Supporting the Livelihoods of Internally Displaced Persons in Georgia World Bank
The Government of Georgia, in consultation with local and international development partners, has updated the Action Plan for the Implementation of the State Strategy on IDPs. The revised action plan defines the actions to be taken in support of the more than 250,000 Internally Displaced Persons in the country during the years 2012 – 2014. It is commonly recognized that under the previous action plan (2009 – 2012) significant achievements were made in responding to the housing needs of IDPs but less attention was given to ensuring the sustainable livelihoods of the displaced and fostering their economic self reliance. The revised action plan highlights the importance of recognizing the livelihood needs of IDPs and increasing the attention given to this critical aspect of their socio-economic well being.
The livelihood situation of IDPs in Georgia is cause for concern; although nationally representative statistics are not available, sample surveys suggest that IDPs have higher unemployment rates than the non displaced, have less assets and are characterized by a sense of dependency on government assistance, rather than being motivated to generate their own income. Constraints to the ability of IDPs to earn their own income include the remote location of many of their settlements, the gradual erosion of their professional skills over their years of displacement, and their weak social capital. While securing employment is a challenge for all Georgians, especially in rural areas, it is evident that IDPs face additional constraints to labor market participation.
To date, livelihood support for IDPS in Georgia has largely been delivered through NGOs and small scale projects and there is not an overarching national / strategic approach to livelihood support at any scale for IDPs. While such NGO projects have had some reported success and impact at the individual level, the sheer scale of the problem with employment and access to income indicates that there is an important question to be answered in terms of the viability of small short term projects compared to longer term market surveys and skills assessments leading to training and employment opportunities. NGO projects are not sufficient to transform the structural barriers that keep IDPs in poverty, e.g. access to employment, commercial markets, and urban biases in development support.
Developing a strategic approach to support for IDP livelihoods in Georgia will require several prongs including: the more systematic collection of nationally representative data on the employment and livelihoods situation of IDPs to allow more precise targeting; market surveys to assess the match of IDP skill supply with market demand and where correction is needed; policy dialogue with policy dialogue with national and local authorities on overcoming structural constraints to IDP employment, and; an analysis of weaknesses and strengths of existing support to livelihoods and the work with partners (private sector, NGOs, UN) to implement support.
This terms of reference concerns the latter item; a review of achievements made and challenges faced in existing livelihood support to IDPs. It will identify successful interventions which could be scaled up and pin-point structural constraints which need to be overcome to increase effectiveness. In particular, the assessment will review the particular advantages and disadvantages of the following alternative livelihood support approaches :
- Community focused support vs individual focused support
- Small farm development vs large farm development
- Focus on vulnerable IDPs vs focus on skilled and more successful IDPs
- Investment in the previous skills of IDPs vs re-skilling in new professions
- Provision of grant support vs provision of loans
In addition the assessment will identify good practice examples, lessons learned and need for improvement in terms of:
- Use of value chain analysis to improve productivity and profitability of IDP livelihood ventures
- Use of market survey analysis to inform design of livelihood interventions
- Connection between IDP livelihood support and regional economic development
- Identification of differences in rural versus urban livelihood needs/opportunities as well as rural-urban linkages/complementarities for livelihoods.
The World Bank is seeking a consultant to undertake this review. The consultant will be managed by the World Bank but will receive guidance, support and direction from the Technical Working Group (TEG) on Livelihoods. The TEG is part of the coordinating structure for IDP support managed by the Georgian Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees (MRA), and convenes a number of key stakeholders involved in IDP Livelihood support. The members of the TEG are involved in updating the IDP Action Plan as related to IDP Livelihoods Support. A key resource for the consultant will be the database of IDP Livelihood Support projects compiled by the TEG.
The overall purpose of the work is to provide conclusions on the weaknesses and strengths of existing support to IDPs livelihoods in Georgia, and to provide strategic recommendations for improved and scaled-up approaches, which can be adopted through the newly revised State Action Plan on IDPs.
Specific Tasks of the Consultant
The consultant will undertake the following:
- Through the TEG, collate existing data and documentation on the outcomes, impacts, achievements, and lessons learned from IDP Livelihood support projects in Georgia;
- Identify case study livelihood support projects, which illustrate some of the keys areas of analysis outlined above and can be the subject of in-depth evaluation and learning, and agree with the concerned implementing agencies on possible partnership in the assessment;
- Propose a methodology for the assessment and finalize based on TEG feedback;
- Conduct the assessment;
- Present the findings of the assessment at a workshop with key stakeholders in Tbilisi;
- Write a report with particular attention to the key implications of the assessment for strategic directions for IDP Livelihood support;
- Identify possible additional studies that will be useful for the MRA in its development of a strategic approach to IDP livelihood support.
Deliverables and Timeline
? A brief inception report for the consultancy with proposed work plan and timetable (February 2012);
? Proposed methodology for the assessment (March 2012)
? Workshop Presentation of findings (July 2012)
? Final report on the IGA pilot projects (September 2012).
Travel Requirements
The consultancy will require up to 4 weeks of travel.
Qualifications
? Advanced degree preferably in field within the area of social or rural development;
? Proven ten years experience in the implementation of livelihood support projects and programmes;
? Proven five years experience in the monitoring and evaluation of livelihood support projects;
? Previous experience in working with conflict affected and displaced populations, preferably in Georgia;
? Previous experience in the ECA region with language competence preferable
? Ability to travel to the region
? Proven ability to work as part of a cross cultural team
Terms, Reporting and Remuneration
The Short Term Consultancy will begin in July 2011 and will comprise a total of up to 40 days. The consultant will report to Joanna de Berry in ECSSD SCL. He/she will be paid on the basis of an STC rate which will be calculated according to the World Bank STC remuneration guidelines.
Interested applicants should send a CV and concise cover letter (no more than one page) explaining how personal competencies meet the required Qualifications for the position.
The livelihood situation of IDPs in Georgia is cause for concern; although nationally representative statistics are not available, sample surveys suggest that IDPs have higher unemployment rates than the non displaced, have less assets and are characterized by a sense of dependency on government assistance, rather than being motivated to generate their own income. Constraints to the ability of IDPs to earn their own income include the remote location of many of their settlements, the gradual erosion of their professional skills over their years of displacement, and their weak social capital. While securing employment is a challenge for all Georgians, especially in rural areas, it is evident that IDPs face additional constraints to labor market participation.
To date, livelihood support for IDPS in Georgia has largely been delivered through NGOs and small scale projects and there is not an overarching national / strategic approach to livelihood support at any scale for IDPs. While such NGO projects have had some reported success and impact at the individual level, the sheer scale of the problem with employment and access to income indicates that there is an important question to be answered in terms of the viability of small short term projects compared to longer term market surveys and skills assessments leading to training and employment opportunities. NGO projects are not sufficient to transform the structural barriers that keep IDPs in poverty, e.g. access to employment, commercial markets, and urban biases in development support.
Developing a strategic approach to support for IDP livelihoods in Georgia will require several prongs including: the more systematic collection of nationally representative data on the employment and livelihoods situation of IDPs to allow more precise targeting; market surveys to assess the match of IDP skill supply with market demand and where correction is needed; policy dialogue with policy dialogue with national and local authorities on overcoming structural constraints to IDP employment, and; an analysis of weaknesses and strengths of existing support to livelihoods and the work with partners (private sector, NGOs, UN) to implement support.
This terms of reference concerns the latter item; a review of achievements made and challenges faced in existing livelihood support to IDPs. It will identify successful interventions which could be scaled up and pin-point structural constraints which need to be overcome to increase effectiveness. In particular, the assessment will review the particular advantages and disadvantages of the following alternative livelihood support approaches :
- Community focused support vs individual focused support
- Small farm development vs large farm development
- Focus on vulnerable IDPs vs focus on skilled and more successful IDPs
- Investment in the previous skills of IDPs vs re-skilling in new professions
- Provision of grant support vs provision of loans
In addition the assessment will identify good practice examples, lessons learned and need for improvement in terms of:
- Use of value chain analysis to improve productivity and profitability of IDP livelihood ventures
- Use of market survey analysis to inform design of livelihood interventions
- Connection between IDP livelihood support and regional economic development
- Identification of differences in rural versus urban livelihood needs/opportunities as well as rural-urban linkages/complementarities for livelihoods.
The World Bank is seeking a consultant to undertake this review. The consultant will be managed by the World Bank but will receive guidance, support and direction from the Technical Working Group (TEG) on Livelihoods. The TEG is part of the coordinating structure for IDP support managed by the Georgian Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees (MRA), and convenes a number of key stakeholders involved in IDP Livelihood support. The members of the TEG are involved in updating the IDP Action Plan as related to IDP Livelihoods Support. A key resource for the consultant will be the database of IDP Livelihood Support projects compiled by the TEG.
The overall purpose of the work is to provide conclusions on the weaknesses and strengths of existing support to IDPs livelihoods in Georgia, and to provide strategic recommendations for improved and scaled-up approaches, which can be adopted through the newly revised State Action Plan on IDPs.
Specific Tasks of the Consultant
The consultant will undertake the following:
- Through the TEG, collate existing data and documentation on the outcomes, impacts, achievements, and lessons learned from IDP Livelihood support projects in Georgia;
- Identify case study livelihood support projects, which illustrate some of the keys areas of analysis outlined above and can be the subject of in-depth evaluation and learning, and agree with the concerned implementing agencies on possible partnership in the assessment;
- Propose a methodology for the assessment and finalize based on TEG feedback;
- Conduct the assessment;
- Present the findings of the assessment at a workshop with key stakeholders in Tbilisi;
- Write a report with particular attention to the key implications of the assessment for strategic directions for IDP Livelihood support;
- Identify possible additional studies that will be useful for the MRA in its development of a strategic approach to IDP livelihood support.
Deliverables and Timeline
? A brief inception report for the consultancy with proposed work plan and timetable (February 2012);
? Proposed methodology for the assessment (March 2012)
? Workshop Presentation of findings (July 2012)
? Final report on the IGA pilot projects (September 2012).
Travel Requirements
The consultancy will require up to 4 weeks of travel.
Qualifications
? Advanced degree preferably in field within the area of social or rural development;
? Proven ten years experience in the implementation of livelihood support projects and programmes;
? Proven five years experience in the monitoring and evaluation of livelihood support projects;
? Previous experience in working with conflict affected and displaced populations, preferably in Georgia;
? Previous experience in the ECA region with language competence preferable
? Ability to travel to the region
? Proven ability to work as part of a cross cultural team
Terms, Reporting and Remuneration
The Short Term Consultancy will begin in July 2011 and will comprise a total of up to 40 days. The consultant will report to Joanna de Berry in ECSSD SCL. He/she will be paid on the basis of an STC rate which will be calculated according to the World Bank STC remuneration guidelines.
Interested applicants should send a CV and concise cover letter (no more than one page) explaining how personal competencies meet the required Qualifications for the position.
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