External Collaborator Development of Infrastructure

International Labour Organization

The Government of Iraq, through its National Development Plan, has prioritized the establishment of a National Public Works Programme (NPWP) as a key national initiative. The NPWP is envisioned not only to deliver essential infrastructure and natural resources assets and services, but also to serve as a catalyst for addressing persistent challenges of high unemployment and widespread informality. By generating decent and productive jobs, enhancing skills development, and expanding access to social protection, the programme aims to advance poverty reduction while supporting broader economic recovery and resilience

The Building Equitable and Inclusive Transformation (BEIT) Project, funded by the European Union and implemented by the ILO in collaboration with UN-Habitat and the International Trade Centre (ITC), provides a key framework for advancing these efforts. At the request of the Government of Iraq, the project is supporting the development of a National Public Works Programme by delivering technical assistance and guiding its design and implementation through a structured Road Map process. Since 2024, the Road Map process has progressed through national consultations, governance structures, capacity building, and sector prioritization, shaping the National Public Works Programme and prompting further support to integrate it into a proposed Sustainable National Initiative.

As part of the Road Map Process, a comprehensive suite of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), manuals, guidelines, and tools will be developed with the objective of ensure coherence, efficiency, and quality in the PWP. In this respect, the project is currently collaborating with the ILO PROSPECTS Project in the Development of Comprehensive Guidelines and a Technical Framework on the Application of Employment Intensive Investment Programme (EIIP). The Guidelines which are being developed following experiences in implementation of Phase 1 of PROSPECTs are to support the scaling of Public Works Programme in Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) and Federal Iraq.

Recent developments following consultations and engagements, have established the need to supplement the EIIP Guidelines being developed with additional Infrastructure and Green Works sector specific guidelines to support implementation of the NPWP within Iraq. To achieve this, the ILO is seeking to assign a qualified consultant to develop the complementary sector specific guidelines.

The assignment holder will conduct a desk review of existing and draft Standard Operating Practices (SOPs), Guidelines, Manuals on Employment Intensive Investment Programme (EIIP) including relevant BEIT project documents including the final draft of NPWP roadmap process to gain a comprehensive understanding of the scope and objectives of the sectoral guidelines and manuals.

The assignment holder will conduct a wide range of consultation at various levels ensuring the guidelines are sector and context-specific and aligned with local realities. Expert interviews will focus on gathering technical inputs to ensure that the guidelines reflect best practices and are practical for national application.

Following the desk review and the consultations, the assignment holder will analyse and consolidate information and technical input received to leverage on the identified challenges and opportunities in addition to the best practices to draft the sectoral focused guidelines documents ensuring both addresses the critical gaps and propose solutions that enhance the effectiveness of public works programs, decent works and NPWP design consideration based on the final draft of Road Map process for the National Public Works Programmes.

Guidelines developed will to extent possible, not seek to replicate, but complement existing guidelines to ensure complementarity, synergy and harmonization.

The assessment will ensure that the proposed guidelines reflect ILO methodologies, align with national policies, good practices economic growth. The key tasks include:

• Conduct consultations with ILO relevant projects, relevant national institutions, social partners, and technical experts including Technical Working Group (TWG) for NPWP to ensure that they realize the intended objectives.
• Reviewing and analysing the existing EIIP materials, PWP documents including the final draft of the road map process for the National Public Work Programmes
• Outline the structure of the two Guidelines/ Manuals documents that are focused on the Construction and the Green Works Sectors.
• Developing context and sector specific, clear, and adaptable guidelines that are consistent with ILO tools, methodologies, good practices and national priorities.
• Aligning the two Guidelines to be developed to link and complement the Draft Comprehensive Guidelines and Technical Framework on the Application of Employment Intensive Investment Programme (EIIP)
• Conduct a validation workshop for the two developed Guidelines documents to support facilitating the endorsement and to inform governmental adoption.
• Develop Infrastructure and Green Works Guidelines to support implementation of the NPWP.

The assignment is to involve not more than twenty four working days spread over a period of three and half months.