TERMS OF REFERENCE

VET MATERIAL AND TECHNOLOGY EXPERT

Expertise France is looking for a VET Material and Technology Expert to support the Programme implementation by coordinating the design, implementation and monitoring of rehabilitation and provision of equipment to vocational training centres (VTCs) and partner workplaces. This expert will be responsible for ensuring that target VTCs and workplaces provide an improved social, theoretical and practical learning environment for apprentices.

The VET Material and Technology 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 01/04/2024 to 01/04/2027 (36 months)

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

Starting date: 1 April 2024

Reports to: Team Leader

Line management of: Program Assistant, Local Capacity Building Experts (responsible for small-scale rehabilitation and machinery/equipment support)

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 communities in Türkiye.

4. DESCRIPTION OF THE TASKS

Under the supervision of the Team Leader and in close cooperation with the Capacity Building Manager, Social Cohesion Expert, Grants and Incentives Expert and Procurement Manager, the VET Material and Technology Expert will be responsible for overseeing and implementing all activities related to the rehabilitation and procurement of equipment and materials for target VTCs and workplaces.

The main tasks of the VET Material and Technology Expert will be as follows:

• Oversee the implementation of small-scale rehabilitation and machinery/equipment support to improve social and learning environment of VTCs and workplaces.
• Prepare and deliver detailed workplan and content related to the rehabilitation and provision of equipment and materials to both VTCs and workplaces involved in the programme
• Oversee the development of minimum requirements for VTCs to be more inclusive and attractive
• Organize and coordinate capacity building activities within VTCs to conduct needs assessment in line with developed minimum requirements
• Provide input when/if needed for needs assessment to be conducted in ADUVETs by the implementing partner and ensure quality
• Prepare technical specifications for the machinery and equipment in line with the needs assessment for the improvement of theoretical training environment in VTCs and practical learning environment in workplaces
• Prepare budget forecasts for small-scale rehabilitation and machinery/equipment support activities, monitor expenditures on the allocated budget (dedicated budget lines), and flag/report any deviation to the Team Leader and Deputy Team Leader

• Ensure the provision of technical expertise relevant to accomplishing the VTC and workplace improvement activities by developing terms of reference for short-term experts, overseeing their contractualisation and supervising their work to ensure their delivery of satisfactory and timely results
• Support the local capacity building experts (responsible for small-scale rehabilitation and machinery/equipment support) in the overall activity management in terms of planning and implementation and in managing different stakeholders
• Follow-up the completion of procurement and delivery, ensure/follow-up training of the relevant VTC personnel required for the use of machinery and equipment and also monitoring the level of usage, in collaboration with the Capacity-Building Manager
• Coordinate with the M&E Manager to monitor the level of satisfaction at VTC level in terms of the quality and outcomes of improvements
• Provide inputs for the Procurement Plan and provide timely and detailed workplans to the procurement team in order to ensure on-time and on-budget procurement of needed goods and services

• Review and revise “Workplace Support Guide and its annexes”
  • Determine the list of selection criteria for workplaces to be eligible to receive a grant for workplace support;
  • Determine the main types of support that can be provided to workplaces via grants (e.g. minor infrastructural repairs, refurbishment and equipping, etc to create an enhanced learning environment);
• Oversee the development of minimum requirements according to sectors for a workplace to train apprentice students, and finalise by taking the feedback of the coordinator teachers and prepare checklists accordingly
• In coordination with capacity building experts, oversee training of coordinator teachers on how to use these checklists to perform needs analysis at the workplaces where apprentice students are trained
• Oversee the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the workplace improvement process, in collaboration with procurement team and Grants and Incentives Expert
• Ensure a help desk to be established to support workplaces that want to apply during the application process
• Work with the Grants and Incentives Expert to 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 in collaboration with Grants and Incentives Expert
• Oversee the monitoring and evaluation process for the improvement activities with a dedicated information management system
• Supervise provincial coordinators and local capacity-building experts to monitor the supported workplaces where improvements are made at regular intervals and ensure the quality and outcomes of the improvements will be traced by follow-up studies, in coordination with M&E Manager
• Prepare documentation, archiving, and reporting related to small-scale rehabilitation and machinery/equipment support activities to be conducted
• Contribute to the knowledge capitalisation and communication activities of EF with regards to VET4JOB small-scale rehabilitation and machinery/equipment support activities.

5. REQUESTED PROFILE

• University education in one of the vocational and technical education fields
• At least 10 years of professional working experience in vocational training institutions and institutions providing vocational training      
• 10 years of professional experience in social support projects with vulnerable groups ideally refugees, IDPs, youth, women
• Experience within the vocational education system in Turkey, working with national and local stakeholders
• Extensive theoretical and practical knowledge of institutional development, capacity building, procurement of vocational education machinery and equipment
• Ability to lead and manage experts
• Sound knowledge on the Syrian conflict and situation of the Syrian population in Turkey, and strong understanding of social cohesion challenges in this context
• Experience working on EU-funded programmes or international projects would be an asset
• Good knowledge and working experience of Turkish institutions and policies, especially of the Ministry of National Education, as well as the civil society organisations
• Professional working knowledge of Turkish: Being able to work in English is an asset 
• Requested highest demonstrable professional skills on:
  • Inter-cultural communication
  • Teamwork
  • Autonomy and initiative
  • Results-based management and reporting

• Computer skills: Knowledge of office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.)

6. APPLICATIONS

Deadline for submission of applications: 25.03.2024

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

procurement-imep@expertisefrance.fr

with the reference to “EF VET Material and Technology Expert”

            - 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.