National Consultant(s) - Technical support for the implementation of programme activities for gender equality and social inclusion

Skills for Prosperity in South-East Asia Programme (SfP-SEA) in Malaysia

Terms of Reference (TOR) for

National Consultant(s) - Technical support for the implementation of programme activties for gender equality and social inclusion

Location:                                 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Languages Required:            Malay and English

Duration of contract:            25 working days over the period of 2 months (tentatively the assignment will commence on 17 July 2023 and end on 11 September 2023. The date will be finalised after completion of the selection process.)

1. Background

The Skills for Prosperity in South-East Asia Programme (SfP-SEA) aims to contribute to increasing national capacity to achieve sustained and inclusive growth through the enhancement of skills development and technical and vocational education and training (TVET) systems in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

To achieve this objective, the programme works with government agencies, employers’ and workers’ organisations, TVET and skills institutions and other partners in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines to facilitate review and reform of the countries’ skills development and TVET system strategies and policies. In the region, the SfP-SEA provides opportunities for mutual learning among the three countries and the other ASEAN nations, and beyond—not only showcasing the results of the pilots and lessons learned from the programme but also facilitating the sharing of best practices in the region and other parts of the world.

In Malaysia, the programme focuses on increasing skills development and TVET systems’ readiness to meet the skills needs of the future of work and those of vulnerable groups, through enhancing four areas of the TVET system and delivery:

• Equity:  Inclusiveness in skills development and TVET systems
• Quality: Future-ready & coordinated skills development and TVET systems
• Relevance: Demand-driven skills and TVET/skills recognition
• Cost-Effectiveness: Improved skills/TVET financing models

The Skills for Prosperity Programme in Malaysia (SfP Malaysia) focuses on skills and TVET system inclusiveness, quality, relevance, and readiness whilst addresses skills mismatch issues in the area of critical needs for skills development and TVET to support the industry development and socio-economic progress. The programme aims to assist national partners in improving policies to ensure industry-led TVET in public and private sectors and increase employment and career progress opportunities for TVET students and skills trainees at national and sub-national levels.

II. Objective

The SfP Malaysia seeks to engage national consultant(s) who provides technical and administrative support to programme’s implementation for the effective promotion of Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) in the skills and TVET system.

The national consultant(s) will liaise with national and sub-national partners with the objective to assist them during implementation and monitoring of planned activities in Malaysia. At the sub-national level, the priority geographical areas for technical assistance are the Sabah state.

III. Scope of Work

Under the supervision of the ILO Chief Technical Adviser and with guidance from ILO National Project Officers, the main tasks of the national consultant(s) and an indicative number of days for the work are:

1. Assist the programme team in finalising, piloting, and disseminating the GESI mainstreaming guide, including a GESI audit tool, in consultation with stakeholders (3 days);
2. Support design and delivery of the capacity development activities in consultation with national partners, such as the Department of Skills Development (DSD)/ the Ministry of Human Resources (MOHR), HRDCorp, TalentCorp, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Malaysian Employer Federation (MEF), and Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) (3 days);
3. Assist the programme team in promoting and organising the Malaysia Skills Challenge Innovation Call and awarded TVET/skills training institutions in implementing GESI innovation proposals approved by the ILO (8 days);
4. Provide administrative and technical support for programme partners in the states of Sabah in synthesising the results of pilot training as a tool kit and complete pending technical and financial progress reports. (3 days);
5. Assist the programme team and sub-national partners in organising TVET network consultation meetings in the state of Sabah and developing action plans to increase programme outreach and impact in the state (3 days);
6. Assist the programme team and its partners in developing and piloting GESI career progression maps in the construction and food-processing industries for selected occupations (5 days)

IV. Main Deliverables

The consultant (s) must deliver the following monthly products.

1. Monthly technical report (10-12 pages), which contains:

1. Progress made in the areas of work under section III, challenges, and solutions.
2. A technical note (1-2 pages) per area of work under section III with key findings during implementation and specific technical advice to the ILO and programme partners on how to enhance delivery of planned activities to reach greater impact.
3. Summary of key information (1-2 pages), including:

1. Achievements and challenges of programme activities,  collected through the implementation of planned activities under section III  in collaboration with the ILO staff and a Monitoring and Evaluation consultant. 
2. Proposed content for the development of programme’s communication products for internal and external audiences.

d.  Annexes as follows but not limited to:

1. A detailed and updated work plan reflecting the priorities areas of assistance to programme partners.
2. A monthly work log, which briefly describes daily activities.
3. Copies of key outputs from activities, including those produced by partners with guidance from the national consultant(s).
4. Organize, participate in, and facilitate at least four technical consultation meetings and/or workshops per month with participation of the ILO national and sub-national partners in Malaysia for the implementation of planned activities under section.

V. Timeline for the Submission of Deliverables

• Deliverable 1: Detailed work plan due on 19th July 2023.
• Deliverable 2: Two monthly technical progress reports for July and August 2023 due on 5th September 2023.
• Deliverable 3: Summary notes of at least 10 technical consultation meetings and/or workshops facilitated from July to September 2023 due on 7th September 2023.
• Deliverable 4: The end of assignment report, which contains key achievements, challenges, lessons learned, and recommendation to sustain and scale up programme activities, due on 10th September 2023.

VI. Required Qualifications

National consultant(s) should have:

• At least 3 years of experience in TVET, skills development, or human resource development.
• Demonstrated experience in working on gender equity and social inclusion in Malaysia.
• Advanced academic qualifications (including university degree) in these or related fields and
• Well-developed English speaking and writing skills.

VII. Contract Duration

The contract will commence tentatively from 17 July and end on 11 September 2023. The actual date will be finalised after completion of the selection process.

VIII. Indicative Payment Terms

Payment terms will be as follows: 

• First payment (10%): Upon the delivery and acceptance of Deliverable 1.
• Second payment (30%): Upon the delivery and acceptance of Deliverable 2.
• Third payment (30%): Upon the delivery and acceptance of Deliverable 3.
• Final payment (30%): Upon the delivery and acceptance of Deliverables 4.

IX. Application

Interested candidates must submit the following documents/ information to demonstrate their qualifications.

• Cover letter.
• Curriculum Vitae.
• One writing sample related to this assignment, such as a report, paper, project design documents, and communication materials.
• Estimated budget (financial proposal), including:

• Professional fees (daily fee rate and the expected number of working days).*
• Additional expenses for completing the work.

            Note: *Local transportation cost should be included in professional fee.

The interested candidates are requested to submit the above documents electronically to jmori@ilo.org and alauddinonn@ilo.org  by 6 July 2023 by 23:59 pm MYT.

Attachment

• Terms and Conditions applicable to ILO Contracts.