Thematic Programme Evaluation Path to Economic Recovery: Facilitating Decent Jobs in the Gaza Strip

Project Overview

The program ‘Path to Economic Recovery: Facilitating Decent Jobs in the Gaza Strip’ is one of several interventions implemented by UNDP to build the resilience of the Palestinian people, and is aligned with UNDP’s overall approach of Transformative Resilience. It aims to link short-term dignified jobs to longer-term sustainable employment, and combines short, medium and long-term job creation initiatives along with support to existing enterprises and incubation of new enterprises. The Programme is implemented through different interventions designed to stimulate the Gaza economy and lead to further employment creation. It is part of UNDP’s larger work of preserving gains across the SDGs and adopting the ‘leave no one behind’ principle.UNDP/PAPP is responsible for implementation of the programme, in partnership with local NGOs/entities include; Gaza Cultural Development Group (GCDG); Palestinian Fund for Employment and Social Protection for Workers (PFESP); Cooperative Agriculture Association Beit Hanoun (CAAB); Democracy and Workers’ Rights Center Society (DWRC); The Society of Women Graduates (SWG); and Job creation program (JCP).The programme has four outputs; Output 1: Gazans have greater access to short-term dignified job opportunities in private and public sectors (including C4W initiatives and internship/ apprenticeship opportunities); Output 2: Youth have improved capacities in technical and vocational education and training; Output 3: Young entrepreneurs have greater access to medium- and long-term employment opportunities (particularly through e-works or electronic platforms to access opportunities outside of Gaza); and Output 4: SMEs have strengthened capacities in sustaining and growing their businesses in the market. For the meanwhile, ongoing interventions are mainly under output 1 and through the Cash for Work initiatives that strive to empower youth, women and marginalized groups in the GS by supporting them to have greater access to decent productive jobs and contribute to sustainable and inclusive economic development. Therefore, a thematic evaluation is needed to provide evidence and recommendations on the achievements and results of UNDP’s short-term job creation initiatives under this output against the results and resources framework, identifying factors that have hindered or facilitated the success of the programme so far, and identifying lessons learned and best practices.To this end, UNDP has contracted General Consulting and Training (GCT), to implement the thematic evaluation for the “Path to Economic Recovery: Facilitating Decent Jobs in the Gaza Strip’ program according to their requirements and expectations.