Lack of labor with adequate technical and vocational skills is a binding constraint to economic 
diversification in Azerbaijan. This is because of decade-long underinvestment in vocational education 
and training (VET). Given this, since 2016 the Government of Azerbaijan has prioritized modernization of 
the country’s VET system as part of the education sector development. This was first done through 
adoption of the Strategic Roadmap on VET in December 20216 and most recently as part of Azerbaijan 2030: 
National Priorities for Socio-Economic Development approved in February 2021. 

Improving infrastructure and strengthening human capital is a strategic pillar of the ADB’s Country 
Partnership Strategy for Azerbaijan for 2019–2023. Specifically, this pillar emphasizes support to 
strengthening the role of TVET in the education sector.

In April 2016, the government established the State Agency on Vocational Education (under the Ministry 
of Education) to coordinate the government’s policies and reforms in VET and oversee the performance of 
VET institutions under the Ministry of Education. In June 2018, the county’s first-ever Law on 
Vocational Education was adopted that (i) provided for a three-layer vocational education system 
(initial, technical, and higher technical vocational education), (ii) envisaged establishment of a 
vocational education fund as a sustainable and incentive-based financing arrangement for VET schools, 
and (iii) promoted transformation of VET schools to public legal agencies to enable them to act more 
independently and financially autonomous as VET service provider in the market.

Given the strategic context above, ADB has initiated preparation of Modernizing Vocational Education and 
Training for Economic Diversification Sector Development Program (SDP) comprising a policy-based loan to 
promote important reforms and a project loan to support modernization of selected VET institutions 
supervised by MOED and SAVE. The preparation of SDP is done in close coordination with the Ministry of 
Education (MOED) and its State Agency for Vocational Education (SAVE).

The expected impact of the SDP is modernization of Azerbaijan’s human capital as a driving force for 
accelerating sustainable, inclusive, private sector-led, and diversified economic growth. The expected 
outcome will be the improved responsiveness of the VET sector to the needs of the labor market and the 
4IR. The outcome will be achieved through implementation of policy measures and investments in three 
reform areas: (i) financing of vocational education and training improved, (ii) quality and relevance of 
vocational education and training strengthened, and (iii) institutional framework of the vocational 
education and training sector strengthened.

The consultant will report to the senior education sector specialist and team leader and will coordinate 
with the environmental safeguards focal of CWRD-PSG. 

In close coordination and consultation with the project’s executing agency, the key tasks of the expert 
will include: 

a. Preparation of the initial environment examination (IEE) and environmental management plan based on 
the location of VET centers or other criteria (consolidated IEE). Each IEE will include a brief 
description of the proposed works, description of the baseline environment, anticipated environmental 
impacts and mitigation measures, analysis of alternatives, prepare code of construction practice for 
rehabilitation activities to be carried out, description of the information disclosure and consultations 
conducted and planned consultations and information dissemination, grievance redress mechanism, and 
environmental management plan, environmental monitoring, and environmental costs, examining the 
environmental implications of civil works designed under the program;
b. carrying out a diagnostic assessment of applicable and relevant laws, regulations, rules, and 
procedures for managing and mitigating the environmental impact of the program; 
c. preparation of the environmental safeguards parts of the safeguards assessment matrix for the policy-
based loan,  and develop proposal on strengthening the environmental management institutional 
arrangements at MOE and SAVE;
d. carry out meaningful gender-inclusive consultations with potentially affected people and communities 
and facilitate their informed participation. Ensure participation in consultation of all project’s 
stakeholders, including concerned non-government organizations; 
e. development of a project’s grievance redress mechanism; and 
f. use the rapid environmental assessments for the VET centers covered under the project to assign 
environmental categories; and
g. provision of inputs to all documents for loan processing, including ensuring proper quality of the 
Azerbaijani versions of the outputs.

The environmental safeguards specialist should have a master’s degree in environmental science, 
engineering, or a related field, and about 7 years of experience conducting environmental assessments 
under development partner supported projects. The expert should have good oral, written communication, 
and presentation skills in English and Azerbaijani, and proven ability in report writing for 
professional purposes. Job-relevant experience under ADB- or World Bank-funded projects in Azerbaijan 
will be a merit.