SCOPE OF WORK
Construction Sector Assessment Team Leader
Period of Performance: December 2017 – February 2018
Level of Effort: 35 days
I.Program Background:
The USAID Jordan Local Enterprise Support Project (USAID LENS) encourage the long-term economic growth and development potential of underserved Jordanian communities. The project supports the vitality and competitiveness of micro and small enterprises (MSEs) that are often at the heart of individual, family and community livelihood within vulnerable populations and will help empower local communities to design and implement collaborative local economic development (LED) initiatives.
II.Objective of Consultancy
USAID LENS, in collaboration with the Government of Jordan and the World Bank, is carrying out an assessment of construction sector production and services capacity among micro-, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). A substantial and extended increase in demand is expected for construction materials and labor within the complex and rapidly evolving context of anticipated regional reconstruction efforts, This anticipated demand has potential to create immediate and future business opportunities for the Jordanian construction industry, as well as employment and skill development opportunities for Syrian reconstruction workers and trades workers currently residing in Jordan as well as for Jordanian workers. Jordan already has a well-established regional comparative advantage in architecture and engineering services, a dynamic and export-oriented subsector, and is also regionally exporting construction-related products including stone and tile, cement and concrete products, aluminum, iron and steel products, plastics, and advanced HVAC equipment, among others.
Within the regional reconstruction context, Al-Mafraq is strategically positioned to provide logistics and manufacturing services, and to function as a supply hub for regional reconstruction efforts. Moreover, it currently hosts an estimated 80,000 Syrian refugees, many of whom already have construction skills and experience in areas such as building, bricklaying, stonemasonry, plumbing, pipefitting, tiling, painting, and plastering. Developing an economic cluster for reconstruction services in Mafraq therefore has the potential to benefit the Jordanian construction industry, host communities, and resident Syrians alike.
The assessment will also build on the findings of the 2016 USAID LENS strategic assessment of the Jordanian construction sector, which identified anticipated market opportunities and upgrading needs for Jordanian firms, and particularly MSEs, to generate and capture additional value by providing local services and products.
Through the assessment, USAID LENS will:
Map the landscape of SMEs that produce construction materials (such as concrete blocks, tiles, window frames, etc.) or services such as architecture and engineering or general contracting that are expected to be demanded as part of regional construction.
Assess SMEs’ competitiveness and their capabilities to scale up production or services in response to increased regional demand and to expand employment opportunities for Jordanians as well as for Syrian workers.
Identify key constraints on SMEs’ ability to produce materials or provide services at a greater scale, including finance (working capital etc), management or technical skills, equipment, or others.
Identify major areas for strengthening required to prepare specific Jordanian-based firms, to lead or participate in future rebuilding efforts.
Conceptualize short or medium term technical assistance, value chain facilitation, or training activities to address identified constraints.
The geographic focus will include Al-Mafraq, Amman, and Irbid as well as other locales that may be identified as important for job creation, enterprise development, women’s economic empowerment, or Syrian refugee inclusion goals in the context of regional reconstruction. It will examine the capacity of Jordanian MSMEs to competitively supply construction materials and services that are expected to be in high demand as part of new investments in Jordan or regional reconstruction efforts, including materials that could potentially be produced in advance and stored. Using expert knowledge and qualitative methods, the assessment will review firms’ production methods, workforce structure and skill needs, and assess capacity to increase supply of materials and services and to generate new employment in response to increased demand or potential price increases. Moreover, the assessment will examine to what extent these opportunities align with the current or potential skills possessed by Syrian workers.
The consultant will be responsible for carrying out the LENS regional reconstruction assessment in consultation with partners, with technical guidance and coordination support from the LENS project team and in close coordination with the World Bank team. The consultant will also be supported by a construction industry expert consultant (to be identified). Key tasks and deliverables are described below.
III.Tasks
1.Review existing relevant literature including the 2016 LENS Construction Sector assessment, to understand current trends, opportunities, and challenges facing Jordanian firms in the construction industry, and to identify key informants.
2.Consult with the World Bank, industry leaders (JCCA, Architecture and Engineering Business Council, etc.), potential buyers, or other key informants to 1) understand the anticipated demand for specific construction materials, services and skills related to current or future regional reconstruction efforts, and 2) in line with the specific areas of demand identified, map the supply chain and create a database of construction industry firms (including micro and small enterprises) with high potential to participate in regional construction efforts. This could include contractors, subcontractors (e.g. architecture and engineering firms), manufacturers of supplies (window frames, stone products, etc.), transport and logistics companies, etc. Data for this exercise (e.g. name of company, location, ownership, products or services provided, number of employees, estimated annual revenues, etc.) should be collected through ministries, business associations, chambers, industry leaders, or other sources.
3.Assess the production processes and capacity of local industry to meet anticipated demand. This will require surveys and site visits to a sample of promising firms (at least 15) to collect information about management methods, production processes and quantities, workforce structure and skills, ability to meet Jordanian or regional quality standards, and capacity to increase supply of materials and services at current or increased price levels. This task will have a primary focus on firms for which scaling up is most likely to be job intensive. These visits should also be used to validate location by collecting GPS coordinates and other data that will be included in the database developed in step 2. The consultant will collect and analyze information on industry and firm-level opportunities as well as constraints in relation to scaling up.
4.Assess the workforce implications of new market opportunities, with a focus on both Jordanian and Syrian workers. The consultant will also collect and consolidate information about construction sector skills and experience that will be required and how that compares to the stock of skills among the local workforce including host communities as well as Syrian refugees.
5.Based on data collected, identify major areas for strengthening required to prepare specific Jordanian-based firms, to lead or participate in future rebuilding efforts, based on data collected. Conceptualize short or medium term technical assistance, value chain facilitation, or training activities to address identified constraints.
IV.Deliverables
The Consultant shall be responsible for preparing and submitting the following deliverables:
Tasks / Deliverables / Estimated LOE / Due Dates / Code:Review existing relevant literature including the 2016 LENS Construction Sector assessment and any existing value chain or supply chain mapping documents, to understand current trends, opportunities, and challenges facing Jordanian firms in the construction industry, and to identify key informants /
- summary of notes and key takeaways from literature review
- preliminary key informant list
Consult with the World Bank, industry leaders, or others to understand the anticipated demand for specific construction materials and services and to map the supply chain of construction industry firms, including MSEs, with high potential to participate in regional construction efforts. / 3-4 page memo summarizing findings and implications for the next phase.
- Mapping database of relevant firms in Excel or other agreed format
Assess the production processes and capacity of local industry to meet anticipated demand, based on key informant interviews, surveys and site visits to at least 20-25 selected firms. /
- Meeting notes and other data collected from firms. Presentation of findings to LENS team and key partners including the World Bank team .
Produce final report synthesizing findings and recommendations of the above tasks. /
- Final report incorporating USAID LENS and partner comments.
- Total LOE
V.Technical Direction: Hana Sawaqed
Performance under this Work Order shall be subject to the technical direction of the above named FHI 360 employee. Only those individuals named in the Work Order may issue technical directions.
VI.QUALIFICATIONS
Candidates for this consultancy must:
Have strong understanding of and successful experience in designing or implementing trade, private sector competitiveness and market systems development assessments or initiatives. The consultant must have strong analytical skills, including quantitative as well as qualitative data. The consultant must be a clear and capable writer in English (this must be demonstrated by a writing sample). The consultant must be highly self-directed and take initiative to anticipate and overcome challenges. The consultant must also have strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively within a team environment. The consultant must be fluent in English and Arabic. It is strongly preferred that the consultant possess experience, knowledge, and relationships in the construction sector in Jordan. A minimum of Bachelor’s degree is required, plus relevant experience at a comparable level of technical complexity and responsibility.
VII.SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
-Please submit your CV along with a cover letter to:
-Subject line: ‘’ Construction Consultant’’
Deadline to Apply: 24 December 2017 no later than 1300 Jordan Local Time