aimed at developing the six strategic pillars of rural job opportunity creation; assess if and to which extent the clusters enhanced an increase demand in the sectors and targeted rural areas. The MEAL methodology will deliver reports by project steering board and validated by project advisory board every year and following the accomplishment of each project milestone target.

Summary of Duties

• The main objective of the PES MEAL Advisor is to enable and ensure the development of a MEAL methodology for rural job creation and to develop evidence papers including the assessment of project activities and recommendations. A Public-Private-Partnership model on regional and national level shall be set up in relevance to the developed MEAL methodology:
• Development of a standardized MEAL system which should enable efficient data collection, tracking, evaluation and reporting of the effectiveness and the impact of Active Labour Market Policies (ALMPs) and practices on project as well as regional/national level. The methodology will involve a number of MEAL tools (EUI: number of planning, monitoring and/or learning tools set up, implemented and/or strengthened)
• Collection and analysis of relevant data to produce an evidence paper to assess the relevance and sustainability of the implemented employment schemes and project activities and to recommend active labour market measures
• Propose a strategy and short-term actions to be undertaken within the project life cycle; medium- and long-term strategic plan (results expected, scope of work, roles & responsibilities of all relevant stakeholders, indicators of achievement) to be realized in the long run, including actions to flank governmental efforts to implement the National Rural Job Creation Strategy (NRJCS) by the Ministry of Agriculture.
• Development of a framework, strategy and platform of a regional and national Public-Private-Partnership for strengthening linkages between the public employment service sector and the business actors at regional and national level and to promote a common strategy and dialogue to enhance employment especially for vulnerable target groups, like women and youth.
• Development of a MEAL plan for the Jobs Creation Commission (JCC) (integration of existing MEAL structures) including implementation and training for JCC staff
• The PES MEAL Advisor will work for the EnJOY project through specific work packages. S/he will report directly to the EnJOY Project Manager. Work location will be rotating at the offices of all consortium partners as well as at JCC office. There will be travels to the eight project woredas as well.

Work packages and payment modality

The estimated total working days for the consultancy shall be 115 days, distributed over five work packages as explained below. The total amount quoted shall be all-inclusive and include all costs components required to perform the deliverables identified in the TOR, including professional fee, travel costs, VAT, etc. The contract price will be fixed output-based price regardless of extension of the herein specified duration. Payments will be done upon completion of the deliverables/outputs.

 Deliverables

1. Inception Report-Within 5 working days 27 Sept – 01 Oct 2021 

(including methodology of data collection and analysis, workplan, reporting template)

    2. Prepare evidence-based paper to assess the impact of the employment schemes implemented on project level including-40 working days 04 Oct – 26 Nov 2021

• Assessing existing studies, assessments and quarterly reports for the EnJOY project including:
• Baseline and situational analysis
• Labor Market Assessment
• One-Stop-Job-Center Baseline Assessment
• MSME job opportunities assessment
• A/TVET Baseline Assessment
• Quarterly reports
• Visiting all eight project areas to verify information and collect/analyze data for evidence paper
•  Improve existing data collection tool
• Assessing relevant stakeholders (JCC, Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture) related to rural job creation agenda so as to assimilate, harmonize, and recommend feasible strategies and a consolidated way forward to support the project activities
• Proposing a strategy and short-term actions to be undertaken within the project life cycle; medium- and long-term strategic plan (results expected, range of activities, roles, responsibilities and indicators of achievement) to be realized in the long run, including actions to flank governmental efforts to implement the NRJCS.

Development of a standardized MEAL methodology for rural job creation-20 working days 26 Nov – 24 Dec 2021

Establish a monitoring and evaluation system which should enable tracking and evaluation of the effectiveness and the impact of Active Labour Market Policies (ALMPs) and practices on project as well as regional/national level. The methodology will involve a number of MEAL tools (EUI: number of planning, monitoring and/or learning tools set up, implemented and/or strengthened):

• Organize and lead a series of workshops with relevant stakeholders on national level to develop the MEAL methodology (cost for the workshops will be covered by CACH)
• Develop the MEAL tool and system 

   4.Public-Private-Partnership Model-20 working days27 Dec - 21 Jan 2021

Development of a framework, strategy and platform of a regional and national Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) for strengthening linkages between the public employment service sector and the business actors at regional and national level and to promote a common strategy and dialogue to enhance employment especially for vulnerable target groups, like women and youth. The established PPP should be empowered to lead the national MEAL methodology and actively promote it:

• Develop framework for national/regional PPP
• Develop communication materials for awareness creation on the importance of establishing and sustaining PPPs
• Identify relevant stakeholders
• Prepare relevant topics for initial PPP platform meetings (cost for the workshops will be covered by CACH)

Development of a MEAL plan for the Federal Jobs Creation Commission (JCC) including implementation and training/technical capacity building for JCC staff (details will follow during inception phase)-30 working days 24 Jan – 04 Mar 2022

Job Requirements

About you

The ideal candidate represents the majority of the below mentioned areas;

• Knowledge in participatory approaches, problem resolving capacity
• Post graduate degree in development economics, public administration, public policy, economics, project management and related fields and advanced certificate in M&E or very similar with clear links to monitoring, evaluation and learning.
• Excellent and proven communication and writing skills in English; knowledge of the local languages in our intervention areas will be an advantage
• A minimum of 7 years and above relevant work experience in a similar position of rural job creation, labor market, public employment services, M&E, and practical experience at field level (expert, officer etc.);
• Experience in relevant working areas with other international organizations in Ethiopia; work experience with relevant donor organizations is an asset;
• Experience accessing and engaging with senior policy makers will be an advantage

How to Apply

Duty station will be in Addis Ababa, CACH Country Office as well as the offices of the consortium partners and Jobs Creation Commission. At least one time travel to all eight project woredas is mandatory.

This is a consultancy engagement. The candidate must be full time available from 27 September 2021 until 04 March 2022.

Applicants send a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages) as PDF. Application in any other format (word, JPG etc.) will be automatically rejected. At his stage no other documents are required to be submitted. CV only applications will not be considered. CV and Cover Letter must be in the same language as this vacancy note. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Interviews are foreseen for the time around 22 September 2021 in Addis Ababa. Female applicants are highly encouraged to apply!

Application to be sent to: info_eth@caritas.ch with the reference: PES MEAL Advisor