The Government of Netherlands, ILO, World Bank, UNHCR, UNICEF, IFC:
PROSPECTS; Inclusive Jobs and Education for Host Communities, Refugees and other Forcibly Displaced Persons Project (KEN/19/51/NLD)
Background **
Kenya was for the longest time the largest refugee hosting country in Africa with Dadaab camp as the largest camp in Africa. Displacement has often been protracted, running to almost three decades for some for instance those that fled from Somalia in the early 1990s. Even when situations in countries of origin have seemed to improve as was the case in S. Sudan, it was not long before conflict erupted again and S. Sudanese refugees were back in the camps especially in Kakuma in Turkana County.
The refugee hosting counties in Kenya are some of the most underserved and least developed. Though this is slowly changing with devolution, levels of economic development generally remain low compared to other parts of the country. For a long time, the focus has been on provision of humanitarian assistance to refugees, which has created an ecosystem of its own, but one that has not necessarily paid attention to labour market dynamics.
With the roll out of the devolved system in Kenya , the counties are taking lead in driving their development agenda and especially through defining priorities through the County Integrated Development Plans (CIDP) – these are 5 year strategic plans that define areas of focus and gaps in interventions that the counties, national government and development partners work towards addressing.
In Turkana County, for the first time, the CIDP II of 2018-2022 recognises refugees as a key constituent that contributes to the economic development of the county. At the same time, it is cognisant of challenges in the labour market including relevant /skills to drive forth-emerging sectors like oil and gas and the need for more economic development through growth of local enterprises, development of value chains, attracting large private sector and creating an environment that enables investment.
The devolved system has created numerous opportunities; from renewed investment in infrastructure, opening opportunities towards public tendering at the county level and emergence of SMEs that support emerging sectors. So far, no known mapping has been done and it is unclear what sectors are on a growth trajectory and the kind of support they would need to enhance that much-needed growth towards employment creation.
Skills development in Turkana has been a challenge – anecdotal evidence pointing to the fact that the level of workforce available may not adequately support the strategies and development plans of the county as espoused in CIDP II. Technical skills continue to lack as was evident when Tullow Oil began prospecting in Turkana, skills such as welding amongst others often considered basic were lacking and labour had to come in from outside the county.
Key financial service providers have set up in Turkana – however most of them are located in the larger towns and a large number of the population remains unbanked and without access to financial and non-financial business services including refugees. Different financial technologies including Kenya’s leading mobile money transfer MPESA have to the extent possible tried to fill this gap in financial inclusion but more could be done to support enterprises towards financial inclusion and literacy.
Kenya has a strong cooperative movement dating back to the 1960’s which has contributed immensely towards financial inclusion and deepening, increasing productivity through economies of scale and enabling employment creation. With the long distances, poor infrastructure in Turkana County, producers would benefit from pulling their produce together and marketing through cooperatives. This especially applies to refugees who have limited access to markets due to restriction on movement as prescribed in law. These enterprises and entry points including for Savings and Cooperative Societies need to be determined.
In working towards socio economic inclusion of refugees and host communities, the county government and development partners have developed the Kalobeyei Integrated Socio Economic Development Plan (KISEDP). This is the strategic vehicle for development of Turkana west Sub County will be delivered through coordination of various initiatives.
This integrated labour market assessment will provide a reference for the county government , national government, private investors and SMSEs in identifying potential areas for investment development and growth on the demand side . On the supply side, it will be a first attempt to map in a comprehensive way the training landscape – identifying emerging skills gap that need to be filled and the capacities of institutions to do so. It will also look at the mediation of supply and demand, including the overall coordination of labour market actors, focusing on employment services, as well as supporting services such as labour market information, etc. This has the potential to stem the perpetual challenge where skills refugees are provided with skills often without a clear linkage to existing labour market demands.
Host communities and refugees in Turkana;
Up to 180,000 refugees are hosted in Turkana West constituting up to 40% of the population of the sub county. Of this refugee population, 46% are women and girls according to the UNHCR. Conditions for economic activity are challenging, as the area is resource-poor, remote and refugees´ are constrained in their freedom of movement and right to work. While Kenya is a pilot country for the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF), key enablers of meaningful socio economic inclusion especially freedom of movement lacks. Whereas refugees are allowed by law to engage in gainful employment, the number of those accessing work permits remains low. The process of acquiring work permits remains unpredictable without a clear indication on time lines and requirements. For refugee entrepreneurs, the limitation on mobility has meant sourcing locally for produce, which may not support their growth.
In 2018 the IFC conducted a study “Kakuma as a Marketplace” to identify potential market opportunities and challenges for the private sector. The study collected empirical data on employment, revenues, consumption patterns, consumer preferences, and financial transactions in the refugee camp and neighbouring town. The local economy hosts over 2,000 businesses and 69% of people in Kakuma town and 25% in the camps are employed. Employment figures are somehow skewed by the “grey area” that many refugees operate in (48% identify their employment status as “other”) as most refugees receive incentives instead of wages that often are that are far below market minimum wages. The main source of revenue is agriculture (~48%) follow by unskilled labour (~20%). Survey data from this study will provide an excellent basis for this labour market analysis; however, a limitation is that the host community sample only comprises Kakuma town residents.
In the recent years especially since the launch of the Kalobeyei Integrated Settlement, host communities and refugees have engaged in joint agriculture production ; indicating a level of willingness to work together which provides a good entry point. However, most of the agriculture is rain fed and drought is a persistent reality in Turkana. Exploring sustainable approaches to agriculture will be key for the county. Closely linked to this is the fact that Turkana county receives sunshine throughout the year; solar energy is a potential enabler for businesses and could be an area of investment and employment creation.
Integrating the refugee and host community market linkages beyond the immediate vicinity of the camp/settlement is crucial. Linking businesses in Kakuma to those in Lodwar, Kitale and other neighbouring commercial centres will be key for growth. Market systems development would need to have this integration as part of their strategy.
The ILO has conducted an Employment Intensive Investment Programs assessment in Turkana County; this assessment has identified great potential for labour-based approaches to infrastructure development and community assets delivery and maintenance. The possibility of extending this to other potential areas for instance agricultural production, irrigation will need to be explored. This especially so in light of increased move towards cash based assistance for refugees, which can only mean that traders will be seeking more suppliers and production in the local area, would be one potential source. This study will be complimented by a business development services and financial services demand and supply assessment conducted in Turkana West as well.
The IFC is running a competitive business financing mechanism dubbed the *“Kakuma Kalobeyei Challenge Fund” KKCF* aimed at attracting private sector to do business in Turkana. This provides an opportunity for new and existing businesses to venture into diverse sectors that will contribute to local development while creating employment. Most of the existing enterprises are informal – which hinders their access to business development services. This study will explore potential for transitioning businesses to formality and recommend concrete interventions.
Scope of work
The “Integrated Labour Market Assessment” comes in the context of ‘Partnership for Improving Prospects for Host Communities and Forcibly Displaced Persons’ (PROSPECTS) project, whose aim is to increase sustainable socio-economic integration of refugees and host communities The Partnership is a unique multi-year program, funded by the Government of the Netherlands, that brings together five agencies (ILO, World Bank, IFC, UNICEF, UNHCR) to devise collaborative and innovative approaches for inclusive job creation and education in contexts characterized by forced displacement. The program encompasses three pillars, namely inclusive jobs, education, and protection and operates in eight countries across East Africa, Horn of Africa and the Middle East employing an area-based approach, in which the partner agencies jointly focus their activities on selected regions within each country. For Kenya, the partner agencies have selected two focus Counties for further analysis: Kalobeyei and Kakuma camp (Turkana County) and Dadaab Camp (Garissa County).
The main goal of the study is to support the County Government of Turkana, National Government and the development agencies to identify and harness opportunities for stimulating demand for labour through better understanding of the general functioning of the Turkana labour market. This includes broad employment indicators (labour force participation, unemployment, wages), specific labour market dimensions of interest (sectors, local markets, targets groups including women and youth and the institutional environment) and the supply side (the quality of education and training) to promote more and better jobs and livelihoods in the region. This goal aligns directly the county jobs and livelihoods priorities, as stipulated in the CIDP II and the KISEDP. In looking at the demand and supply sides of the labour market, special attention will be placed on identification of the necessary policy and institutional framework for mediating supply and demand.
The study will also conduct an institutional assessment to describe the main roles and responsibilities (including of others not operating in the area) and identify potential for aligned programming and action. The output of the assessment will feed directly into the county’s design of action plans. At the implementation level, the study will also provide an analysis of factors for, development instruments of inclusion in different contexts as well as recommendations, and intervention designs that will serve key development authorities (line ministries of Government) in engaging more meaningfully in host community livelihood development.
The ILO will contribute its expertise on access to jobs and livelihoods for refugees and hosting communities, under the assumption that refugees will have more predictable access to work permits and access to financial services. It is important that the host community livelihoods are safe guarded and enhanced to ensure cohesion.
For the study, the ILO will explore areas related to recommendations that better address livelihood opportunities and the institutional capacity to expand and improve the livelihood services. A preliminary definition of livelihoods refers to capabilities, material and social resources and activities required for a means of living. For the purpose of the ToR, enabling livelihoods for adults and children of legal working age, include but are not limited to the following services:
• Access to livelihood and employment opportunities including through public employment programmes, self-employment and intermediation (employment services, career guidance).
• Employability, education and training services and gaps which aim to provide with the basic skills and knowledge necessary to benefit from social services, financial services, and vocational and higher education and openings to address eventual gaps or opportunities;
• Social capital services which aim to connect a participant with networks or groups for purposes including promoting sustainable livelihoods and reducing vulnerability to child labour;
• Business Development Services, Financial Inclusion, access to training opportunities that aim to increase the economic well-being of participants.
To establish the strategic action on livelihoods, the assessment will indicate the current and potential demand for employment (own account or otherwise), the potential employment generating opportunities and trade-offs for both refugees and hosting communities in Turkana, identifying sectors and trades with promising results. It will also explore the growth in the labour force (i.e. the working age population that will enter into the labour market (employed or self-employed) inside the refugee camp and settlement and in hosting community. Finally, identify potential gaps and opportunities in skills development.
The expected results will establish recommendations and baseline for ILO specific action over the next 3 years of project implementation.
Objectives
The assignment is divided into three main components, (i) a capacity assessment of labour market services providers and the role they play in mediating demand and supply; (ii) an assessment of the labour demand (including opportunities for self-employment) to identify opportunities for refugee and host population; (iii) an assessment of the labour market supply; (iv) analysis, recommendations and intervention design that links economic productivity to the inclusion of marginalised groups.
(i) Legislative, institutional and labour policy frameworks
The objective here is to understand local, regional, national and international policy frameworks and how these effect the situation of livelihoods of people in Turkana County.
· Determine economic and labour market dynamics at the county level including sectoral and territorial dynamics, economic policies and employment policies that affect refugees and host populations. A special focus will be given to the sectors, skills, occupations and income levels that will facilitate and respond to economic growth, as well as strategies and practices (formal or informal) for improving or having access to livelihoods.
· Reviewing and analyze existing legal framework and identifying gaps that may impede the inclusion and support of refugees in the labour market and in national systems this includes in both the formal and informal sector, wage employment and self-employment at sub-regional, regional and national level.
· This will involve a thorough mapping of labour market services whether, including (job search assistance, career and employment counselling, job matching), active labour market programmes ( labour market training, public works, any form of subsidised employment, etc.), as well as any (employment related) social assistance programmes. The services and corresponding actors will be mapped at county level but also as far as possible at regional and national levels[1].**
In addition, a rapid assessment of the National Employment Authority, as a leading government agency for promoting employment will be undertaken, including the policy and legal framework, institutional, financial and human resource capacity, organizational framework, service provision and delivery mechanisms, as well performance management framework, among others. The potential role of the regional and county structure could be play as well as their capacity needs will be explored.**
A quick review of the availability and comprehensiveness of timely and relevant labour market information at county, regional and national levels to support informed policy and programme design and decision-making.
(ii) Assessment of labour market supply
To assess the employment situation and characteristics of the labour force and the factors that affect labour market dynamics
Labour market situation: Determine the level of key labour market indicators including individual activity history, labour force participation, status in employment, earnings, working time, informality and working conditions (hours, safety). Importantly, measure work history both from place of origin and current residency to see how often, individuals move between different labor market roles and statuses. Employment should be analysed based on sector of activity, age, gender and occupations, as well as the type of employer, cooperatives, enterprises, self.
Human Capital: determine the labour force participation and the level of educational and skills (basic, technical, core) attainment. This could include estimates of the size of the skills gap between education and employment opportunities.
Transitions to work: Study the transitions from school to work, from household care to labour market, from informality to formality, youth unemployment and patterns for successful transitions to income generating activities.
iii. Assessment of labour market demand
To conduct a comprehensive assessment of the main mechanisms, employment and livelihood opportunities in Turkana West for mediating supply and demand in the county for host communities and refugees, including:
· Determine the current and potential demand for finding labour (self-employment and wage employment) as well as the degree of formality of these jobs. This will include an assessment of the sectors, sub-sectors and value chains, with growth potential, and the accompanying job types, skill needs, and local employment development opportunities, through a mapping of private sector activities in the area that show the highest potential for better employment outcomes and economic returns. It will also be important to measure the local populations credit and savings habits in order to assess current and potential opportunity for micro-credit, cooperatives as well as access to finance for refugees (microfinance, remittances, for income generation and income-maintenance in case of inability to work).
· Assessing opportunities for private sector investments, according to sectors, enabling environment and value chains**
· An important aspect to boost labour demand is to assess the role of the public employment services, private employment services, sector – in this case county government and national government, through public investments that can stimulate demand and government expenditure in general, as well as in NGOs and the UN. This includes on-going and planned infrastructure investments, public works and investments in activities that can stimulate private sector such as national (youth, women funds), and country development funds, activities to promote MSME development.
Assess opportunities for refugees and host communities to access opportunities via the platform economy (gig work, short term contracts, etc), e-commerce, as well as the relevancy for residents to benefit from online job boards and platforms.
iv) Assessment of perceptions and aspirations concerning livelihoods and employment
· What are the factors that affect integration and behaviour between refugees and hosts? Includes language, religion, culture, kinship, etc.
· How is competition for jobs perceived? Do they feel they are being treated equally/fairly?
· What are refugees and hosts aspirations for employment/careers and life goals more generally? Does this match with training or employment opportunities?
· These aspirations could be related to mobility, education/skills, jobs, opinion on level of employment services being accessed, entrepreneurship dreams.
Institutional capacity assessment
To identify the level of capacity and quality of service provision and articulation of labour market and livelihood support institutions including but not limited to employment services and training providers. This will include:
· Social partners: employers and workers organizations (if not present, then the regional or national representatives)
· Map the current coordination and support provision and opportunities and constraints for livelihood development hosting communities’ and refugees services. Prioritize the type and sequencing of these services. These would include the coordination, the level, type and effectiveness of labour market services and livelihood support services available, both through formal and informal institutions, including their level of inclusivity for refugees. Examples include publicly and privately (business or civil society) provided employment services, one-stop-shops, entrepreneurship and start-up services, job matching and labour market information. It will look at the national, county and sub county level. **
· Determine the level, type, and capacity of public, private and non-profit training, support or targeting provision available, both formal and non-formal, with a focus on entrepreneurial, technical and vocational education, investment planning, ALMP, and training and work-based learning approaches. This would include an assessment of their level of inclusivity for refugees, applicable skills qualification frameworks, local competitiveness and inclusion partnerships, governance mechanisms (including levels of involvement of social partners and financing arrangements), and available skills recognition mechanisms.**
· Support for and existence of cooperatives**
· For the last two points, the potential coordination needs, as well as the human, fiscal and budgetary needs would be explored.**
(vi) Analysis, recommendations and intervention design
To provide recommendations to County Government of Turkana, social partners, and PROSPECTS partners as well as other actors such as the National employment Authority, Agriculture, Industrialisation, Trade amongst others, to allow them to align their interventions more closely to existing and future labour demands in the area:**
- Assess and analyse the results of primary and secondary data on employment and livelihoods of host communities and refugees, with a focus on vulnerable populations such as women, youth and persons with disabilities; and their current coping strategies with regard to employment and income-generation using comparable criteria and classifications.
- Determine the specific opportunities where there is potential demand for employment as well as for the skills on offer and how institutions can better respond to closing these gaps.
- Present a set of recommendations concerning the usage of labour market data for monitoring, assessment and improvement of employment and livelihood support services
- Provide recommendations and suggestions on how to address employment and livelihood opportunities and trade-offs, inequalities and mismatches that can support the design of active labour market interventions such as employment services, entrepreneurship development programmes (start-up and financial services), employment intensive programmes and employability and training programmes for hosting and forcibly displaced populations. This to maximise employment generation in the county, as well as to enhance the likelihood of refugees to effectively find livelihood solutions.
- Propose strategies for transitioning of enterprises from informal to the formal economy
· Investigate how to build off existing evidence about “what works” in the design and implementation of active labour market programmes
· Propose strategies for strengthening coordination of interventions and actors in the labour market including the capacity of the NEA at county, regional and national level, policy and legal framework for labour market services, delivery mechanisms as well as monitoring frameworks.
· Highlight strategies to promote social dialogue, gender equality and inclusion of persons with disabilities.
Main responsibilities
· Regular field presence (exploration, implementation, validation, dissemination)
· Ensure appropriate coordination and communication processes are in place to capitalize on and avoid duplication of ongoing assessment work related to socio economic integration, skills and labour market insertion.
· Conduct desk research including correspondence with key actors (e.g. local Chamber of commerce World Bank, UNHCR, IFC, NRC ), to review all project documentation, existing/secondary information and data on the local labour market, and policies and programmes related to employment.
· Design and implement rigorous independent fieldwork, including primary information gathering, to answer the assessment objectives above and in relation to the information already available;
· Conduct semi-structured interviews and/or FGDs (as needed) with key stakeholders within trade, county and national government and private sector associations;
· Prepare indicative and actionable work plans across sectors with time frame and an estimated budget for short and medium-term interventions;
· Facilitate stakeholder workshops to validate the overall findings of this consultancy.
Methodologies
Related to component ii and iii:
Secondary data analysis (including IFC dataset), focus group discussions and Key Informant Interviews can be conducted to measure the following indicators:
Employment: Activity history, labour force participation, status in employment, earnings, working time, informality
An approximation of the type and approximate number of employment and self-employment opportunities, over the next 3-5 years.
A clear indication of the potential markets areas, job types, job quality and income for employment.
Education types expected
An indication of the minimum skills gaps from livelihoods (employed or self-employed), concentrating on specific competencies for example, literacy and numeracy, vocational, manual, ‘soft’ skills.[2]
A clear indication of employer-identified barriers that impede employment of young or other disadvantaged workers (labour costs, etc).
Entrepreneurship skills/knowledge
Access to finance for populations engaged in self-employment
A description of the barriers employers face in hiring young women and persons with disabilities.
Related to component iv;
1. Short survey (30 questions) with young refugees and hosts to determine level perceptions and aspirations
Related to component v:
Taking into consideration the findings from document review and mapping exercise, with special attention to assessment activities done by other partners, baseline information and recommendations will be produced based on secondary quantitative data as well as qualitative data. This will be from focus group discussions, interviews with key informants, such as project potential beneficiaries, TVET trainers, and the government ministries (chamber of commerce, the Ministry of Trades and Industries, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Labour, county administrators, CBOs, etc).
*Qualitative methods and secondary research:* focal group discussions and key informant interviews can be conducted with all social partners, government and technical and financial partners involved in delivering services to refugee populations. Secondary research and interviews can be conducted with employers and market operators to determine industry growth levels, growth sectors, hiring projections and other information.
Deliverables/schedule
The assessment will take a maximum of 4 months for completion, from initial research of secondary sources, to finalization of the document after incorporating comments from the presentations workshop. A research firm would be contracted to undertake the work, which would include lead researchers and several junior/local researchers.
Expected deliverables are:
- · A scoping mission to Turkana County
- · Proposed methodology
- · Inception report including work plan
- · Draft report with overall findings
- · Prioritization workshop
- · Prioritization and policy proposal document
- · Presentation for validation workshops
- · Final report
[1] A generic methodology for conducting a rapid assessment of labour market services can be shared with the consultant if needed.
How to apply:
Application:
Interested applicants should send their Expression of Interest (capacity, understanding of ToRs, methodology and financial proposal); and CVs to velo@ilo.org by Friday 3rd July 2020.
Only Shortlisted candidates will be contacted within 3 weeks after the application deadline.*