TERMS OF REFERENCE

GRANTS AND INCENTIVES EXPERT

Expertise France is looking for a Grants and Incentives Manager to support the VET4JOB programme implementation by coordinating and overseeing the design and implementation of grants for workplace improvement and entrepreneurship support and incentives for students/apprentices, as well as monitoring and reporting on the implementation of these activities.

The Grants and Incentives Expert will be based in the EF Ankara Office, with frequent travel to the 12 Programme provinces where the activities will be implemented.

1. THE ROLE

Type of contract: Full-time

Estimated assignment period: From 01/05/2024 to 01/05/2028 (48 months)

Location: Ankara, with frequent travel to other provinces of implementation

Starting date: 1 May 2024

Reports to: Team Leader

Line management of: N/A

2. EXPERTISE FRANCE

Expertise France is France’s public agency and interministerial actor in charge of international technical cooperation, the second-largest in Europe. As a subsidiary of Agence Française de Développement Group (AFD Group), it designs and implements projects that sustainably strengthen public policies in developing and emerging countries. Expertise France works in key areas of development: governance, security, climate change, health, education, and more. Alongside its partners, it contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

3. THE PROJECT

Starting March 1st, 2024, Expertise France will be implementing Phase II of its İMEP/VET4JOB programme, entitled “Improving the employment prospects for the refugees and host communities by high-quality VET and apprenticeship in Türkiye”, in partnership with EDUSER. Phase II, which will be implemented until 01.12.2028, will be the continuation of the VET4JOB I programme which has been implemented since 01.01.2020.

The İMEP/VET4JOB programme, funded by the Delegation of the European Union to Türkiye, is supporting the development of skills for refugees and host communities in Türkiye, for both adults and adolescents, through high-quality vocational training and apprenticeship training, in line with the needs of the labour market.

The İMEP/VET4JOB programme aims to (i) increase the demand and access of refugee and Turkish youth (14-22) and vulnerable adults to high-quality apprenticeship training, vocational training, and guidance services; (ii) support the fight against child labour; and (iii) increase social cohesion between refugees and host communities.

Overall, the İMEP/VET4JOB Phase II will aim to enhance livelihood opportunities to refugees and host communities in Türkiye.

4. DESCRIPTION OF THE TASKS

Under the supervision of the Team Leader, the Grants and Incentives Expert will be responsible for coordinating the design of the grant component and the grant administration processes for both work place improvement and in-kind entrepreneurship support.

The main tasks of the Grants and Incentives Expert will be as follows:

• Ensure that grants and incentives activities are conducted in a quality and timely manner so as to achieve the expected results;
• Prepare detailed workplans and contents related to the grants and incentives activities of the Programme;
• Prepare budget forecasts for grants and incentives activities, monitor expenditures on the allocated budget (dedicated budget lines), and flag/report any deviation to the Team Leader and Deputy Team Leader;
• Any other tasks as required and requested by the Team Leader.

More specifically, the Grants and Incentives Expert will be responsible for:

Workplace support grants management

• Contribute to the revision and update of the Workplace Support Guide and its annexes, in collaboration with the VET Material and Technology Expert
• Contribute to the definition of sectoral minimum standards and requirements for workplaces, in collaboration with the VET Material and Technology Expert
• Support the needs analysis process as required and in collaboration with the VET Material and Technology Expert
• Draft detailed and precise application guidelines, with a clear timeline and detailed deliverables;
• Prepare the required documentation (formats and templates) for grants applications
• Set up a basic information management system to manage grants applications, submissions, and monitoring/follow-up of the grants’ implementation
• In collaboration with the VET Material and Technology Expert, establish and facilitate a help desk for applicants during the application process to support workplaces that want to apply
• In collaboration with the VET Material and Technology Expert,
  • set up an objective and transparent grading system for applications, ensuring that the wellbeing and safety of the apprentices is at the core of the needs and fully taken into consideration by applicants
  • Review, assess and grade grant applications submitted by workplaces, following an objective grading system
• Review the narrative description in each application and provide feedback to applicants for adjustments as required
• Design tools and databases / tracking documents for management, monitoring and follow-up of all workplaces’ grants
• In the selection process, ensure that the needs of female apprentice students will be taken into account by the applicant workplaces
• In coordination with the admin/fin team, review the proposed budgets in the applications, and provide feedback for adjustments as required
• In coordination with the admin/fin team, organise trainings for the selected workplaces with regards to the EF procedures to be applied and followed by the workplaces in the implementation of their grants
• Follow-up with coordinator teachers and the VET Material and Technology Expert to ensure that checklists for requirements per sector are duly taken into consideration by the workplaces in the implementation of their grants for improving the learning environment
• Coordinate and follow-up with the provincial coordinators on a regular basis to monitor improvements made by the workplaces using the grants provided by EF
• In coordination with the admin/fin team, review grants documentation (procurement contracts, etc) from workplaces on a regular basis to ensure that grants beneficiaries fully abide by EF procurement rules, and flag any observed deviation to the Team Leader, Deputy Team Leader and Admin/Fin Manager
• Document the results and outcomes of each grant (preparation of grants reports, with before/after photos), in coordination with the workplaces and the provincial coordinators, to ensure quality outcomes for apprentices

In-kind entrepreneurship support

• Conduct a study on existing entrepreneurship skills of apprentice students and new graduates and employment tendencies
• Work with Capacity Building Manager to develop a tracking system for VTC graduates (40 VTCs/40hrs*3 Euros)
• Oversee tailoring/updating entrepreneurship training (in curricula and/or KOSGEP) for grades 11th and 12th (could be prioritised) including training of trainers
• In collaboration with Capacity Building Manager and Extracurricular Activities Expert organise entrepreneurship training of trainers for grades 11th and 12th including career days/networking events
• Develop a system/tool/training for administrative and legal support for new entrepreneurs and deliver consultancy
• Define the model to provide in-kind support for potential entrepreneurs
• Implementing of entrepreneurship support services package in collaboration with procurement team

Student incentives management

• Prepare and design a comprehensive Student Incentives Strategy, and specifically a Food Support Strategy, taking into consideration the needs of students to prevent dropout as well as the lessons learned and best practices from the first phase of the programme
• Oversee and coordinate the distribution of food vouchers to eligible students
• Define and determine eligibility and selection criteria for students to receive food vouchers
• Consolidate and archive lists of students selected to receive food vouchers
• In collaboration with the M&E team, prepare and conduct a needs assessment to determine the needs of the VTCs and their students with regards to food and nutrition, as well as potential needs for improvement of the VTC’s facilities to improve food provision to students
• In collaboration with the procurement team, prepare all the required documentation for the procurement process to contract with a food voucher service provider
• Monitor the provision of food vouchers to students and apprentices, and flag any issues to the M&E Manager and the Team Leader (potential issues related to the service provider should be flagged to the Procurement Manager and Deputy Team Leader)
• In collaboration with the M&E team, prepare and conduct a needs assessment to determine the needs of students with regards to dropout prevention, and the needs related to child labour issues
• Based on the results of the needs assessment, and in collaboration with the programme experts, determine and define potential incentives (e.g. tickets for cultural, social, sport events) that will contribute to fight against child labour and dropout prevention
• Monitor the implementation of the incentives for completion of the extracurricular activities, in collaboration with the Extracurricular Activities Expert, and flag any potential issues to the M&E Manager and the Team Leader
• In collaboration with the M&E team as required, organise and conduct regular meetings with apprentice students and teachers to collect their feedback on the incentives, and take any corrective measure as required

5. REQUESTED PROFILE

• University education, preferably in social sciences (education, sociology, international relations, public policy, social work, etc) or any other relevant field
• 10 years of professional experience, preferably in a similar position
• Experience in social support projects with vulnerable groups ideally refugees, IDPs, youth, women would be an asset
• Experience working on EU-funded programmes or international projects would be a strong asset
• Good knowledge and working experience with youth (14 to 22 years old) would be a very strong asset
• Extensive theoretical and practical knowledge of grants management
• Sound knowledge on the Syrian conflict and situation of the Syrian population in Turkey
• Advanced drafting skills, with capacity to explain complicated things in a simple and straightforward manner
• Professional working knowledge of English and Turkish

• Highest demonstrable professional skills on:
  • Inter-cultural communication
  • Teamwork
  • Autonomy and initiative

• Computer skills: advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, etc.)

6. APPLICATIONS

Deadline for submission of applications: 01.03.2024

Applications must be made in English. Please send your application to the following email address:

procurement-imep@expertisefrance.fr, with the reference “EF Grants and Incentives Expert”.

Applications should include:

            - A CV, including 2 references

            - A cover letter

7. SELECTION PROCESS

The process of selection of expressions of interest will occur in two phases:

• As a first step, a shortlist will be established by Expertise France.
• Shortlisted candidates may then be invited for an interview.

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.