Terms of Reference

Consultancy to Conduct Labor Market Assessment in Jowhar with a Particular Focus on IDPs, and Vulnerable Host Communities

Location:                             Somalia

Duration:                             30 working days (21st April – 2nd June 2024)

Critical interface:             Head of Programme, LFS Specialist, Area Managers, LFS Manager, Area

                                            Program Manager  

Consultancy type             Open

Travel:                                  Travel required for this consultancy

Background and context

Jowhar has a rich agricultural landscape, supporting fisheries, rain-fed and irrigated agriculture, as well as animal farming. However, access to the city was severely restricted for aid organizations for some time due to control by Al-Shabaab. The Somali National Army, with assistance from AMISOM, recaptured Jowhar from Al-Shabaab in February 2013, facilitating improved access for humanitarian efforts and development initiatives.

The BREACH Project funded by European Union, spearheaded by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), unfolds as a three-year initiative spanning from 2023 to 2025, with the focal point set in Jowhar, Somalia. As the administrative capital of Hirshabelle state and the Middle Shabelle region, Jowhar holds strategic importance in facilitating durable solutions for displacement-affected communities (DACs). The project's overarching objectives centre on enhancing conditions for durable solutions, promoting livelihood opportunities, facilitating (re)integration, and building capacity among stakeholders. Through targeted interventions, including strengthening housing, land, and property (HLP) rights, improving access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities, supporting income-generating activities (IGAs), and providing vocational training, the project aims to empower DACs and foster self-reliance for 40,000 beneficiaries in Kongo and Baraki settlements.

Furthermore, by fostering social cohesion and dialogue between DACs and host communities, the project endeavours to facilitate the smooth (re)integration of DACs into the local community fabric. Overall, the BREACH Project endeavours to benefit a substantial number of beneficiaries residing in Jowhar, including DACs, host communities, and other vulnerable populations, thus contributing to sustainable development and resilience in the region.

Objectives of the Study:

·         Mapping out the current state of the labor market in Jowhar, including local vocational skills training, farming practices and skills needed, best practices of farming using technologies.

·         Providing an overview of current labor market trends, conducting on farm and off farm production-based technologies, and assessing the potential for agricultural courses that are marketable in the context of Hirshabelle.

·         Identifying economically feasible sectors and sub-sectors with higher potential for agriculture courses that enable youth to connect to the market.

·         Analyzing potential for farm based TVET skills, entrepreneur, and business development, including challenges facing youth entrepreneurs and new entries to agro business in Jowhar.

·         Evaluating the capacity of existing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Youth Employment Programs (YEP) service providers for conducting vocational skills training.

·         Identifying types of jobs available in the market that can be filled by YEP graduates, with a special focus on highly demanded innovative skills.

·         Role of the private sector.

·         Analyse the supply and demand of labour:

• The profile of labour supplies in Jowhar, examining education and skills of labourers.
• The labour market characteristics and conditions of youth, women and those affected by displacement, and examining their current skill and activity level in the market.
• The current structure of employment across sectors, examining wages and quality of work.
• The type of workers and the skills needed in high potential and growth sectors, and determining the wages, to promote the livelihood diversification and economic opportunities for the target population (i.e., those affected by displacement, women and youth).

Methodology:

The consultant/consulting firm is expected to employ the following methodology:

·         Thorough desk review of secondary data, including project documents, reports, assessments, and previous labor market surveys.

·         Conducting interviews and focus group discussions with key market actors, youth and business associations, displacement-affected communities, learning centers, and government line ministries and institutions.

·         Map out the vocational Skills service providers and conduct KII with the skills centers.

·         Utilization of a well-designed questionnaire for primary data collection, ensuring a solid evidence base for NRC's livelihood interventions.

·         Extensive mapping and analysis of labor market needs, including primary data collection and analysis.

·         Collaboration with relevant stakeholders, including vocational training institutes and government departments, to ensure comprehensive participation and inputs.

·         Pre-testing of study tools in the field and necessary adjustments based on feedback.

·         Data analysis and preparation of draft and final reports, including recommendations for NRC's livelihood interventions.

• Extensive mapping of labour market needs through primary data collection.
• The consultant / firm will review and finalize study tools (Questionnaires FGDs, formal & informal interviews with government officials and community representatives.
• Analysis/tabulation plan development simultaneous with survey questionnaire development
• Conduct data analysis, first level of analysis based on already submitted tabulation plan, giving measurements for all indictors; run frequencies; cross-tabulations, graphs.
• Prepare and submit final report.

·         Community and stakeholder in particular Vocational Skills and Training (VST) institutes, agricultural institutes, local universities participation is a crucial element, hence in carrying out the assessment, every effort should be made to include all the relevant stakeholders’ views and ideas towards the private sector and labour market assessment.

Deliverables

·         Inception report

·         Sampling plan and Filed plan for data collection, checklists for field monitoring.

·         Complete tabulation plan (submit just after finalization of the questionnaire)

·         Report on enumerators training and study tool pretesting.

·         Filed monitoring reports for data collection phase.

·         Cleaned dataset

·         Submit draft survey report 

·         Final comprehensive report,

·         High resolution pictures (field activity snapshots)

Level of Effort (LOE) – Suggested (consultancy firm may do the breakdown of 30 days as per plan given below and Share-It is subject to modifications as needed)