About Better Work
We mobilize global brands, governments, factory owners and workers to improve working conditions, drive competitiveness and create a more equitable, more prosperous world.
The Power of Convening
As a partnership between the UN’s International Labour Organization and the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation, we know how to bring diverse groups together to create positive action that improves working conditions while stimulating productivity and competitiveness.
A Proven Approach
We create lasting, measurable change by empowering factories to improve the working conditions in their facilities. Our assessments are the global gold standard for rigour and integrity. Our training programs and advisory services change attitudes as well as behaviours.
National Action/ Global Influence
Through our comprehensive, university-led research, and by sharing best practices from our on-the-ground experience, we are able to shape the agenda well beyond the countries in which we work, influencing governments, brands and policy makers to make improving working conditions a top priority
Purpose
Our work and our research have demonstrated – to employers, unions, global brands and governments – that improving working conditions and defending the rights of workers benefits all of us. We’ve improved the lives of more than 3 million workers, and millions more family members, while enhancing the profitability of their employers. There is no trade-off between better work and better business
Country context
While the apparel and textile sector in Sri Lanka is a key industry for the country’s growth, there is a significant deficit in decent work and measures to meet international labour standards. The COVID-19 pandemic and recent economic downturn are also undermining the sector, affecting a number of factories and employees, particularly women.
In this context, the Better Work programme is currently conducting a pilot intervention with the national constituents and other relevant actors in the industry, which aims at improving working conditions and the overall competitiveness of the Sri Lankan garment sector. The garment industry is uniquely positioned as a reliable employment and revenue driver in the current economic climate. Better Work will support the national partners representing the government, employers’ and workers’ organizations in Sri Lanka to promote international labor standards, more effective partnerships, and sound industrial relations.
The Better Work Sri Lanka intervention focuses on the following thematic areas:
It is supported by the European Union until the end of June 2024. Additional funding from Australia will be allocated to Better Work Sri Lanka as of July 2023. To continue its programme in Sri Lanka, the programme needs to develop a full-fledged country programme strategy that aligns with the overall objectives of the Better Work Programme.
The objective of this assignment is to develop a draft country strategy for Better Work Sri Lanka Phase II to further support the garment sector’s development in Sri Lanka for the next three years. The strategy will be drafted in close collaboration with the Better Work Sri Lanka and Better Work Global teams as well as relevant ILO colleagues based in Colombo. Furthermore, for new areas of work that have not been covered under the pilot phase will be developed in consultation with the relevant local partners/constituents (e.g. tourism sector) or other UN agencies (e.g. MSME entrepreneurship with UNDP). The strategy will be aligned with the overall objectives of the Better Work Global 2022-2027 strategy.
Scope of Work
Deliverables
The consultant will work to deliver the following deliverables.
| Deliverables | Description | No. of working days |
| 1. Methodology and workplan | Based on desk review, organize a meeting with the Better Work Sri Lanka and Better Work Global team to discuss the methodology and workplan for this assignment. | 1 days |
| 2. Consultation process: Summary Note | Based on internal and external, write an executive summary note. | 3 days |
| 3. Theory of change and logframe | Organize a workshop with the Better Work Sri Lanka and Better Work Global teams to develop a Theory of change and a logical framework for the country strategy. | 3 days |
| 4. Draft country strategy document | Develop the narrative of the country strategy including a background section, a problem analysis, lessons learned, the theory of change narrative, a description of the strategic goals, strategic collaboration, governance and M&E. | 4 days |
| 5. Risk management framework | Mapping potential risks and possible measures for Better Work interventions in Sri Lanka in future, given the current instability of socio-economic situation. | 3 days |
More detailed instructions for each deliverable will be communicated through work.
The consultant will work under direct supervision of Kesava Murali Kanapathy, the Senior Programme and Operations Officer in Colombo, with frequent communication with Deborah Schmidiger, the Senior Programme and Partnerships Officer in ILO HQ and Akira Kawasaki, the Programme Officer in Bangkok.
The consultant will pursue this assignment for 14 working days over a period of two months upon signing a contract document with the ILO. Payments will be made based on submission of the deliverables described above.
The External Collaborator will only be paid upon satisfactory completion of deliverables and upon receipt of signed invoices, referring to deliverables as described in the contract with the respective amount and working days indicated.
All data and information received 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 express advance written authorization of the IFC and ILO.
In order to apply, please kindly send your 1)Cover letter and 2)CV to kawasaki@ilo.org with clarifying your proposal for daily service fee rate. The application is open until 9 June 2023.