Each year, more than 2.3 million young people enter Pakistan"s job market, many without formal skills training or relevant work experience. The country"s public Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system struggles to meet this growing demand, both in terms of capacity and the relevance of its training programmes to labour market needs. Existing TVET offerings often fall short in preparing graduates for current and future employment opportunities. According to the Hunarmand Pakistan Programme Tracer Study (2022), only 42% of state-trained TVET graduates find employment that aligns with their training, underscoring the urgent need for reform. In response to these structural challenges, the Government of Pakistan, with support from international development partners, has embarked on a comprehensive transformation of its TVET system.

The TVET Sector Support Programme (TVET SSP)-co-funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the European Union (EU), and implemented by GIZ in collaboration with the British Council-has been a key enabler of this reform. It works in close coordination with the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) and various provincial TEVTAs, Quality Assurance Bodies (QABs), and other public and private stakeholders. The programme aims to reorient the TVET system toward market-driven, inclusive, and high-quality skills development. Its core focus areas include improving the responsiveness of training programmes to labour market demand, enhancing access to training for women and disadvantaged groups, building institutional capacity, and fostering meaningful partnerships with the private sector.
A major milestone in the reform process has been the development of the National TVET Policy, spearheaded by the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training through extensive consultation with both public and private stakeholders. This policy identifies eight strategic reform areas, with a strong emphasis on labour market alignment, quality assurance, and relevance. Particular attention is given to high-potential growth sectors such as information and communication technology (ICT), renewable energy, construction, textiles, and printing-all of which are undergoing transitions toward more sustainable, environmentally responsible production models. The policy also addresses gender equality as a cross-cutting priority, ensuring that both women and men benefit equally from skills development opportunities.

Despite policy progress, Pakistan's TVET sector faces challenges, including outdated curricula lacking digital and green skills, limited industry involvement, and weak data use for decision-making. Tools like the National Skills Information System (NSIS) are underutilized, reducing the effectiveness of planning and evaluation. The TVET Sector Support Programme (TVET SSP), launched in January 2023, addresses these issues by focusing on Competency-Based Training (CBT) aligned with labour market needs, offering greater flexibility and improved employability. Successful CBT implementation requires a shift in how training outcomes are assessed and strategic decisions are made.

Briefly, the programme"s current phase seeks to establish a culture of continuous improvement and adaptive management in the TVET sector-one that is informed by robust data, responsive to economic trends, and inclusive of all stakeholders, especially women and marginalized youth. By building capacity for data-driven decision-making, institutionalizing evidence-based practices, and scaling CBT implementation, the TVET SSP aims to equip Pakistan"s youth with future-oriented skills and ensure that skills development contributes meaningfully to the country"s economic growth, social inclusion, and global competitiveness.

This assignment aims to support the implementation of Output 1 of a larger module that focuses on strengthening the capacities of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions at both national and provincial levels. The core of the intervention lies in enhancing labour market orientation and enabling data-driven decision-making in TVET management. This contract, with a delivery period of 2.5 years, seeks to operationalize a comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) framework that will support evidence-based planning, execution, and evaluation of TVET programs.

The contractor is responsible for delivering four major work packages, each with clearly defined outputs and deliverables. The first package involves the development of M&E tools and manuals. It includes conducting a comprehensive review of existing M&E practices, KPIs, standards, and templates in use across the TVET sector. Based on the findings, new and updated tools, manuals, indicator reference sheets, SOPs, and templates are to be developed in alignment with national M&E requirements. The development process will be participatory, engaging experts from institutions such as NAVTTC, TEVTAs, QABs, PVTC, and PSDA to ensure alignment with national priorities and sustainability. A strategy document will be produced, detailing the methodology for drafting data-based recommendations, including templates and procedures for implementation and follow-up. Additionally, Web-Based Training (WBT) modules will be created to support capacity development and provide an ongoing reference for users.

The second work package focuses on capacity development for TVET partners. It includes organizing cascade trainings for key partners on M&E concepts and the national M&E framework. These partners include NAVTTC, TEVTAs, QABs, PSDA, and PVTC. Support will be provided in the dissemination of the training at district and institutional levels, supported by the WBT modules developed in the first work package. A total of 20 institutes will be supported to deliver and monitor these WBT modules. Furthermore, 150 accreditation assessors will be identified and trained over three years, with refresher training planned in 2027. Capacity-building efforts will also include workshops for partners to enhance their ability to analyze and use data from various TVET databases and registries to produce actionable recommendations.

The third work package concerns piloting the M&E framework, including implementation support and coaching for staff involved in M&E, research, and database management. Pilot activities will involve tracking of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), ensuring NVQF compliance and quality assurance in 400 training programs or institutes across Balochistan, KP, GB, and Punjab, and conducting a random 10% sample verification. Additionally, competency tracking, employability assessments, employers' satisfaction surveys, TVET capacity assessments, accreditation surveillance, and a labour market assessment will be undertaken. These efforts aim to evaluate training effectiveness, ensure quality standards, and align TVET offerings with labour market needs.
Monitoring activities will include identification of data sources and responsibilities for data collection, pilot testing of KPIs, identifying gaps, and adapting interventions. Quality assurance will be emphasized through sampling and field validation exercises. Evaluation activities will review the relevance, efficiency, and effectiveness of the entire M&E system through mixed-method approaches. These will include desk reviews, primary and secondary data analysis, and stakeholder interviews to assess data tools, KPIs, and the overall impact of the M&E system. The final evaluation will leverage existing NSIS data and primary data from studies and assessments to assess performance and impact, culminating in a final report.

The fourth work package involves organizing a 6-day exposure visit to Europe for TVET M&E and research officials. The visit aims to enhance understanding of international best practices in M&E, data analysis, and evidence-based decision-making. The participants will engage with successful research institutions and firms in Germany and other European countries to explore practical techniques and systems. The visit will promote knowledge exchange and capacity development, and the outcomes will be evaluated to inform future initiatives.

The contractor will maintain a robust monitoring and reporting system to track progress against work plans, objectives, indicators, and milestones. Regular reporting will cover results within the contractor's scope of responsibility, early outcomes of training programs (e.g., employability, employer satisfaction), and risks or challenges faced. Reports will be submitted in line with GIZ"s General Terms and Conditions, including specific deliverables such as inception reports, activity completion reports for various assessments, and a final evaluation report. Data collection, storage, and dissemination must ensure quality and relevance, supporting both internal analysis and sectoral decision-making. Clean and structured data will be uploaded to the NAVTTC M&E dashboard as part of performance monitoring.

The contractor is also responsible for advising on course corrections based on learning from implementation and contributing to adaptive management in the TVET sector. All qualitative and quantitative data gathered will be securely stored and analyzed, supporting the sector with actionable insights. The outputs of this assignment are expected to strengthen institutional capacities, enhance data use culture, and support long-term improvements in TVET system performance and labour market alignment.

GIZ may optionally commission contract amendments and/or increases based on the criteria in the tender documents to the successful bidder of this tender. For details, please see the terms of reference.

According to Article 160, Section 3 of the German Act Against Restraint of Competition (GWB), application for review is not permissible insofar as
1. the applicant has identified the claimed infringement of the procurement rules before submitting the application for review and has not submitted a complaint to the contracting authority within a period of 10 calendar days; the expiry of the period pursuant to Article 134, Section 2 remains unaffected,
2. complaints of infringements of procurement rules that are evident in the tender notice are not submitted to the contracting authority at the latest by the expiry of the deadline for the application or by the deadline for the submission of bids, specified in the tender notice.
3. complaints of infringements of procurement rules that first become evident in the tender documents are not submitted to the contracting authority at the latest by the expiry of the deadline for application or by the deadline for the submission of bids,
4. more than 15 calendar days have expired since receipt of notification from the contracting authority that it is unwilling to redress the complaint.
Sentence 1 does not apply in the case of an application to determine the invalidity of the contract in accordance with Article 135, Section 1 (2). Article 134, Section 1, Sentence 2 remains unaffected.

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