Skills for Prosperity in South East Asia Programme (SfP-SEA) – Malaysia

Terms of Reference (TOR) for

National Consultancy – Review of Institutional Mechanism for Industry Engagement in TVET / Skills Training

(Service Contract)

1. Background

The Skills for Prosperity in South East Asia Programme (SfP-SEA) aims to contribute to increasing national capacity to achieve sustained and inclusive growth through the enhancement of skills development and technical and vocational education and training (TVET) systems in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

To achieve this objective, the programme works with government agencies, employers’ organisations, trade unions, educational institutions and other partners in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines to facilitate review and reform of the countries’ skills development and TVET policies and systems. In the region, the SfP-SEA provides opportunities for mutual learning among the three countries and the other ASEAN nations, and beyond—not only showcasing the results of the pilots and lessons learned from the programme but also facilitating the sharing of best practices in the region and other parts of the world.

In Malaysia, the Programme focuses on increasing skills development and TVET systems’ readiness to meet the skills needs of the future of work and those of vulnerable groups, through enhancing four areas of the TVET system and delivery:

• Equity:  Inclusiveness in skills development and TVET systems
• Quality: Future-ready & coordinated skills development and TVET systems
• Relevance: Demand-driven skills and TVET/skills recognition
• Cost-Effectiveness: Improved skills/TVET financing models

The SfP Malaysia Project focuses on TVET inclusiveness, quality, relevance and readiness whilst addresses skills mismatch issues in the area of critical needs for skills development and TVET to support the industry development and socio-economic progress. It intends to assist national partners in improving policies to ensure industry-led TVET in public and private sectors and increase employment and career progress opportunities for TVET students at national and sub-national levels. The national and sub-national activities at two states, namely Sabah and Kedah, will target:

• The primary beneficiaries: youths (ages 16-25) and women; and
• Other beneficiaries (vulnerable groups):
  • Members of the B40
  • Persons with Disabilities
  • Individuals Not In Employment Education or Training (NEET)
  • Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
  • Workers in the informal economy
  • Self-employed individuals
  • individuals employed in the gig economy

Under the Relevance pillar, the SfP Malaysia Project will conduct review of the past and existing experiences of similar institutional arrangements, aiming to deeply understand the mechanism of industry engagement in TVET and skills development in Malaysia in the two selected sectors. The results of this analysis will be utilized to refine activities to improve or develop viable institutional mechanisms for industry engagement in TVET/skills training in Malaysia.

1. Objective

The objectives of this analysis are to:

• Examine the roles and responsibilities of industry in the skills development system of Malaysia and describe the mechanisms and institutions through which those roles are fulfilled, in comparison with international good practices;
• Assess the achievements and challenges of existing institutions for industry engagement in TVET, including key success factors and barriers to identify suitable, feasible and sustainable options of institutional mechanism for more effective engagement;
• Provide decision-making tools and options for stakeholders to identify suitable institutional mechanism in Malaysia;
• Refine work plans to improve or develop viable institutional mechanisms.

1. Scope of Work

Under the supervision of Chief Technical Advisor and with guidance from Senior Project Officers, regional specialists of the ILO, the main responsibility of the contractor is to conduct the review of institutional mechanism for industry engagement in TVET at the national level for the construction and manufacturing sectors. The contractor should also incorporate technical inputs from an international consultant, who conduct international comparative analysis of institutions for industry engagement in TVET.

The contractor is required to:

1. Identify key existing institutions for industry engagement in TVET/skills training in Malaysia, in particular in the construction and manufacturing (e.g., food processing industry) sectors.
2. Prepare a comprehensive desktop review on inventory of the past and existing formal and informal institutional mechanism for industry engagement in TVET and skills training in Malaysia, focusing on the construction and manufacturing (e.g., food processing industry) sectors experiences of similar institutional arrangement based on the roles and responsibilities in the TVET and skills development system of Malaysia.
3. Examine the roles, achievements, and challenges of those past and existing institutions by conducting in-depth interviews with relevant government agencies, employers’ and workers’ organizations, and industry.
4. Compare the roles of past and existing institutions for industry engagement in TVET and skills training in Malaysia with other countries models, which an international consultant will examine, and present options of viable models and provide decision-making tools to assist the national partners in identifying viable institutional mechanisms in Malaysia. The tools may include structural requirements for each type of institutions, such as functions, management structure, resources (e.g., infrastructure, funding, and staffing), supporting legal framework and rough roadmaps to develop each institutional mechanism in Malaysia.
5. Provide national partners of the Project with the opportunities to understand achievement and challenges of past and existing institutions for industry engagement in TVET/skills training and explore viable mechanisms in Malaysia through seminars or workshops.
6. Provide a preliminary proposal on the roles of steering committee(s) for an enhanced institutional mechanism for industry engagement in TVET and skills training and the functions and structure of the mechanism, based on which the national partners of the Project can decide their next course of actions.
7. Provide strategic advice and inputs on the Project’s implementation plan for the development or improvement of institutional mechanism for industry engagement in TVET, including: (i) potential implementation partners for activities; (ii) potential industry leaders or champion enterprises; and (iii) potential risks for project activities.

1. Methodologies

The study may apply multiple method as follows:

• Preliminary information gathering via desk / literature review.
• Qualitative research (multiple case study) by engaging with industrial experts via on-line or physical interview with government and industry representatives who are involved in the TVET and skills development system in Malaysia. The mechanisms and institutions to be reviewed include but are not limited to:

• Industry and government-led skills bodies in the skills development system (e.g., MEF Academy, FMM Institute, the Master Builders Association Malaysia (MBAM), the Department of Skills Development (DSD)’s Industry Lead Body, the Human Resource Development Fund (HRDF)’s Sectoral Training Committee, the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB)’s Skills Standard Development Panel, etc.).
• Sectoral regulatory bodies related to the quality assurance of training organisations / programmes (e.g., CIDB, the Department of Occupational Safety and Health, Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM), Food Safety & Quality Division in the Department of Public Health, etc.).
• Organisations or committees involved in the development of skill standards, curriculum and/or qualifications (e.g., DSD, Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA), CIDB, etc.).
• Apprenticeship councils or boards (e.g., HRDF, the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA)’s Apprenticeship Programmes, etc.).
• Centres of excellence and training institution advisory/management boards.
• Councils or boards of national or sectoral training funds.
• National labour market research institutions or other organisations involved in skills anticipation (e.g., the Institute of Labour Market Information Analysis (ILMIA), Talent Corporation, etc.).
• National bodies involved in the governance of TVET and skills training recognition and qualifications (e.g., DSD and MQA).

1. Outputs

The contractor is required to produce the following outputs:

Interim Outputs (within the first 24 days)

1. The written interim report in a suitable format which includes:

• Preliminary findings of qualitative analysis of the past and existing experiences of similar institutional arrangement based on the roles and responsibilities of industry in the skills development system of Malaysia, regarding information required in section 3 of this TOR.
• Preliminary reports on consultation, including summaries of interviews and small group discussions with stakeholders.

1. Presentation of the interim outputs in a suitable presentation format (e.g., PowerPoint).
2. The brief report of a seminar/workshop with the national partners of the Project.

Final Outputs

1. The final report in a suitable format which includes (see section 3 of this TOR for details of requirements):

• Comprehensive review on of the past and existing experiences of institutional arrangements for industry engagement in TVET, based on the roles and responsibilities of industry in the skills development system of Malaysia.
• Decision-making tables or matrix in an appropriate form, which assists the national partners in identifying viable institutional mechanisms in Malaysia, taking into account structural requirements for each type of institutions, such as functions, management structure, resources, and rough roadmaps to develop each institutional mechanism in Malaysia.
• Seminar or workshop reports on the final report presentation.
• Draft Terms of References for establishment of steering committee(s) for an enhanced institutional mechanism for industry engagement in TVET and skills training and preliminary idea on the functions and structure of the mechanism.
• Strategic advice and inputs on the programme strategies and work plans.
• Full consultation summaries of interviews with stakeholders.

1. Presentation of the final outputs in a suitable presentation format (e.g., PowerPoint).

1. Timeline

The estimated number of workdays for this consultancy as indicated in the above section 3 is 45 days spreading over 3 months tentatively from 26 January 2021 until 25 April 2021. The starting date and workdays will be finalized after completion of the hiring process.

Below are the targets dates to produce outputs:

Tasks

No. of days

Location

Output

1. Initial meeting with the ILO to agree on the overall plan and ways of working.

1

KL

Work plan, Draft outline of the final report

2. Kick-off meetings with key

national partners such as MOHR (DSD & HDRF), CIDB, MEF, MBAM and FMM.

1

KL/On-line

Revised work plan

3. Develop the qualitative research methods and plan.

2

Home

Research plan

4.  Desk review of the past and existing experiences of similar institutional arrangement based on the roles and responsibilities of industry in the skills development system of Malaysia.

5

Home

List of institutions with their functions and responsibilities

5. Prepare for in-depth interviews with respective institutions, experts, and stakeholders.

2

Home

Interview guides / questionnaires, list of target interviewees

6. Conduct in-depth interviews with respective institutions to examine the roles, achievements, and challenges of those past and existing institutions.

8

Home, KL/On-line

Interview data and the results of analysis.

7. Draft the interim report and submit it to the ILO for review.

3

Home

The draft interim report

8. Organise workshop and present interim results and analysis to identify suitable mechanism for institutional framework to SfP Malaysia team and key national partners and summarise the key points of discussion.

2

KL/On-line

The written interim report and presentation materials by 1 March 2021

9. Draft the final report which provides the comprehensive analysis of the roles of past and existing institutions for industry engagement in TVET and skills training in Malaysia, comparison with other countries models, and decision-making tools to assist the national partners in identifying viable institutional mechanisms in Malaysia.

4

Home

1st draft report

10. Submit the report to the ILO and revise it by incorporating the feedback.

1

Home

11. Plan and organize a seminar/workshop and make presentation of 1st draft report to the SfP Malaysia team and key national partners.

2

KL/On-line

The written 1st draft report and presentation materials by 10 March 2021

12. Revise the 1st draft report incorporating the feedback from the ILO and national partners.

3

Home

Revised 1st draft report

13. Develop structural requirements for implementing the proposed institutional option (resource requirements e.g., infrastructure, funding, staffing; management functions, structural considerations, etc.).

4

Home

Summary of structural requirements for industry skills councils

15. Develop draft Terms of References for establishment of steering committee(s) and roles and functions the industry skills councils

3

Home

• Draft TOR for steering committee
• Draft TOR for an enhanced institution for industry engagement in TVET

16.  Draft the draft final report, which includes strategic advice and inputs on the Project’s implementation plan.

3

Home

The final report on 14 April 2021

17. Revise and finalize the report by incorporating the feedback from the ILO.

1

Home

The revised final report

Total

45

7.    Required Qualifications

The assignment should be carried out by a contractor who should have team members with the following qualifications:

Education: Advanced university degree in economics, social sciences, public administration or statistics, with expertise in the field of industrial development, policy review, and TVET/skills development. 

Experience:

• A minimum of five years of experience in working on industrial development and/or skills development and TVET.
• Experience in carrying out qualitative research, in particular multiple case studies.
• Experience in producing high-quality reports in English.
• Experience in working with industry, in particular employers’ and workers’ organizations.
• Experience in working with government agencies responsible for TVET/skills training and industrial policies.
• Experience in organising high-level consultation workshops.
• Experience in working for international organisations.

Qualifications:

• Excellent understanding of situations related to industrial development and/or human capital / education policy review, and TVET/skills development in area of skills development in Malaysia.
• Excellent analytical and writing skills in English.
• Solid understanding and skills on qualitative research methods.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills to engage with the SfP-Malaysia constituents and stakeholders.
• Ability to use a variety of computer applications and software to carry out data collection and analysis

Languages: Excellent command of English and Malay.

8.    Application

Interested companies must submit the following documents/ information to demonstrate their qualifications.

• Technical proposal describing how the contactor will approach and conduct the work including the number of days 5 pages maximum)
• List of team members with brief explanation of experience relevant to this assignment and Curriculum Vitae
• One writing sample related to this assignment, such as a report or paper.
• Estimated budget (financial proposal), including professional fees (daily rate and expected number of working days) and other expenses (e.g., transportation costs), for completing the work.

The interested companies are requested to submit the above documents electronically to [email protected] and [email protected] by 15 January 2021 by 4:00 pm MYT. 

The short-listed candidates will be contacted and be asked to submit the outline of the final report.

The contract will commence tentatively from 26 January 2021 until 25 April 2021. The actual date will be finalized after completion of the hiring process.

1. Indicative Payment Terms

Payment terms will be as follows: 

• 1st payment: 10% upon the delivery and acceptance of workplan.
• 2nd payment: 45% upon the delivery and acceptance of the interim output.
• 3rd payment: 45% upon the delivery and acceptance of the final output.

Attachment

• Terms and conditions applicable to contract for services