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Consultant – Assessment on Migration Data Collection and Management in ECOWAS Commission, its Member States and Mauritania

International Organization for Migration

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Project Context and Scope
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) seeks to enhance economic integration among its 15 MS, which experience significant mobility as millions of citizens and migrants’ cross borders daily. This migration, driven by a youthful and growing population facing limited access to quality education and decent job opportunities, manifests in both regular and irregular forms. Irregular migration arises from various factors, including conflict, climate change, and weak asylum systems. As West Africa grapples with environmental degradation and political instability, the region’s rapid urbanization further reshapes migration patterns. Mobility remains crucial for many, offering vital access to employment and remittances, thus contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and providing essential livelihood strategies for families across the region
Between 2013-2021, the International Organization for Migration (IOM Nigeria), in collaboration International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and International Labour Organization (ILO) implemented the programme Support to Free Movement of Persons and Migration in West Africa (FMM I). In its first phase, the FMM programme recorded significant strides in promoting regional integration and cooperation through the development of ECOWAS regional guidelines on migration data collection and management. A series of capacity-building workshops were conducted in the ECOWAS region and Mauritania, with a focus on migration data collection and management. FMM also developed standardized procedures to collect, process, analyze and disseminate migration data, to build the capacity of ECOWAS MS on migration data management[1]. A baseline assessment was carried out during the first phase which guided implementation on enhancing data collection, analysis and management within ECOWAS, its MS and Mauritania. Within this period, various regional structures, procedures and migration data management were developed. The ECOWAS Commission and MS and Mauritania have adopted some of these guidelines and structures as evidence base in policy review which justifies the need to carry-out an updated assessment to analyze the effectiveness of these developments, as well as to identify gaps and produce updated key practices and recommendations.
A stock taking assessment in FMM Phase II will also seek to verify the extent to which recommendations and findings from the previous baseline assessment in 2014 has been achieved vis-à-vis the recommendations, and further propose way forward on unaddressed recommendations/findings. An important focus of the assessment will be the alignment of practice and guidelines with international standards and practices on migration data and statistics, such as those adopted by the UN Statistical Commission and developed within the Global Compact for Migration (GCM) framework. The assessment will also evaluate key regional migration indicators and practices in the ECOWAS Commission, its MS and Mauritania, and identify the weaknesses and strengths of the data collection methodologies and tools, looking at the following main fields:

(a) legal and policy framework at international, continental and regional levels;

(b) institutional framework and coordination mechanisms;

(c) migration data collection and management tools and mechanisms, including existing ITC infrastructure such as databases, web based solutions;

(d) administration;

(e) knowledge management and data sharing

(f) capacity-building needs.

In addition, the assessment will comprehensively look at the most immediate and mid-term capacity-development needs in the field of migration data collection and management while utilizing existing common data sources applicable to the West African region including Censuses, Surveys, National Migration Profiles, administrative sources as well as the potential of utilizing innovative data sources such as big data and AI/ML, proposing applicable solutions for the identified weakness of the methodologies and tools, both within ECOWAS, its MS and Mauritania

Organizational Department / Unit to which the Consultant is contributing 
FMM II Programme
Tasks to be performed under this contract
The tasks listed below, in the light of the progress made since the 2014 baseline assessment conducted, will be subject to review and, where necessary, proposed adjustments in consultations between the consultant and IOM: 
1. Legal and Policy Framework
  • Take into consideration key international and continental standards and practices on migration data and statistics, such as those developed by UN Statistical Commission, the GCM, AUC, as well as take stock of all regional guidelines, policies and studies developed based on the baseline assessment of FMM I to identify gaps, recommendations and avoid inconsistencies and duplication of efforts.
  • Review the existing ECOWAS legal, policy, guidelines and strategic framework governing regional cooperation and identify future priority areas in policy development, as relevant to the area of migration data collection and management.
  • Compare legal frameworks of MS with regional standards- identify gaps and challenges in migration data collection and management.
  • Assess implementation of the policy framework in migration data collection and management (both at ECOWAS and national levels) used in FMM I.
  • Propose amendments or new policies to address identified gaps and challenges.

2. Institutional Framework and Coordination Mechanisms 

  • Review of the mandate, responsibilities, and roles of the relevant ECOWAS Commission bodies, relevant government agencies and institutions related to migration data collection and management.
  • Review ECOWAS coordination mechanisms with and among its MS, as relevant to migration data collection and management. Identify challenges and propose mitigation measures.
  • Identify and review the mandate, responsibilities and roles of the relevant national institutions and coordination committees of the ECOWAS MS and Mauritania as related to migration data collection and management.
  • Assess existing ECOWAS internal coordination mechanisms and internal knowledge sharing and collaboration practices in migration data collection and management and identify gaps and challenges.
  • Review ECOWAS definitions of migration concepts/terms in comparison to the reformed UN recommended concepts/terms relevant to data collection and management to assess consistency and outline recommendations.
  • Assess the capacities of the national institutions of the ECOWAS MS and Mauritania in migration data collection and management, considering institutional challenges and financial constraints.
  • Assess inter-institutional coordination mechanisms and knowledge sharing and collaboration practices (amongst the relevant national institutions) in migration data collection and management and identify gaps and challenges.
  • Review of ECOWAS coordination mechanisms with international partners and other third parties (including other international organizations, and implementing partners), as relevant to migration data collection and management and examine the contribution they can bring to the exercise.

3. Migration data collection and management methodology and tools

  • Map out existing ITC capacities and tools of relevance to migration data and statistics both at national and regional level, such as databases, web platforms etc. and identify areas of incompatibility and opportunity for integration, including with the global Migration Data Portal.
  • Assess existing migration data sources available within the target ECOWAS Commission Departments and its MS, including ECOWAS Commission and national bodies’ interface with third parties in pooling and sourcing this data (third countries, organizations, etc.);
  • Review existing migration data collection methods, tools and indicators (their strengths and weaknesses) in ECOWAS MS and Mauritania and assess their coherence and compatibility with regional and international standards and good practices.
  • Provide for each MS a list of relevant available data sources on migration related issues (e.g. census, labour force surveys, household surveys, administrative records, new data sources such as big data, AI and MLetc.) and collect for each source the questions identifier for migrants.
  • Review migration data collection, collation, analysis, sharing and dissemination – both at ECOWAS and MS level – and identify good practices, gaps and challenges.
  • Assess the existence of data protection guidelines and their implementation at regional and national level.

4. Administration 

  • Review of ECOWAS infrastructure and other technical capacities relevant to the work of ECOWAS on migration data collection, analysis and management.
  • Review administrative processes including documentation, record-keeping, data, etc.
  • Identify any migration-related data challenges that impacted the free movement protocol implementation and suggest improvement plans, if applicable.

5. Knowledge Management and Data Sharing 

  • Review of existing knowledge/data management SOPs, guidelines, and their adherence to international standards and best practices.
  • Review of the current operational capacity and implementation of knowledge management guidelines, SOPs, etc.
  • Review of tools, instruments, and practices in the field of knowledge management within the ECOWAS Commission.
  • Review of existing Data Protection and Sharing principles, their adherence to international standards, and their current implementation capacity.

6. Capacity-Building Needs 

  • Provide an overview of key capacity-building gaps and needs in migration data collection and management in both the Directorate of Free Movement of Persons and Research & Statistics, as well as in any other relevant Directorate, including but not limited to policy development, institutional and administrative framework, human resources and training knowledge management, etc.

7. Final validation by the ECOWAS Commission, MS and Mauritania

  • Share final documents with ECOWAS Commission and key stakeholders.
  • Present the final report, findings, and recommendations to adapt at the assessment validation meeting.

8. Methodology of the Assessment

Pre-Survey Questionnaire: Preparation of an assessment questionnaire streamlined with the developed ECOWAS questionnaire validated by MS and used in the FMM I to be shared with relevant Departments of the ECOWAS Commission and relevant national institutions in the ECOWAS MS and Mauritania, to identify progress made in Migration Data Collection and Management since the baseline assessment conducted in 2014. This questionnaire will focus on the areas defined in Chapter 7 of the present document and shed light on progress, effectiveness of actions taken and recommendations by MS.

 Desk Research: The consultancy will review and analyze relevant documents, in the light of the   baseline assessment conducted in 2014, including, but not limited to:

  • Relevant regional (ECOWAS) and national (ECOWAS MS and Mauritania) legislation, policies and       strategies in the area of migration data collection and management including the recently reviewed ECOWAS regional guidelines on migration data collection and management.
  • National Migration Profiles developed in ECOWAS MS and Mauritania;
  • Studies conducted and recommendations made by relevant ECOWAS partners within the period of the first phase of the project.
  • Surveys (including their methodologies and data collection tools) and research studies relevant to migration data conducted in the ECOWAS region, ECOWAS MS and Mauritania.
  • Key international and global standards and practices for international migration data and statistics, such as the UN recommendations, the GCM tools and recommendations, the SDG framework.

Onsite Evaluation: The onsite evaluation will include:

  • Meetings with all relevant counterparts and consultations with support of IOM, who will be accompanying the Consultant throughout all meetings.
  • Consultations with relevant ECOWAS bodies, especially with officials from the Directorate of Research & Statistics, and the Directorate pf Free Movement of Persons and other relevant departments within ECOWAS HQ in Abuja
  • Field visits to relevant data collection and management hubs (will be specified when decided) within the ECOWAS region.
Tangible and Measurable output of the work assignment
DEADLINE ACTIVITIES & DELIVERABLES
1st Deliverable – end November 2024 or 15 working days after date of starting period.
  1. Update the initial proposed outline of the assessment report detailing the methodology, work plan, financial budget and timeline.
  2. Developed consultancy work plan.
  3. Drafting of the assessment questionnaire.
  4. Deliverable: Payment of 15% amount of total consultancy service fees upon submission and approval by IOM of all of update detailed proposal and workplan.
2nd  Deliverable: Mid-January of 2025
  1. Desk Review: Based on the agreed work plan for the consultancy.
  2. Desk research and review of ECOWAS Commission documentation.
  3. Meeting and interviews with the ECOWAS Commission staff.
  4. Field visits to relevant data collection and management hubs (will be specified when decided) within the ECOWAS region.
  5. Consultations and interviews with relevant partners that have facilitated support to enhancing data collection and management through studies, initiatives and interventions in the first phase of the project.
  6. Develop a draft report on reviewed policies, procedures and initiatives related to data collection & management in FMM I to identify preliminary key findings and establish priority areas for recommendations and way forward.

Deliverable: Payment of additional 35% amount of total consultancy service fees upon submission and validation of draft interim analysis report by IOM.
3rd Deliverable – mid-February 2025
  1. Draft Final Report: Based on findings.
  2. Develop a draft final assessment report including analysis on progress made in data collection and management since the baseline assessment conducted in 2014 and recommendations based on findings.

Deliverable: Third instalment (30%) of payment for consultancy service fees to be made upon submission and approval by IOM of draft of final assessment reports, with key recommendations informing the follow-up on activities in enhancing ECOWAS migration data collection and management capacities.
4th Deliverable – end-February 2025
  1. Presentation and validation:

I. Facilitation of a workshop to present of draft final report to key stakeholders.

II. Final assessment report validated by relevant stakeholders.

Deliverable: Fourth instalment (20%) of payment for consultancy service fees to be made upon submission and approval by IOM of final assessment report validated
Performance indicators for the evaluation of results:
  • Quality of work: Ability to accurately coordinate with the ECOWAS Commission relevant stakeholders.
  • Timeliness: Ability to meet the consultancy timeline and deliver on time
  •  Clarity: Ability to communicate integrated border management and free movement contents clearly and concisely.
  • Understanding: Ability to understand and interpret the complexities of the integrated border management and free movement-related programme.
  • Collaboration: Ability to work collaboratively with other stakeholders.
  • Adaptability: Ability to adjust to changes in scope or objectives.
  • Knowledge: Understanding of migration data collection, management and FM context for West Africa region.
  • Responsiveness: Ability to provide timely responses to inquiries
Education
  • Master’s Degree from an accredited academic institution with six (6) to ten (10) years of progressive working experience in the field of statistics, information management, migration studies, economic or political science, or other related. A first-level university degree in combination with five additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree
Experience
  • Extensive work experience in migration data collection and management.
  • Demonstrated knowledge and experience in regional integration, data management and the Free Movement Protocol
  • Demonstrated experience and skills in facilitating stakeholder/working group consultations.
  • Extensive knowledge and ability to draft and produce high-quality written reports

Skills

  • Excellent social and intercultural skills.
  • Excellent understanding of gender-related needs, perspectives, concerns, and participation.
  • Proficiency in English and French. Fluency in Portuguese is an advantage
Languages
IOM’s official languages are English, French and Spanish.
Proficiency of language(s) required will be specifically evaluated during the selection process, which may include written and/or oral assessments.
Travel required
  • The consultant may be required to travel on needs’ basis.
Required Competencies
IOM’s competency framework can be found at this link. Competencies will be assessed during the selection process.
Values – all IOM staff members must abide by and demonstrate these three values:
  • Inclusion and respect for diversity: Respects and promotes individual and cultural differences. Encourages diversity and inclusion.
  • Integrity and transparency: Maintains 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.
  • Courage: Demonstrates willingness to take a stand on issues of importance.
  • Empathy: Shows compassion for others, makes people feel safe, respected and fairly treated.
Core Competencies – behavioural indicators
  • 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 actions and delegated work.
  • Communication: Encourages and contributes to clear and open communication. Explains complex matters in an informative, inspiring and motivational way.
Notes
  1. Any offer made to the candidate in relation to this vacancy notice is subject to funding confirmation.
  2. Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, verification of residency, visa, and authorizations by the concerned Government, where applicable. Vaccination against COVID-19 will be required for IOM personnel who are hired or otherwise engaged by IOM. As part of the mandatory medical entry on duty clearance, candidates may be requested to provide evidence of full vaccination. Consultants engaged to work on a home-based consultancy who do not need to travel do not need to provide vaccination records, regardless of the length of the consultancy contract.
  3. IOM covers Consultants against occupational accidents and illnesses under the Compensation Plan (CP), free of charge, for the duration of the consultancy. IOM does not provide evacuation or medical insurance for reasons related to non-occupational accidents and illnesses. Consultants are responsible for their own medical insurance for non-occupational accident or illness and will be required to provide written proof of such coverage before commencing work.
  4. IOM does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, processing, training or other fee). IOM does not request any information related to bank accounts.
  5. IOM only accepts duly completed applications submitted through the IOM online recruitment system. The online tool also allows candidates to track the status of their application.
For further information and other job postings, you are welcome to visit our website: IOM Careers and Job Vacancies

The consultant will be responsible for:

  • All the deliverables as set out in the ToR.
  • Cost for translation/interpretation (if applicable), communication (phone/internet) where applicable.

IOM will be responsible for:

  • Costs for in-country coordination for data collection, and local and international travel arrangements if applicable. This will include flight ticket, any visa or administrative related fee, terminal transfer cost and accommodation only.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT:

  • Upon the advertisement of the Consultancy Notice, qualified individual consultants are expected to submit:
  1. CV/Resume, indicating all experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the candidate and at least three (3) professional references.
  2. Technical Proposal (Narrative) detailing methodology approach for the consultancy.
  3. Financial Proposal with breakdown costs.
  4. All individual applicants should be Community Citizens of ECOWAS

*Pre-selected candidates will be called for interviews.

*Applications without the adequate set of documents will not be considered in the selection process.

Abuja, Nigeria

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