Consultant to support project implementation and monitoring in Sulaymaniyah

2025-05-29 07:15:53

BACKGROUND

The International Labour Organisation is implementing the “Promoting Employment and Employability among Refugees, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Host Communities focusing on Women, PWDs, and Youths in Northern Iraq project in the governorates of Duhok, Ninawa, Erbil and Sulaymaniyah in partnership with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) “Employment Prospects for Socioeconomic Integration (EPSI) project”.
The overall long-term objective of the project is to support transition of refugees, internally displaced persons, and host communities focusing on youth and women into decent jobs. This will be achieved through the intermediate objective of improving the evidence-base for stronger capacities of national stakeholders and policy dialogue, strengthening employment services, technical and business management skills development, financial inclusion and enhancing opportunities for work-based learning.
Outcome 1: Capacities of government stakeholders and social partners to develop comprehensive, equitable and evidence-based policy frameworks for productive inclusion of young internally displaced persons and refugees, particularly young women and persons with disabilities, in the labour market are strengthened.
Output 1.1: Evidence generation on the benefits of the integration of youth, women, internally displaced persons and refugees in the labour market in Iraq is strengthened.
ILO will conduct assessments to better understand the youth labour market situation in the selected governorates, with a focus on young refugees, IDPs and host communities, by taking a comprehensive approach to labour market and employment diagnostics and evaluating demand- and supply-side constraints and opportunities. It will also look at local and nation-wide economic multipliers of productive inclusion of refugees and IDPs in the local labour market and assess the cost of inaction. ILO will also conduct sectoral assessment to identify sectors with a potential to create decent jobs to young people, including in marginalized situations of refugeehood and internal displacement as well as young women and youth with disabilities. The assessments may also provide modelling estimates on the potential of creating decent jobs for youth through targeted investments in the identified sectors. Evidence-based demand- and supply- side policy options will be offered to steer policy dialogue on youth employment, including young refugees and IDP, with a particular focus on young women and persons with disabilities.
In parallel, the project will map and conduct meta-analysis of existing studies on refugees, IDPs and host communities across the country before embarking any of the abovementioned assessment. The findings from the meta-analysis will be presented as part of a policy platform that is planned to be established among several stakeholders relevant to the labour market inclusion of refugees, IDPs and host communities in Iraq. This platform will be responsible to guide all the assessments and policy papers that need to be generated by all actors which are involved to enhance the integration of young refugees/IDPs in the labour market. As an entry point, during the first sessions of the platform, the ILO being facilitator and supporting agency of the development of “Iraq national strategy to prevent and reduce inequalities in the world of work 2024-2028”, the project will present on the following agenda specific to refugees and

IDPs to sensitize members of state actors and policy makers of relevant state structures and key stakeholders. The agenda includes but is not limited to forms of inequalities in the labour market and its consequences in Iraq; the importance of Iraq’s national strategy to prevent and reduce inequalities in the world of work; policy context and key opportunities to address root causes of inequalities in the world of work in Iraq; and Iraq’s national roadmap to prevent and reduce inequalities in the world of work. In subsequent sessions of the policy dialogue platform, the ILO will be actively engaged in presenting findings and recommendations from series of planned assessments and policy paper with the objective of sensitizing members of state actors and key stakeholders on issues related to inclusion of refugees, IDPs, women, PWDs in the labour market. As a result, this will enhance their knowledge base and capacity to develop inclusive policy options and legal frameworks.
All the assessments and evidence-based policy dialogue will culminate into the development of three distinct policies focusing on inclusion of refugees and IDPs in the labour market, women participation in the labour force, and inclusion of PWDs in the labour market.
Output 1.2: Capacities of government stakeholders and social partners to design inclusive and equal refugees, IDPs and youth-responsive labour market policies, strategies and programmes are strengthened.
ILO will strengthen capacities of national stakeholders in FI and KRI, including the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Migration and Displacement, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Youth and Workers and employers’ organizations to engage in evidence-based policy dialogue on youth employment and design youth- responsive labour market and employment solutions, with a focus on the sectors with a potential to create decent jobs for youth. It is expected at least 30 national stakeholders, including from trade unions and employers’ organizations, in the selected governorates will be trained in refugees, IDPs and youth-responsive labour market policies. A series of validation workshops and awareness-raising events based on the evidence generated under output
1.1 will further strengthen stakeholders’ understanding of a comprehensive approach to addressing youth, women and forcibly displace persons employment and labour market deficits.
Activities related to consultative strategic workshops on designing localized refugees, IDPs and your-responsive employment solutions in the target areas and validation workshops to endorse evidence generated under output 1.1 will be implemented under the umbrella of the policy platform.
Output 1.3: Social dialogue on refugees, IDPs and youth employment for and with refugees, IDPs and youth is facilitated.
To ensure that young refugees and IDPs become the agents of change and their voices are heard in the development of inclusive employment policies and solutions, the project will facilitate social dialogue with refugees, IDPs and youth on the employment matters that they face. By building on and leveraging the global experience on conducting social dialogue with youth and for youth, the ILO will facilitate tripartite plus discussions with Iraqi Federation of Industries, Workers Union, and governmental line ministries such as MOMD, MOYS and MOLSA on the key policy and programmatic developments under the current project, including labour market assessment, employment and employability support, and apprenticeships and on-the-job skills development.
Activities related to consultative meetings related to establishment of social dialogue platform on unemployment issues for refugees, IDPS and youth as well as tripartite plus roundtable discussions on strategic constraints of green employment could be implemented under the umbrella of the policy platform as deemed necessary.
Outcome 2: Access to Labour market-relevant skills, apprenticeship, and intermediation services to support young people’s transition to employment are improved.
Output 2.1: Skills gaps in the green economy are identified and apprenticeship programmes to boost youth employability are developed.

The project will undertake a labour market diagnostic of the green economy to identify the skills gaps and skills needs as well as the promising sectors for job creation. It will also help to understand and respond to the opportunities and threats posed by climate change in Iraq, and demand-side policy responses to promote just transitions, with a particular focus on youth.
An apprenticeship programme offering an opportunity to develop the demanded technical and core skills will be designed based on this assessment. The market-driven nature of the programme aims to maximize the chances 25 per cent of young people securing employment upon graduating.
The ILO will engage the private sector to host apprentices and enhance the employability of the young beneficiaries. Moreover, the ILO will conduct outreach activities to raise awareness of the apprenticeship programme through the PES centres and Job Search Clubs (JSCs) to reach out and select potential youth job seekers in the targeted governorates that meet the programme’s criteria.
Output 2.2: Capacities of private sector entities and other employers are enhanced to provide apprenticeship programmes and create decent jobs for youth, with a focus on the green economy.
The project will implement a comprehensive strategy that involves identifying private sector entities and other employers, conducting surveys and interviews with the management, analysing youth recruitment trends, and exploring apprenticeship and work-based learning opportunities within the private sector. To bridge the gap between youth and the private sector, the ILO will work closely with ITC-ILO to design a related training programme covering the related topics adapted with labour standards and the Iraqi context to capacitate at least 30 employers in the private sector, providing them with the technical expertise and quality tools necessary to develop and implement similar apprenticeship programs and attract talented youth, including from refugee, IDP and host communities. Where feasible, businesses working in green and greening sectors as well as those with a potential to support a just transition to environmentally sustainable economies and societies.
Additionally, ILO will support PES centres in establishing partnerships with participating private sector entities to create a referral mechanism that will sustain these types of skills development and employment programs. Moreover, ILO will engage with the private sector and other employers through facilitation of networking events, job fairs, or sector-specific forums where young job seekers can connect directly with potential employers.to promote the hiring of young people.
Output 2.3: Young women and men are benefited from vocational skills training and work-based learning.

ILO has a strong partnership with Technical and Vocational centres in the northern Iraq such as with Sulaymaniyah Polytechnic University (EPU) to develop the skills of technicians and workers. This partnership allows ILO to ensure more women and men acquire market-relevant skills that have the potential to provide long-term and decent employment opportunities. ILO will further strengthen its partnership with the selected vocational training centres to provide the necessary market-relevant skills with special focus to young refugees, IDPs and members of host communities in the target Governorates. In this regard, ILO in collaboration with selected TVETs in the targeted Governorates will conduct needs assessment for market-relevant skills with a focus of green economy in the target Governorates based on the findings under Outcome 1, output 1.1 and 1.3. After the assessment, the ILO will provide market-relevant intensive technical skills training which will take a minimum of duration of 45 days for 500 unemployed young women and men including refugees, IDPs and host communities in the target Governorates. 200 graduates from technical skills training will be placed to apprenticeship programmes in companies with a minimum duration of two months in accordance with the skills they acquired during the technical skills training. To realize effective apprenticeship programmes, the ILO will make use of the long-standing partnership it has with Chamber of

Commerce in KRI in terms of identifying potential private sectors for the apprenticeship programme as well as identification of skills and employability gaps that meets the needs of local industries.
Output 2.4: One-stop-shop public employment services linking young people to jobs are capacitated and strengthened.
ILO will conduct in-depth assessments to understand the specific needs of young jobseekers in refugee and IDPs community, as well as the demanded skills in the labour market and the gaps in services offered by PES, with a focus on green economy.
Based on the assessment results, ILO will identify two PES centres which will be supported through the project to be able to provide high-quality and sustainable employment services. The support will include:
– Transformation for the selected PES centres to be one-stop-shop employment services for all job seekers including refugees, IDPs, youth, women and PWDs to provide labour market-oriented information and advice to young people, with specific focus on refugee and IDP youth.
– Capacity building for the staff in the fields of career guidance, registration, referral, partnerships with the private sector based on the public employment services manual that is being developed under another ILO project. Specific focus will be paid to training PES staff on working with refugee and IDP youth on issues such as documents and work permits, as well as navigating them on opportunities in the green and greening sectors.
At least 1,000 young job seekers are expected to register and obtain the services provided through the improved PES, with refugees, IDPs and youth from host communities constituting at least 20 per cent. Young women should make at least 30 per cent and persons with disability – at least 5 per cent.
Output 2.5: Career guidance and life-skills tools are developed.
Career guidance and life-skills encompass services and activities intended to assist individuals, of any age and at any point throughout their lives, to make educational, training, and occupational choices and to manage their careers. It also includes making information related to labour market and employment opportunities more accessible when its needed. In this regard, the ILO through its another project has been providing a capacity building enhancement programme on career guidance for the Department of Labour and Social Affairs in Basra, Southern Iraq. Thus, the ILO will contextualize its career guidance and life-skill coaching tools into Iraqi context and institutionalize it in the selected target Governorates Northern Iraq. Once the tools are adopted, series of capacity building training initiatives will be conducted for DoLSA and other local employment service providers in the region including career development centres in the universities, DoYSs, employers’ organizations, and with possibility to involve employment agencies "private sector”. Upon completion of the capacity building training, the training will be cascaded for a total of 1,000 young women and men end beneficiaries, including refugees, IDPs and host communities.
Output 2.6: Unemployed young women and men are provided with job search assistance through peer-to-peer support and guidance.
The project will leverage the ILO Job Search Clubs (JSC) methodology to provide a space for young people, including from refugee, IDP and host communities, to gather, share resources and tools for job search and form peer support groups. The Clubs will also facilitate information on the labour market and vacancies available. In addition, facilitators will be trained to provide ongoing support to young people as they seek decent employment opportunities.
In addition, a training of Facilitators (ToF) for 20 facilitators from targeted governorates will be delivered by the master trainer. A total of 20 facilitators will be trained and deployed. Facilitators will be selected from a pool of Ministry of Youth (MOY) staff and staff from Youth centres, as well as additional facilitators from local community-based

organisations (CBOs) and youth organizations working with refugee and IDP youth. A set of detailed selection criteria including experience in career development, proven commitment to support job seekers, facilitation/communication skills, knowledge of local job market, etc., will be used to identify potential facilitators who will pass through the training programme.
Furthermore, three cycles of the JSC will be implemented across the project target areas in the north of Iraq targeting young people. Accordingly, locations will include MOY youth centres, as well as local CBOs and youth organisations, the aim of which will be to increase the reach of the programmes and engage harder-to-reach locations and groups (including individuals with disabilities). Each cycle will last 13 days, during which young women and men will, including from refugee and IDP communities, receive trainings on job search-related skills. Following an initial assessment of their personal interests, skills and occupational goals, the members will learn how to gather job leads from various sources, prepare for job interviews, fill out applications and write CVs, among others. Around 400 young job seekers (50 per cent female and at least 5 per cent PWDs; refugee and IDP youth should make 50 per cent) are expected to be trained through the JSC methodology. Each cycle will be followed by a three-month follow up period.
Finally, ILO will conduct a pre- and post-assessment of the young beneficiaries to assess their employment status.
Outcome 3: Improved capacity of emerging and existing MSMEs to establish and expand their businesses.
Output 3.1: Potential entrepreneurs, start-ups and existing MSMEs, including women-led enterprises, are benefited from ILO’s sustained Start Improve Your Business (SIYB) Programme.
The ILO in collaboration with GIZ, as part of the project “Improved Business Development Services and Entrepreneurship Education targeting MSMEs and Youth for the Creation of Decent Work Opportunities in KRI”, has been providing series of capacity building training and certification programmes on ILO’s SIYB and financial literacy training for hundreds of trainers to institutionalize the ILO SIYB and Financial Education (FE) programme. As a result of this, thousands of young entrepreneurs and existing MSMEs were able to establish and expand their business thereby creating more and better jobs for unemployed young women and men including refugees, IDPs and members of host communities. Through this partnership, the project has been able to adopt ILO’s SIYB and FE training packages into Iraqi context and translated the training packages to Kurdish and Kurdish (Sorani and Badini) languages. Moreover, the ILO has been able to identify over 20 BDS providers in KRI who are committed to continue and cascade the SIYB and FE programmes to Iraqi entrepreneurs and existing MSMEs. Building on these experiences, the ILO in this proposed project will provide ToT for 20 new regenerations of potential trainers including 10 women and PWDs from across the project target areas that will be delivered by certified ILO SIYB Master Trainers from the region. The trainers in turn, as part of their certification process, will deliver SIYB training including coaching and mentorship sessions for 500 entrepreneurs, start-ups and existing MSMEs, including businesses owned by refugees, IDPs and women in the selected project areas.

Output 3.2: Improved financial inclusion of start-ups business and existing MSMEs in sectors with potential for job creation, including in green economy.
Although there have been a couple of attempts including the One Trillion Dinar Initiative, the Riyada Initiative, and most recently the Riyada/MSMEs bank for MSMEs to benefit from the measures taken to improve financial inclusion, so far, most enterprises still lack access to financial services due to various reasons including lack of information. Thus, ILO will make use of this opportunity to promote for financial inclusion through this project for 300 entrepreneurs, start-ups and existing MSMEs through FE and referral mechanisms to the aforementioned and other initiatives such as the Bloom project to as facilitate access to financial products so that they can establish and expand their business

which ultimately enhance their capacity to create more and better jobs for young women and men including refugees, IDPs and host communities in the selected target areas of the project.
ASSIGNMENT OBJECTIVES
The objective of this consultancy is to support the effective implementation of project activities in Sulaymaniyah for better labour market integration and transition of marginalized populations including youth, women, refugees, internally displaced persons, and host communities (Target group) into decent jobs through strengthened employment services, work-based learning, and skills development, with a focus on green jobs and green enterprise development. The consultancy is to build capacities and coordinate and partner with key stakeholder institutions including employer’s and worker’s organisations, MSMEs and potential entrepreneurs, government departments, vocational skills training centres, public employment service centers and the target group and ensure smooth execution of interventions. The consultant will oversee field activities, including organizing meetings, FGDs, workshops, training sessions, and events while updating and managing monitoring tools to track progress and impact.
SCOPE OF WORK
The selected consultant will support the effective implementation, coordination, and monitoring of project activities in Sulaymaniyah as outlined in background sections under outcomes, outputs and activities, by engaging stakeholders, implementing partners, partner businesses, consulting firms, non-governmental organisations (NGO), overseeing field operations, and maintaining quality control. He/ She will be responsible for:
1. Support in Project Coordination & Stakeholder Engagement:
• Liaising with the project manager and national project officer, ensuring alignment with project objectives and work plans.
• Support in Establishing and maintaining partnerships with government entities, private sector actors, financial institutions, and local communities.
• Organizing and facilitating high-level meetings, stakeholder consultations, and technical discussions, while documenting key outcomes and action points.
2. Field Implementation & Monitoring:
• Conducting regular field visits continuously for the project activities for quality assurance.
• Support in Overseeing implementing partners’ activities, tracking progress against work plans, identifying operational bottlenecks, and providing strategic recommendations.
• Conducting field assessments and data collection for different types of activities.
• Fill the monitoring tools under supervision of the ILO team.
3. Operational & Logistical Support:
• Managing schedules and timelines for project activities, ensuring efficient resource allocation and adherence to deadlines.
• Organizing and coordinating training programs, workshops, and knowledge-sharing sessions tailored to MSMEs, financial institutions, and implementing partners.
• Coordinating logistical arrangements for field missions, stakeholder engagements, and capacity-building initiatives.
• Follow up with event management providers under supervision of the ILO team.
4. Supporting any other technical or operational tasks assigned by the Project Manager to achieve project outcomes effectively.
DELIVERABLES
The consultant is expected to submit the following deliverables:
Deliverables: Monthly Project Progress Report

Deliverable #1: Monthly Project Progress Report covering the 1 July-10 August. Due on 10th of August 2025

Deliverable #2: Monthly Project Progress Report covering the 10 August – 10 September. Due on 10th of September 2025
Deliverable #3: Monthly Project Progress Report covering the 10 September – 10 October reporting period. Due on 10th of October 2025
Deliverable #4: Monthly Project Progress Report covering the 10 October – 10 November reporting period. Due on 10th November 2025
Deliverable #5: Monthly Project Progress Report covering the 10 November – 10 December reporting period. Due on 10th December 2025
Deliverable #6: Monthly Project Progress Report covering the 10 December -10 January 2026 reporting period. Due on 10th January 2026
Each Monthly Project Progress Report will cover the following:
A. Stakeholder Engagement & Coordination: Summary of meetings, key decisions, and follow-up actions.
B. Field Visits & Activity Monitoring: Updates on project implementation, challenges, and recommendations.
C. Implementing Partner Oversight: Assessment of partners’ progress, bottlenecks, and corrective actions.
D. Data Collection & Evaluation: Updates on surveys, monitoring data collection, FGDs, KIIs, and beneficiary tracking.
E. Training & Capacity Building: Reports on training sessions conducted, participant feedback, and materials used.
F. Workplan & Timeline Updates: Progress against planned activities, adjustments, and upcoming priorities.

Schedule of Payments (as shown in detail in the table)
• Three payments will be processed as per the below table

Payment Percentage Deliverables Due Date
First 33.3% (30 Working Days) 1 & 2 15th of September 2025
Second 33.3% (30 Working Days) 3 & 4 15th November 2025
Third 33.3% (30 Working days) 5 & 6 15th January 2026
Total 100% (90 Days)

SELECTION CRITERIA: Qualifications and Expertise:
The consultant should meet the following qualifications and possess the necessary expertise:

• Education –First Level University degree in, economics, social sciences, development studies, education or other relevant field, Advanced University degree would be an advantage.
• At least three years of relevant professional experience at the national and local levels implementing and/or supporting -career guidance, employment services and livelihoods projects, at least two years of which were with the UN or international organizations.
• Experience in working in the field of vocational skills training and in youth programming would be a major advantage. Experience in working in the targeted governorate of Sulaymaniyah would also be considered an asset.
• Proven experience in program planning, design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of projects.

• Strong communication and coordination skills, particularly in engaging with ILO’s social partners.
• Professional experience in development programming, with expertise in liaising with government authorities, national/international technical counterparts, NGOs, and building effective partnerships.
• Skilled in working and communicating with diverse actors, including government authorities, humanitarian agencies (UN and NGOs), and people from culturally diverse backgrounds.
• Experience in both development and humanitarian programming.
• Familiarity with ILO tools and methodologies (desirable).
• Familiarity with Decent work country programme in Iraq (desirable)
• Fluency in Kurdish as consultant would be mainly working in Kurdish speaking governorate, and good level in English for reporting.
• The consultant should be based in Sulaymaniyah, otherwise he/she will not be considered.
Note: This consultancy is opened for ONLY Iraqi national applicants from Sulaymaniyah
SUPERVISION
The consultant will conduct the assignment under the overall supervision of the project manager and coordination with National Officer.
Technical Proposal
The External Collaborator shall describe in the Technical Proposal how it intends to meet the requirements described in the Terms of Reference.
In preparing the Proposal, the External Collaborator shall review all requirements and will reflect his/her understanding of and approach to meeting these requirements in the Proposal.
In preparing the Technical Proposal, the Excol shall provide details of the one page that explains the implementation methodology and approach in Basra and Muthanna as well as CVs which will deliver the works specified in this TOR.
The External Collaborator may also add any other document and information to demonstrate its technical and professional capacities and competencies to fulfil the requirements as specified in the Terms of Reference
Evaluation Process and Criteria
Proposals will be reviewed and evaluated by an Evaluation Panel, to determine compliance with the requirements in the TORs.
A two-stage procedure will be utilized in evaluating the Proposals, with evaluation of each Technical Proposal constituting 70% of the total grade being completed prior to any Financial Offer which constitute 30% of the total grade being opened and compared.
Each Technical Proposal is evaluated based on its responsiveness to the Terms of Reference (TOR).

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

The technical proposals will be evaluated according to the criteria described below:
• 20% The proposal and CV should demonstrate thorough understanding and compliance with the Terms of Reference.
• 25% Consultant’s Professional experience in development programming, with expertise in liaising with government authorities, national/international technical counterparts, NGOs, and building effective partnerships.
• 15% Consultant’s experience in similar consultancies in Sulaymaniyah.
• 10% familiarity with ILO’s programmes and DWCP.

FINACIAL PROPOSAL

During the second stage of the evaluation, the Financial Offers (30 points) of all Bidders which have attained at least the minimum score (50 points) during the technical evaluation will be compared. The maximum number of points – 30 points – will be assigned to the lowest Financial Proposal submitted by applicants. All other Financial Proposals will receive points in inverse proportion.
• A financial proposal for conducting this assignment, based on a total of 90 working days, should be submitted in only in Iraqi Dinar IQD1 as per the table below.
• Proposed daily fees should exclude transportation and daily allowances.
• All transportation within Sulaymaniyah governorate is under the responsibility of the consultant and it would not be compensated by the ILO.
• If travel is required outside Sulaymaniyah governorate (within Iraq) and is requested by the ILO and/or agreed with the ILO as being critical for the successful completion of the assignment, transportation costs and daily subsistence allowances will be compensated by ILO as per UN regulations and standards.

The financial proposal template includes the table below:

Deliverables Reporting Period Estimated Working Days Daily Rate (IQD) Total (IQD)
1 “1st July -10th August” 15
2 “10 August – 10 September” 15
3 “10 September – 10 October” 15
4 “10 October – 10 November” 15
5 “10 November – 10 December” 15
6 “10 December -10 January 2026” 15
Total effective working days 90
TOTAL

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