The 2016 International Expert Workshop for ‘Employability in Agriculture, Renewable Energies and IT in Tunisia’, held by the Maghreb Economic Forum (Tunis, 27-30/07/2016), was a three days discussion among high-level experts from Tunisia and around the world. (See list of participants and bios of the experts). The workshop was the final component in a series of four workshops held by the MEF on the same subject throughout the year, in three regions of the country: Tunis, Gafsa and Tataouine. The workshop focused on the role of multilateral organizations, foreign foundations and international experts in providing guidance throughout Tunisia’s socio-economic transition towards inclusive growth. In order to prevent this long-term process from failing, we must identify the major obstacles standing in the way of large- scale job creation programs and identify new opportunities and innovative solutions. The key questions raised at the workshop were: How can the state better identify emerging trends and assess the needs of local communities? Which structural reforms are needed and which legislative policies are to be drafted by the parliament to tackle the issue of illegal employment in the informal sector and improve informal worker access to decent work and government protections? How can executive power close the gap between policies and implementation? How can leaders from civil society organizations, the media and the private sector exert pressure on ruling elites to revisit the education system and increase labor market efficiency? How can the state create an enabling and secure environment to boost employment, promote a favorable investment climate, improve conditions for start-up founders and enhance trade? Which best practices and innovative value-added solutions from abroad can be adapted to the Tunisian context?

1. International Expert Workshop
on Employability in Agriculture,
Renewable Energies
and IT in Tunisia
Tunis, 27-30 July 2016
Summary report by moderators M. Majdoub and S. Marrouki
#Jobs For Tunisia
#NekhdemTounes

2. Table of Contents
I. The workshop
II. Expected objectives and outcome
III. Workshop approach, methodology and agenda
IV. The participants
V. Summary of findings
VI. Conclusion and key recommendations
VII. Overall evaluation: Were the objectives of the workshop reached
VIII. Annex 1: Workshop agenda and moderation plan
IX. Annex 2: Expert and moderator short biographies

3. I. The Workshop
The 2016 International Expert Workshop for ‘Employability in Agriculture, Renewable Energies and IT in Tunisia’, held
by the Maghreb Economic Forum (Tunis, 27-30/07/2016), was a three days discussion among high-level experts from
Tunisia and around the world. (See list of participants and bios of the experts).
The workshop was the final component in a series of four workshops held by the MEF on the same subject throughout
the year, in three regions of the country: Tunis, Gafsa and Tataouine.
The workshop focused on the role of multilateral organizations, foreign foundations and international experts in
providing guidance throughout Tunisia’s socio-economic transition towards inclusive growth. In order to prevent this
long-term process from failing, we must identify the major obstacles standing in the way of large- scale job creation
programs and identify new opportunities and innovative solutions.
The key questions raised at the workshop were:
 How can the state better identify emerging trends and assess the needs of local communities?
 Which structural reforms are needed and which legislative policies are to be drafted by the parliament
to tackle the issue of illegal employment in the informal sector and improve informal worker access to
decent work and government protections?
 How can executive power close the gap between policies andimplementation?
 How can leaders from civil society organizations, the media and the private sector exert pressure on
ruling elites to revisit the education system and increase labor marketefficiency?
 How can the state create an enabling and secure environment to boost employment, promote a
favorable investment climate, improve conditions for start-up founders and enhance trade?
 Which best practices and innovative value-added solutions from abroad can be adapted to the
Tunisian context?

4. II. Expected objectives and outcomes
The MEF assigned four specific objectives and four outcomes to the workshop.
The objectives:
1. Develop an expert innovative vision as a basis for a policy paper to enhance employability
in the three sectors of Renewable Energy, Agriculture, and Information and Communications Technology.
2. Identify opportunities in and barriers to growth in these three sectors, and share best practices.
3. Identify relevant approaches for MEF advocacy and lobbying.
4. Initiate an international expert network to support MEF action in the future.
The outcomes:
1. A workshop summary report outlining key findings andrecommendations
2. Short reports by the experts answering eight key questions!
3. Established contact between experts
4. Experts’ commitments to future MEF activities and projects

5. III. Workshop approach, methodology and agenda
The workshop moderation approach consisted of three kinds of methods: discussion panels, working groups and
plenary guided discussions. (Figure 1 and Annex 1).
The panels were devoted to the discussion of cross-cutting themes and to the exchange of case studies and testimonies
among participants. The working groups were dedicated to discussions of the three sectors, designed to explore specific
ideas. The plenary sessions provided the environment to share knowledge, develop conclusions, and make general
recommendations.
The workshop process (Figure 2 and Figure 3) proceeded as follows:
Step A- General overview and global trends
Step B- Opportunities, best practices and barriers: assessment by sector
Step C- The role of the state
Step D- Reforms needed and innovativesolutions
Step E- Advocacy and lobbying actions
Figure 1. The Workshop approach

6. Figure 2. Workshop themes and progression
Figure 3. The Workshop Agenda (simplified

7. IV. The participants
The multidisciplinary workshop included participants that were high-level experts from Tunisia, USA, Germany,
Australia and other countries, from various specialties and domains of expertise (Figure 4 and Annex 2).
Figure 4. A diversity of participants, including both international and national experts
V. Summary of findings

8. Day 1: 27 July
Opening session
Ines Amri from MEF started by thanking participants for attending the workshop, presenting the MEF’s mission, vision
and key activities, highlighting the Jobs for Tunisia project, this workshop on employability, and its
objectives. She introduced three sectors targeted by the MEF (Agriculture, Information and Communication Technology,
and Renewable Energy) and the workshop agenda with a focus on identifying opportunities, barriers, and best practices
to be adapted to Tunisian context. Two video clips were presented: one outlining different MEF activities, the other
presenting the Jobs for Tunisia project.
Inna Rudolf then took the stage to present the background paper on “Employment opportunities in Tunisia”, before
focusing on how the BMW Foundation could support think tanks working on transformation in Tunisia, particularly in
the context of revolution with its specific socio-economic effects. She highlighted the employment opportunities in the
three sectors, concluding with a focus on the constraints facing and the perspectives of Tunisian entrepreneurs.
Bechir Bouzid from the World Bank underlined the opportunities and limitations of Tunisian entrepreneurship
based on a set of cultural, sociological and educationalfactors.
Mounir Majdoub, the moderator of the workshop, introduced himself, presented the agenda, objectives, expected
outcomes and methodology of the workshop.
Mohamed Louadi and Karim Hamdy were appointed to be reporters for the first day and Bechir Bouzid and Mansouri
Farida for the second day.
Sarah Toumi presented her personal history in Bir Salah. Her project, Acacias for all, works to plant specific trees
(especially acacia trees) in rural zones to prevent desertification and assure that agriculture in those regions
continues. Women in particular have benefitted from this social development. Acacias for All is conducted in cooperation
with local communities but without the support of official institutions or national authorities.

9. Panel N°1: Challenges and policy trends: International lessons learned
This working group discussed education and employability around the world, and how these case studies could inspire
change in Tunisia. Many interesting experiences in the Americas, Africa, and Australia were elaborated, including the
following three presentations:
Karim Hamdi’s presentation, “Reinforcing the capacity to promote employment”, discussed the wide- spread benefits
that wider and deeper cooperation between national and foreign universities can provide, citing certain examples from
the United States where high school students built airplane parts.
Mr. Fethi Mansouri emphasized the integration of young people into the labor market, especially with regard to young
graduates. He mentioned the NISA case in Australia, which is a major program that aims to promote innovation and adapt
the Australian economy to the changes and new opportunities created by digitization.
Finally, Mrs. Inna Rudolf presented some interesting examples of creative ideas in Ghana and South Africa where start-
ups have succeeded in improving employability.
The debate between panelists and participants focused on the interaction between innovation and entrepreneurship.
Most participants stressed the seriousness of the gap between industry needs and the skills provided by universities.
Both innovative initiatives and governmental will to reform the education system were vital issues promoted by the
participants.
Outcomes of the panel
 The importance of the MEF's role in helping the Tunisian government to design policies and adapt
approaches to innovative tools for job creation.
 The need for mechanisms that encourage innovators and startups.
 The need to strengthen exchanges between Tunisia and higher income countries. Current Memorandums
of Understanding must be energized.
 The need for structural changes and reforms of the existing educationsystem.
 The importance of re-examining secondary school curricula, which must be based on the competencies
required to narrow the gap between technical needs and labor market needs.
 The need to combine technical skills with job skills and invest in R & D to anticipate the need for
transformation in a measurable way in terms of quality and impact.
 The need to create an appropriate framework for innovation policies through incentives for initiatives,
innovations and startups.
 The importance of supporting new initiatives and projects in the creation of new opportunities and new
jobs.
 The need to deal with the population’s lack of skills, as it contributes to the growth of informal sectors.
 The need for an innovative mechanism to absorb unskilled people attracted to the informal economy.

10. Day 2: 28 July
After reviewing the work of the first day, Day 2 included working groups divided by sector, a plenary discussion and an
open discussion. The working groups were dedicated to answering the following question: “What are the opportunities
and barriers to employability, best practices and innovative policies and instruments?” The plenary discussion targeted
the question: "What are the best practices and innovative value-added solutions from abroad that can be adapted to
the Tunisian context?" Finally, the open discussion was devoted to the question:" How can the state improve the
conditions for start-up founders and investors?"
During this session, the working groups on Renewable Energy focused on the importance of natural resources, human
capital, geographic proximity, financial mobilization and the international and technological context as promising
factors for this sector. At the same time, constraints related to the Tunisian legal framework, governance and structure,
and the size and infrastructure of the market were also raised. Participants stressed the need to promote existing
financial mechanisms, encouraging startups and raising conventional energy prices for the development of the sector.
In the working groups on Agriculture, the participants agreed on the importance of improved marketing techniques
and better management of the value chain. The participants noted the importance of administrative, financial, land,
climate and cultural problems, which constitute serious obstacles to the development of the sector. They see
conditioning, diversification, disclosure of success stories, innovation and good governance as best practices for the
sector.
Concerning the ICT sector, the discussions focused on Tunisia's comparative advantage of infrastructure, human capital,
deregulation and the cultural context that can offer several opportunities in this area. At the same time, Tunisian ICT
development faces constraints related to the gender gap, bureaucracy, corruption and the ineffectiveness of the
education system. Participants paid particular attention to youth leadership, better involvement of civil society and
financial assistance through innovative policies to develop the sectors.

11. Renewable Energy
Opportunities Barriers Best practices
 Availability of natural resources
 CC international context
 Proximity to Europe
 Local capacities(institutional and
expertise)
 Experienced capacities with
 PROSOL programs
 TSP as a frame of energy
transition
30/30,INDC
 ETF and potential of
financing mobilization
 Synergy between Agri and ICT
 Industry integration
 EE success stories
 IT for ET (supply anddemand sides
management)
 Possible PPP
 Potential of labor force
 Potential of innovation to
change perception (Agri)
 Improve quality of life and
access to energy
 Adapted technologies
 Self-electricity generationfrom RE
and RE vs sectors(mining...)
 Legal framework (incomplete,
inappropriate, not adapted for
 Objective 30/30
 No governmental commitment to
national objectives in mid and long
term
 State monopoly on the
energy sector (Ministry,
STEG, DGE, ANME)
 Technical limitation of
infrastructure and grid
capacity
 No governing body exists to
regulate the sector
 Awareness/ social
acceptance of the
technologies
 Public subsidies for
energy distort the
market
 Small market compared to
others
 (Morocco, Algeria, Egypt)
 Financial mechanisms for market
creation (PROSOL SWH for SWH
market creation, 7 manufacturers
and 1200 small enterprises for
installation and maintenance, and
PROSOLElect for PV market
creation 30 MW top roof PV and
net metering and 150 suppliers
and installers with 4 PV panel
producers and assemblers)
 Innovate “SAPHON Energy”
start up for new wind turbine
technology
 Labialization with “LEED” for
 building
 Incentives for RE and EE in
the energy policy since the
80th
 Progressive increase of
energy prices
Agriculture
Opportunities Barriers Best practices
Marketing:
 Branding;
Quality
control;
 Better targeting of new
niches; Strategic
geoposition;
 Trade agreements;
Value chains/processes:
 Lack of natural resources:water, soil
degradation;
 High factor cost;
 Low access to finance, especially
for small-scale agriculture;
 Real estate problems: small to
 very small land plots,
fragmentation of land;
 Lack of value chain
 Market and value creation:
 packaging, diversification,
tradition and quality;
 Communication and
information, links between
farmers and consumers,
students;
 Success stories from
Tunisian diaspora
community regarding

12. The following table provides a detailed summary of the points made during the session of the working groups:
 Innovative processes;
Modernizations
 R&D;
 IT applications in
agriculture;
organization; Low product
quality;
 Low productivity;
 Inefficient bureaucracy coupled
with a high level of
centralization;
Tunisian products;
 Sharing economy models:
 Monitor the quality of products;
 Community development:
facilitate collective action; trust
building;
 Eco-tourism and agrotourism;
 Indigenous knowledge  Lack of infrastructure:storage
capacity, roads…
 Conventional/archaic
Agroindustry;
 Low youth interest;
 Low level of cooperationamong
farmers and weakness of professional
organization;
 Distrust of the state and the
administrative system
 Fair trade;
 Urban farming;
 Better resource management:
 water; harvesting;
 Coaching and better ecosystems for
agricultural production;
 Explore the relationships between
Energy-Water- Food and Agriculture
Information and Communication Technologies
Opportunities Barriers Best practices

13. Working Groups Divided by Sector>
 Digital economy;
 Infrastructure andlabor
force: (room for
improvement)
 More IT equipment and IT
support in schools;
 Well-educated, IT literate
population
Competitive salaries in the IT sector
 Cultural context;
 Relatively high level of gender
equality in Tunisia;
 e-government (Estonia example);
 raising awareness and
computer literacy;
 IT enabled occupation
s(energy…) Business university
interaction (Forum);
 Liberalization of
computing capacity
 Low rates of literacy;
 Gender deficit;
 Lack of banking andfinancial
support to the IT sector;
 Poor equipment in public
Tunisian universities;
 Government bureaucracyand
corruption;
 Lack of government involvement in
institutionalizing industry- university
dialogue;
 Generally low level of soft
skills;
 Universities need to adjust
curricula to business needs;
 Insufficient telecom
infrastructure for export
 Invite guest speakers from business;
 Infrastructure;
 Mentor youth that are passionate
about IT;
 Get civil society involved in IT; encourage
civic online participation;
 Install solar energy in rural areas to boost
 IT penetration;
 Hot spots;
 Nano degree (?);

14. Mr. Bechir Bouzid concluded this session with a few remarks. He explained that Tunisia suffers from the rigidity of the
labor market, protectionism and bureaucracy that make it difficult for new players to access any market. He highlighted
the fact that corruption is currently the biggest problem in Tunisia and the main obstacle of innovation and economic
development.
He recommended improving education and skills, developing ICTs for the youth generation, bringing together universities,
public institutions and the private sector to sit around same table and analyzing the value chain to promote employability.
Panel 1: Which best practices and innovative value-added solutions from abroad can be adapted to the Tunisian context?
During this panel, participants discussed original solutions to improve employability in the three sectors and possible ways
of monitoring and evaluating progress. This panel was marked by three interesting presentations:
Mr. Mohamed Louadi insisted on the diversity of the origins of unemployment, believing that it results from insufficient
job offers in relation to job applications, particularly in the IT sectors. This is why he stressed the importance of developing
skills, particularly personal ones, and to allow universities to participate more closely in the private sector to enrich the
content of the courses.
Mr. Neil Fourati mentioned how Tunisia could improve employability in agriculture. Decentralization is one of the best
practices that could be adopted, he argued, specifying that the government must empower local actors for decision-
making, develop local systems of proposals and decisions around different activities and invest in the infrastructure of
sport and culture to keep young people in rural areas.
Lastly, Mr. Mouldi Miled stressed the importance of innovation and employability, especially in the energy sector. For
him, the use of IT for Tunisia’s energy transition is decisive.
The main results emerging from the debates and interactions during this session are summarized as follows:
 Use of social media to reach youth;
 Social entrepreneurship;
 Communication and hubs
 Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and reforms based on KPIs to fightcorruption
 “Meritocracy”;
 Institutionalize exchange between universities and businesses to close the gap between skills and labor market
needs;
 Add an economic dimension to the mission of the educationsystem.
 Adapt best international practices, deriving inspiration from and adapting the examples of Estonia, Australia and
Sweden examples;
 Build platforms and hubs to establish trust between public and private sectors that crumbled after the
revolution.

15. Panel 2: How can the state improve conditions for start-up founders and investors?
This session was dedicated to discussing the role of the state in improving conditions for young founders of start- ups
and young investors in all three sectors. Participants agreed on a variety of measures that can be carried out by the
state. These measures must be regular, institutional, financial and technological.
The main recommendations are as follows:
 Create hubs instead of technopoles (stop the top-down approach!).
 Coworking spaces and regionalization.
 PPP: defining what is a start-up.
 Support private youth initiative through specific regulatory framework.
 Offer guarantees to unlock funds for young start-up founders
 Launch information campaign about existing fundingmechanisms.
 Training of entrepreneurs;
 Reduce bureaucracy: simplify procedures in order to expediate and facilitate access to financial
solutions.
 Improve conditions in an equitable, simple and transparent manner
 Consider the economic dimension of higher education andR&D

16. Day 3: 29 July
The third and last day of the workshop began with a quick recap of the second day before moving into two plenary
sessions, a panel discussion, and lastly, an evaluation session. In the first plenary session, participants discussed the
following question: "How can the state better reconcile local trends and needs?" The second session focused on the
question "What structural reforms are needed and what legislative policies must be proposed by parliament to achieve
the best practices identified? " During the focus group, responses to these two main questions were put forward: "What
is the role of civil society, think tanks and the business community in influencing policy? and “What advocacy and
lobbying actions can the MEF employ? ". The evaluation session included a summary of the key points of the workshop,
the overall evaluations of the participants and their commitments to future activities.
Plenary Session 1: Globally emerging trends in job creation:
To answer the main question of this session, the discussions focused on identifying emerging global trends in job
creation on the one hand and the need of local communities to create employment opportunities on the other.
What globally emerging trends in job creation have arisen?
Most of the responses mentioned by participants are related to uncertainty, flexibility and diversity issues.
Indeed, the main ideas are:
- Uncertainty
- New definitions of employment and conceptualizations of a “job’
- International and global perspectives
- Economic trends and job creation
- Diversification (regional and global integration)
- Leveraging the skills of informal sectors
- Institutionalization of certification programs for rapidoperation
- Reconversion(adaptation)
- Flexible education systems
- Early exposure to the labor market (Involvement intoprojects)
- Onsite training
- E-learning
- Remote working and teleworking
- Flexible job hours and job sharing
- Energy transition
- Internet of things
- Green jobs
- Social jobs

17. What are the needs of local communities in job creation?
The experts mentioned decentralization, modernization of the education system, greater ease in acquiring funding and
gender issues as factors that contribute to job creation and socio-economic development in communities. The following
points were raised:
- Voices and solutions must originate from the bottom-up
- Needs vary widely from one region to another
- Needs of other communities
- Jobs shouldn’t be “very far” to be “feasible”
- Creation of a new participatory instrument to identify local needs and lead to a positive impact on
the success of state actions
- Local taxes for local people
- Decentralization of tax system
- Citizen jury (gender consideration)
- More voice for the local communities
- Citizens participation must include all citizens, not only “elites” or “localelites”
- Town hall meetings
- Needs assessments = instruments by law
- Expertise for assessment
- Capacity building + basic procedures
- Water and energy needs linked to decentralization
- Conduct job needs and sector assessment in a regular manner to remain up to date!
- Revisit existing reforms previously drafted but not implemented. Share and improve them (if necessary) and
build up an advocacy or lobbying strategy to present to Parliament and government
- Increased attention to quality of higher education, vocational training and high-school systems
How can the state better reconcile global trends with local needs?
Participants made various recommendations allowing the state to reconcile trends on a global scale with local
needs. The measures proposed by the participants were varied: institutional, regulatory, financial and cultural.
The main recommendations were:
- Leadership development;
- Pairing of cities;
- Legal framework adapted to international market opportunities;
- Change the law to allow Tunisians to have the same rights as foreigners with regard to international business;
- Improve local knowledge and capacity for marketing projects at the international level (creation of needs);
- After assessing the needs of local communities, the state should consider outsourcing in specific fields and
encourage social startup entrepreneurship offering services and solutions to local problems not addressed by
the state.
- Adapt the education system and R&D strategy to labor market needs in local areas and urban centers.
- Create local funds inside communities and facilitate access to loans and finance (low interest
rates, guarantees…).
- Tailor part of education curricula to the regional/local needs.

18. Plenary Session 2:
Which specific structural reforms are necessary and which legislative policies are to be drafted to implement
the best practices identified?
During this session, participants suggested several ideas to answer this question, most of which linked to the
importance of narrowing the gap between universities and the private sector, developing social entrepreneurship,
improving the business climate and incorporating a meritocracy. Mr. Bechir Bouzid made a presentation in which he
showed the dynamic relationship between corruption and unemployment. He explained that corruption has always
raised youth unemployment, especially in the long run.
The following table summarizes the main ideas of this session:
Best practices Reforms needed
Institutionalize exchange
between universities and
businesses to close the
gap between skills and
labor market needs
Sign Memorandums of
Understanding between
universities and BIE to
match market
requirements with
academic qualifications
(following a dialog with
all stakeholders
CSR- rank businesses
based onKPIs,
including sustainable
employment
Link government financial
incentives and budget to the
following performance
indicators: research impacts,
MoU, long term internships
Create competition
Involve recognized
international partners in
the process
Create platforms and Allocate a budget to
allow
municipalities to pay for
needs assessment
- Local employment
bureau
- Local business
- Banks (BTS, BFPME)
Hubs hosted by
municipalities
State to launch a A peer learning program
hubs to build trust national initiative where young
between public and commissioning representatives of local
private sectors after the universities and R:D to communities are trained
revolution do research and to implement existing
assessment of needs projects or adapt existing
in local communities services to their regional
realities by starting
State actors invite franchises that solve local
businesses and NGOs issues, create jobs and
to share information allow them to develop
on needs of own business
communities
Adapt best practices,
drawing inspiration from
and adapting the Sweden
experience
(Estonia/Australia for the
IT sector)
Improve created co-
masters across
Tunisian universities
and the broad
Monitoring foundation at
international level
(platform bringing
together involved actors)
Create funds to allow start-
up exchanges with higher
income countries
(tax and aid collected from big
companies)

19. Incorporate an economic
dimension into education
systems
Reform of the entire
purchasing procedures
Academic professional
coordination offices at
the institutional level
Reforms to allow higher
learning institutions to
respond more effectively
and quickly to economic
conditions
Use of social media to
reach youth.
Social entrepreneurship
communication and hubs,
reforms based on KPI to fight
corruption
Meritocracy
Push for a higher level of
transparency by using
social media to fight
corruption
Improve legal framework
and build capacities to
enhance social
entrepreneurship
Panel 3: "What is the role of civil society, think tanks and the business community in influencing policies? What
recommendations for advocacy and lobbying strategies?
This panel was launched by four short presentations. Ms. Laura Rice highlighted the importance of training through
electronic platforms and presented two websites that provide individual online training: "OpenCon" and "edx.org". Ms.
Farida Mansouri stressed the importance of engineering and the value of partnering with foreign universities (such as US
universities). Mr Noomen Lahimer acknowledged the importance of the presence of a third actor (civil society) in
circumstances where there is a lack of trust between the government and (part of) the population. Civil society
contributes to the democratic organization and to the economic and social progress of the country. As such, its role
should not be seen as promoting selfish interests, but rather as helping decision-makers to consider the needs of people
and find the best solutions to their problems. Mr. Dominik Westner mentioned that the word "lobbying" is a term with a
pejorative connotation, even in Germany, proposing instead the use of the expression "advocacy and participation" to
avoid negative prejudices.
Advocacy and lobbying strategy:
The participants stressed that a good advocacy and lobbying approach must be well-informed and well-studied, and
should take into consideration the following steps:
- Clear definition of objectives and expectedresults
- Stakeholder mapping
- Identification of partners and possible synergy with stakeholders and thinktanks
- Institutionalize regular contact, dialog and debate with partners and stakeholders aroundemployability
- Process monitoring using appropriate tools (Ex: GIZ tools)
The ideas proposed by the experts in terms of lobbying and advocacy are the following:
- Develop a methodology for lobbying and advocacy based on four steps:
1. Map out actors and stakeholders
2. Identify potential partners
3. Maintain regular dialogue with key actors
4. Continued monitoring

20. - Brand the MEF; Roundtables with key actors
- Outreach plan (sustainable network in the country: NGOs; clubs…)
- Storytelling method to share success stories and best practices
- Provide a platform for various actors including universities and private companies, in which the MEF will
act as a catalyst
- Use media and mass communication whenneeded
- Open events for actors and students
- A Maghreb network with sister organizations in the other Maghreb countries. A federative theme could be
“Solar energy or sustainable energy for the MaghrebRegion”.
- Revisit existing reports from the Tunisian state (draftedreforms)
- Dialogue with “stable” and permanentinstitutions
- Set up a lobbying action plan
- Use personal contacts among young politicians (deputies) at local and regionallevels
- Consider the political agenda (elections)
- Develop partnerships with “strong” actors
- Organize one-to-one meetings with key decision makers, drawing from the outcomes of and relationships
built during the workshops
- Put in place multi-actor hubs (e.g. in agriculturesector)
- Develop periodic publications (e.g. ranking indices of universities, privatecompanies…)
- Identify and analyze key actors and groups of interests in a constructive and supportivemanner
- Develop a business intelligence system: decision makers at regional and sectoriallevels
- Set up quick wins
- Develop partnerships with other think tanks both nationally and worldwide and encourage a collaborative
atmosphere
- Put in place a board of active experts and advisors who may play a lobbying role, including young
activists
- Learn from other organizations with similar advocacystrategies
- Use surveys to reinforce arguments
- Use participatory approaches with stakeholders
- Discuss issues with key actors and monitor specificindices
- Monitor economic and technologicaladvances

21. VI. Conclusion and key recommendations:
Participants concluded the discussion by emphasizing the importance of reforms and improving existing conditions to
improve employability in the three selected sectors. The main points made were the following:
- The importance of a systematic process of needs assessment in job creation niches through structured collaboration
with universities and R & D institutions.
- Need for collaboration between universities, public institutions and the private sector to promote employability.
- Education and skills are the key factors for employability; Actors must reduce the gap between educational and
vocational skills.
- Communication based on testimonials and best practices, particularly in agriculture, to promote best practices and
attract young people.
- Use of ICT in agriculture is required to attract younger generations.
- Importance of value chain analysis, instruments and employability mechanisms focus on the immense potential in the
three sectors
- Higher education and vocational training systems should be revised according to identified regional needs, analysis of
the local value chain and reduction of the gap between academic and vocationalskills.
- Need to design and implement initiatives that support startups and promote entrepreneurship through incentives and
technical assistance.
- Adapt the legal framework so that the state provides more coherent conditions in the sectors and sends a positive signal
that attracts and encourages young people to invest (eg, reduction of taxes for theER).
- Prepare conditions to better regionalize the market, given the small size of the Tunisian market.
All experts expressed a warm willingness to engage with the MEF in future actions. Below are the main promises
offered forward by the participants:
Personal commitment expressed by the experts:
- Dominic: Connection and networking with Germanorganizations
- Bechir: Peer review of policy paper
- Laura: Advice in gender and high educationtopics
- Farida: relation with OIT and agricultureadministration
- Mhamed: partnership MEF/ENERSOL on Green Jobs
- Karim: Knowledge sharing assessment with US TT in similarscopes
- Mohamed Louadi: Contribution as expert inICT
- Noomen: Policy paper review and sharing information
- Lazreg: Help in planning and facilitation ofevents
- Miled: Participation in MEF activities contributing to 30/30 targets and support of Sarah Toumi
initiatives
- Sarah: Involvement in the agricultural hub

22. VII. Overall evaluation: How far the objectives of the workshop were reached?
Figure 5. Participants' evaluation of the reaching of Workshop Objectives

23. Annex 1: Workshop Agenda and moderation plan
Wednesday, 27 July
Contributors Moderation methods
13:00 -15:00 Hotel check in and administrative arrangements with participants MEF Staff NA (Not Applicable)
15:00 – 16:00
5 min.
10 min.
10 min.
15 min.
20 min.
Opening session:
- Welcome address
- Introducing the background note
- Presentation of the Workshop objectives, agenda, the
methodology and the moderation team
- Keynote speech “Employability and Entrepreneurship in a
changing world: a personal story”
- Icebreaker
- Ines El Amri MEF
- Inna Rudolf / MEF
- Moderator: MounirMajdoub
- Moderator: MounirMajdoub
- Sarah Toumi; “Dream in
Tunisia and Acacias for all”
- Oral speech, and introduce the
moderators and announce video
interviews testimonies
- Oral speech
PPT support
- Icebreaker: who is who? And
why am I here? Presentation in
duet
16:00 – 16:30 Coffee Break and photo de groupe All participants Informal Networking
16:30 – 18:15 Discussion Panel
Challenges and policy trends: international lessons learned Debate
Moderator: M Majdoub
Panelists: Fethi Mansouri; Karim
Hamdy; Inna Rudolf (BMW
Foundation)
Panel discussion and interactions with
participants; specific questions to be
defined
18:15 – 18:30 Brief Summary and designation of the reporter for the day after
(see below)
Moderator Sami Marrouki Oral presentation
Evening: Dinner All participants Informal Networking

24. Thursday, 28 July
9:00 – 9:30 Recap of First Day- Common session and instructions for the second
day agenda
Moderator: M.Majdoub
One volunteer among the experts
designed the day before
Short presentation (free format) and
interaction with the participants
9:30 – 11:00 Working group (3 sectors)
What are the opportunities and the barriers for employability, best
practices and innovative policies and instruments?
Moderators: M. Majdoub; S. Marrouki World Café by sector: three tables of 6-7
participants each
11:00 – 11:30 Coffee Break All participants Informal Networking
11:30 – 12:30 Working Group continuation and end Moderators: M. Majdoub; S. Marrouki World Café, continuation and end.
12:30 – 14:00 Lunch All participants Informal Networking
14:00 – 16:30 Plenary discussion Presentation
of workinggroups
“Which best practices and innovative value added solutions from
abroad can be adapted to the Tunisian context?”
Moderator: S. Marrouki
Panelists: Mouldi Miled; Mohamed
Louadi; Neil Fourati
Panel discussion and interactions with
participants; specific questions to be
defined
15:00 – 16:30 Discussion
“How can the state improve conditions for start-up founders and
investors?”
Moderator: M. Majdoub Open discussion with participants;
specific questions to be defined
Leaving at 16:45: A guided tour in the Medina and Dinner All participants Informal Networking

25. Friday, 29 July
9:00 – 9:15 Recap of the second day and instructions for the third day agenda
9:15 – 10:30 Plenary session
“How can the state better reconcile globally emerging trends in job
creation with the needs of local communities?”
Moderators: M. Majdoub; S. Marrouki Open guided discussion
10:30 – 11:00 Coffee Break All participants Informal Networking
11:00 – 13:00 Plenary session
"Which specific structural reforms are needed and which legislative
policies are to be drafted by the parliament to implement the best
practices identified?"
Moderators: M. Majdoub; S. Marrouki Open guided discussion
13:00 –14:00 Lunch All participants Informal Networking
14:00 – 15:00 Plenary session: “What is the role of Civil Society, Think Tanks and
business community in influencing policies? Which lobbying and
advocacy recommendations?
Moderator: M. Majdoub
Panelists: Noômen Lahimer; Farida
Mansouri; Laura Rice; Dominik
Westner
Panel discussion and interactions with
participants; specific questions to be
defined
15:00 –15:30 Coffee Break All participants Informal Networking
15:30 – 17:00 Plenary Session: Continuation Moderator: S. Marrouki Open discussion with participants;
specific questions to be defined
17:00 – 18:00 Evaluation of workshop
- Feedback discussion
- My commitments for the future
- Summary of key points of workshop
- Last words by the Organizer
Moderators: M Majdoub; S. Marrouki
MEF representative
Interactive evaluation
Short oral presentation
Evening: Farewell Dinner (at the hotel) All participants Informal Networking

26. Annex 2: Experts and moderators’ short biographies
Mounir Majdoub is consultant and facilitator. Born at Tunis in 1959, Mounir Majdoub is a Senior
Economist. Secretary of State in charge of environment and sustainable development in the
Tunisian Government from January 2014 to February 2015. Presently freelance consultant and
facilitator. He began his professional career in 1982 at the Tunisian Ministry of National Economy
as energy economist. In 1985, he was part of the founding team of the National Energy Efficiency
Agency (First Energy Efficiency governmental body in the Arab World). In 1992, he served as senior
advisor to the Minister of Environment. Since October 1993, he works as consultant for
organizations of international development cooperation such UNDP, USAID, AfDB, UN-ESCWA,
UNOPS, FAO, and GIZ where he occupied for more than 15 years the position of senior
environmental policy technical advisor. His experience covers several domains: energy planning,
urban policy, environmental and sustainable development policies. He has a high level of
qualification as trainer and facilitator/moderator. Member of the Strategic Orientation Committee
of the Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS) and founder of the Tunisian NGO “ALTERNATIVES”.
Sami Marrouki, is energy engineer since 1989. With more than 25 years of experience in both public
and private sectors, he is a technical expert in energy efficiency and renewable energies and
specialist of policies and strategies in energy conservation with their institutional and regulatory
frames. Mr. MARROUKI managed the PROSOL program, and was the executive Director of MEDREC
from 2003 to 2008; he is the GM of ECO-Ser, a specialized consultancy firm in energy and
environment fields and CEO of ETI a start-up in industrial enabling process. Mr. MARROUKI is IRCA
auditor and third party lead auditor for ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001. Mr. MARROUKI is,
also specialist in CSR, insurers the position of General Secretary of the development NGO
“Alternatives” and President of the Tunisian CSR Institute (IRSET) in Tunisia.
He is professional moderator according to GIZ requirements since 2010.
Neil Fourati is an agronomist graduated from Montpellier SupAgro, France. He also holds an
Executive MBA from the Mediterran School of Business in Tunis. Since 2014 he is Coordinator of a
rural development project at the German Cooperation in Tunisia where he is in charge of value
chains’ development in the disadvantaged areas of Northern west Tunisia. The objective of the
project is mainly to create new job opportunities for youth and to develop entrepreneurship
environment in rural areas.
Before that, he has been responsible for rural development projects in Sub- Saharan African countries
for 10 years in an international consulting company. He also provides consulting services in the agri-
business sector in Tunisia and abroad.

27. Noômen Lahimer is an Assistant Professor of Economics and particularly passionate about
entrepreneurship. He holds a Ph.D. and Master graduate in Economics from Univesité Paris-
Dauphine, France. Formerly, Dr. Lahimer occupied several research- teaching positions at Saint
John’s University New-York (Paris-Campus), Université Paris- Dauphine and Ecole Supérieure des
Affaires de Paris. Dr. Lahimer research activities are focused on solutions to poverty, starting
from foreign investment, to social entrepreneurship and microfinance. Currently, Noômen
Lahimer is the Director of the SMU Innovation Lab (MSB & MedTech), which aims at developing
entrepreneurship in the university. Finally, Noômen Lahimer has recently founded Evey Technologies,
a start-up that develops a multi-sided social platform for real time e-votes and surveys with
automated data analytics.
Sarah Toumi is a social entrepreneur, founder of Dream in Tunisia and Acacias for all. Involved in non-
profits since the youngest age in France and MENA region, she started her first organization at the
age of 11 in her grandparents’ village, Bir Salah in
Tunisia. Then, she founded DREAM, an incubator for social and environmental projects while she was
a student at Sorbonne University in Paris and worked with many NGOs
as a consultant. In 2012, she came in Tunisia to start Dream in Tunisia and Acacias for all with the
vision that one day, Tunisia will have overpass its problems by offering access to fair opportunities to
youth, women and farmers of rural areas. Sarah is Ashoka Fellow,
Echoing Green Fellow, and in the Top 30 under 30 Social entrepreneurs of the
famous Forbes magazine.
Farida Mansouri graduated in 1992, Geomatics and Soil Science Engineer from the
Hassan II Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine in Rabat, Morocco, Farida
occupied several positions, including the post as a director of an entirely exporter
agronomic production company in Morocco, and has been a Senior Engineer in charge
of the geographical information systems unit at Kairouan Regional Development
Agriculture Department (CRDA) in Tunisia, and the project regional digital map
coordinator. In 2005, Farida was promoted as a head master of the District of Studies
and Agriculture Statistics, andthe
chief of the technical office at the CRDA. In 2010, she was nominated as the chief of organic farming district. Since 2013, she
became the Director of soil district as a chief engineer.
For more than twenty years, Engineer Farida took many training sessions at a national and international level in geographic
information systems, remote sensing and treatment of digital databases, strategic planning, and participated at several
national and international projects and presented results in national and international forums. She is also mentoring and
framing students in lessons sealstudies.
In 2010, Ms. Farida was selected to represent the Deanship engineers Tunisians in the first conference of the Arab Women
engineered in Amman, Jordan. She has also been elected among the members of the senior voters Deanship where she obtained
the first place in the elections in the two sessions of 2009 and 2014. In
2011, she was chosen to participate within the first delegation as a Tunisian representative for the program of women
technology, TechWomen, in the United States of America.
Currently she operates in the rank of assistant clerk of the Board of Dean, carrying several positions with national and regional
associations, in addition to the Activity poetry in Arabic and French writing scalped.

28. Mohamed Louadi, a University Professor of Management Information Systems (MIS) at the
University of Tunis, Higher Institute of Management (ISG), has published in several IS and
Management journals and participated in numerous international conferences covering topics
related to the adoption of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and MIS. He is the
author of three books on ICT and MIS. Throughout his career, he has held research and teaching
positions at the University of Pittsburgh (US), the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (Canada),
Concordia University (Canada), the Higher Colleges of Technology (Dubai), and the American
University of Beirut (Lebanon).
A. Karim Hamdy is a Tunisian-American instructor and researcher based at Oregon State
University (OSU). He is the founding director of the OSU Study Abroad Program in Tunis (2004-
2011). He is a former director of the American Overseas Research Center in Tunis (CEMAT). He
has been technical advisor to a Tunisian industrial group (quarries, minerals, logistics,
contracting) on strategy and social media marketing. With an advanced degree in
civil/environmental engineering and training in cross-cultural communication, Karim’s research
interests are in International Relations, in North African and Middle Eastern
Cultures and Politics, in Environment & Development, as well as in Arab and Muslim minority issues in the US. He translates
novels, poetry, plays, and technical reports, between French, Arabic and English. He is currently working on two research
projects: a paper on “Black Consciousness in Recent Tunisian Poetry”, and a book chapter on “Precariat: The Contingent
Economy in Higher Education in the US.”
Mohamed Jouneidi ABDERRAZAK is working as a Director in charge of Economic Studies in the
Ministry of Industry since 2010. He has more than 15 years’ experience in the areas of economic
and strategic studies, meso and macro analysis, statistics and monitoring in the sectors Energy,
Manufacturing and Mining.
In 2000, he got an engineer-economist diploma in the field of rural and agrofood economy. In
2013, he obtained an MBA in business strategy from ISC of Paris and a Master Degree from
University of Versailles-Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (France) in sustainable development
engineering.
Mouldi Miled is Co-founder of the Desertec Foundation and Co-founder and Executive Director of
the Desertec University Network, a network of universities and research facilities around the
Mediterranean, which decided to cooperate in order to develop and disseminate the necessary
know-how for the realization of the Desertec vision. Mouldi Miled has founded and managed
various enterprises, notably in the telecommunications, IT and the energy sector. He is also
member of the Tunisian National Advisory Council for Scientific Research, Technology, and Head
of the ICT and Energy division within the Consulting Board.

29. Professor Fethi Mansouri holds the UNESCO Chair in comparative research on ‘Cultural Diversity
and Social Justice’ and an Alfred Deakin Research Chair in migration and intercultural studies.
Professor Mansouri is the Director of the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and
Globalization at Deakin University- Australia. He is the editor of the Journal of Intercultural
Studies, founding Editor- in- Chief of the journal of citizenship and Globalization Studies and
founding co- editor of the international journal of Social Inclusion. Since 2010, Professor has
been serving as an expert advisor to the UN on cultural diversity, intercultural relations and the
role of ‘culture’ as the fourth pillar for sustainable development.
His most influential books include: ‘Islam and Political Violence: Muslim Diaspora and
Radicalism in the West’, (2007); ‘Political Islam and Human Security’ (2008);
‘Identity, Education, and Belonging: Arab and Muslim Youth in Contemporary Australia’ (2008); ‘Youth Identity and
Migration: Culture, Values and Social Connectedness’ (2009); ‘Australia and the Middle East: A Frontline Relationship’ (2011,
second edition); and ‘Migration, Citizenship and Intercultural Relations: Looking Through the Lens of Social Inclusion’ (2011).
His most recent books include: ‘Muslims in the West and the Challenges of Belonging’ (2012); ‘The Arab Revolutions in Context:
Civil Society and Democracy in a Changing Middle East’ (2012); ‘Global Perspectives on the Politics of Multiculturalism’ (2014)
and ‘The Multicultural Challenge’ (2015). Professor Mansouri’s 2004 book ‘Lives in Limbo: Voices of Refugees under
Temporary Protection’ was short-listed for the 2004 Human Rights Medals and Awards.
Bechir Bouzid, is currently a Program Manager at the World Bank, Washington D.C. since June
2012. Before joining the WB, he has worked for 8 years at the United Nations in NY in the
Department of Economic and Social Affairs (Governance and Public Administration Division) and
in the International Civil Service Commission. Bechir Bouzid has a Ph.D. from the University of
Paris IX Dauphine in Economics and International Finance and has also earned a graduate
degree in Public Policy from Science-Po Paris (jointly with New York University). He has published
academic articles in multiple peer reviewed journals in Economics and Political Science.
M’hamed Bouaoune, has a BS in Computer Science and Applied Maths (Grenoble 1984), a
Diploma in Commerce from the City of London Polytechnic (1987) and an MBA in
Management of Information Systems and Finance from Georges Washington University
(1990). Mr. Bouaoune developed and implemented a strategy aimed at introducing “the
American style management” in the “Mohsen Trabelsi’s” private company (1991). From
1992 to 2004, he was working with the One Tech technology driven private group. He is the
co-founder of JINENE, Oued Zarga- Beja, a founding member of PNB NAPEO (2011), a Board
member of the Tunisian British Friendship Association (1994-2010) and a co-organiser of the
biannual International Expo EnerSol- Energy Solutions. He is also the founder of
the consulting firm V&H P – Vertical & Horizontal Partnership, and the founder of a Think Tank- DD4C, Digital Dividend For
Carthage (2005). Mr.Bouaoune has more than 10 years of experience with the Quality Assurance System certifications’
company.

30. Laura Rice, professor emerita of comparative literature at Oregon State University, is a
reseracher, writer, translator, and activist interested in cross- cultural relations, academic
exchange and social justice in an international context. Her research areas include North
African literature, gender, and literacy, as well as women’s role in sustainable development.
Recent publications on Tunisia are Revolutions in Tunisian Poetry (2015), Of Irony and
Empire: Islam, the West, and the Transcultural Invention of Africa” (2007), and co-authored
articles on “Tunisia” for Greenwood Encyclopedia of Women’s Lives Worldwide
(forthcoming), folk poetry and resistance (2015), and women and literacy (2008). She
designed and conducted, as Principal Investigator,
several federally-funded R&D projects on and in Tunisia, with funding from the NEH, Fulbright/US Department of Education,
and from the US Department of State. She also served as in-country director, in Tunis, of the regional conference on “Women,
the Law and Development in the Arab Region,” in preparation for the UN Beijing Summit on Women.
Annette Kaiser, she is an adviser, head of the German Cooperation. Embassy of the Federal Republic of
Germany.
Dominik Westner, is the co-founder of COLORIMETRIX. He is also the CTO and founder of Scoreloop AG
(2008-2014). Mr. Dominik is also the founder of Logic United GMBH. He was a technical manager in
Apple Computer GMBH (1997-2001) and before that a systems engineer in Next Software GMBH (1996-
1997).