JOBS Quarterly Report (October 1 – December 31, 2018)

The program's quarterly report for October 1 to December 31, 2018, highlights significant progress made during this period. The JOBS program transitioned from administrative startup to full-scale technical implementation, marking a major milestone. The program's ArcGIS tool, which supports project management nationwide, monitoring, evaluation, and learning, and communications and outreach, was launched during this quarter. The tool was developed with the support of a short-term international consultant and was implemented in December for use project-wide. Component 1 (C1) of the JOBS program focused on identifying client firms and solutions to increase their sales and lead to job creation. Key highlights of C1's activities during the quarter include the continued cultivation of the program's pipeline of prospects for client firms, signing 33 Partnership Agreements (PAs). The program also identified Tunisian products with strong export potential in niche areas, such as harissa, essential oils, and spices, and established initial links to leading U.S. importers of Middle Eastern and Arab cuisine items. The program also launched its regional operations in Gafsa, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Southwest Chamber of Commerce. The MOU outlines support to local companies, and JOBS will assist the Chamber in supporting several large investment transactions in the region. Additionally, the program signed MOUs with AmCham in Tunis and the Beja Chamber of Commerce to establish new bases of project operations. Component 2 (C2) of the JOBS program focused on workforce development, with a strategy to further develop its strategy, including defining objectives and needs of local counterparts. Key highlights of C2's activities during the quarter include the presentation of JOBS' workforce development strategy for vocational training, including a proposed list of vocational training centers focused on specific sectors with promise for job creation. The program also sponsored two "Inauguration Days" at the University of Sousse, including employability training for 140 students in eleven career and certification competence centers. Component 3 (C3) of the JOBS program focused on policy and regulatory reform, with a comprehensive analysis of GOT, donor, and private sector priorities to define priority reforms, coordinated with enterprise-level feedback. Key highlights of C3's activities during the quarter include the completion of the policy-mapping exercise, validating it with key stakeholders, and participation in a workshop organized by the Economic Analysis Council on policy reforms and the economy. The JOBS program also made significant progress in strategic communications and outreach, including the selection of a Tunisian firm through a competitive process to conduct a national survey on youth attitudes to inform the design of targeted socio-economic outreach. The program also completed and circulated guidance to JOBS staff on managing questions from the press and presented JOBS' social media and branding strategies to USAID.