Kazakhstan aspires to become one of the world’s 30 most developed economies by 2050. The respective medium-term agenda of the Government of Kazakhstan (GoK) is to stimulate private sector investment, productivity, and economic diversification. To support the GoK a Partnership Framework Arrangement between the World Bank Group and the Government of Kazakhstan was launched in May 2014. The Partnership Framework Arrangement aims to support the efforts of the GoK to ensure a more inclusive growth that is shared widely and benefits the lower income groups. It is implemented through TA activities, investment, and institutional capacity-building projects.

The assignment consisted in conducting a sectoral analysis of opportunities for job creation with a focus on skills for a value chain in the food sector - one of the select priority sectors under the government’s economic diversification agenda. In the context of the assignment opportunities to create more and better jobs throughout the meat sector value chain were assessed comprising consultations with key stakeholders (government, private sector, donors, IFIs, etc.). Special attention has been given to SMEs, including opportunities of linkage to lead firms.