Terms of Reference for the Midterm Assessment of the project “Tunisia Inclusive Labor Initiative – Expanding Opportunities” عودة إلى الفرص

1. INTRODUCTION

The Tunisian Inclusive Labor Initiative – Expanding Opportunities (TILI-EO) aims to create a more inclusive legal and economic framework for informal Tunisian workers so they can access decent work and government-mandated protections. TILI-EO is funded by the US States Department and implemented by the Global Fairness Initiative in partnership with the Tunisian Association for Management and Social Stability. The project began in September 2017 and will conclude in March 2020. The program’s primary goal is to support the Tunisian Government in implementing its strategic objective on formalization, which includes the following objectives:

1. The Tunisian government creates new policies, incentives and mechanisms to support formalization.
2. Government and civil society have improved capacity and skills to support informal workers in navigating the formalization process.
3. Public knowledge and engagement on formalization is increased.

TILI-EO builds on the strong progress and partnerships made in previous grants and works with Government to adopt key policies that promote formality and support the implementation of these policies through capacity building at the national and local level. For workers, expanded efforts are being made to empower informal worker associations and enterprises to advocate for their interests and become integrated into the formal economy. With strong government partnerships and civil society coalitions solidified, TILI-EO works to develop new government policies to incentivize formalization; work with government to build new institutionalized mechanisms to transition informal workers into the formal economy; increase the capacity of civil society to reinforce informal worker protections and support the formalization process; and most importantly, enable more Tunisians to access the formal protections, services, and better working opportunities and conditions that are delivered through the formal economy.

1. MIDTERM ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVES

To support the achievement of TILI-EO’s goals, the TILI-EO team is seeking a consultant(s) to perform a midterm assessment to analyze the program’s progress to date against the stated objectives and provide constructive feedback on where activities can be strengthened to ensure the program’s objectives are achieved within the grant period. Specifically, the primary objectives of the midterm assessment are to analyze 1) the efficacy of the program’s activities, 2) the extent to which the progress to date signals confidence that the program is on track in meetings its objectives, both at the output and outcome levels, and 3) the extent to which the interventions are laying a foundation for future sustainability. The consultant will be expected to analyze program progress against both the high-level objectives outlined in program documents as well as the specific indicators listed in the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plan.

III. ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY

The consultant selected to conduct the programmatic assessment is expected to gather information from a variety of different sources to ensure that the conclusions are robust and representative of the different stakeholders involved in TILI-EO’s work. Primary data collection gathering will be from document reviews, interviews and focus groups with key stakeholders, and independent observations and site visits. Key stakeholders include program staff and partners, civil society organizations, informal workers, informal worker association leaders, local authorities, colleagues within Ministry of Employment, Technical Committee members, colleagues within ANETI, and the One Stop Window manager, among others. Key programmatic documents should include grant proposal and agreements, progress reports, and M&E reports.

1. EXPECTED DELIVERABLES

The primary deliverables of this assessment are the following:

1. Proposed Assessment Design and Methodology – The consultant will provide the TILI-EO team a detailed proposal for the scope of the assessment, including the primary assessment objectives, the methodology, the evaluation questions, and the key stakeholders that will be interviewed as well as the proposed schedule and deadlines for major activities and deliverables. The schedule should include timeframes for the document review, data collection including interviews and field visits, provision of the draft report for review by key stakeholders, and transmission of the final report. This design report should be submitted to the TILI-EO team for approval within two weeks after the start of the contract.

2. Midterm Assessment Report – The final deliverable is a robust Assessment Report that summarizes the key objectives of the assessment, a detailed description of the methodology, findings from the assessment, and recommendations. The methodology should include a list of the documents reviewed, key stakeholders interviewed, a sample questionnaire (if relevant), and summary of the field visits. The findings should include a detailed analysis of A) the efficacy of the program’s activities and their progress to date on the stated objectives, including progress on high-level objectives outlined in program documents as well as specific indicators in the M&E Plan, B) the extent to which the progress to date signals confidence that the program is on track in meeting its objectives, both at the output and outcome levels, C) the extent to which the interventions are laying a foundation for future sustainability. The recommendations should include constructive feedback on where programmatic activities can be strengthened to ensure the program’s objectives are achieved within the grant period. A draft version of the final report should be submitted to the TILI-EO team as well as other key stakeholders with sufficient time to review and provide feedback prior to the finalization of the report. The final report’s submission will be provided along with a final presentation of the key findings to the TILI-EO team.

In addition to these deliverables, the TILI-EO team also requires periodic updates throughout the consultancy on the assessment’s progress including updates on any challenges being encountered. These updates will allow the TILI-EO team to help the consultant address challenges as they arise, provide support to the consultant in meeting his/her timelines, and ensure the relevant stakeholders are being responsive to requests for feedback.

1. MISSION IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS

• The TILI-EO team is responsible for the recruitment of the consultant and the management of the contract.
• The TILI-EO team will support the consultant in the organizing meetings with program partners and in planning field visits. The TILI-EO team will also provide the consultant with any relevant and/or requested documentation.

1. LEVEL OF EFFORT AND TIMEFRAME

The evaluation will take place over the course of two months – January and February 2019. The expected level of work is approximately 30 working days to review program documents, conduct interviews and field visits, and draft and finalize the report. The final report should be submitted to the TILI-EO no later than March 15, 2019. The available budget for this evaluation is $6,500 USD. Proposals should not exceed this budget and should include both the consultant’s time and travel costs.