ToR - External Collaborator Contract to prepare a synthesis report of the 12 NDCs in the Arab States in relation to the ILO Guidelines for a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies for all

Introduction

The ILO is looking for a short-term service delivery by an individual to develop a synthesis report of the 12 NDCs in the Arab States region[1]. For each country, this synthesis report will present the quantitative review of the NDCs in a concise, cohesive, and compelling manner as well as summarize regional tendencies for example in terms of the promotion of gender equality, inclusion of vulnerable groups, and recurrent priority topics for the region. The synthesis report will also support the quantitative study with qualitative data collection to better understand whether and how the World of Work has been involved in the past NDC developments. The current assignment is under the ILO’s SSTC programme for peer learning among countries in Arab Partners.

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.

Delivering a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies for all is crucial to enabling climate ambition, while promoting social justice and supporting sustainable development and poverty eradication. A just transition promotes environmentally sustainable economies in a way that is inclusive by creating decent work opportunities, reducing inequality and by and leaving no one behind[2].  A just transition rests on robust policies across a range of policy fields and is supported by international cooperation.

Policy coherence is central to a just transition. It requires integrating decent work and social considerations in climate policies on the one hand and incorporating environmental considerations regarding employment and social policies on the other. As the Nationally Determined Contributions a scheduled for revision by 2025, the ILO wishes to prepare a review of the current NDCs to monitor and evaluate the inclusion of the just transition dimension in the NDCs.

A just transition in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is not just a shift to greener economies; it's a comprehensive transformation of labor markets, economies and societal structures. On one hand, it is about climate change mitigating and decarbonizing. On the other hand, it is about adaptation and increasing the resilience of economies and societies to the impacts of climate change. ILO data suggests that 10 million jobs can be created in the region with ambitious climate change and industrial policies. It is climate change and in-action which pose the largest threat to the region’s economies and societies – not decarbonization or climate action.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) recognizes the complexity of this transition and has mobilized its resources and expertise to support the Arab States in this journey.  This transition encompasses interventions across nine policy areas, including enterprise development, social protection, skills development, and occupation health and safety for example. The ILO has been spearheading efforts to integrate the social dimensions of climate and environmental change in key international climate policy processes since the start of the COP process in 1995. The ILO continues to work with its tripartite constituents representing governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations from its 187 Member States, to address decent work and social justice in climate action. While the Office is preparing a global review of the NDCs, the ILO Regional Office of Arab States will prepare a regional synthesis report of the NDCs in the Arab States region.

Expected deliverables

Objective

The synthesis report of the 12 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in the Arab States region aims to:

1. Present a quantitative and qualitative summary of each NDC in a regional synthesis report. The ILO will be able to provide the raw quantitative data.
2. Summarize regional trends and commonalities, including the promotion of gender equality, inclusion of vulnerable groups, and recurrent priority topics for the region. This may include a comparative analysis on NDCs and what can be learned from South-South cooperation.
3. Support the quantitative analysis with qualitative data collection to understand the involvement of the World of Work and relevant stakeholders in past NDC developments.

This report aims to provide a comprehensive overview and insights into the NDCs, highlighting both individual country data and regional trends. The report will serve as the baseline for future assessments and reviews of the NDCs in the region, to follow the trends and development of the inclusion and representation of just transition concerns in the NDCs.

Tasks and deliverables

Outputs

• 1 synthesis report with the following structure; Introduction to the report, Country reviews, Regional tendencies, Policy and Partnerships recommendations, Conclusions. Each country review must include a context and background on climate change and just transition for the country, a summary of the findings from the quantitative review, a summary of the key insights from the qualitative review regarding the development process and supporting national climate policies, reflections on topics of gender and inclusion and policy recommendations.
• 1 well-designed PowerPoint slide deck in the ILO brand identity, summarizing the synthesis report.

In order to deliver the outputs, the consultant is expected to review the quantitative data collected for the NDCs in the Arab States region. The consultant is also expected to conduct online interviews and/or conduct surveys from the relevant actors to understand the process of developing the current set of NDCs this would include Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Labour, employers’ and workers’ organizations and possibly development organizations supporting NDC development in the countries. The primary purpose of the qualitative data collection will be to better understand whether there has been any stakeholder engagement in the past, and whether social dialogue or consultations with the World of Work has taken place.

Contract duration

The contract is valid from signature until delivery of the outputs no later than October 15^th , 2024.  The workload is estimated to 15-20 workdays of 8 hours.

The consultant must deliver draft text for revision which allows for feedback from the ILO Regional Office and the ILO Headquarters. The time for review should be clearly outlined in the suggested time schedule proposed by the consultant to ensure timely delivery.

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.

Payment schedule and terms

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 synthesis report and the PowerPoint slide deck.

Special terms and conditions

To be eligible for this consultancy, the applicant must meet all the following criteria:

• Language: Excellent command of English. Arabic may be an advantage.
• Competencies and knowledge: Deep knowledge of climate and environmental change issues. Proven track record of workshop facilitation and event planning in relation to climate and environmental change. Knowledge of specific climate change issues for the Arab States region 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 50 per cent of the total score while financial scores will form 50 per cent.