Hiring a firm to support data collection in the framework of PROSPECTS’ tracer study for ILO PROSPECTS Iraq

PROSPECTS programme is currently designing a tracer study to assess the effects of the project on its beneficiaries.
The baseline of the tracer survey will focus on project beneficiaries who are just beginning to participate in phase two project
interventions or who have participated in ILO PROSPECTS activities in the first phase and will continue to benefit from
PROSPECTS in the second phase.
The firm hired shall work closely with the programme team to design a detailed assessment of the outcome-level indicators
that can be assessed using this approach. Specifically, the tracer survey will be used to capture baseline data on the
following global indicators:
 2a) Number of new employment and/or self-employment (business) opportunities supported by PROSPECTS.
 2b) Number of Forced Displaced Persons (FDPs)s/Host Community (HC) members already employed or selfemployed
who have either increased their income, enhanced their working conditions or maintained resilient
livelihoods.
 2.1b) Number of FDPs/HCs who have been issued work permits and/or business registrations (or other relevant
operating licenses) with support from prospects
 2.3a) Number of FDPs/HCs accessing financial services (bank account, loan, or another financial product) to
support their business/coop with PROSPECTS support
 Index of decent work for FDPs and host community members, namely the presence of explicit contractual
relation, social security, a safe working environment and satisfactory income/wages, as well as the absence of
discrimination.
 A self-reliance index for FDPs and host communities.
 The social cohesion situation between refugees and host communities.
 Other information of interest in the framework of ILO PROSPECTS, which can help understand better the potential
impacts of the programme at a later stage.
The tracer survey will require a sample size of 600 (or the maximum size possible if less than 600) valid surveys from
refugees, HC members and internally displaced persons (IDPs), randomly selected across the various PROSPECTS
intervention components. A two-step approach to data collection will likely be necessary. Initially, surveys can be
conducted over the phone whenever feasible. However, if practical challenges, quality control concerns, cultural
sensitivities, or geographic limitations arise, in-person surveys will need to be employed. It is expected that all surveys are
collected by experienced and well-trained enumerators using electronic data collection.
The tracer survey will be accompanied by around (12 minimum - 16 maximum) Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with ILO
PROSPECTS beneficiaries based on probability purposive sampling for the different categories (e.g., type of intervention or
service received, gender, host community versus forcibly displaced persons, etc.) Subsequently, individuals to be included
in the discussions can be randomly selected from the beneficiary lists. The categories used may include, as applicable in
the context of ILO PROSPECTS areas in Iraq:
 TVET / skills development.
 Apprenticeships.
 Work Based Learning (WBL).

Employment services.
 Employment Intensive Investment Programme (EIIP) interventions,
 Access to finance interventions
 Cooperatives training services.
 Rights at Work.
FGDs should be organised around gender and national status (IDPs, refugees and host communities), and workstreams for
example, Apprenticeships, Work-Based Learning (WBL), Employment services, etc. Experienced and well-trained
facilitators and note-takers are expected to conduct the FGDs in person. Discussions should be transcribed in real-time
during the sessions. If consent is granted for FGD recording, the recordings should be used to enhance the accuracy of the
transcriptions.
These two lines of enquiry shall provide valuable information that the ILO can use for comparison in future measurements
about the changes to those that have been exposed to the project interventions. Specific objectives of the baseline study
include:
1. Current employment status.
2. Current level of income being earned.
3. Current employment conditions.
4. Current access to financial services.
5. Current level of social cohesion among target groups.
6. Understanding the current living conditions of target groups, challenges they face, and training needs they have.
7. Current level of vulnerability of beneficiaries.
8. Variations of employment status and conditions between Phase 1 and Phase 2 ILO PROSPECTS beneficiaries, as
relevant.
9. Level of dependence on external assistance.
10. Access to social protection, whether under direct income support, social insurance or social care and support
services.
11. Current access to work permits, working conditions, Occupational Safety and Health (OSH), labour rights and
compliance with labour laws.
12. Other elements of information as per key learning questions developed.