Consultancy- Curricula Development for Emerging Industries in Afghanistan

Background

Mercy Corps is present in Afghanistan with a portfolio of programs addressing the promotion of
sustainable livelihoods, agriculture development, vocational skills and natural resource management.

Currently, over 70% of the population is under the age of 30, and 400,000 young people reach working
age annually — a lack of skills amongst youth is one of the many reasons for unemployment. Although
large portions of labor market entrants possess minimal literacy and skills, new entrants will be
increasingly more skilled and educated. The Central Statistics Organization (CSO) estimates that there
will be 750,000 individuals aged 16-18 entering the labor market by 2019, with that number growing to
1.2 million individuals five years later. Mercy Corps is currently implementing vocational training
Programmes in Kandahar, Helmand, Kabul, Parwan, Herat and Nangarhar. These trainings are provided
in response to the labor market’s need for both existing and emerging skills, contributing to the
government’s national priority and development Programmes.

Purpose/Project Description

Mercy Corps is implementing a new three-year informal Vocational Training program 1in four provinces,
and is planning to scale it up to additional provinces where there are high numbers of returnees.
Emerging sectors were identified through a study based on Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with the
respective Ministries and key stakeholders from public and private sectors, and in light of the workforce
needs of the government and its National Priority Programs.

Key criteria of the study to identify target sectors were:

 Growth Potential
 Current and future demand by employers
 Geographic location of demand
 Sustainability
 Relevance to the National Priority Programs and other infrastructure programs

The following sectors were chosen to be addressed within our program:

 Hospitality
 Gas
 Mining
 Railways

1
There are three types of vocational trainings. Formal mandated by the Ministry of Education 6– 24 month
courses. Informal mandated by Ministry of Labour – 6 month courses and non-formal mandated by the non-
regulated sector by way of mentorship and apprentices. We focus on informal training.
Consultant Activities

Since these sectors have not benefited from a systematic vocational training, there are no Curricula or
National Occupational and Safety Standards (NOSS) for them. The Consultancy is required to work
closely with Government and private sector stakeholders (in Kabul, Herat and Nangarhar provinces) to
begin developing NOSS and curricula for the emerging sectors that

 Respond to the needs of prospective trainees who may have lower literacy levels
 Are responsive to market needs
 Align with Afghan Government Ministries’ expectations
 Are able to seek endorsement by relevant Afghan Government Ministries

The Consultancy is also required to train respective individuals from both Mercy Corps and the
government on each curricula so that the training can be cascaded in a sustainable manner.

Consultant Deliverables

The consultant will:

 Prepare a 6-month curriculum for three (3) identified skills from each of the three (3) sectors
identified, totaling nine (9) curricula.
 Prepare a job description for each of the nine (9) skills
 Prepare a training guide to be used by trainers for each of the nine (9) skills
 Conduct a one (1) day training of trainers for each of the nine (9) skills, delivered to Mercy Corps
staff, Government officials and vocational trainers
 Deliver a report summarizing findings and learnings accumulated during the process

Completion is expected within four months of contract award. An agreed timetable for each sector will
be separately agreed within the overall timeframe. The expected date for starting the assignment is July
15th, 2018.

Selection Criteria

 Consultancy firm with extensive experience and diverse experience in developing training
materials, with a focus on vocational skills’ training in the informal sector
 Experience of curricula development in the formal vocational sector is preferred but not
essential
 Proven experience in the identified emerging sectors or able to source such expertise for the
assignment
 Demonstrated experience in curricula development, training materials in vocational training in
Afghanistan or similar contexts is preferred
 Demonstrated experience working in Afghanistan or the region
To apply (National partners with international firms are encouraged to apply)

Interested firm or individuals should submit below documents along with Tender package:

 Detailed work plan and methodology

 Detailed budget per sector in USD
 CVs of any specialised staff to be used in the project

Via email to af-tender@mercycorps.org by 31 July 2018

Questions may be directed to the above email address until 23 July 2018.