Revised_SOW.docx

STATEMENT OF WORK

Women’s Economic Empowerment Consulting Services in Morocco (and other countries as needed)

A. Background

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a U.S. Government corporation whose mission is to provide assistance that will support economic growth and poverty reduction in carefully selected developing countries that demonstrate a commitment to just and democratic governance, economic freedom, and investments in their citizenry. For more information on the MCC please visit www.mcc.gov.

MCC recognizes that gender inequality can be a significant constraint to economic growth and poverty reduction. MCC’s Gender Policy and operational guidance ensure that gender will be considered in the selection of eligible countries and integrated into the development and design of Compact programs, the assessment and implementation of projects by the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), the monitoring of program results, and the evaluation of program impacts. MCC’s Gender Milestones and Operational Procedures strengthen and concretize the requirements of the Gender Policy and contribute to the MCC’s and the Country Core Team’s ability to ensure gender integration in projects that may be funded.

Compact Background:

The Government of the United States of America, via the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), and the Government of Morocco (GoM) have signed a Compact totalling $450 million to support a five year program with the objective of poverty reduction through economic growth in Morocco.

The Morocco Compact is composed of two projects: "Education and Training for Employability" and "Land Productivity." MCC is looking for a Gender Consultant to support the Industrial Land Acticity under the Land Productivity Project. The Industrial Land activity is describedbelow.

General Background:

According to an analysis of Morocco’s constraints to economic growth conducted by the GoM and MCC, more than 40 percent of domestic enterprises in Morocco view access to land as a major obstacle. This is despite significant investment by the GoM since the 1970s in the development of more than 100 industrial zones across the country. However, these zones have not been completely successful in meeting firms’ needs for industrial land. One indication of this is that according to GoM estimates, approximately 50% of land in existing zones is unused, either because it is unsold or the owner has not invested. Further, for enterprises that do locate in industrial zones, infrastructure is often deteriorated and services typically associated with industrial zones, such as basic zone management and maintenance, business permitting and training facilities, are rarely offered to enterprises in the zone. Most of these zones are also suffereing from poor environmental and social performance.

Activity Objective The Industrial Land Activity aims to introduce systematic changes in the way that the GoM develops and manages industrial land. Specifically, it will demonstrate a model for development of industrial zones that identifies land based on confirmed market demand to optimize economic and financial viability as well as social responsibility and enviromental sustainability. This model will use a public private partnership approach to leverage public sector investment with private sector investment and expertise in revitalization and expansion of existing zones, development of new zones and ongoing management and maintenance of zones.

Activity Components: To achieve this objective, the Activity will have two main components:

Component 1:The first major component is the creation of a Center of Expertise for Industrial Land Development (CEILD) with three primary purposes: (i) to act as a center for technical expertise and knowledge management for industrial land development and transactions, providing good practices and standards for the development of zones in Morocco; (ii) to provide technical assistance and capacity building to the Ministry of Industry and other actors in support of the development of high impact and sustainable industrial zones; and (iii) to support and oversee implementation of the Industrial Land Activity, including the demonstration projects to be completed as part of Component 2.

Some of the specific activities of the CEILD will include assisting the MICIEN in the:

· Development of national demand studies for industrial land and a long term strategy for planning of industrial zones.

· Creation of a database of industrial land that will provide an effective link between offerors of industrial land and those seeking industrial land and will include information about industrial land, including economic, gender, social and environmental data such as types of industries, population size, labor availability, training institutions).

· Development of a new law on industrial zones.

The activities of the CEILD will also include:

· Capacity building of the Ministry of Industry, Trade, Investment and the Digital Economy (MICIEN), as well as other stakeholders, including Ministries, local authorities and private sector actors, on best practices in zone development and the optimization of public and private sectors’ roles in zone development and operation.

· Dissemination of national and international best practices in the development of sustainable industrial zones that takes into account successful experiences with PPPs, and the application of the highest environmental and gender and social inclusion standards.

· Identification and development of tools and mechanisms to ensure that industrial land is developed by enterprises for industrial purposes within a reasonable timeframe and that unutilized land in existing sites is either developed or can be recovered and put to productive use.

· Oversee the demonstration zones funded by the Compact to ensure that the model is demonstrated effectively and is replicable.

· As feasible, the CEILD will provide technical support to prioritized projects from other stakeholders that are selected based on established performance/qualification criteria.

The CEILD will be a unit within MCA-Morocco during the period of the MCC Compact and will coordinate closely with MICIEN.

Component 2: The second major component is implementation of Industrial Zone Demonstration Projects that will test the project’s industrial zone models and approaches. Under this component, demonstration projects for both revitalized and new zones will be prepared, brought to market, and, to the extent necessary to attract private investment, financed by the public sector (i.e., Compact and GoM funds). In the case of revitalization, the work will focus on existing industrial zones in Morocco that require some upgrading of infrastructure, a new framework for management and maintenance of the zone, and contain existing unutilized land. Revitalization projects are also likely to include expansion opportunities. New zones will be greenfield projects on land made available by the GoM. This component will also include a competitive fund to provide financing for zones, other than the demonstration zones, that are developed utilizing a market-driven approach and are selected through an open competitive process.

A special purpose vehicle (SPV) could be created to serve as the instrument through which transactions for the revitalization of existing zones and development of new zones will be tendered to private developers and managers, using a PPP model[footnoteRef:1]... The SPV may also be empowered with special authorities, such as increased fee or taxation collection measures for unused industrial land and the authority to establish a one-stop-shop in zones whereby enterprises could obtain the authorizations and approvals necessary to construct and operate their businesses. [1: For purposes of this TOR, the term PPP might include a public concession.

The SPV will have a small team responsible for tendering and managing the PPPs and will ultimately be sustained by the revenues generated from ongoing PPP operations, potentially including proceeds from the sale and leasing of land. The CEILD will help create and provide legal and technical support to the SPV. The currently anticipated timeline for creation of the SPV, including the decree authorizing public funding for the SPV, is about six months.

For revitalized zones that have land that has been sold but is not utilized, the activity may also support the creation of an entity, most likely structured as a Joint Stock Company (JSC), that will work with the SPV to incentivize land acquistion/transfers between private land owners who are not using their land and the JSC and eventually to enterprises seeking land for industrial use. The JSC would purchase land from existing owners in exchange for shares in the JSC, which would allow the land owners to participate as shareholders in the development of the revitalization and expansion of existing zones. The shareholders of the JSC would most likely include private landowners[footnoteRef:2] and other investors such as financial institutions holding liens or other interests in the land being provided. The SPV could then acquire land through the JSC and that land could be put out to market as part of a PPP. The Transaction Advisor will be asked to further investigate the viability of the JSC and present the results to the CEILD. With the approval of the CEILD, the consultant will be asked to create the JSC as an option to this contract. [2: Men as much as women.]

Principles for Industrial Zone Models: Demonstration projects that will be supported by the Compact are expected to be consistent with international best practices in industrial zone development. Such practices include development and phasing per market demand requirements, a high performing organizational arrangement for development, management and of maintenance of the zones and high quality infrastructure that meets the needs of enterprises, and compliance with the highest standards of environmental, social and gender performance. The demonstration zones are expected to comply with MCC’s Gender Policy and MCC’s Environmental Guidelines and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Performance Standards and applicable Industry Specific Guidelines. In addition, demonstration projects should, take into account the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) recently developed a Guide for Sustainable Industrial Zones under its Program for Environment Protection, implemented by the Moroccan Ministry of Environment (MoE).

Social and business support services, such as transportation, enhanced security measures, gender-equitable training and recruitment services, common facilities for workers that promote safe and healthy working environment (e.g., restauration, child care, clinics, etc.), promotion of small and medium enterprises and gender-equitable service offerings (such as business incubators within industrial parks, loans available to women entrepreneurs) should also be considered depending on demand and willingness to pay by enterprises.

B. Scope

MCC seeks a Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) consultant with extensive experience working with women and youth to promote economic opportunities in the private sector (formal and informal) and preferably in industrial zones. The consultant will support the MCC Gender and Social Inclusion (GSI) team to provide thought leadership and oversight during the implementation phase of the Morocco II Compact.[footnoteRef:3] [3: Currently this work is focused on Morocco. If skills allow and the scope is relevant, the consultant may be asked to work on other countries as needed.]

C. Country

Morocco and any MCC eligible country.

D. Description of Tasks

Tasks:

Research and/or information collection

· Research best practices and innovative approaches for promoting women and youth’s economic participation in and around industrial zones

· Research activities and approaches that promote gender equality and social inclusion in the development, management and operation of zones

· Develop memos and/or papers on specific themes and best practices as needed

Technical input and advice

· Provide advice and input on how to promote economic opportunities and workforce participation/employment for women, youth, and the urban poor in and around industrial zones and in non-traditional industries

· Provide technical input and support on improving labor and working conditions in industrial zones

· Provide technical support and input on activities conducted by MCA such as inclusive and participatory consultations, stakeholder engagement, education and communications, etc.

· Provide technical support and advice on best practices for operating and managing social infrastructure (restaurants, daycare centers, recreation spaces, training centers etc.) in industrial zones in a sustainable way, and in ways that promote economic opportunities for women , youth and the urban poor

· Provide support to MCC and MCA GSI teams in the development of Gender training materials and workshops for internal and external stakeholders

· Support approaches for social inclusion and gender mainstreaming in industrial land policy, procedures, and institutions (e.g., Ministry of Industry, Center of Expertise, SPV);

Implementation oversight and support

· Provide MCC GSI team support in the implementation and oversight of the Social and Gender Integration Plan developed by MCA and approved by MCC

· Support MCC and MCA staff in the development of gender-responsive performance monitoring and evaluation plans with indicators specific to GSI

· Support MCC and MCA GSI staff in monitoring the prevention of sexual harassment, child labor, gender-based violence and Trafficking in Persons on construction sites

· Accompany MCC staff and/or travel to project areas as necessary

Document review and input

· Provide technical input on documents produced by the GSI and/or project teams. Such documents include but are not limited to Terms of Reference, Requests for Proposals, contracts, project designs documents and deliverables drafted by other consultants. This will likely include:

· Deliverables from the MCC due diligence consulting firms (e.g., Deloitte, Antea) providing design recommendations;

· Deliverables from the MCA GSI consultants;

· Environmental and Social Impact Assessments;

· Environmental and Social Management System;

· Resettlement Action Plans;

· Management plans for HIV/AIDS, Trafficking In Persons and other identified risks such as child labor, gender-based violence and sexual harassment; and

· Health and Safety Plans.

E. Deliverables

Deliverables The consultant will be responsible for the production of the following types of reports

· Trip reports

· Ad hoc reports, as requested by MCC GSI

· Contributions to technical documents, as requested by MCC GSI

Deliverables may be requested in English and/or French.

F. Place and Period of Performance

All work will be completed between the dates of the award through a four year period of performance.

The estimated level of effort is estimated at up to 675 hours per year with an estimated 3 trips per year. MCC anticipates this level of effort but does not guarantee this level of effort as it may increase or decrease.

The consultant will work from his/her home office and/or any MCC eligible country.

G. Evaluation Criteria

· Minimum of 10 years of experience working on women’s and/or youth’s economic empowerment, workforce participation, employment, private sector development, industrial zone development, and or large scale infrastructure projects

· Experience in integrating gender across large-scale international development programs

· Demonstrated experience providing social and gender advice during program design, implementation, research, policy assessment and formulation, and project monitoring, and evaluation

· Demonstrated capacity to work in multicultural, interdisciplinary teams

· Strong communication and writing skills

· Fluency in written and oral French is highly desired (not required)

· Previous experience working in North Africa and/or the Middle East is desired but not required. Experience working in Morocco is an added advantage (not required)

H. Timing and Reporting All formal communication with MCC, including reports, will be submitted to the Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COR), Program Manager (PM), and other designated MCC personnel. The COR/PM for this requirement will be identified via separate correspondence.

The COR/PM will have technical responsibility for monitoring the contractor’s performance. The COR/PM will review and evaluate the contractor’s performance, and also will coordinate any communications with relevant counterparts and other donor agencies and organizations.

Any changes in the terms of the ToR will be made in writing and approved by the Contracting Officer. No representation of the COR/PM shall serve as a basis for an alteration in the general scope of this ToR or of the terms and conditions of the ToR unless confirmed in writing by the Contracting Officer. The contractor must communicate with the Contracting Officer on all matters that pertain to the Contract terms. Proceeding with the work without proper contractual coverage could result in nonpayment for that work.

I. Other requirements

International travel is required. The Consultant may be requested to mobilize on a short notice and will be expected to deliver high quality finished products in a timely manner.

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