UNDP-MDG-00854 ELABORATION OF THE NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT POLICY AND ITS PMO

Agency: UNDP | Reference: UNDP-MDG-00854 | Type: Request for proposal

UNDP-MDG-00854CONSULTANCY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT POLICY AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION PLAN IN MADAGASCAR I. CONTEXT AND JUSTIFICATIONMadagascar is characterized by a predominantly young population, whose entry into working life takes place in highly differentiated social, economic, and territorial contexts.

While this youth contributes to the country's economic and social vitality, their integration opportunities remain largely conditioned by transformations in the labor market, marked by a high prevalence of informality and inequalities in access to employment.

These constraints affect individuals differently depending on their social origin, level of education, gender, or place of residence. Unemployment, massive underemployment, and the predominance of informality constitute major structural challenges.

According to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), youth unemployment is around 30%, while more than 70% of the active population is underemployed or in precarious employment, in a context where the formal sector represents only about 10% of total employment.

These dynamics are reinforced by insufficiently managed demographic dividends, rapid and unplanned urbanization, the effects of climate change, technological mutations (digitalization, artificial intelligence, automation), the socioeconomic sequelae of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as uncertainties related to geopolitical developments, particularly within the framework of AGOA. Added to these constraints is a fragile and crisis-ridden context marked by recurring political crises, high vulnerability to natural disasters, and exposure to health crises, which durably affect economic stability and job creation.

Faced with these challenges, a new dynamic of national refoundation, driven in particular by the aspirations of the younger generation (GEN Z), calls for profound, inclusive, and results-oriented reforms. In this context, the Malagasy government, through the Ministry of Labour, Employment, and Public Service (MTEFoP), is committed to updating the National Employment Policy (PNE) and developing its Implementation Plan for the period 2025–2030.

This initiative aims to provide Madagascar with a renewed, coherent, and operational strategic framework, in line with national priorities, the aspirations of youth, and the country's international and regional commitments. As such, the PNE aligns with the General State Policy – Refoundation (PGE‑R), prioritizing post-crisis emergency measures and job creation for young people and women, considered national priorities to support economic and social recovery.

It also aligns with major employment and development frameworks, including ILO Convention No. 122 on Employment Policy, the Abidjan Declaration on Employment and Structural Transformation in Africa, the African Union's Agenda 2063, the SADC Protocol on Employment and Labour, and the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 8 on decent work and inclusive growth. The updated PNE will be accompanied by a realistic, budgeted, and territorialized implementation plan, including a resource mobilization strategy.

It will explicitly take into account the multiple dimensions of the country's fragility — political, climatic, and health — as well as ongoing economic and social transformations, to ensure adapted, resilient, and inclusive responses in terms of decent job creation, entrepreneurship promotion, and reduction of inequalities in access to employment. To ensure rigorous and participatory development, the MTEFoP will rely on the joint expertise of a consultancy firm and an international expert, working in close synergy with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Labour Organization (ILO), and all national stakeholders.

This complementary collaboration, combining in-depth knowledge of the local context and international expertise, will support the process from the in-depth diagnosis of the labor market to the formulation of the PNE and its implementation plan, integrating innovative, inclusive, and gender, disability, and territorial disparity-sensitive approaches. The engagement of this consultancy firm is a key step in equipping Madagascar with a modern, ambitious National Employment Policy adapted to the country's realities, capable of sustainably meeting the expectations of the population, especially its youth. The present

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