Terms of reference for companies - Statistical Services for Environment and Employment Factsheets and analysis for the Arab States

Background

Decent work is a cornerstone for effective policies to green economies for achieving sustainable development. This implies that efforts to reduce adverse environmental impact must lead to socially just outcomes with employment opportunities for all, thus calling for a just transition to environmentally sustainable economies for all. Just transition involves maximizing the social and economic opportunities of climate and environmental action, including an enabling environment for sustainable enterprises, while minimizing and carefully managing challenges. It should be based on effective social dialogue, respect for fundamental principles and rights at work, and be in accordance with international labour standards.

The concept of just transition gained international attention as the Paris Agreement on climate change adopted in 2015 notes the imperatives of a just transition and the creation of decent jobs in national contexts and circumstances as essential aspects of responses to climate change. In the same year, ILO constituents adopted the Guidelines for a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies for all through consensus among representatives of governments, employers and workers. The Guidelines offer a unique policy framework and a practical tool to guide the transformation to low-carbon and climate-resilient economies taking into account the social and employment-related dimensions.

During the 111th Session of the International Labour Conference held in June 2023, the Resolution concerning a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies for all was adopted. This resolution emphasizes the imperative of a just transition and outlines guiding principles for achieving it, highlighting the roles of governments, employers' and workers' organizations, and the ILO. The Resolution calls for the development of a strategy and action plan on just transition; communication of the conclusions to relevant international and regional organizations; and taking into account the conclusions when preparing future programme and budget proposals and mobilizing extra-budgetary resources.

A just transition to sustainable development can power a human-centred approach to the future of work that transforms economies and societies, maximizes opportunities of decent work for all, reduces inequalities, promotes social justice, and supports industries, workers and communities. Just transition matters for all countries, at all levels of development. To turn this human-centred agenda into concrete action, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced a Climate Action for Jobs initiative (CA4JI) and identified the International Labour Organization to spearhead its implementation.

The Climate Action for Jobs initiative provides a roadmap to boost climate action, ensuring that people’s jobs and well-being are at the centre of the transition to a carbon-neutral and climate-resilient economy. The Initiative brings a programmatic response and technical support for countries making commitments on just transition to achieve ambitious climate change mitigation and adaptation goals, while enhancing job creation and economic diversification, and ensuring a transition that is fair and inclusive.

An important contribution to the CA4JI providing country offices in the region with data that is factual, reliable and easy to understand are the Employment and Environmental Sustainability Fact Sheets series that provides a baseline for key indicators of employment and environmental sustainability performance in countries across the Arab States region. Jobs that are green and decent are central to sustainable development and resource productivity. They respond to the global challenges of environmental protection, economic development and social inclusion. Such jobs create decent employment opportunities, enhance resource efficiency and build low-carbon, sustainable societies. The fact sheets include: (i) employment in environmental sectors; (ii) skill levels; (iii) vulnerability of jobs; (iv) jobs in renewable energy; (v) scoring on the Environmental Performance Index; (vi) air quality; as well as (vii) just transition implications.

Objectives of the assignment

The objectives of this assignment are: (i) to prepare the Employment and Environment factsheets for the Arab States region at country and regional level using the ILO template with input from regional and country ILO officials; and (ii) a presentation of the factsheets at the Just transition and Green Jobs regional network (online, date to be determined).

Supervision

The contractor will be supervised by the Just Transition Specialist, ILO Regional Office for Arab States/DWT Beirut. The contractor will have to incorporate feedback and input from the Decent Work Team Beirut and country coordinators across the Arab States Region under the guidance of the Just Transition Specialist to ensure effective flow of communication and satisfactory delivery of the assignment.

Tasks and deliverables

The service provider is expected to carry out the following tasks:

1. Collect information and statistical data, liaise with the Regional Just Transition Specialist and the Research Department as requested to incorporate latest employment data into the Country Employment and Environment factsheets. Use the ILO template and base line information collected.  The factsheets must include analysis of the data and highlight key opportunities and challenges when it comes to the intersect between employment, environment, and economic development
2. The countries of focus are found in this website https://www.ilo.org/beirut/aboutus/lang--en/index.htm. Three pilot countries are proposed for the first factsheets: Jordan, the Syrian Arab Republic, Qatar. Once the first three fact sheets are approved and delivered satisfactory, the contractor is expected to deliver the last 9 country fact sheets; Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
3. There are expected 3 rounds of review for the 12 fact sheet drafts. The fact sheets should be delivered 3 at a time. 
4. Prepare a PowerPoint presentation from the factsheets and present to the Green Jobs and Just Transition network in Arab States

Timeline and contract duration

The contract is valid from signature until delivery. There are expected 3 rounds of review for the 12 fact sheet drafts. The fact sheets should be delivered 3 at a time.  The technical and financial proposal must include the following; a plan and timeline for the delivery of the outputs and tasks; the budget and costs involved with delivering the assignment; the CV of the contractor highlighting how the contractor meets the competencies and knowledge criteria outlines in the special terms and conditions below.

Eligibility

To be eligible for this consultancy, the contractor and team must meet all the following criteria:

• Language: Excellent command of English language. Knowledge of Arabic could be an advantage.
• Competencies and knowledge: The service provider must be able to retrieve, analyse, and communicate climate change, labour market, and decent work data in a concise and correct manner. Deep knowledge of climate and environmental change issues and proven track record of research and/or data analysis relation to labour, climate and environmental change is required. Knowledge of specific climate change or labour issues for the Arab States region could be an advantage. The contractor must hold high integrity when it comes to assessing the validity and application of the data.
• Experience from similar assignments will be an advantage.
• Residency: As the factsheets will be developed by desk/based research, the consultant will be home-based and there are no requirements for the residency.

The selection decision will be made based on technical and financial scores of each application. Technical scores will form 70 per cent of the total score while financial scores will form 30 per cent.

Budget and payment schedule

The contractor is expected to outline a detailed budget for the delivery of the outputs as a part of their proposal.

The service provider will be paid in full upon satisfactory delivery of the workshop and the submission of the 12 fact sheets.