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Ad title:
National Consultant
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International Labour Organization
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Published: 26 August
/ Deadline: 26 September
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National Consultant: Public Policy Measures and the Informal Economy in Georgia
Location: Georgia
Application Deadline: 01.09.2025
Expected Start Date: 15.09.2025
Languages Required: English and Georgian
Contract Type: Individual Consultant
1. Background:
Informal employment remains widespread in Georgia, affecting nearly four out of every ten employed individuals. It is most prevalent among men, workers in agriculture, manufacturing, and construction, as well as in low-skilled occupations, smaller firms, and among those with lower educational attainment. Informality is strongly linked to demographic factors and education levels, with younger and older workers, as well as those with low education, disproportionately engaged in informal work. Informal workers also tend to earn significantly lower wages and rely heavily on additional income sources, including public transfers and family support.
While Georgia has undertaken reforms to reduce informality — including simplified business registration, digitalized tax administration, and preferential regimes for small businesses — several challenges remain. Preferential tax regimes have encouraged income underreporting, while the absence of bookkeeping and accounting requirements has perpetuated an anti-tax culture and limited business growth. Moreover, social protection reforms have broadened non-contributory programs but contributory schemes remain underdeveloped, reducing incentives for formalization.
Against this backdrop, the ILO`s guidance — including Recommendation 204 (2015) and the new statistical framework adopted by the 21st ICLS in 2023 — stresses the importance of integrated strategies to promote formalization, safeguard rights, and foster sustainable enterprises. As the ILO prepares for a general discussion on informality at the International Labour Conference (ILC) in June 2025, this consultancy will contribute evidence on the Georgian context to inform global policy dialogue.
2. Purpose of the Assignment:
The purpose of this consultancy is to explore key public policy measures related to the informal economy in Georgia, assess their effectiveness in facilitating or hindering formalization, and provide actionable recommendations. The consultancy will apply a qualitative approach, engaging with informal entrepreneurs, associations, policymakers, and civil society to gain in-depth insights into the drivers, barriers, and perceptions of formalization. The findings will complement a rapid evidence assessment commissioned by the ILO and conducted by the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie).
The research should answer the following research questions:
** What are the characteristics of the considered informal enterprises?
** What are the determinants of business (in)formality?
** What are the barriers and facilitators of business formalization? How do those factors affect the decision of (non)formalizing businesses?
** What is the perception of public policies promoting business formalization?
3. Scope of Work and Specific Objectives
The contractor will be responsible for carrying out the following activities:
** Identify relevant respondents and stakeholders active in the field, including — but not limited to — informal entrepreneurs, informal organizations, associations of informal entrepreneurs, policymakers and officials, and civil society representatives. In addition, a few formal actors (e.g., enterprises and organisations) should be considered to provide a more comprehensive picture of the private sector.
** Develop methodology, data collection tools, and field work plan suitable for exploring areas, including — but not limited to — respondents` demographic characteristics, enterprise-specific features, business management strategies, reasons for formalizing or not formalizing, awareness of formalization procedures, perceptions of the benefits and costs of formalization, perceived risks of operating informally, and awareness and perception of public policy measures on formalization. The research approach should use qualitative methods, including interviews, focus group discussions, and other appropriate methods/tools. The 3ie team will provide technical guidance on the development of the methodology and data collection tools.
** Conduct fieldwork to gather primary data through interviews, focus group discussions, and other appropriate methods/tools. All interviews, focus group discussions, and other primary data collected must be transcribed in English and accompanied by detailed field notes.
** Conduct analysis and produce a report summarizing the findings and recommendations for policymakers and practitioners. The 3ie team will engage with the consultant to review the report and will integrate relevant key findings into the rapid evidence assessment report.
** Engage with stakeholders in collaboration with the ILO and 3ie to present qualitative analysis and policy recommendations to the Interministerial Commission on Formalization. Share key findings with social partners through a dedicated presentation. Facilitate three study visits or information exchanges with international institutions that have successfully implemented relevant policies, highlighting selected best practices for deeper analysis.
4. Deliverables and Timeline:
The contractor is expected to deliver the following outputs:
** Inception report outlining the proposed methodology, data collection tools, identified potential respondents with justification for their relevance, and a detailed fieldwork plan.
** Complete transcriptions of all interviews conducted during fieldwork.
** Final report presenting the main findings and recommendations in detail.
** Engagement materials to support stakeholder consultations and active participation in stakeholder engagement activities.
** The activities will start on 15 September 2025 and are due to be finished by 31 October 2025.
** Consultant Profile
The contractor should possess:
** Advanced degree (master`s or Ph.D.) in a relevant field such as economics, public policy, public finance, or a related field.
** Proven experience in high-quality qualitative data collection methods, including interviews and focused group discussions.
** A strong portfolio of informality-related research, with experience in Georgia, is considered a significant asset.
** Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English. Proficiency in Georgian is an advantage
Submission of Applications:
Interested candidates are invited to submit the following documents to klimiashvili@ilo.org, sikharulidze@ilo.org:
** CV detailing relevant qualifications and experience.
** Short financial and technical proposal.
** Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
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