Consultant to Draft the Toolkit on Mainstreaming Social Justice in Lifelong learning

Result of ServiceThe consultant will be expected to deliver in English the following results: The consultant will first develop and submit an annotated outline to ESCWA for review, including the conceptual framework, proposed chapters, and relevant literature. Following feedback, a zero draft of the full toolkit will be prepared and submitted for ESCWA’s review and comments. After incorporating ESCWA’s input, a first draft will be completed and submitted for endorsement by ESCWA before being shared with the ILO. Finally, the consultant will review and address any feedback from the ILO on the first draft, making necessary revisions before submitting the final version of the toolkit to ESCWA for endorsement and onward sharing with the ILO. Work LocationRemotely Expected duration3.5 months Duties and ResponsibilitiesBackground and Objective: The world of work is undergoing profound and accelerated transformations driven by megatrends that are reshaping global and regional labour markets. Globalization, rapid technological advancements, demographic shifts, and environmental changes, while offering new opportunities, also present increased challenges for workers, employers and policymakers. These challenges can in fact become obstacles to social justice unless rights-based labour and skills development policies are developed and implemented in full. In particular, as economies shift towards greener and more digitally enabled sectors, it becomes more imperative to leave no one behind in this transformation. Environmental sustainability and technological advancement should not exacerbate existing inequalities but rather create opportunities for all. Because of these megatrends, the demand for specific skills and competencies has changed, rendering some traditional job roles and tasks obsolete while giving rise to new ones. If the related institutions and processes to anticipate skills demand, to amend training programmes, and to effectively deliver them to all are not in place or underperforming, increased skills mismatch leads to exacerbated levels of underemployment and unemployment and missed economic opportunities. This, in turn, undermines the pursuit of social justice in the Arab region, already characterized by high levels of poverty, vulnerability and inequality. Overall, a comprehensive approach founded on the principles of social justice, tripartite governance and collaboration, is required to address the current and potentially increasing skills mismatches. Such an approach entails reimagining education and TVET systems that respond to both market demand and learners’ aspirations. It entails promoting lifelong learning and ensuring the accessibility of inclusive training opportunities to all. Principles for this approach are enshrined in International Labour Standards, more specifically Human Resources Development Convention, 1975 (No. 142), Human Resources Development Recommendation, 2004 (No. 195), and the recent Quality Apprenticeships Recommendation, 2023 (No. 208). The ILO Skills and Lifelong Learning Strategy, 2030, adopted in 2022 by ILO Governing Body, also provides clear guidance on priorities. Skills are not merely a means to gain employment; they play a central role in promoting decent work and fostering inclusive societies based on social justice. Indeed, when competencies are appropriately matched with job opportunities, and adequately valued, workers can claim their fair share of the wealth they have helped to generate, based on equality of opportunities. Investing in market relevant, inclusive and well-targeted skills development and lifelong learning systems therefore support individuals’ access to decent work and foster inclusive societies. This contributes in turn to social justice, which the ILO, through its Global Coalition for Social Justice, and ESCWA through its existing regional program on social justice, emphasize as a priority that also requires the involvement of the multilateral system. Over and above, the attainment of social justice, as also stated in the ILO’s Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work, requires putting “workers’ rights and the needs, aspirations and rights of all people at the heart of economic, social and environmental policies”. This vision closely aligns with ESCWA’s definition of social justice which entails “equal rights and access to resources and opportunities for all, men and women, paying particular attention to the removal of barriers that hinder the empowerment of disadvantaged groups to fulfil their potential to participate in decisions that govern their lives”. Social justice is therefore based on the principles of equality, equity, rights and participation. With the aim of looking more closely into the skills demanded in the Arab region, ESCWA has developed a “Skills Monitor” to help Arab countries track the demand for skills in their labour markets. The monitor uses big data mining, machine learning and artificial intelligence to analyze job postings from over 100 online platforms, to ultimately identify the skills that are in high demand, as well as the skills that are becoming obsolete. The ESCWA Skills Monitor is designed to help Arab countries make informed decisions about education and training policies, promote building diversified skills-based economies, and feed into labour market information systems with real time data on skills, and detect potentially growing skills. Building on the data generated by the Monitor and considering the importance of skills development and lifelong learning for formalization, just transition and the promotion of decent work and social justice more broadly, the ILO and ESCWA are collaborating on a joint initiative to better utilize the data generated by the Skills Monitor for effective policy and programme design. The project aims to develop a comprehensive Toolkit on mainstreaming social justice in lifelong learning to support policymakers in integrating social justice principles into relevant policies and initiatives. The toolkit will serve as a practical resource, offering frameworks, guidelines, strategies, and capacity-building modules to ensure skills development efforts are rooted in social justice. This resource will provide policymakers with tools to link social justice principles with upskilling and reskilling initiatives, it will also offer detailed learning materials, including conceptual frameworks, case studies, skill-building exercises, and simulations. Special focus will be given to ensuring policymakers can integrate these concepts into actionable strategies through practical learning and engagement. As such, the primary objectives of the tool are to: - Clarify concepts and make a conceptual link of the nexus around Lifelong Learning, Decent Work and Social Justice. - Provide concrete guidance to and build the skills of policymakers on how to integrate social justice in lifelong learning to ensure that skills development effectively contributes to social justice. - Provide concrete guidance on the related International Labour Standards (ILS) and on involvement of social partners in regulatory and policy making processes. The toolkit will mainly cover 3 main units of competencies; namely: knowledge, skills and attitude. More precisely, the key areas to be addressed in the Toolkit include: - Addressing inequality, discrimination and exclusion. - Implementing labour rights as human rights, ensuring human dignity and meeting basic needs. - Expanding access to and capabilities for productive and freely chosen employment and sustainable enterprises. - Providing protection and building resilience.  Strengthening just transitions and the social dimension of sustainable development, trade and investment. Reinforcing institutions of social dialogue. The primary users of this toolkit include policymakers, government agencies, National training authorities, economic and Social Councils (EcoSocs), and Labour Unions and Employers’ Organizations. Secondary users may include employers, education and training institutions, civil society organizations, and development partners. It will initially be tailored for implementation in Jordan but designed for broader adaptability across the Arab region. A national workshop will accompany the launch to build policymakers' capacities in integrating social justice principles into skills development frameworks. The workshop will also enhance their access to the ESCWA Skills Monitor for real-time analysis of labour market trends. The toolkit modules will ensure that participants move beyond theoretical knowledge and actively engage in problem-solving, policy adaptation, and action planning. Participants will learn a structured, actionable approach to integrating social justice into training programmes and will gain hands-on experience in policy adaptation. The toolkit will introduce the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to mainstream social justice in lifelong learning through interactive discussions, group activities, and practical exercises to enhance understanding and application. It will highlight the use of ESCWA skills monitor as a policy tool to analyze real-time data to understand labour market needs for jobs and skills. This toolkit will also include successful cases from the region and beyond, for example: - INJAZ Al-Arab (Regional) – Youth entrepreneurship and workforce readiness training. - Digital Egypt Builders Initiative (DEBI) – AI, cybersecurity, and digital transformation training. - Silatech (Qatar) – Job creation programs for youth in the Arab region. - AWS Skills to Jobs Alliance (Global) – Tech industry collaboration to bridge digital skills gaps. Duties and Responsibilities: - Develop an Annotated Outline of the Toolkit: Prepare and submit an initial annotated outline, including the conceptual framework, proposed chapters, and relevant literature, for ESCWA’s review and feedback. - Draft the Content of the Toolkit: Produce and submit a zero draft of the full toolkit, integrating key concepts, policy recommendations, and best practices for review and comments by ESCWA. - Revise and Finalize the First Draft: Incorporate ESCWA’s feedback into the zero draft and submit a revised first draft for endorsement before sharing with the ILO. - Review and Integrate Feedback: Address any comments and recommendations from the ILO, incorporate necessary revisions, and finalize the second and final draft of the toolkit. - Ensure Quality and Relevance: Maintain high standards in research, analysis, and documentation, ensuring the toolkit is practical and trainable, contains case studies and relevant group exercises, is evidence-based, and is aligned with social justice principles in upskilling and reskilling policies. Qualifications/special skillsA master’s degree or equivalent in a social science-related field such as sociology, economics, development studies, public administration, or any other related field is required. All candidates must submit a copy of the required educational degree. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. A minimum of eight years of progressively responsible experience at the national or regional level in analyzing socio-economic issues related to skills development, labor market policies, social justice, and inclusive economic growth. This includes relevant experience in upskilling and reskilling frameworks, lifelong learning strategies, and workforce transformation in the context of equity, inclusion, and social justice is required. Familiarity with labor market dynamics, employment challenges, and education-to-work transitions in the Arab region is required. Experience in working with government agencies, international organizations, civil society, and private sector actors in the region is desirable. Experience in developing practical toolkits, policy guides, training manuals, or capacity-building materials for policymakers, practitioners, and institutions working on inclusive workforce policies and social justice-oriented skills programs is desirable. LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat; and Arabic is a working language of ESCWA. For this position, fluency in English and fluency in Arabic is required. Note: “Fluency” equals a rating of ‘fluent’ in all four areas (speak, read, write, and understand) and “Knowledge of” equals a rating of ‘confident’ in two of the four areas. Additional InformationNot available. No FeeTHE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.