The International Labour Organization (ILO) has been implementing a multi-sectoral inter-agency partnership programme for host communities and forcibly displaced people with a vision of enhancing skills for better labour market opportunities and strengthening decent work in countries affected by forced displacement to mitigate stress and support access to labour markets plus empowerment of host communities and forcibly displaced populations. One of the key components of the Programme is the promotion of Employment Intensive Investment Programme (EIIP) principles and work methods, to maximize employment outcomes for at-risk communities.

The ILO EIIP supports countries in the design, formulation, implementation and evaluation of policies and programmes aimed at addressing unemployment and underemployment. The Programme promotes public investment, typically in infrastructure development and environmental works with a focus on the use of employment-intensive and local resource-based approaches to produce public assets in a range of areas such as road construction and maintenance, water and drainage, irrigation infrastructure, reforestation, and soil conservation. Implementation modalities range from public works programmes where individuals are hired directly to the contracting of small and medium enterprises (contractors) and communities. EIIP produces transformative public assets that create employment, skills learning and business opportunities for local communities.

Several initiatives were rolled out under the EIIP component in the last five years, particularly in the Somali Region of Ethiopia. The ILO is now looking for a new geographic front in the Amhara region aiming to support peacebuilding and social cohesion through the promotion of employment and livelihood opportunities for refugees and host communities. The proposed intervention will address the lack of access to basic infrastructure and economic opportunities for forcibly displaced persons and host communities in the target areas. In this regard, the ILO will promote an employment-intensive and green works approach for the provision of priority socio-economic infrastructure and will work towards addressing unemployment, decent work deficits and lack of access to livelihoods within the host and refugee communities, which are key contributing factors to conflict.

The ILO, UNICEF and UNHCR organized a joint scoping mission on 15-17 February 2023 to the Alemwach settlement to identify possible areas of joint intervention aimed at providing immediate access to refugees and host communities to basic needs and services in the settlement and neighbouring Dabat town. Accordingly, priority areas were identified in consultation with local authorities and target communities. This included provision of improved housing/shelter, sanitation, market infrastructure, access roads as well as education and health facilities. The ILO is proposing to undertake some of these works to help address decent work deficits and lack of opportunities for livelihood and build resilience of both host and refugee communities against socio-economic shock. This is done through the provision of basic socio-economic infrastructure, the creation of market linkage and livelihood opportunities in the Dabat settlement area.

Some of the proposed interventions entail:

• Rehabilitation of a feeder road to Alemwach settlement using a local resource-based approach
• Establishment of a market centre in the settlement (market stalls, proper fencing, solid waste collection & disposal, a Crèche)
• Short-term vocational training in roads and building works.

Accordingly, a 2.3km road was identified and the design is currently being done by a government agency, Lihiket Design and Supervision Corporation. The road upgrading work will be executed by local contractors trained in labour-based construction methods.

It is in this light that the Roads2SDGs project proposes the hiring of a Road Design Engineer, who will be the focal person to deliver capacity development interventions on road design.

In light of this, the ILO is seeking to hire a seasoned road construction engineer-National consultant, who will monitor and supervise the day-to-day road work in Dabat town.

THE OBJECTIVE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The objective of the assignment is for the consultant to provide technical supervision and monitoring during the Rehabilitation of the road in Dabat town. The supervision of road work will entail ensuring contractors’ conformity and compliance to design specifications, compliance with labour-based approaches in construction, quality control and assurance.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The specific objective of this assignment is to:

Works Supervision

• Ensure that work is executed within the specified construction time while maintaining high-quality standards as stipulated in the contract document with the contractor/s.
• Carry out comprehensive supervision and monitoring of the contractor/s during the implementation of road work to ensure full compliance with the drawings, technical specifications and various stipulations contained in the contract documents.
• Support effective project monitoring and reporting by providing periodic project progress and monitoring reports based on key performance indicators including employment creation, gender equality, asset development as well as provision of safety and health at the workplace.
• Ensure social and environmental safeguards are addressed by the contractors.

1. Contract Administration
2. Representation

• Organize and attend technical meetings with the relevant project stakeholders when necessary.
• Upon request by the ILO, represent the ILO at official meetings related to this specific project.

SCOPE OF WORK

ILO is seeking one individual consultant to support the supervision of construction works in Dabat Town, North Gondar Zone. The consultant shall prepare for the commencement of the work; and subsequently, supervise and monitor the contractor/s as the “Engineer” and put in place a quality assurance system to ensure compliance with construction standards as well as ensure that the contractor/s are using Labour-based approaches in construction while observing stipulated timelines and decent work principles, including adherence to Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) management plans on site.

The consultant’s tasks during this phase shall include:

Pre-construction Phase

• In liaison with the ILO develop key performance indicators and ensure that the environmental and social safeguards including labour standards and other ILO decent work standards and norms are adequately captured in the site supervision documentation.
• Supervise the contractors during the mobilization of the Works according to their work plan.
• Ensure that the Contractor conforms with the Labour-based approaches on the labour/staff and workdays proposed as well as the use of local materials.
• Participate in official site handover and briefing to the Contractors.
• Support the review of the Contractors’ work programs and method statements, identify areas that may pose a risk to work scope, quality, and timely completion, and propose mitigation mechanisms. Approve the programs if satisfied.
• Develop a quality assurance plan and checklist.
• With support from the ILO, develop data collection, reporting and monitoring tools for effective reporting and monitoring of work progress, employment creation, and skills development.
• Inspection and assessment of proposed works sites, quarry and borrow areas and materials and recommend areas of acquisition of local materials for the project.