Developing A Roadmap For The Government Of Iraq To Establish A National Public Works Programme At International Labour Organization

Background:

Reconstruction and public works context of Iraq Four decades of conflict devasted Iraq’s economy resulting in the destruction of infrastructure, deindustrialization, high unemployment and emigration. Since 2017 the country has experienced a period of relative stability that has enabled it to capitalize on oil exports and kickstart an incipient process of reconstruction and economic diversification. Nevertheless, unemployment and work informality remain high. In total 1,703,000 people (16.5 per cent of the working age population) are unemployed , with a higher rate among men and in urban areas.1 Labour underutilization also remains high. The combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force2 is estimated at 24.1 per cent in 2021, with LU3 rate for women that year was a staggering 46.9 per cent, compared to 19.7 per cent for men. As of 2021, approximately 5.73 million people were informally employed, making up 66.6% of total employment. The Government of Iraq has signaled that the creation and roll-out of a national public work programme is a development priority. In a recent White Paper on Economic Reform, the Government highlighted its ambition to “create a legal and regulatory framework to operationalize public works programmes”.3 Public works are seen as a means of creating sustainable employment opportunities for low-income households with low wages or unemployed, and as a way of contributing to local development and infrastructure rehabilitation through small, locally defined projects. The Iraq Vision for Sustainable Development 2030,4 prepared in 2019 by the Ministry of Planning also identified the establishment of public works as one of Iraq’s key investment pillars to create job opportunities in the immediate term. In November 2022, the Government under its National Development Programme stated its interest to prioritize investment in a National Public Works Programme with a possible focus on the housing and construction sector. An employment intensive public works programme is also seen as an opportunity for the Government to transcend ad-hoc income support and livelihoods creation initiatives (e.g. cash for work sector dominated by non-government organizations) towards more sustainable policy-backed job-creation and employment promotion in both the private and public sectors. It will also assist in formalizing the economy and enabling extension of social security coverage in the private sector thanks to a recently passed social security and pensions law. Strategic design parameters for public work programmes While public works programmes can sustainably transform the economy and reduce poverty, they can also fail as a result of elite capture and corruption. The design of public works programmes is therefore of critical importance. To avoid such failures in the Iraq context, several strategic design parameters have to be factored in from the very beginning including: (1) the ratio of material costs versus labour costs, (2) the shelf of works, (3) the governance of the prioritization and contracting, (4) competency of staffing and other accountability mechanisms and (5) the potential of public works to strengthen human capital, support skilling in emerging sectors and translate into more and better jobs, especially for the poor, vulnerable and those at risk of being left behind, including through the established coherence and coordination with other existing socio-economic policies and programmes, particularly on social security. The ratio of material costs versus labour costs is important because the more the material costs are high, the more vulnerability to corruption and misuse increases. While in some cases material costs may need to be high (e.g. clearing land-slides with excavators), it is important to strive towards a higher labour ratio if the main objective of the programme is indeed to create jobs. The shelf of works is of strategic importance because it determines the public value and economic and environmental spin-offs of infrastructure being constructed. For example, the construction of a house benefits one household while water conservation infrastructure in rain fed areas can strengthen an entire local ecosystem, boost agriculture and food systems, indirectly create even more jobs, promote human-centered growth and green-intensive employment, thus facilitating transition to the green economy. The governance of prioritization and contracting is important to ensure bottom-up participative and democratic ownership of public work choices. The competency of staff managing the implementation of public work programmes can make or break the entire endeavor. Moreover, checks and balances need to be maintained in the delivery of works to ensure accountability. For example, as demonstrated in India National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), information management systems including GIS tracking can help monitor public work programmes in real time. Finally public work programmes, if well designed can contribute to expand skill sets in emerging sectors, Costing is another important parameter that needs to be taken into account. ILO has already prepared the groundwork and costed out the resources needed to implement such a programme in Iraq.5 Finally, given the staggering low female labour force participation rate (10.6 pec cent) and exceptionally high aggregated female labour force underutilization6 (46.9 per cent) in Iraq, it would be important that a National Public Works Programme proposes specific mechanists to employ women. Integration of maternity protection provisions of a recently passed Social Security and Pensions Law, as well as establishing stronger linkages with complementary services (e.g. skills development, employment support, care services) could become such mechanisms. Investment in care infrastructure (creches), social services can further incentivize women’s employment. International good practices and lessons learned that may be relevant to Iraq At the global level, there is a wide range of experiences and lessons learned in designing and implementing public work programmes. Examples that maybe relevant to Iraq include the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) in India which adopts an employment guarantee approach by legally enforcing the right to employment. It is a bottom-up, people-centered, demand-driven, self-selecting rights-based programme. As of April 2021, it had. approximately 290 million registered program beneficiaries (job card holders) with about 140 million active workers at any given time. Another example that is relevant to Iraq is South Africa’s Expanded Public Works Programme. The programme focused on job creation in infrastructure, social service and environmental projects. It has created more than 8 million jobs. A common characteristic that Iraq shares with South Africa when the programme was launched there is the large size of its informal economy, urbanized settlements and an important focus on the construction sector. With regards to integrating social security and other excising social and labour market services in the national public work programme, another South Africa’s initiative could be of a particular relevance. The Working for Water programme provides mandatory training in work-related skills and occupational safety and health. It also guarantees essential maternity protection and access to childcare facilities for female participants. Paraguay’s Poverty, Reforestation, Energy and Climate Change (PROEZA) project could become another inspirational case for linking public works with existing social protection initiatives in the country. For more examples that inspire further South- South Cooperation with Iraq, see ILO webpage on public employment programmes. This consultancy represents an important stream of work for ILO’s Decent Work Country Programme in Iraq over the next three years. The initiative will be implemented as part of ILO Iraq’s EU funded Building Equitable and Inclusive Transformation (BEIT) Programme. Assignment The ILO seeks to hire a national collaborator to support an international collaborator in preparing the road map to support the national entities’ efforts in drafting and launching a National Public Works Programme.

Areas of Focus:

Recognizing that the National Public Works Programme (NPWP) will transcend the federal and Kurdistan Region (KRI), which have different systems, the following tasks are foreseen for the National Consultant, in providing support and input to the international consultant:

1. Desk review of legal and administrative framework for a National Public Works Programme. This will include reviewing available statistics of the Ministry of Planning, reviewing the Iraq federal budget for the years 2023-2025 as well as National Labour laws, and national instructions relating to the public works and contracting according to Iraq Civil law. The Consultant will identify regulations and procedures that need to be developed to support the legal and administrative framework for public works leading to the establishing the National Public Works Programme.

2. Support in organizing national consultations, a consultative workshop, regional/sectorial focus group discussions and launch conference with different stakeholders including the Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MoLSA), Ministry of Construction Housing Municipalities and Public Works, Ministry of Finance, Trade Unions, Employers federations (the federation of contractors , the Iraq Federation of Industries (IFI), and the Iraq Chamber of Commerce), the Iraqi Bar Association, the National Board of Investment, Iraqi Universities, Think-Tank and research centers, and the Iraqi Engineers Unions. Consultations should identify priority sectors, shelf of works and other strategic design priorities of a National Public Works Programme in selected Governorates. Following consultations, the consultants will prepare a first draft of the Comprehensive Report recommending sectors to focus on, shelf of works, 4 material and labour cost ratios for different types of works, governance of prioritization and contracting, draft organigramme including potential linkages with other existing and relevant services and programmes, particularly social security and care services, and operational guidance note of programme.

3. Support in information gathering, data analysis, and provision of local context in regard to information related to the road map and design processes. This will also involve providing analysis on identifying priority sectors, shelf of works and other strategic priorities for the development of a National Public Works Programme.

4. Organize an official launch of the Road Map Process for the National Public Works Programme. Consultants will present: (1) the work of the design committee meetings, (2) the draft Final Report, and (3) draft Regulations and instructions.

Deliverables:

Timeline and Payment Schedule The generic expectations from the national consultant would be to assist with data collation, information collation, analyzing and writing sections of the reports, organizing national brainstorming meetings, summary of meetings, detailed summary of the study report. The assignment will involve a total of 37 working days spread between the last week of August and February 2025. The specific activities and deliverables are outlined below:

1. Information Gathering and Support a. Seek information on available statistics of the Ministry of Planning, reviewing the Iraq federal budget for the years 2023-2025 as well as National Labour laws, and national instructions relating to the public works and contracting according to Iraq Civil law. – 4 days
2. Comprehensive report on national consultations and desk review and design processes a. Meet with with different stakeholders including the Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MoLSA), Ministry of Construction Housing Municipalities and Public Works, Ministry of Finance, Trade Unions, Employers federations (the federation of contractors , the Iraq Federation of Industries (IFI), and the Iraq Chamber of Commerce), the Iraqi Bar Association, the National Board of Investment, Iraqi Universities, Think-Tank and research centers, and the Iraqi Engineers Unions. Administer Questionnaire on different processes of the road map with different stakeholders, and to the design committee, in key departments in the Government of Iraq, public entities and a team of eminent persons for feedback. This will help in identifying critical areas of attention for the development of a specific, refined and customized National Public Works Programme for Iraq; b. Provide analysis on identifying priority sectors, shelf of works and other strategic priorities of a National Public Works Programme in selected Governorates. Following consultations, the consultants will prepare a first draft of the Comprehensive Report recommending sectors to focus on, shelf of works, material and labour cost ratios for different types of works, governance of prioritization and contracting, draft organigramme including potential linkages with other existing and relevant services and programmes, particularly social security and care services, and operational guidance note of programme. Provide detailed summaries of meetings and submission of Study Visit report. – 12 days
3. Draft regulation, instructions and other procedural documents Support in drafting legal document, operational guidelines, and other procedural documents for the National Public Works Programme – 15 days
4. Launch of Road Map Process for the National Public Works Programme – 3 days
5. Final report – 3 days

Experience / Qualifications:

The applicant should have an advanced degree in Economics, Law, Social, Development Studies or related field and have at least 5 years of experience designing, developing, supporting employment or related programmes in Iraq and/or the MENA region. Having a track record of publications or verifiable experience of contributing to designing, implementing and evaluating employment and other programmes would be an asset. Excellent spoken and written Arabic and English is required for the National Consultant, with an added advantage of speaking and writing Kurd for engagement with the Kurdistan Region (KRI).

Evaluation Process and Criteria:

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 its understanding of and approach to meeting these requirements in the Proposal. In preparing the Technical Proposal, the Bidder shall provide details of the proposed project methodology and implementation and management plan 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 specified in the RFP. 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 on the basis of its responsiveness to the Terms of Reference (TOR). The Technical Proposals will be evaluated according to the criteria described below:

1. 20% for Depth and quality of response to the RFP.
2. 20% Technical compliance with the Terms of Reference;
3. 10% for the qualifications and experience of proposed key personnel;
4. 20% the proposed implementation and management plan;

The minimum score for proceeding to the next step during the technical evaluation shall be 45%.

During the second stage of the evaluation, the Financial Offers which shall constitute 30% grading for all Bidders who have attained at least the minimum score during the technical evaluation will be compared. 30% will be awarded to the most competitive bid, with pro rata allotment [<30%] given to other higher bidders compared to the lowest competitive bid.

The process of evaluating the proposals will be based on the percentage combination of Technical (70%) and Financial (30%) elements. The highest score shall be deemed the technically and financial compliant bid.

Job Link: https://www.ilo.org/resource/vacancy-notice/developing-roadmap-government-iraq-establish-national-public-works

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