Request for Proposal (RFP) for National Employer Partnership Expert (framework consultancy services
| Consultancy title | National Employer Partnership Expert (NEPE) |
| Activity area |
Project component 2 (grant stream 3) |
| Report to | Team leader, Deputy team leader and International TVET employer partnership expert |
| Location | Kathmandu, with associated project travel outside of Kathmandu |
| Inputs | Framework contract of up to a maximum of 360 days over 20 months |
| Dates | July 2019 – February 2021 (with possible extension) |
1.Background to project
The Dakchyata TVET Practical Partnership project (hence: the Project) is part of the TVET Practical Partnership programme, the flagship skills development programme of the European Union in Nepal. The Project is being implemented by the British Council under the leadership of Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST), in partnership with the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT). The programme started in 2017, with an implementation period of 48 months, meaning that the Project has by now completed half of the planned 4-year long operational cycle.
The establishment and recognition of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) approaches in TVET is central to the Project. By working together, government, employers and private training providers can jointly develop and implement TVET and related skills development practices to respond to the diverse needs of society, the economy and individuals. The Project is piloting an integrated Public Private Partnership (PPP) approach in three key economic sectors i) agriculture ii) construction, and iii) tourism.
The Dakchyata project delivers two components of the overarching TVET PP programme:
Component 2: an innovative grant fund mechanism has been designed to pilot PP projects in the construction, tourism and agriculture sectors. The aim is to generate learning on enhancing the relevance, quality and sustainability of TVET provision in Nepal
Component 3: technical assistance to the Government of Nepal and national TVET authority to strengthen governance, coordination and reform of the national TVET system, and raise the profile of TVET in Nepal
(Component 1 is being addressed as part of the inter-linked ‘Sakchyamta’ programme, delivered by the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) in Nepal).
These consultancy services fall under Component 2, which is sub-divided into several grant streams; the most pertinent for this assignment is described in the below:
Grant stream 3: National Level Grants
A part of the overall Dakchyata Practical Partnership grant scheme will be a small number of large-scale national level grants focusing on major issues impacting the effective functioning of TVET in Nepal, such as the lack of reliable labour market information, assessment of present and future needs of skilled workforce and skills needs etc. For these national level grants to effect real and lasting change at the systemic level in TVET, they will primarily focus on engagement with the leading umbrella employer associations in Nepal, which have the legitimacy to represent and advocate on behalf of employers in general and from across all the three project focal sectors (Agriculture, Construction, and Tourism).
A study has recently been conducted capturing the needs of employers, with special emphasis on demand and supply of skills, forming the basis for work in this area. However, there remains a need for employers to discuss and communicate their needs in a coordinated and orchestrated manner: employers in Nepal do not at present have any mechanism – a Board, a Secretariat or a Unit within any existing set-up/organisation, through which they can express coordinated views and “speak with one voice”. It will be an important task for the National Employer Partnership Expert (NEPE) to assist the International TVET Employer Partnership Expert (TEPE) in engaging with employer organisations and on the basis of their expressed needs and wishes, supporting and facilitating them to identify a mechanism through which they agree to formulate coordinated and shared views, starting with areas pertinent to TVET and labour market issues in general. It will be expected that the NEPE – under the guidance and supervision of TEPE – takes a proactive role in preparing prospective grantees and partners in establishing such a mechanism and making it operational, while at the same time capturing the lessons learned from the intervention.
2.Description of assignment
The British Council is looking to appoint a National Employer Partnership Expert (NEPE) to provide technical capacity building and expertise to beneficiaries in TVET overall, and in particular focusing on issues such as employer engagement in skills development for the labour market based on actual market demands. The NEPE will be expected to deliver his/her services full time over the duration of the contract, providing ongoing technical advice and support to establish and operate an employer-led initiative to coordinate employer views on the needs for skills in a globalised economy, for new entrants in the labour market and for up-skilling of the existing workforce alike, not least by assisting employers to coordinate their views and on this background, establish a fruitful, effective and efficient dialogue with Government and non-government TVET actors/providers that leads to reduced skills gaps and shortages in the labour market and enhances employment.
2.1 Objectives
The overall objective of the consultancy is for the NEPE to provide capacity building support to grant beneficiaries (stream 3 – employers and their associations) for the effective delivery of the agreed activities, under the leadership of the International TEPE and in coordination with other Dakchyata key staff.
2.2 Required services/activities
The required services are as follows:
Under the guidance and supervision of TEPE and on the background of experience in what works in terms of coordinating employer views on TVET, call on and hold discussions with employer associations and other relevant stakeholders to gauge their readiness and willingness to form an entity (a Board, a Secretariat, or a Unit within an existing structure or outside of such), which is tasked with streamlining employer views on matters regarding need of the skilled workforces and skills needs and ensuring greater employer responsiveness from TVET. This entity must include representation from all three focal sectors of the Dakchyata Project (Agriculture, Construction and Tourism).
On the background of the above, assist in identifying and defining a coordinating mechanism that meets the needs of the employers and their associations.
Assist TEPE in the drafting of the Terms of Reference or Operating Agreement for establishing the entity and in the drafting of a Work Plan, to start up work.
Assist grant recipients and partners in establishing and operationalising activities i.e. assess the needs of staff and draft guidelines for the practical operations of the entity that employer associations have agreed on, to make the entity operational.
Advise and assist TEPE on shaping the consultative processes needed in supporting grant recipients to effectively deliver the agreed activities, both vis-à-vis the members or stakeholders in the set-up (internal coordination and communication), but also to support them in establishing a protocol of dialogue and engagement with Government on policy issues and with public and private TVET training providers on matters related to qualification and skills needs and other issues of mutual interest.
Advise and assist TEPE and the Team Leader in monitoring the ongoing operations of the entity and in capacitating key personnel, to enable the entity to function and to fulfil its mandate.
Support in the identification of lessons and learning from delivery of the project(s), including drafting specific case studies in various formats, to contribute to the body of evidence on effective public-private partnership in TVET in Nepal
Assist/support the entity regularly and throughout, ensuring effective functioning.
2.3 Required outputs
Specific outputs will be agreed in six-monthly work plans that the TEPE will draft, mapped against the Project work plan. While more details of expected outputs will be discussed and agreed on as the consultancy progresses, the initial required outputs for the NEPE will include:
On the basis of information provided by the Project and on the basis of a dialogue with the Project, and through knowledge of and engagement with employer representatives in Nepal, provide inputs needed by TEPE to draft a short narrative report, containing analysis, findings, suggestions, conclusions and recommendations, with the main text of the report focusing on those activities, where the TEPE suggests to initiate work, to kick-start the consultancy.
Through further discussion of the above Report and upon reaching agreement with the Dakchyata Project on the type of work to be carried out in the initial stages of the consultancy (first 6 months), assist TEPE in drafting of an Inception Report, which outlines in some detail the roles, responsibilities and methodologies that the TEPE suggests to be assumed by in order to address the requirements of the consultancy.
As part of the above deliverable, contribute to a time-bound Work Plan, through which it is clearly stated, which activities the NEPE will assume responsibility for undertaking, with particular focus on engaging with, facilitating and building the capacity of external stakeholders (grant beneficiaries and partners) for further discussion and agreement with the Team Leader, the Deputy Team Leader and TEPE of Dakchyata.
- Logistical arrangements
3.1 Location
Kathmandu, with field visits outside of Kathmandu Valley and remotely as required.
3.2 Input period
The input period for this assignment will be from July 2019 to February 2021 (with possibility of extension). Work will be decided through mutual agreement on the basis of a framework contract, which covers the entire input period, but broken down in six-month planning periods, which will indicate the tasks to be carried out and the work-days needed to address the various tasks.
- Administrative information
4.1 Travel
The NEPE will be required to work from office space of Dakchyata. Field visits outside Kathmandu Valley may be required. Any travel outside of Kathmandu will be agreed in advance – transport and accommodation outside of Kathmandu valley will be reimbursed as per the Dakchyata travel policy.
4.2 Equipment
The NEPE will be expected to provide own office equipment i.e. laptop, mobile phone etc. required to perform the services.
4.3 Invoicing
Payment will be made in arrears on acceptance of deliverables and receipt of corresponding invoice and timesheets. An indicative payment schedule will be agreed and form part of the service contracts.
4.4 Fee rate and expenses
The daily fee rate will be considered an all-inclusive fee, including all applicable taxes such as VAT, and cover all preparation, report writing and all other work required for completion of the services.
4.5 Working days
For the purposes of this assignment “Working Hours” and “Working Days” shall mean an 8 hour day, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. local time Monday to Friday, unless otherwise agreed
- Consultant specification
| Mandatory criteria | Weighting |
| Minimum Bachelors Degree in Education, Economics, Business Administration or Engineering or other relevant subject, alongside extensive experience in engaging and involving employers in all issues pertinent to skills needs of employers. | Y/N |
| Fluent spoken and written English and evidence of good writing and communication skills, in a cross-cultural environment | Y/N |
| Significant work experience in working with employer and employer representatives within TVET and/or with labour market issues and/or in other areas where employers have capacity needs in establishment of labour market assessment unit. | 30% |
| Experience in engaging with private sector employers and others to find ways to transfer knowledge and skills, e.g. through planning and holding of workshops, giving orientations and finding other ways to ensure institutional capacity development and skills transfer, particularly within coordination and management of systems and organisations working closely with TVET development. | 30% |
| Knowledge and understanding of ways to engage employers and coordinate viewpoints of employers and find mechanisms to streamline these and make employers “speak with one voice” on a string of issues, with special emphasis on employment, skills needs and training requirements. | 30% |
| Commercial | Weighting |
| Daily fee rate | 10% |
Final scores in terms of a percentage of the overall submission score will be obtained by applying the relevant weighting factors set out as part of the award criteria table above. The percentage scores for each award criteria will be amalgamated to give a percentage score out of 100.
Following scoring the submissions, the top three scoring applicants will:
- i)be invited to attend an interview to further clarify their submissions, experience and skills.
- ii)Following the interviews, evaluation scores will be adjusted based on the performance of each consultant at interview.
The winning submission shall be the response scoring the highest percentage score out of 100 when applying the above evaluation methodology.
- How to apply
In accordance with the instructions stated at section 12 of the RFP ( Please refer full RFP details in the link below ;
https://www.dakchyata-nepal.org/join-us,
Interested candidates should submit the following:
1) a completed supplier response form (annex 3) available on https://www.dakchyata-nepal.org/join-us
2) latest cv
Submissions should be sent to sudha.subba@britishcouncil.org.np with the title National Employer Partnership Expert (NEPE) – Dakchyata: TVET Practical Partnership Nepal’ by 18.00 pm local time on 30 june 2019.
please note, we can only respond to successful applicants.