Tenders are invited for Social and Solidarity Economy Diagnostic and Policy Development in Iraq Supporting Consultant Closing Date: 19 May 2026 Type: Consultancy ILO External Collaboration Contract Terms of Reference: Social and Solidarity Economy Diagnostic and Policy Development in Iraq Supporting Consultant I. Background and purpose The forced displacement crisis has increased in scale and complexity in recent years. According to UNHCR, 117.3 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide at the end of 2023. Forcibly displaced persons (FDPs), including refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) face specific vulnerabilities, including loss of assets, limited rights, lack of opportunities, a protection risk as well as a risk to be out of school, and a lack of planning horizon. In addition, the communities hosting FDPs also struggle to pursue their own development efforts In response to the considerable challenges facing FDPs and host communities, a partnership initiative titled: PROSPECTS Partnership for improving Prospects for host communities and forcibly displaced persons, was launched by the Government of the Netherlands in 2019, bringing together the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF) and the World Bank. Through the PROSPECTS partnership, the five partner agencies aim to leverage their comparative advantages and areas of expertise to programme complementary and interdependent interventions that address education and skills, employment and protection challenges. The partnership spans eight countries, namely Egypt, Ethiopia, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Sudan, and Uganda and covers in its Phase II the period 2024-2027. 1. Status of the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) in Iraq In Iraq, the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) already exists in different forms, even though it is not yet formally recognized or clearly defined. While the term SSE is relatively new, its core ideas, such as cooperation, mutual support, and community-based activities, have long been part of Iraqi society. These are reflected in traditional and informal structures like cooperatives, associations, and self-help groups. In recent years, Iraq has faced major economic and social challenges, including political instability, internal displacement, high unemployment, especially among youth and women, limited access to finance for small businesses, and a large informal economy. These challenges highlight the need for more inclusive and flexible economic approaches that can complement both the private and public sectors. The SSE provides a promising way to respond to these challenges. It supports inclusive growth, strengthens communities, and promotes sustainable livelihoods. SSE entities, such as cooperatives, social enterprises, and community-based organizations, can create decent jobs, support local economic development, enhance social cohesion and improve resilience of vulnerable groups, including displaced people, returnees, and host communities. However, the development of the SSE in Iraq is still limited by several challenges. These include the lack of a clear legal and regulatory framework, fragmented institutional coordination, limited access to finance and business support services, and lack of reliable data and statistics informing SSE mapping, policy and programming. 2. ILO PROSPECTS Iraq support to the SSE Within this context, and under the framework of the PROSPECTS Programme, specifically Outcome 2.03.05, the ILO is supporting the Government of Iraq in developing a national SSE policy. This effort is aligned with Diwani Order No. (61) of 2025 issued by the Council of Ministers, which established a national committee tasked with developing a national policy on the SSE. Following a series of meetings, the national committee agreed to adopt the ILO approach for developing the SSE policy in line with the ILO Resolution on decent work and the SSE. In February 2026, the ILO conducted a two-day orientation workshop to formally launch the SSE policy development process, introduce the concept and principles of SSE and present the policy development roadmap. This roadmap, which was approved by the national committee, includes a series of technical and consultative steps to ensure that the policy is inclusive, participatory, and based on evidence. To ensure that the SSE policy development process is grounded in the Iraqi context, inclusive, and participatory, the ILO will recruit a national consultant to work closely with the international consultant and support all phases of the assignment, particularly stakeholder engagement, and field research. II. Scope of work Under the two phases related of the diagnostic study on the SSE in Iraq, and the development of a policy options and intervention matrix, the national consultant will support the international consultant in: Ensuring strong contextual grounding of the SSE diagnostic and policy options Facilitating stakeholder mapping, engagement, and consultations at national and subnational levels Supporting data collection, validation, and analysis Contributing to the development of feasible and context-appropriate policy options III. Detailed tasks The national consultant will work in close coordination with the international consultant and in regular liaison with the national SSE committee and its technical committee, under the supervision of the ILO. Under Phase 1: Diagnostic Study of the SSE in Iraq, the consultant will: Support the identification and mapping of stakeholders involved in SSE development in Iraq, including government and social partners at national and local levels, cooperatives and other SSE entities and their representative organizations, civil society organizations, private sector actors, academia and research institutions, organizations or informal associations representing vulnerable groups including women, youth, refugees, and IDPs. Maintain regular coordination and communication with the national SSE committee and its technical committee Facilitate access to key informants and organize interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs) and field visits Contribute to the adaptation of research tools (questionnaires, interview guides) to the Iraqi context including translation into Arabic and/or Kurdish, as required Conduct and/or support data collection in Arabic and/or Kurdish, including interpretation and translation where needed Provide contextual analysis and insights on SSE forms and practices in Iraq, institutional, legal, political and socio-economic dynamics, challenges and opportunities faced by SSE entities Support the identification of priority sectors for SSE development, good practices and case studies Contribute to the drafting of sections of the diagnostic report, particularly stakeholder mapping, interview (KII and FGD) summaries, case studies Support the organization and facilitation of the validation workshop Under Phase 2: Policy Options and Intervention Matrix, the consultant will: Support the organization and facilitation of stakeholder consultations at national and local levels Ensure inclusive and effective participation of relevant stakeholders (as identified under Phase 1), with particular attention to vulnerable groups Provide context-specific inputs on feasibility and relevance of proposed policy options Contribute to refining policy problem statements, validating priority areas and assessing institutional and political feasibility Assist in drafting consultation summary reports and inputs to the policy options matrix Support the final validation process including the organization of the validation workshop and preparation of inputs to the final presentation to the national committee. IV. Expected deliverables Deliverables Description Timeframe Under Phase 1: Diagnostic Study of the SSE in Iraq 1. Stakeholder mapping and engagement plan List of key stakeholders and engagement approach One week after contract signature 2. Fieldwork and data collection reports Reports from interviews, FGDs, and field missions Five weeks after contract signature 3. Inputs to diagnostic report Contributions to mapping, case studies, and contextual analysis Six weeks after contract signature 4. Validation workshop report Summary of workshop discussions and outcomes Seven weeks after contract signature Under Phase 2: Policy Options and Intervention Matrix, 5. Consultation facilitation and summary report Support to national and subnational consultations and summary of key findings Nine weeks after contract signature 6. Draft policy options and intervention matrix Development of a structured matrix outlining policy challenges, corresponding interventions, anticipated impacts, feasibility considerations, and assigned responsible entities. Ten weeks after contract signature 7. Final validated matrix Revised and prioritized matrix incorporating stakeholder feedback and reflecting consensus outcomes. Eleven weeks after contract signature 8. Final presentation to the national committee Inputs to presentation materials and report of the validation workshop Twelve weeks after contract signature V. Reporting arrangements Throughout the assignment, the national consultant will work in close coordination with the international consultant and in regular liaison with the national SSE committee. The consultant will operate under the direct supervision of the PROSPECTS Entrepreneurship and Financial Inclusion Technical Officer and the ILO COOP/SSE Unit in Geneva, and under the overall guidance of the PROSPECTS Project Manager in Iraq. Deliverables shall be submitted in line with the requirements explained in this TOR within the deadlines. The deliverables are subject to the approval of the ILO. VI. Detailed qualifications, exp Tender Link : https://reliefweb.int/job/4211313/social-and-solidarity-economy-diagnostic-and-policy-development-iraq-supporting-consultant
