PRODOC

Government of the Republic of Tunisia

and

United Nations Development Programme

Tunisia’s Youth Employment Generation Programme

Youth Employment Generation Programme in Arab Transition Countries

Project Summary

As underscored in the UNDP Strategy to the Transformative Change Championed by Youth in the Arab Region the high rate of youth unemployment is acknowledged as one of the major factors triggering the socio-political transition in the Arab region. The drivers of the youth-led and broad-based popular uprisings in the region are due to what can be termed as a strong feeling of exclusion and huge inequalities.

This project has therefore been developed to respond to the immediate needs of the Tunisian youth by providing quick-impact tools to alleviate their unemployment. As such it is structured through three major components: 1) increased self-employment for youth through access to technical, vocational and entrepreneurial skills training with particular emphasis to the “green-related sectors; 2) increased opportunities for vocational training in private companies for youth and 3) Regional employment strategies and plans, elaborated in a participatory manner.

The project strategy will empower socially and economically disadvantaged youth in technical, entrepreneurial and managerial skills, confidence building and empowering skills necessary to improve their access to productive resources and sustainable earning potential. Training will be systematically linked and integrated with other complementary interventions such as access to markets, appropriate technology, microfinance and entrepreneurship skills development taking account of the needs of the local private sector with a special attention to the green industries.

This integrated approach is essential to support Tunisian youth to effectively navigate their difficult social and business environment and overcome the barriers in access to economic opportunities. As such the strategy addresses a number of elements that contribute to improvement of livelihoods and access to economic and earning opportunities. The strategy elements are interlinked and mutually reinforcing for greater synergy and impact.

18

19

PROJECT DOCUMENT

Country: Tunisia

UNCT Transition Strategy for Tunisia (2011- 2013)

Outcome 3: By 2013, development actors will implement development and employment programmes more suited to the needs of vulnerable populations in the most deprived areas.

Strategy for UNDP support to the democratic transition in Tunisia (2011-2013).

Axis 4: Local governance for development and youth employment

Expected Project Output(s):

· Output 1: Increased self-employment for young women and men through access to technical, vocational and entrepreneurial skills training with special emphasis on “green-related sectors”;

· Output 2: Increased opportunities for internships in private companies and or other institutions for the Tunisian youth;

· Output 3: Regional employment strategies and plans, elaborated in a participatory manner

Executing/Implementing Agency: United Nations Development Programme

Government counterpart: Office du Développement du Nord Ouest (ODNO), Commissariat Général au Développement Régional (CGDR), Ministère du Développement Régional et de la Planification (MDRP).

(Total resources required US$ 1,500, 000 US$ Total allocated resources:US$ 1,200,000Japan non core funding: USD 1,200,000 Unfunded budget:300,000) (Programme Period: March 2012 – February 2013 CPD Programme Component:Project Title: Tunisia’s Youth Employment Generation Programme Atlas Award ID:………..Start date: February 2012End Date: March 2013PAC Meeting Date: ………)

Agreed by (Government):

Agreed by:

On behalf of

Signature

Date

Name/Title

Table of Contents

1.Situation Analysis4

2.Project Strategy5

3.Results and Resources Framework (2012-2013)8

4.Management Arrangements17

5.Monitoring Framework And Evaluation18

6.Legal Context20

Annex 1: Initial Risk Log21

Annex 2: Project Board Terms of Reference22

Situation Analysis

1.1. SOCIAL AND POLITICAL CONTEXT

Tunisia’s unemployment has been persistently high with an overall unemployment of 14 per cent[footnoteRef:1] in 2010. The unemployment rate for youth between the ages of 18 and 29 is more than 30 per cent. University graduates face unemployment rates of more than 20 per cent. The number of unemployed persons with some higher education and university graduates is increasing very fast, reaching about 100,000 in 2008—more than half of whom are young women[footnoteRef:2]. Women’s unemployment is higher than men’s (17.8 per cent in 2007, compared to 12.8 per cent for men). It is much higher in some regions, reaching 30 per cent or more[footnoteRef:3]. There continues to be a strong trend toward urbanization, with 64.9 per cent of the population living in cities in 2004. Overall, demand for skilled labour is low, and there is also a sizable skill mismatch. Those who are employed often had to accept jobs below their expectations (underemployment). The duration of periods of unemployment is also increasing. The lack of opportunities acts as an incentive for youth to migrate, first from the rural and small town western areas to larger urban areas, especially greater Tunis. According to a government survey, 41.1 per cent of youth aged 15 to 19 hope to migrate to a different country where employment prospects are better, with 15 per cent considering the illegal migration option. Regional disparities persist, and some rural and suburban zones continue to host disadvantaged communities. The recent MDG report shows that there are disparities between different regions of Tunisia, with a more than 12 per cent poverty rate in the northwest of the country compared to 2 per cent in coastal urban areas. In social terms, the target of full and productive employment is certainly the biggest short and medium term challenge for Tunisia. The main roots of the current social turmoil are directly related to the lack of job opportunities for young Tunisians, especially in the deprived North West, West and South. [1: EIU Tunisia Country Report February 2010.] [2: http://www.tn.undp.org/pdf/prodoc_yem.pdf] [3: http://www.tn.undp.org/pdf/prodoc_yem.pdf ]

One of the most important limiting factors for a quick response to these important challenges is the poor capacity of regional and local authorities in analyzing the situation and developing strategies and plans to address the unemployment issues. A local capacity development dimension is therefore a must to guarantee sustainability of any programmes and plans[footnoteRef:4]. [4: In his meetings with two new Ministers of the post-election Government –Interior and Planning and Regional Development- the RC/RR was requested to strongly support capacity strengthening of the local and regional administrations, as a means to facilitate the delivery of services to the people .]

In response to the youth-led revolution of January 2011 and to support the democratic transition, UNDP Tunisia developed a transition Strategy focused on Democratic Governance, Poverty Alleviation & Early Recovery in March 2011. According to this strategy, UNDP will contribute to local economic development and youth employment through policy support for regional planning, pilot regional development initiatives with a focus on youth employment, and work on growing inclusive markets. Given the magnitude of regional disparities and to take the pilot initiatives further, the program includes a component on revising national approaches to job creation as well as regional development.

UNDP Tunisia will build on its previous work and experience on youth employment through the MDGF joint programme “Engaging Tunisian Youth to Achieve the MDGs” on Youth Employment and Migration being implemented since 2008 in collaboration with four sister agencies[footnoteRef:5]. This programme had focused on three regions with high youth unemployment rates, Le Kef, Gafsa, and the outskirts of Tunis. UNDP has conducted analytical work on the characteristics of unemployment in each region and has worked on analysing how social protection programs can also be a means for social entrepreneurship to create jobs within communities. [5: Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), International Labor Organisation (ILO), International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO)]

Several studies demonstrated potential job creation opportunities in the green entrepreneurship sectors (agriculture, ecotourism, recycling of waste, renewable energies…). UNDP will promote such activities while implementing the project.

Against this backdrop, UNDP has identified the Governorates of Jendouba, Siliana and Bizerte for the implementation of this project. Situated in the North West, Jendouba and Siliana have among the highest unemployment rates in the country with respectively 21% and 19% of unemployment. Unemployment among university graduates within these two governorates is also among the highest.

Disparities are not merely between regions, they can also be noticed within the same region/governorate. For instance, Bizerte governorate, situated in the North West region, witnesses clear internal disparities whereby the delegations of Sejnane and Mateur did not benefit equitably from development initiatives compared to the remaining delegations of the same Governorate. UNDP will focus on these delegations and identify best practices to reduce significantly these internal disparities. This will inform and feed other projects dealing with this type of issues.

UNDP will adopt a participatory approach and will collaborate closely with regional and local authorities, relevant civil society organisations and with the relevant departments at central level: the ministry of planning and regional development, the ministry of social affairs and the ministry of employment and vocational training. The project will also consider and promote gender equality and equity when it comes to employment enterprise creation.

Project Strategy

This project developed by UNDP country-office in Tunisia fits in the UNDP/RBAS Multi-country project (“Youth Employment Generation Programme in the Arab transition countries – Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Morocco and Tunisia)” the purpose of which is the contribution to the achievement of five main objectives:

(i) Increased self-employment for youth through access to technical, vocational and entrepreneurial skills training with special emphasis on “green-related sectors”;

(ii) Increased opportunities for educational vocational training (internships) in private companies and/or other institutions for the youth in five Arab countries;

(iii) Increased access to financial services for youth self-employment;

(iv) Youth employment generation policies formulated through the provision of high-calibre advisory services to concerned public/private institutions;

(v) Increased short-term job opportunities for the most vulnerable youth groups through improvement of public infrastructures and/or services.

Taking into consideration the current context in Tunisia, the project identifies and will support the implementation of a range of interventions. It focuses primarily on short-term and quick-impact actions with the objective of improving employability and creating increased self-employment opportunities for young Tunisians. This will be done through access to and use of technical, vocational and entrepreneurial skills training with special emphasis on providing skilled labour for environment-sensitive industries on the one hand, and increased internship opportunities in private companies and/or other institutions for youth (both men and women) on the other.

· Three strategic areas of intervention :

1. Increased access for young women and men to technical, vocational and entrepreneurial skills training with special emphasis on “green-related sectors”.

The project will assist a selected number of Tunisian institutions in providing training services to the youth, developing specific curricula, sector(s) focused and in line with the demands coming from the local business community, especially from green industries, companies dealing with renewable energies and the transfer of green technologies.

UNDP will advocate for the internship initiative in cooperation with local business support organizations, local Global Compact network and other entities. It will formalize internship arrangements with interested companies through the signing of ad-hoc MOUs and then solicit applications by young men and women to the internship initiative in cooperation with educational and workers’ entities.

A detailed list of planned activities within this component includes:

1) Curricula development: Local training institutions will be assisted in the design of curricula tailored to the specific needs of the private sector.

2) Provision of capacity-building services to the youth: Training will be provided in full consultation with the private sector in order to meet their specific demands. Specific attention will be placed on certain groups of disadvantaged youth: e.g. young men and women with low skills, and/or young men and women living in the least developed and border areas of Tunisia.

3) A special emphasis will be placed in the formulation of training programmes related to the green economy. Several empirical researches have shown that “green-related sectors have the potential to provide valuable opportunities to the millions of unemployed and displaced people. Taking into account the challenges ahead of the Arab countries in terms of climate change, a dedicated initiative in support of youth employment generation in the green sectors might trigger spin-off positive effects on the overall economy of the country.

2. Increased opportunities for internships in private companies and or other institutions for youth (women and men).

The project will aim at increasing opportunities for the youth to acquire pre-service training and work experience, in order to facilitate their entry into the labour market. In this respect, internships are recognized as one of the major entry points for young people seeking for their first employment—especially in the private sector.

The project, wherever possible in cooperation with the local business support organizations, will put in place a system to promote a wide use of internships by enterprises and other actors. This will ensure the participation of key stakeholders.

A detailed list of activities planned within this component includes:

1) Finalize MOUs between UNDP and private companies as well as other business support institutions interested in being part of the internship programme. Internship guidelines will be defined based on the local labour conditions and rules. Whenever possible the project will develop partnership arrangements with the local emerging Global Compact (GC) network as companies adhering to the GC might be more prone to support this initiative.

2) Identification of potential applicants to the internship programme will be done in cooperation with schools and workers’ organizations. The definition of the target groups of young people for the internship programme will take place during a workshop taking into account local labour conditions and business practices.

3. Regional employment strategies and plans, elaborated in a participatory manner

This output will be reached through 2 types of actions. a) Designing and adopting new methodologies and practices for regional data generation and analysis of both qualitative and quantitative information on youth employment; b) Building capacities of regional and national public institutions and entities working on employment to investigate, monitor and analyse youth labour market and support enterprise creation and development.

The first line of action will develop a better knowledge of the real labour market situation and analyze regional specificities and dynamics. The second line, complementary to the first, will focus on strengthening regional and national capacities to develop key youth labour market indicators and to produce reliable regional labour market data for policy making purposes as well as supporting enterprise creation development.

When implementing this Project, UNDP will be guided by the following key priorities/principles:

I. The project will cover specific regions in Tunisia that will be identified through a mapping and cross-matching analysis based on the highest unemployment rates, the highest potential for green businesses, and the availability of relevant actors from local authorities and the private sector.

II. The project will be implemented in close coordination with other UN agencies, development organisations and actors actively involved in the sector, for more synergy and complementarity with ongoing projects in the target areas. More specifically, the project will seek collaboration with Japanese funded initiatives in Tunisia

III. The project will be implemented in line with UNDP’s programmatic principles pertaining to results-based management, capacity development, gender equality, women’s empowerment, human right, and the poverty alleviation and climate change nexus.

Results and Resources Framework (2012- 2013)

Strategie de transition en Tunisie (UNCT) (Axe 2, Effet 2) : A l’Horizon 2013 les acteurs du Développement mettent en œuvre des programmes de développement et d’emploi plus adaptés aux besoins des populations vulnérables des régions les plus défavorisées.

Applicable Key Result Area (from 2008-11 Strategic Plan): Poverty eradication, Environment and Energy

Partnership Strategy: The CO will liaise closely with institutions (national and local administrations involved in youth employment issues), CSOs and international organizations such as other UN agencies, the World Bank and the EU, as well as with bilateral development partners. The programme will be implemented in cooperation with national and local government agencies, workers’ and employers’ organizations, private enterprises, NGOs, schools and communities.

Project title and ID (ATLAS Award ID): TUNISIA’s YOUTH EMPLOYMENT GENERATION PROGRAMME

INTENDED OUTPUTS

OUTPUT TARGETS FOR (YEARS)

INDICATIVE ACTIVITIES

RESPONSIBLE PARTIES

INPUTS

Output 1: Increased access for young women and men to technical, vocational and entrepreneurial skills training with special emphasis on “green-related sectors”.

Baseline : Limited number of dedicated training services tailored to the needs of the private sector, specifically of the green industries

Indicators: At least 80 per cent of the participants (women and men) into the training events expressing a positive satisfaction rate.

At least 20% of the participants have managed to secure a job and/or start his/her own business

At least 1500 young men and women benefitting from vocational and entrepreneurship training by the terminal year of the project. At least 50 per cent of the participants should be young women.

At least 30% of the training should target green-related sectors.

Organize a programmatic workshop to define the priorities, capacity gaps and technical assistance requirements for the project at national level.

Identify innovative project ideas promoted by young graduates (agriculture, ecotourism, recycling of waste…)

Identify business projects adapted to the context, opportunities and challenges of each region through workshops based on the participatory approach and the Appreciative Inquiry.

Design curricula and activities in cooperation with selected partners

a)Design and development of specific training programmes and tools related to green jobs, leadership and management skills

b)Training of trainers on green entrepreneurship (NGO, associations of unemployed graduates)

c) Training of the first selected groups of young male and female “green entrepreneurs”

Support the trained young male and female “green entrepreneurs” in developing their business plan and to access to the grant and/or loans services.

d)Assist in collaboration with research centers and development in the region on the feasibility of proposed new ideas.

e)accompaniment young entrepreneurs and banks to facilitate access to finance

f)accompaniment young entrepreneurs and administrative actors to facilitate the project creation

g)mobilize migrants and civil society to contribute to job creation and local development

UNDP country office, Ministry of employment and vocational training, vocational training centers

$ 645,000

Output 2 : Increased opportunities for internships in private companies and or other institutions for youth (women and men)

Baseline: Limited number of internships available for youth in Tunisia

Indicators: Number of internships successfully completed in private sector companies and other institutions that are adhering to the project

Targets: At least 200 young people have successfully completed their internships by the terminal year of the project. At least 50 per cent of the interns should be young women.

At least 20% of the interns successfully recruited upon completion of their internship

Identify private companies and other entities interested in taking on young interns

Identify opportunities for internships in private companies and/or other institutions for youth

Identify the needs of firms in terms of skills in order to reduce the gap (mismatch) between enterprises needs and potential employees skills

Facilitate access to local training workshops.

Strengthen the economic partnership between companies, training centres,  university centres and civil society

UNDP country office, private sector organisations

$ 300,000

Output 3 : Regional employment strategies and plans, elaborated in a participatory manner

Baseline: Only 3 REP elaborated in the country. Insufficient capacities at the regional level in particular to monitor and analyse the employment market

Indicators: Number of REP elaborated. Number beneficiaries of training sessions

Targets :

6 regional employment plan (REP) formulated and validated.

Capacities of at least 150 officials and decision makers at local, regional and national levels enhanced

a) Design and adopt new methodology and practices of the regional data generation and analysis of both qualitative and quantitative information on youth employment

b) Build capacities of regional and national public institutions and entities working on employment to investigate, monitor and analyse youth labour market and support and enterprise creation and development

UNDP CO,

Office du Développement du Nord Ouest (ODNO).

Commissariat Général au Développement Régional (CGDR).

Ministère du Développement Régional et de la Planification (MDRP).

Ministry of employment and vocational training, vocational training centers

$ 250,000

Output 1 - 3

Project Management cost

M&E, communication and advocacy

Project documents elaboration, Project staff recruitment, expertise mobilisation for outputs 1 -3, coordination activities and meetings

Milestone and final report, media and other communication and advocacy activities and events

Rental, salaries, staff and consultant travel, equipment

Consultancy and reports, print, media events,

$ 200000

GMS (7%)

$105000

Work plan

INTENDED OUTPUTS

INDICATIVE ACTIVITIES

TIMEFRAME

national Partner

Planned Budget

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Donor

Budget Description

Account

Amount $

2012

2013

Stratégie de transition en Tunisie (UNCT) (Axe 2, Effet 2) : A l’Horizon 2013 les acteurs du Développement mettent en œuvre des programmes de développement et d’emploi plus adaptés aux besoins des populations vulnérables des régions les plus défavorisées.

 

 

Output 1: Increased access for young women and men to technical, vocational and entrepreneurial skills training with special emphasis on “green-related sectors”.

 

$ 645,000

Activity 1: Design and development of specific training programmes and tools related to green jobs, leadership and management skills

 

$ 87,000

Exchange of experience on international practices in the field of green jobs

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

000141

Workshops + international conference

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

000141

International Consultant

 

 

 

Establishment of committees that bring together local experts to identify on the basis of a participatory approach some actions of green entrepreneurship in the concerned regions

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

000141

Workshops

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

000141

National consultants

Training sessions on the themes of green employment and entrepreneurship and the management and leadership aspects

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

000141

Workshops

 

 

 

 

Activity 2: Training of trainers on green entrepreneurship (NGO, associations of unemployed graduates)

 

$ 32,000

training of associations, local authorities specialized in the field of employment and some experts on green entrepreneurship

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

000141

Workshops

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

000141

National Consultants

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

000141

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Activity 3: Training of the first selected groups of young male and female “green entrepreneurs”

Support the trained young male and female “green entrepreneurs” in developing their business plan and to access to the grant and/or loans services.

 

$ 124,000

 

Training session on Appreciative Inquiry for the identification of needs and identification of innovative projects in the field of green entrepreneurship

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

000141

Recruitment of local Facilitators

International Consultant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

000141

 

 

 

 

Organization of proximity workshops based on the participatory approach, in particular on Appreciative Inquiry (AI) to identify innovative ideas and context-specific targeted regions.

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

000141

Proximity workshops

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

000141

 

 

 

 

Training sessions and capacity building for identified entrepreneurs

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

000141

Workshops

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

000141

National trainers

 

 

 

 

Activity 4: Support a collaboration framework between the research and development centers in the regions on of proposed new ideas feasibility.

 

 $ 67,000

 

 

On a participatory approach, support a partnership framework between universities, research centers and specialized centers on the one hand and private enterprises and administration on the other hand.

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

000141

Dialogue Workshops

 

 

 

 

Prepare feasibility study of the identified ideas

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

000141

Workshops

Support the centers and universities to evaluate ideas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

000141

National consultant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

000141

 

 

 

 

Activity 5: accompaniment young entrepreneurs and banks to facilitate access to finance

 

 $ 48,000

 

 

Play interface between identified promoters on the one hand and banks and financial associations on the other hand to facilitate their access to financing sources

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

000141

Workshops

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

000141

Meetings

 

 

 

 

Activity 6: accompaniment young entrepreneurs and administrative actors to facilitate the project creation

 

 $ 165,000

 

 

Play interface between identified promoters on the one hand and local actors on the other hand to facilitate their projects creation (local authorities, associations, specialized centers, companies, ...)

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

000141

Workshops

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

000141

Meetings

 

 

 

 

Training sessions to support local authorities to facilitate the project creation

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

000141

International consultants

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

000141

Workshops

 

 

 

 

Organize coaching sessions for the created projects

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

000141

National consultants

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

000141

Workshops and meetings

Activity 7: mobilize migrants and civil society to contribute to job creation and local development

 

 $ 122,000

 

 

Development of sensitization and communication Regional Action Plan on the partnerships possibilities between migrants, civil society and promoters

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

000141

International Consultant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

000141

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

000141

Workshop for validation

 

 

 

 

Support the implementation of sensitization and communication Regional Action Plan, through briefings for migrants and civil society at local level.

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

000141

Workshops

 

 

 

 

Output 2 : Increased opportunities for internships in private companies and or other institutions for youth (women and men)

 

$ 300,000

Activity 1: Identify opportunities for internships in private companies and/or other institutions for youth

 

 $ 105,000

 

 

Organization of proximity workshops based on the participatory approach to identify the opportunities for internships in private companies and other institutions.

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

00141

Workshops

 

 

 

 

Facilitate access of trainees to internships in private companies and institutions at the regional level (transport cost…)

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

00141

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

00141

 

 

 

 

Activity 2: Identify the needs of firms in terms of skills in order to reduce the gap (mismatch) between enterprises needs and potential employees skills.

 

 $ 145,000

 

 

Development of a training plan (New adapted training modules) concerning the required skill fields;

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

00141

International Consultant

National consultant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

00141

 

 

 

 

Training of trainers on the new training modules

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

00141

Training expert

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

00141

 

 

 

 

Activity 3: Facilitate access to local training workshops. Strengthen the economic partnership between companies, training centres, university centres and civil society

 

 $ 50,000

 

 

Basic training sessions are organized in small communities for the poorest people, particularly for rural girls

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

00141

National trainers

 

 

 

 

On a participatory approach, support a partnership framework between universities, training centers, civil society and private enterprises in the training and employment field.

Reg. Dev. Ministry

00141

Workshops

Concluded agreements

Output 3 : Regional employment strategies and plans, elaborated in a participatory manner

 

$ 250,000

Activity 1: Design and adopt new methodology and practices of the regional data generation and analysis of both qualitative and quantitative information on youth employment

 

$ 125,000

 

 

strengthen the capacity of institutions responsible for statistics and data collection at regional and local level in order to adopt a new methodology of the information collection

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

00141

Equipments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

00141

Training session for staff

International consultant

 

 

 

 

Activity 2: Build capacities of regional and national public institutions and entities working on employment to investigate, monitor and analyse youth labour market and support and enterprise creation and development.

 

$ 125,000

 

 

Establishment of committees that bring together local employment experts to identify on the basis of a participatory approach an employment strategy in the concerned regions

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

00141

Workshops

National consultants

 

 

 

 

Three Regional Employment Plans are developed in the concerned regions.

 

 

 

 

Reg. Dev. Ministry

00141

Validation workshops

 

 

 

 

Management Arrangements

Implementation modality

The project will be Directly Executed by the UNDP, and implemented in collaboration with the Office du Développement du Nord Ouest (ODNO) [Development Office for the North West] of and the Commissariat Général du Développement Régional (CGDR) [Office of the General Commissioner for Regional Development].

Project Management

1. A Project Manager will be recruited and will be responsible for day-to-day management of the Project, in coordination with the national partners and supported by the Regional Programme Coordinator of the Multi-country initiative on youth employment generation. The Project Manager will have overall responsibility for ensuring that the Project produces tangible results in accordance with the RRF and Annual Workplan endorsed by the Project Board. The Project Manager will have operational decision-making powers. Where issues arise that require more senior level direction, the Project Manager will escalate such issues to the Project Board for discussion and direction.

UNDP Country Office will submit a written request to the Government of Japan for the prior approval in case:

(1) the extension of the project is required, and/or

(2) the re-deployment of funds between approved project budget components is required, if more than 20% increase or decrease is expected.

Project Board

2. The Project Board will have overall responsibility for providing strategic guidance and oversight of the Project (see diagram below). The Project Board is responsible for making consensual management decisions concerning Project issues and risks, and will provide advice and guidance when required by the Project Manager. Approval of project budget revisions and approval of Annual Work plan (AWP) is also a key role of the Project Board. The Project Board will also be used as a mechanism for leveraging partnerships and mobilisation of resources for the implementation of the Project. Project reviews by the Project Board will be made at designated decision points during the running of a project, or as necessary when raised by the Project Manager. The Project Board will also be consulted by the Project Manager for decisions if/when tolerances (i.e. constraints normally in terms of time and budget) have been exceeded.

3. The composition of the project board is as follows:

(i) UNDP CO in collaboration ODNO, CGDR will assume the Executive role, which will reinforce senior local ownership over the Project;

(ii) The Senior Supplier role will be represented by UNDP, as the body which provides guidance regarding the technical feasibility and substantive focus of the Project and is responsible for supporting operational aspects of implementation;

(iii) The Senior Beneficiary on the Board is responsible for providing advice on the realisation of project benefits from the perspective of project beneficiaries. This role will be assumed by: Directions générales de l’Emploi in Jendouba, Siliana and Bizerte (Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training), private sector organisation, Civil Society Organizations

(Project ManagerSteering committeeSenior BeneficiaryDirections generales de l’Emploi in Jendouba, Siliana and Bizerte, private sector organisations, CSOExecutiveUNDP CO in collaboration with ODNO and CGDRSenior Supplier UNDPCOProject AssuranceUNDP Project ManagerProject Organisation StructureAdvisory boardUNDP CO, Ministry of Planning and Regional Development, Ministry of employment and vocational trainingAC analystProject management UnitAdmin assitant)

Project assurance

4. UNDP will carry out the project assurance role, as delegated by the Project Board, and on a quarterly basis independent project oversight and monitoring function. UNDP will work with the Executive, Project Board and Project Manager to ensure appropriate project management milestones are met and that these are delivered in accordance with UNDP programme guidelines (Results Management Guide) and within the allocated budget and approved AWPs.

Project Support

5. The Project Manager will be supported by a Project Assistant, who will assist with administration, finances, logistics and procurement.

Monitoring Framework And Evaluation

Monitoring and evaluation will follow DEX modality guidelines, as appropriate. Work-plans, financial reports and other reporting will be prepared accordingly. UNDP will share information on the progress of the project, study findings/recommendations, and lessons learned with the relevant partners and stakeholders and the community for purposes of knowledge sharing. In addition, the project will be subjected to UNDP project monitoring and evaluation in line with standard guidelines and procedures, and can be encapsulated in any evaluation initiated by the UNDP Office of Evaluations.

Annual Work plan and Budget

The annual workplan and budget will serve as the primary reference documents for the purpose of monitoring the achievement of results. The NPD, with support from the Project Manager, is tasked with the responsibility of ensuring implementation of the Project in accordance with these documents. A Monitoring Schedule Plan shall be activated in Atlas and updated to track key management actions/events.

Quarterly reporting

Financial and Operational Progress Reports will be prepared by the project manager and signed off by the implementing agency and submitted to UNDP on a quarterly basis in accordance with the “UNDP User Guide” and using the standard report format available in the Executive Snapshot. These reports monitor the project progress according to the annual work plan and will be used as the basis for the Annual Project Report (APR). Quarterly Progress Reports (QPR) must be submitted to UNDP, together with the Financial Report, on the 15th day of each month following the end of the quarter.

A project work plan for the following quarter will be prepared in a mutually agreed format and must be submitted together with the financial advance requested. Approval of any advance payment will be subject to the submission of these reports to UNDP for consideration. UNDP will provide feedback on the most recent progress report and other relevant reports before releasing any advance payments.

An Issue Log shall be activated in Atlas and updated by the Project Manager to facilitate tracking and resolution of potential problems or requests for change. The QPR will also update the Issues Log. Based on the initial risk analysis submitted (see annex 1), a Risk Log shall be activated in Atlas and regularly updated by reviewing the external environment that may affect the project implementation. The QPR will also update the Risk Log. A Project Lesson-learned Log shall be activated and regularly updated to ensure on-going learning and adaptation within the organization, and to facilitate the preparation of the Lessons-learned Report at the end of the project. The QPR will also update the Project Lesson-learned Log.

Annual Project Review

The Annual Report shall be prepared by the Project Manager and submitted to the Project Board at its Annual and Mid-term review. As minimum requirement, the Annual Review Report shall consist of the Atlas standard format for the QPR covering the whole year with updated information for each above element of the QPR as well as a summary of results achieved against pre-defined annual targets at the output level.

Based on the above report, an Annual Project Review Meeting shall be held during the fourth quarter of the year or soon after, to assess the performance of the project and appraise the Annual Work Plan (AWP) for the following year. In the last year, this Review will also be a final assessment. This review is driven by the Project Board and may involve other stakeholders as required. It shall focus on the extent to which progress is being made towards outputs, and that these remain aligned to appropriate outcomes. Any changes to the budget will be considers at this meeting.

The final report:

The final and mid-term report will be submitted to the Government of Japan together with the financial report. For any fund balances at the end of the project, the country office shall consult with the Government of Japan on its use.

The interest income should be treated in accordance with the Japan-UNDP agreement on Arrangement for the Interest Income derived from Japan-UNDP Partnership Fund.

Regular Audits

Local financial management regulations require that regular audits are conducted of the Parliament. However, it is understood that these audits have not been undertaken for some time. The UNDP Office will commission audits of the Project, as and when necessary.

Legal Context

This programme support document shall be the instrument referred to as project support document as indicated in the Standard Basic Assistance Agreement (SBAA) between the Government of Tunisia and the United Nations Development Programme, signed by the two parties respectively. The host country’s implementing Agency shall, for the purposes the Standard Basic Agreement, refer to the Government co-operating Agency described in that agreement.

The following types of revisions may be made to this project document with the signature of the UNDP Resident Representative only, provided that he is assured that The Government has no objections to the proposed changes:

(a)Revisions in, or in addition to, any of the annexes of the project document;

(b)Revisions which do not involve significant changes in the immediate objectives, outputs or activities of a project but are caused by re-arrangement of inputs already agreed to or by cost increases due to inflation.

Consistent with the Article III of the Standard Basic Assistance Agreement, the responsibility for the safety and security of the implementing partner and its personnel and property, and of UNDP’s property in the implementing partner’s custody, rests with the implementing partner. The implementing partner shall:

(a) put in place an appropriate security plan and maintain the security plan, taking into account the security situation in the country where the project is being carried;

(b) assume all risks and liabilities related to the implementing partner’s security, and the full implementation of the security plan.

UNDP reserves the right to verify whether such a plan is in place, and to suggest modifications to the plan when necessary. Failure to maintain and implement an appropriate security plan as required hereunder shall be deemed a breach of this agreement. The implementing partner agrees to undertake all reasonable efforts to ensure that none of the UNDP funds received pursuant to the Project Document are used to provide support to individuals or entities associated with terrorism and that the recipients of any amounts provided by UNDP hereunder do not appear on the list maintained by the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999). The list can be accessed via http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/committees/1267/1267ListEng.htm. This provision must be included in all sub-contracts or sub-agreements entered into under this Project Document”.

In case an unexpected incident happens, UNDP CO will report and consult with Embassy of Japan immediately.

Full acknowledgement of the donor will be given in all of communication products and other relevant materials through the display of logo.

Annex 1: Initial Risk Log

Project Title: YES Green

Award ID:

Date: 18 Jan 2012

#

Description

Date Identified

Type

Impact (I) &

Probability (P)

Countermeasures / Mgmt response

Owner

Submitted/ updated by

Last Updated

Status

1

Existence of funding gaps

Jan 18

Financial

I: Delay in implementing the activities in accordance with timeframe indicated in AWP

P: Low to moderate

Ongoing dialogue with Govt and development partners + sourcing funding from various internal UNDP sources

UNDP

2

Institutional change following the appointment of the new government

Jan 18

Institutional

I: Delay in implementing activities

P: Low

The choice of intermediate regional structures unlikely to be heavily impacted by political change as main partners in the project; Involvement of the senior levels of the institution to ensure project continuity and efforts of strengthen national ownership within the new ministry’s cabinet

Govt/UNDP

3

Limited project lifecycle

Jan 18

Programmatic

I: Negative impact on the quality of the outputs, on the achievement and the sustainability of the results

P: Moderate

Adoption of a detailed project action plan with a clear timeframe and roles and responsibilities, multidisciplinary teams able to simultaneously implement the three project components in a coordinated approach; greater focus on monitoring

UNDP/Govt

Annex 2: Project Board Terms of Reference

As noted in Part 4 above, the Project Board will have overall responsibility for providing strategic guidance and oversight of the Project. The Project Board is responsible for making consensual management decisions concerning Project issues and risks, and will provide advice and guidance when required by the Project Manager. Approval of project budget revisions and approval of Annual Work plan (AWP) is also a key role of the Project Board. The Project Board will also be used as a mechanism for leveraging partnerships and mobilisation of resources for the implementation of the Project. Project reviews by the Project Board will be made at designated decision points during the running of a project, or as necessary when raised by the Project Manager. The Project Board will also be consulted by the Project Manager for decisions if/when tolerances (i.e. constraints normally in terms of time and budget) have been exceeded.

In particular, the Project Board will:

· Provide strategic guidance and advice to the Project Manager on project related activities particularly on specific problems and issues that may have a bearing on the progress of the achievements of the Project;

· Review and approve proposed annual work plan in consultation with UNDP;

· Help facilitate and ensure that targets identified in the annual work plans are met within agreed timeframes and with given resource allocations and assist provide alternative remedial solutions where the need arises;

· Assist in identification and securing of additional financial and technical resources for the Project activities from both national and external sources;

· Facilitate and mobilize government, private and civil society support for the Project;

· Facilitate exchange of information nationally, regionally and internationally on awareness of project developments, lessons learnt and best practices.

· Fulfil any other responsibilities that may be identified for the Project Board by UNDP, the POC and/or other project stakeholders.

The Executive of the Project Board is responsible for organising and chairing meetings. The Project Manager will prepare the Agenda for the Annual Project Board meeting (see Part 5 below for more), in consultation with the Project Manager. The Agenda will be circulated at least two weeks in advance of the Board meeting. Minutes of the Meeting are to be circulated within two weeks after a meeting is held. The Executive may call for special Project Board meetings should the need arise.