Feasibility Study for an African Railway Competence Centre

The objectives of the study: - Stakeholders that could significantly contribute to the achievement of the objectives and/or participate in an industry dialogue are identified. - Labour market demand as well as skills gaps are assessed considering current and future skills needed for the modernisation and development of the railway network in Africa. - The technical, financial, and operational feasibility of one or more sustainable Rail Transport Competence Centres (RCCs) in Africa is assessed including a governance model and conditions for long-term viability and development of a strategic plan considering financial and operations considerations. - Relevant training programs and curricula across all professional qualification levels are developed or modernized. - A strategic plan considering financial and operations considerations has been developed. - Pilot trainings are implemented Work Package 1: Data Collection & Market Analysis: Anticipating and Matching Skills and Jobs in the Railway Sector Consultant shall assess African railway sector: (a) Skills Demand - current/future workforce needs (4-15 years), including job volumes, required skills by qualification level, and necessary training/education; (b) Skills Supply - assess available qualified workforce and analyse current/planned vocational/academic training, mapping existing providers/programs and their capacity/relevance; (c) Skills Gaps - identify geographic, qualification-specific, institutional, and capacity-related gaps, deriving rationale for regional/sub-regional training solutions. The methodology shall be based on ILO"s Working at Sectoral Level: Guide to anticipating and matching skills and jobs, Volume 3 (2016), using desk-based analysis, interviews, focus groups, round tables, surveys, and in-depth case studies. Work Package 2: Pilot training courses about rail transport Following Gap Analysis, pilot trainings (classroom/blended/online) test training models and support stakeholder engagement. They target decision-makers (strategic) and instructors (technical, prioritizing maintenance/asset management). Trainings are universal, tech-independent, with European aspects where relevant and gender-responsive: inclusive outreach, accessible formats, participation targets for underrepresented groups. The contractor shall identify topics; develop compliant technical curriculum (train-the-trainer, study visits, African/European partners); train 20 railway operators (study visit to Europe); create online course on African railway infrastructure/ operation (TUMI platform); evaluate lessons. Work Package 3: Regional Competence Center: Analysis & Modelling The contractor must develop and assess three alternative models for a regional railway training structure in Africa, including regional hubs and online/blended learning. Each model must define institutional setup, governance, curriculum scope, staffing, and CAPEX/OPEX estimates, ensuring inclusive governance, gender balance, and equal access. The contractor will define design assumptions (target groups, qualification levels, geographic scope, accessibility, alignment with AfDB/EU/Germany, language policy, digitalisation), develop three models-(a) centralized independent legal entity, (b) regional hub-and-spoke, (c) existing offers + online academy-each covering institutional setup, functional scope, delivery modes, partnerships, private sector engagement, and technical/institutional/financial/political risks, assess financial viability through a 10-year plan (CAPEX/OPEX, revenue streams, financing mechanisms, cost-effectiveness, scalability, socio-economic benefits), develop training portfolios and curricula for three priority courses (adapted international material), standardized programs/certifications, and trainer/ToT profiles, outline the centre as an innovation space for business exchange, pilot solutions, and project initiation, and conduct a comparative assessment, evaluating models against relevance, effectiveness, sustainability, scalability, and feasibility, conducting SWOT, and recommending the preferred model. Work Package 4: Action Plan & Recommendations for the preferred model This Work Package aims to translate the analytical findings and preferred model(s) into a practical and phased implementation roadmap. The contractor shall prepare an action plan outlining institutional, operational, financial, and governance steps required for implementation and provide clear recommendations for next steps, including preparatory actions, partnerships, and potential financing approaches. Work packages are implemented by key experts and three expert pools that ensure strategic leadership, technical excellence, and operational flexibility. - The Team Leader with international experience with at least 10 years of international management experience and experience in preparing analytical studies in economic policy, TVET or labour market and employment promotion - The Institutional development and Financing with international experience that combines 10 years of professional experience in strategic and organisational development related to operation of training institutions with experience in education and training, working with the private sector and economic and financial assessments. - Pool 1 Senior Experts in the Railway sector with international experience with 2-3 Experts with 10 years of professional experience in the railway sector and provide experience in education and training in railways, in particular technologies such as ETCS and private sector cooperation. - Pool 2 - Short-term experts with national experience with 4-8 experts with 5 years of professional experience in labour market analysis and skills needs assessment. - Pool 3 - Short-term experts in education and training with international experience with 4-8 experts with 5 years of professional experience in education and training.