Better Work – a collaboration between the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) – is a comprehensive programme bringing together all levels of the garment industry to improve working conditions and respect for labour rights for workers, and boost the competitiveness of apparel businesses. Better Work uses its convening power to facilitate development and implementation of strategic framework for learning, with the ultimate objective to transform behavior in global supply chains. Having worked in 8 countries and established active learning relations with over 1,500 factories (covering more than 2 Mio. Workers) throughout a decade of work, Better Work is uniquely positioned as a broker of a global private-public partnership that supports learning and accelerates processes leading towards behavioral change. Better Work has developed robust partnership with leading global buyers, national governments and social partners. Because of their participation with Better Work, factories have steadily improved compliance with ILO core labour standards and national legislation covering compensation, contracts, occupational safety and health and working time. This has significantly improved working conditions and, at the same time enhanced factories’ productivity and profitability. More information on the results from the multi-year impact evaluation of the overall Better Work programme can be found under betterwork.org/blog/portfolio/impact-assessment.
For more information about Better Work, please see www.betterwork.org.

Country Context Haiti

The Better Work country programme in Haiti was launched in June 2009 in the framework of a trade agreement between the United States and Haiti (HOPE II law) which makes the programme mandatory for all apparel producers exporting their products to the US market under this HOPE II legislation. Total export revenues from the textile and garment industry in Haiti account for approximately 90% of national export earnings and 10% of national GDP. The apparel industry is also among the largest employers within Haiti, creating jobs for approximately 55,000 people.
In Haiti as elsewhere, garment factories operate in an extremely competitive market in which buyer requirements on quality, price, and delivery time are intensifying. Similarly, compliance with environmental and social standards, including labour, are a growing concern for reputation-conscious brands – a product in part of rising public consciousness about the social and environmental footprint of the garment industry in its manufacturing hubs around the world.

Better Work Haiti 2018 - 2022

Because Better Work is mandatory in Haiti under the HOPE II legislation, all exporting factories participate in the programme. This provides a unique opportunity to impact an entire sector, which significantly affects the socio-economic development of the country. Today, BWH operates in almost 39 factories. The programme in Haiti directly affects the total combined workforce of these companies - 50,000 workers -, with indirect impacts extending to approximately 250,000 people.
The recently launched new 5-year strategy of BWH focuses on three (3) main outcomes.
1. Compliance with national labour law and international labour standards in the Haitian garment industry is monitored and compliance levels increased.

2. The Haitian garment sector addresses labor-related issues in line with national labor law and international labor standards


3. Government policies and institutions support the promotion of decent work

Objective
We are seeking to continue consistent data collection in Better Work factories in Haiti, among both workers and managers. Past research has used worker-level data collection as a centrepiece of an evaluation strategy. The objectives of this continued effort in 2020 is to a) track indicators tied to Better Work’s Performance Monitoring Plan, and b) continue to track and learn from collecting an abbreviated list of outcome and impact indicators, based on what we have learned from past research and what the program sees as priority areas.

Scope of the assignment
The consultant’s scope of work will focus on (i) mobilizing a team to carry out qualitative and quantitative data collection; (ii) carrying out data collection across the textile industry in Haiti and (iii) providing data and basic analysis of data in agreed upon format.
Better Work Haiti aims to explore ways to collect data from workers differently than conducted in the past, with the goal of attaining data in a less intrusive way and with more frequency. Moreover, the programme seeks faster turnaround of insights from data collected. Through this consultancy assignment, the program seeks to shorten survey instruments, and to track and analyze a select list of indicators.
Survey method. Better Work’s use of ACASI survey has been a response to finding a way to elicit from workers honest feedback about their work and home life. The programme has documented that in-person enumeration of surveys can tend to suppress reporting by workers on particularly sensitive issues, such as harassment at work. Using ACASI has allowed for an extra sense of privacy and confidentiality among workers that has allowed them to voice their concerns with these matters. For the current survey, a similar approach that limits respondent-enumerator interaction is strongly encouraged. Among innovative approaches that we encourage consideration, include using tablet computers with pre-loaded surveys to reach workers. Better Work holds a license to Qualtrics survey software, which could be considered by the consultant for use in developing a survey method
Timing. Better, Work does not seek a field-experiment methodology for data collection that would prescribe precise timing of data collected from workers, as in its past impact assessment efforts. Instead, the programme seeks to collect data in regular intervals. Given the dynamics of working time in the garment industry, the timetable for data collection will be determined in conjunction with the consultant’s proposal. Management surveys could be circulated and collected within the same months.
Language. Questionnaire will be in French but survey will be conducted in creole and/or French. English if needed
Scale and sample. As of 2019, the Better Work Haiti program worked with 41 factories employing nearly 50,000 employees. Many of these factories and workers are clustered in five (5) Industrial Zones (PIM, PIC, CODEVI, SIDSA PALM), which will assist in creating efficiencies for reaching workers. In 2020, the programme is not concerned with collecting a panel of data that follows the same workers over time. Instead, our priority lies in having more frequent surveys that provide a representative pulse check of conditions across factories enrolled in the Better Work Haiti programme. Whereas in the past our research approach would target 30 workers per factory for a one-hour survey, our current goals remains to reach a greater number of workers with a shorter questionnaire. Specifically, the sample will be around 3,000 workers for data collection in 2020, subject to industry updates and dynamics. The sample will follow a semi randomized stratified design.
Data collection procedures. The data collection approach will be based on recent surveys executed in June 2020, and will be adjusted as needed during implementation and as agreed with Better Work Haiti.
Management buy-in. In the past, factory management have resisted data collection for multiple reasons: the surveys are costly in terms of the time needed to remove participants from the production line; there is often confusion regarding the purpose of the survey, including where and how the data are shared; and there is general aversion to allowing researchers to interact with workers.
Analysis. The report analyzing worker responses from the June 2020 data collection exercise will be disaggregated by sex. Better Work can provide a model and guidance for this summary report format.
Health precautions. The research partner shall take due care to ensure the proper health precautions are taken during data collection procedures to protect the health of workers and project staff. Using shared equipment during the survey exercise should be limited. If this is not possible for use of back-up tablets, proper sanitization procedure should be followed.
Content and process for management surveys
The consultant will provide design and implementation support for one management survey per factory per data collection period. For survey among management, Better Work seeks to shift to email-based surveys. Better, Work has software available that could aid in the management of delivery and consolidation of manager-submitted data. Where email-based surveys do not achieve success, the consultant team can use tablets provided to attain management survey responses during the period of factory visits.
Additional requirements for worker-level data collection
• Workers provide freely informed consent to participate in survey.
• Workers understand the purpose of the survey, and where their responses are going and for what purpose.
• Process of data collection and data management fulfils all IRB/Better Work data protocol requirements.
• Data to be collected in way that it can merged with additional data sources collected by Better Work.
Tasks and Deliverables
1. Written feedback and appraisal of proposed additional survey questions to focus on worker mental well-being (before the end of June 2020)

2. Data collection completed and data sets submitted, based on a target of between 2-3% of the garment workforce, and one manager, in each of 39 factories in Better Work Haiti (before the end of November 2020)

3. Submission of final data analysis report (before Mid-November 2020)


Responsibilities
The research partner will have the following responsibilities:
1. Review suggestions for new survey questions that build from the content of the June 2020 surveys.
2. Recruit and mobilize an experienced and qualified team to plan and conduct quantitative data collection and basis analysis.
3. Participate in project onboarding and methodology workshopping with Better Work Haiti staff.
4. Take lead role in developing procedures for collecting data, to be discussed and finalized in cooperation with Better Work.
5. Implement agreed methods for survey data collection.
6. In cooperation with Better Work Haiti, schedule and arrange for data collection.
7. Provide regular updates on data collection process to Better Work Haiti.
Further details on executing the responsibilities will be provided during implementation of the project.

n/a

Cliquer ici pour télécharger le dossier complet d’appel d’offres

haiti@betterwork,org

TIMELINE
The contract duration will be 40 days between 1st October to 15th November 2020). For each deliverable, a timeline and allocation of time will be agreed on in a contract to be issued by the ILO.
CALL FOR PROPOSALS
Interested individuals or firms are asked to express interest by submitting the following:
• CV;
• A competency statement outlining the individual’s skills and experience related to the task;
• Three references;
• Fee per hour/ workday

Please submit your application by email to haiti@betterwork,org

REPORTING
The team will report to Better Work Haiti Program Manager.
CONFIDENTIALITY AND NON-DISCLOSURE
All data and information received and collected for the purpose of this assignment are to be treated confidentially and are only to be used in connection with the execution of these Terms of Reference. All intellectual property rights arising from the execution of these Terms of Reference are assigned to IFC and ILO. The contents of written materials obtained and used in this assignment may not be disclosed to any third parties without the expressed advance written authorization of the IFC and ILO.