TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR) FOR NATIONAL CONSULTANCY IN SYRIA TO SUPPORT DATA COLLECTION FOR THE FINAL INDEPDENT CLUSTER PROJECT EVALUATION IN ENHANCED CAPACITY OF GOV AND SOCIAL PARTNERS TO REDUCE CHILD LABOUR AND IMPROVE OSH

1. Background

Occupational safety and health (OSH) has always been recognized in Syria for its role in the socio- economic development. Syria was the second country from the Arab region to ratify the Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981 (No. 155). Based on the Government’s request for relevant technical assistance, the ILO conducted in 2009 a comprehensive assessment of labour inspection and occupational safety and health, which revealed a number of gaps and weaknesses that needed to be addressed in order to enhance effectiveness of labour inspection and occupational safety and health and ensure conformity with the relevant ratified conventions. A comprehensive reform plan was then developed, and a new labour law issued in 2010, which included significant positive changes in terms of occupational safety and health.

Nonetheless, conflict in Syria resulted in massive destruction of the country’s infrastructure and weakened the institutional capacity of the public institutions, with significant impacts on the labour inspectorate. The armed conflicts continue to cause tremendous human suffering to people both inside and outside the country, resulting in the biggest humanitarian and refugee crisis of our time, depriving millions of people of the means of making a living to feed their families or compromising their fundamental labour rights and minimum safety and health requirements.  

Additionally, children have been affected and made more vulnerable through an increase in levels of child labour since the beginning of the conflict. Although systematic information is not available, there is agreement among humanitarian actors that thousands of children are engaged in child labour. Anecdotal evidence suggests that many of them are engaging in hazardous forms of child labour. These include work in hazardous environments such as unprotected construction sites, exposure to extreme heat or cold, exposure to chemicals, long hours of work and working in conditions that make the child vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. Their working conditions have been even worsened with the conflict.

In response to the increasing incidence of child labour in the humanitarian context, the government, several UN agencies and NGOs have attempted to address the issue mainly by integrating child protection. The Government has also developed a draft national action plan to address the issue through a multi-faceted approach. With their combined efforts, stakeholders on the ground have been able to mitigate child labour in some areas to some extent. However, specific technical expertise has been needed to develop holistic and sustainable solutions to the issue, not only building on what has been achieved through the humanitarian response but also through additional interventions linking child labour to livelihoods, education, labour inspection and child protection. ILO has been closely working with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour as well as other UN agencies to respond the increasing needs to reduce and prevent child labour.

Projects Background

1. Reducing Worst Forms of Child Labour in Syria

In 2019, ILO commenced a Regular Budget Supplementary Account (RBSA) project, “Reducing Worst Forms of Child Labour in Syria”. It mainly focused on hazardous work, which are among the Worst Forms of Child Labour (WFCL) as per ILO Convention 182. It also aimed to complement and build on the ongoing interventions undertaken by actors and stakeholders on the ground. It took into consideration the priorities identified in the draft National Action Plan to Eliminate Child Labour endorsed by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour, and on the Syria Humanitarian Response Plan, particularly to its Protection objectives. It also contributed to the objectives of the Early Recovery and Livelihoods Sector and the Education Sector. Where needed, it engaged with public institutions that provide services to affected communities such as schools, education directorates, social service and labour directorates. Projected completed in November 2020.

2. Adopting a Multi-sectoral Approach to Fighting Child Labour & Addressing Multiple Vulnerabilities in two Governorates in Syria

In September 2020, ILO launched another project with support from UNICEF, “Adopting a Multi-sectoral Approach to Fighting Child Labour & Addressing Multiple Vulnerabilities in two Governorates in Syria”. The focus was to protect Syrian children from child labour, including in its worst forms, while also facilitating access to livelihoods and employment for family members of child labourers. It was to expand the integrated and multi-sectoral approach that achieved the identification and referral of children to case management for removal and rehabilitation from the worst forms of child labour in 2019. Overall, the project sought to reduce the incidence of worst forms of child labour in two governorates (Aleppo and Tartus) in Syria and enhance access of children involved in such labours to protection and basic child rights. As such the project proposed to complement existing child protection services provided under UNICEF and UNHCR programmes. On the upstream level, the project was to contribute to strengthening systems, policies and programmes to promote shared action against the worst forms of child labour in selected governorates. The project is to complete in September 2021.

3. Mitigating COVID-19 workplace effects through improved occupational safety and health and promoted compliance with the national legislation

This RBSA project commenced in August 2020 to promoting labour standards and mitigate COVID-19 effects on workers and employers in Syria. This requires the government to strengthen labour inspection and occupational safety and health services and to enhance their effectiveness, which would contribute to reducing the risk of infection, and to the protection of workers’ rights, particularly in terms of wages, working hours and occupational safety and health. The project intended to build on earlier results achieved with the ILO’s support, including development of the current labour law and labour inspection tools and recent capacity building, including on mainstreaming gender in labour inspection, of most of labour inspectors, under the RBSA funded project on Reducing worst forms of child labour among children affected by the crisis in Syria. The project focuses on strengthening the institutional capacity of the labour inspectorate and building the capacity of its staff on modern labour inspection procedures and occupational safety and health, In addition, it was to also build social partners’ capacities to enable them to engage in effective social dialogue aiming at promoting compliance with the national labour legislation and relevant ILS.

2. Evaluation Purpose and objectives

The cluster final evaluation will be conducted to examine the relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, and potential impact of three projects and provide recommendations for future similar projects, particularly in the area of child labour and occupational safety and health. This evaluation will also identify strengths and weaknesses in the project design, strategy, and implementation as well as lessons learned and good practices.

3. Scope of this evaluation

The evaluation will look at the project activities, outputs and outcomes to date within the wider context of the country and UN interventions. The geographical coverage is to be across the country, aligned with the scope of the projects. The evaluation should take into consideration the overall project duration (May 2019 – October 2021), existing resources and political and environmental constraints. As cross-cutting themes, the evaluation will also take specific note of integration of gender mainstreaming, disability inclusion, International Labour Standard, social dialogue, and environmental sustainability as well as contribution to SDGs and COVID-19 response.

4. Work Assignment

The consultant will provide support for data collection on the ground, while the evaluator works remotely due to the COVID-19 travel restriction. The support includes administrative arrangement for key informant interviews and focus group discussions, their translation/facilitation, and transcription of qualitative data collected.  Specifically,

• Support  the evaluator in the planning and execution of data collection exercises
• Coordinate all the data collection logistics with the different stakeholders across the different governorates in coordination with ILO project teams
• Conduct data collection exercises as guided by the evaluator
• Prepare transcripts as requested by the evaluator

5. Deliverables and time frame

To achieve the above tasks, the consultant will require 20 working days extended over the period 01 October – 15 November.

The consultant is to deliver a summary report of activities he conducted, including a set of transcriptions as requested by the evaluator at the end.

6. Management Arrangement

The consultant will report directly to the evaluator on all aspects of the deliverables and day-to-day work schedules. ILO Regional Office for Arab States will provide support in accessing key internal documents and communication with stakeholders. The Regional M&E Officer will act as a review manager with weekly exchanges of progress. The consultant will submit the summary report together with a set of transcriptions to the Regional M&E Officer to conclude her/his work.

7. Official travel

The consultant is expected to travel within the country and will be paid for Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) at the ILO’s standard rate and transportation cost in addition to the professional fee. Transportation cost is to be agreed once the detail data collection schedule has been finalized.

8. Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor degree in social science or other relevant field.
• Master's Degree in a relevant field is an asset.

Experience

• At least three years of professional experience in data collection and reporting
• Relevant translation experience between Arabic and English
• Demonstrated experience in qualitative research is an advantage
• Previous experience with the UN agencies is an advantage

Languages

• Excellent command of English and Arabic (written and spoken).

Competencies

• Extensive knowledge of Syrian context
• Excellent drafting skills
• Ability to work on own initiative as well as a member of a team and ability
• Professional facilitation skills preferred
• Understanding of project evaluation is an advantage
• Knowledge of child labour issues is an advantage