The Project aims to increase availability of quality vocational skills needed in the labour market. The project expected outcomes are: i) Improved quality of graduates from Vocational Training Centres, and ii) Improved equity and increased access to formal and non-formal vocational and skills training. The proposed outputs include: i) Increased access to demand driven skills for employability, ii) Promoting equal opportunity iii) Improved quality and relevance of Vocational Training, and iii) Capacity enhancement for relevant ministries and training institutions.
South Sudan has experienced decades of repeated civil conflicts, which have roots in political contestation for power. The prolonged conflict has contributed to high levels of poverty due to lack of economic opportunities, high unemployment especially among the youth and high insecurity leading to low private sector investment. Poverty rates have fluctuated and was estimated at 86 percent in 2016 from 66 percent in 2015. It also varies between urban and rural, estimated at 70 percent and 36 percent respectively in 20163. There is also disparity according to states, for example, poverty incidence was about 81 percent and 40 percent in Eastern Equatoria and Central Equatoria respectively in 2015. The country has one of the lowest literacy levels worldwide, with rates of 14.5 percent for female and 35 percent for male. This daunting situation largely stems from a weak economy, and limited education and employment opportunities.
The goal is to contribute to increased availability of quality demand-driven vocational skills. The project specific objectives are:
i) Increase supply of relevant vocational skills through providing learning opportunities for vulnerable youth;
ii) Provide internships and job placements opportunities for the youth with the private sector through partnership agreements;
iii) Promote social cohesion and peace building by mainstreaming human rights, trauma management, and peace building modules in all the training; and,
iv) Capacity development of the Ministry of Labour, Public Service and Human Resource Development to improve overall system strengthening and institutional development. These will contribute to addressing underlying drivers of fragility, enhance inclusivity and build resilience.
Executing Agency and Partners
3.1.1 The Republic of South Sudan shall be the Grant Recipient. The Ministry of Labour, Public Service and Human Resource Development (MoLPSHRD) through its Directorate of Vocational Training will be the Executing Agency. However, due to limited capacity at the MoLPSHRD; the Government and the Bank agreed that the project will be implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as third-party implementing agency on behalf of the Government. While MoLPSHRD, through the Directorate of Vocational Training leads in programming, guidance and government oversight; UNDP will be responsible for overall implementation of the project. Under this arrangement, UNDP will provide fiduciary oversight of the project, including those pertaining to procurement and financial management, in accordance with the Fiduciary Principles Agreement (FPA) signed between the Bank and UNDP.
3.1.2 UNDP will utilize the grant in accordance with its regulations, policies and procedures, per the project work plan and procurement plan prepared by UNDP in consultation with the GRSS and approved by the Bank. The Parties (GRSS, AfDB and UNDP) will sign a Tripartite Funding and Implementation Agreement (TFIA). The TFIA will specify the roles and responsibilities of each party. The project task team will work with the Bank legal team to get the draft TFIA ready in advance to avoid implementation delays.
3.1.3 UNDP as an implementing agency was selected based on a number of factors including: (i) its strong partnership with MoLPSHRD on a similar on-going initiative (Youth Empowerment and Employment Project) which has a budget of about US$ 16 million. UNDP has a rich experience in the area of skills and vocational training programming and some of their interventions are still ongoing in South Sudan and will complement the SYE-SS project. Its vast and strong experience in implementing and managing skills development initiatives for youth in South Sudan on behalf of other development partners (DPs); (ii) opportunity for synergies with interventions of other DPs such as the YEEP supported by the Netherlands, as well as deeper engagement with other DPs; and (iii) the existence of a Fiduciary Principles Agreement with the Bank.
3.1 Executing Agency and Partners
3.1.1 The Republic of South Sudan shall be the Grant Recipient. The Ministry of Labour, Public Service and Human Resource Development (MoLPSHRD) through its Directorate of Vocational Training will be the Executing Agency. However, due to limited capacity at the MoLPSHRD; the Government and the Bank agreed that the project will be implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as third-party implementing agency on behalf of the Government. While MoLPSHRD, through the Directorate of Vocational Training leads in programming, guidance and government oversight; UNDP will be responsible for overall implementation of the project. Under this arrangement, UNDP will provide fiduciary oversight of the project, including those pertaining to procurement and financial management, in accordance with the Fiduciary Principles Agreement (FPA) signed between the Bank and UNDP.
3.1.2 UNDP will utilize the grant in accordance with its regulations, policies and procedures, per the project work plan and procurement plan prepared by UNDP in consultation with the GRSS and approved by the Bank. The Parties (GRSS, AfDB and UNDP) will sign a Tripartite Funding and Implementation Agreement (TFIA). The TFIA will specify the roles and responsibilities of each party. The project task team will work with the Bank legal team to get the draft TFIA ready in advance to avoid implementation delays.
3.1.3 UNDP as an implementing agency was selected based on a number of factors including: (i) its strong partnership with MoLPSHRD on a similar on-going initiative (Youth Empowerment and Employment Project) which has a budget of about US$ 16 million. UNDP has a rich experience in the area of skills and vocational training programming and some of their interventions are still ongoing in South Sudan and will complement the SYE-SS project. Its vast and strong experience in implementing and managing skills development initiatives for youth in South Sudan on behalf of other development partners (DPs); (ii) opportunity for synergies with interventions of other DPs such as the YEEP supported by the Netherlands, as well as deeper engagement with other DPs; and (iii) the existence of a Fiduciary Principles Agreement with the Bank. UNDP has implemented
1) Juba Multi-Service Training Center graduated 880 innovative, quality, skills human resources in the country. Through Ministry of Labour, the center received some supports from development agencies implementing projects funded by Africa Development Bank. 2)The Africa Development Bank is supporting training centers in MTC, Torit, Rumbek and Yambio targeting to reach 10,000 students”. In MTC, the financial support got from Africa Development Bank is supporting 670 trainees out of which 216 are females in different trays of skills training of 2 to 3 months.