Research Consultant at International Organization for Migration

International Organization for Migration (IOM) is a Related Organization of the United Nations, and as the leading UN agency in the field of migration, works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Research Consultant

SVN No.: CFCV2023.075
Location: Lagos
IOM Classification: National Consultancy
Organizational Unit: Migration Management
Estimated Start Date: As soon as possible
Type of Appointment: Consultant, 3 Months with possible extension

Context

• Nigeria is a source, transit, and destination country for migration, with more youth travelling within the region and beyond in search of economic opportunities. Migration is not only limited to those who move due to economic reasons but those affected by climate change and conflict.
• The Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) has made several commendable steps in managing migration including the development of an overarching policy on Migration and establishing coordination structures to address the needs related to regular and irregular migration of its citizens.
• The combined efforts of the FGN, and development partners like the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have been instrumental in facilitating the voluntary return of over 29,000 returnees stranded alongside the Central Mediterranean route and from various destination countries.
• The IOM and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands launched the Cooperation on Migration and Partnerships for Sustainable Solutions Initiative (COMPASS) at the beginning of 2021. COMPASS is a global initiative designed to protect people on the move, combat human trafficking and smuggling, support dignified return, and promote sustainable reintegration.
• The initiative centers on a whole-of-society approach, which, in addition to assisting individuals, will work across all levels –households, communities, and the wider communities– and encompasses the following partner countries: Nigeria, Afghanistan, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Morocco, Niger, and Tunisia.
• With the support of the Government of the Netherlands, IOM in collaboration with the FGN is implementing COMPASS project in Nigeria. The Nigeria component of the project is aimed at strengthening the capacity of state and non-state actors in states of high return to provide sustainable reintegration support to returned migrants, including vulnerable groups

Core Functions / Responsibilities

• The main objective of the study is to gather evidence on human trafficking and its linkage to Labour migration in the six South-South states of Nigeria with the view to improving counter-trafficking interventions across these six states.

To this end, the research aims to:

• Assess the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice on human trafficking and irregular migration.
• Identify the migration trends in the different states and the geographical patterns of internal trafficking.
• Determine the impact of human trafficking and irregular migration in these states.
• Assess the impact of internal trafficking and irregular migration on women, men, and children in the states.
• Identify the preferred media habits of community members in the selected states.
• Identify how community members can contribute to the prevention of internal trafficking and irregular migration in Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.
• Determine government efforts to curb internal trafficking and irregular migration in Nigeria's South-South states.
• Identify the interconnection between climate change, internal trafficking, unethical recruitment, conflict, and sustainable reintegration.
• Recommend initiatives based on your finding, that would help curb/manage the phenomenon of human trafficking and irregular migration in the selected states.
• Examine the institutional and coordination capacity of actors in the states and come up with sector-specific recommendations on how to combat human trafficking, irregular migration, and unethical recruitment practices in the states.
• Assess current practice of protection of victims of human trafficking, irregular migrants, and migrant workers in the states.

Methodology

• This section describes the concrete methods, including data collection modalities and procedures that will be deployed by the consultant in carrying out the assignment. The methodology will be developed by the consultant.

Geographic coverage:

• The proposed study will be conducted at the Federal, State, and community levels with a specific geographic focus on the known source states including Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River States.
• The selected applicant will conduct mapping exercise, to determine the number LGAs (Local Government Areas) and communities (Ward level) through findings from a desk review of literature and programme documents.

Target population:

• The primary target audience are women and men who are migrants and potential migrants, aged 15-35 years (respondent) particularly those from migration-prone communities. The secondary audience includes key opinion leaders within target communities such as families, and religious and traditional leaders who play an influential role in the decision-making processes of migrants, and potential migrants.
• The above will be examined in relation to the following KAPs (Knowledge, Attitude and Practice) heading:

Knowledge:

• Awareness of safe and orderly migration
• Knowledge of requirements for a legal channel of migration including work or study abroad
• Awareness of human trafficking risks and problems
• Knowledge of labour rights in the destination country
• Knowledge of labour contracts
• Knowledge of available local opportunities
• Selection criteria for recruitment agencies or brokers for instance (travel agencies, scholarship agencies, labour recruitment agencies)
• Knowledge of international and national legal instruments on migrant workers, and information about major destination countries of Nigerian migrant workers.

Attitudes:

• Main motivations for migrating abroad.
• Potential Nigerian migrants understanding of local opportunities.
• Anticipated risks of migrating abroad irregularly
• Anticipated benefits of migrating abroad
• Willingness to undergo training and skills development.

Practices:

• Preferred channels of migration
• Influencers of migration
• Most trusted sources for visa validation
• Exploring local opportunities
• Most trusted sources of pre-departure information
• Sources of assistance in emergency situations
• Safe migration practices among friends and relatives

Migration Profile/Intentions

• Anticipated country of destination
• Trends of internal trafficking migration
• What is the level of contribution that climate change has on human trafficking and sustainable reintegration?
• What is the impact of climate change on access to protection services and disaster risk reduction for victims of human trafficking?

Communication Channels and Sources:

• Summary of media profile
• Information on safe migration and preferred language of getting information on safe migration.
• Exposure to information on safe migration
• Future awareness-raising activities
• Information sources:
  • Media consumption
  • Television
  • Newspapers and magazines
  • Radio
  • Internet
  • Social media
  • Internet and migration

Internal trafficking

• What are the factors contributing to internal trafficking within states?
• How does internal trafficking affect the social fabric and community dynamics within the affected state?
• What are the long-term consequences of internal trafficking on the physical, mental, and social well-being of survivors?
• What are the existing prevention programs and initiatives aimed at reducing the incidence of internal trafficking, and what are their outcomes and limitations?
• How does internal trafficking differ from international trafficking in terms of recruitment, transportation, and exploitation methods?
• What are the psychological and emotional effects experienced by individuals who have been internally trafficked?
• What are the most common forms of exploitation in internal trafficking, such as forced labor, sexual exploitation, or organ trafficking?
• What are the socio-economic conditions that make individuals vulnerable to internal trafficking?
• How effective are existing legal and policy frameworks in addressing and combating internal trafficking?
• What are the strategies and interventions employed by law enforcement agencies and NGOs to identify and rescue victims of internal trafficking?

Organizational Department / Unit to which the Consultant is contributing:

• Migration Management Unit Category B Consultants: Tangible and measurable outputs of the work assignment.
• First Deliverable: Submission & Approval of inception report (20%) - Inception report (including desk review), Development of methodology and research tools, Training of enumerators for data collection and Data collection quantitative survey.
• Second Deliverable: Submission of the first draft report, conduct evaluation debriefing (40%) - Report of initial findings of quantitative research, Conduct Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and In-Depth Interviews and Key Informant Interviews (KII) will be conducted per state, Facilitate a national workshop to present the report of the study to relevant government and non-government stakeholders for review and validation, Incorporate salient comments from IOM and stakeholders.
• Third Deliverable: Final report submission and approval (40%) - Summit to IOM the final report (with executive summary) with in-depth analysis of data collected and hands-on recommendations on messages, activities, tools, as well as the report of the review and validation workshop – (Cleaned data sets and interviews transcripts) Infographics of key findings for distribution to partners.

Performance indicators for the evaluation of results:

• Final Research report and presentation findings.

Educational Qualification

• Master's Degree in Social Science, Public Health, Economic, Statistics and any related field from an accredited academic institution with Five years of relevant professional experience; or
• University degree in the above fields with 10 years of relevant professional experience

Experience & Skills:

• 8 years or more of experience in conducting large-scale qualitative and quantitative studies with international organizations focused on the prevention of trafficking in persons and or/ smuggling of migrants, irregular migration, protection programming, and Labour Market Assessments
• Previous experience conducting impact assessments.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Previous working experience in the West African region or Nigeria is desirable with Knowledge of the Southern part of Nigeran.
• Computer proficiency including common data analysis software, MS Office Suite, SPSS, STATA, Alts TI, and the ability to take notes/drafts and produce high-quality written reports.
• Sound knowledge of human trafficking, smuggling of migrants, and irregular migration in Nigeria.

Travel required:

• Yes, to travel within Nigeria

Languages:

• Fluency in English is required (Oral and Written).

Advantageous:

• Have at least a working knowledge of one additional UN Language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish).

Required Competencies:
The incumbent is expected to demonstrate the following values and competencies:

Values:

• Inclusion and respect for diversity respects and promotes individual and cultural differences; encourages diversity and inclusion wherever possible.
• Integrity and transparency: maintain high ethical standards and acts in a manner consistent with organizational principles/rules and standards of conduct.
• Professionalism: demonstrates ability to work in a composed, competent, and committed manner and exercises careful judgment in meeting day-to-day challenges.

Core Competencies – behavioural indicators level 2:

• Teamwork: develops and promotes effective collaboration within and across units to achieve shared goals and optimize results.
• Delivering results produces and delivers quality results in a service-oriented and timely manner; is action oriented and committed to achieving agreed outcomes.
• Managing and sharing knowledge continuously seeks to learn, share knowledge, and innovate.
• Accountability: takes ownership for achieving the Organization’s priorities and assumes responsibility for own action and delegated work.
• Communication: encourages and contributes to clear and open communication; explains complex matters in an informative, inspiring, and motivational way.

Managerial Competencies – behavioral indicators level 2:

• Leadership: provides a clear sense of direction, leads by example, and demonstrates the ability to carry out the organization’s vision; assists others to realize and develop their potential.
• Empowering others & building trust creates an atmosphere of trust and an enabling environment where staff can contribute their best and develop their potential.
• Strategic thinking and vision: work strategically to realize the Organization’s goals and communicates a clear strategic direction.

Other:

• Any offer made to the candidate in relation to this vacancy notice is subject to funding confirmation.
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment and verification of residency, visa and authorizations by the concerned Government, where applicable

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their Applications to: [email protected] using the Job Title as the subject of the email.
And
Click here to apply

Note

• In order for the applications to be considered valid, IOM only accepts applications with a Cover Letter not more than one page specifying the motivation for application, addressed to "Human Resources, International Organization for Migration (IOM)" and with a subject line "CFCV2023.75. Lagos. Research Consultant".
• All applications should include a functional email address, mobile numbers, and detailed curriculum vitae (CV).

Application Deadline 30th June, 2023.