Background

A number of interrelated crises and conflicts in and around the Europe and CIS (ECIS) region have recently led to unsustainable migratory developments, which are further aggravated by severe environmental degradation and economic hardship. While most migrants and refugees stay close to their countries of origin, flows of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa and the Sahel are met in the southeast of Europe by migratory pressures from the wars in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere. Turkey is host to the largest population of refugees in the world. Further north, the ongoing crisis centered on Crimea and the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine has led to large numbers of people being displaced towards other regions of Ukraine, or into the Russian Federation. Directly affected by the economic decline of the country, many others are looking for employment opportunities in nearby European Union (EU) countries, primarily Poland and Slovakia. Furthermore, economic realities in both Central Asia and the EU are resulting in flows of migrants seeking more secure employment – at a time of deteriorating job prospects within the Eurasian Economic Union. Security threats in Central Asia could further affect these movements. Migration has become important for the entire region covered by the UNDP regional office in Istanbul.  

In this context, governments within the region, as well as international organizations and non-governmental bodies, have recognized the need for an integrated approach towards migration. The roots of mixed migration are diverse, and so are the linked developmental impacts and implications. Measures to address migration include providing short term support (protection and humanitarian responses, livelihood support etc), as well as  medium term linkages like (innovative) SME/job creation policies and programmes, area-based development, bilateral or regional labour migration programmes. It also spans to longer term policy frameworks that need better alignment, such as trade, education, job market (working conditions), (human) security, climate change adaptation and mitigation, conflict resolution and anti-corruption initiatives.

This resonates with the ongoing debate within the Global Forum on Migration and Development on the complex relationship between migration and other public policies, as well as the growing agreement that its development impacts can be felt in both countries of origin and destination. As confirmed by the adoption of the European Migration agenda in May 2015, the EU in particular has noted a need to turn from a reactive to a proactive approach to migration crises. It is understood that a great deal of development work, led in many places by UNDP, de facto has a direct or indirect impact on migration patterns even without being directly articulated as migration-focused. Work in the spheres of area-based development and local governance, disaster risk reduction, peacebuilding, climate change adaptation, SME development, sustainable employment, social cohesion and human and minority rights, for example, are all aimed at alleviating common pressures that play a role in people’s decision to leave their place of origin or residence. However, the impact of such interventions have neither systematically been measured in terms of migratory consequences, nor have all of them evaluated the possible added value of taking migration issues into account in their planning. Given the ascendance of migration to the top of the policy agenda in the ECIS region, it is now imperative that UNDP work with partners to coordinate its approach and effectively measure and communicate its impact, tying the new global agenda of the proposed Sustainable Development Goals to regional priorities on migration (and employment).

Migration has become a defining issue for development. With 247 million migrants worldwide (World Bank, 2015) and 59.5 million forced displaced people estimated at the end of last year (UNHCR 2014) the impact of people’s mobility on local and national development is growing significantly, especially in major countries of origin, transit and destination. In particular International labour migration, and accompanying remittance flows, have become key international development drivers (UNDP, 2009). Global remittance receipts are estimated at $583 billion in 2014, and could rise to $586 billion in 2015 (World Bank, 2015). UNDP works with a number of migration-focused organizations both globally and regionally, including with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UNHCR in several ECIS countries. In particular, UNDP has a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Vienna-based International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD). The two organizations are now seeking to combine the technical capacity of ICMPD’s Europe/East Division with the operational capacity of UNDP to address these challenges, including through improved border management, migration and development, integration and the prevention of trafficking in persons. These are areas in which UNDP and ICMPD both have extensive experience within the ECIS region, in Central Asia, the former Yugoslavia, and the South Caucasus, as well as partnerships with IOM. Since 2008 UNDP has been implementing (in partnership with IOM, ILO, UNFPA, UNHCR and UNWOMEN) the Joint Migration and Development Initiative funded by the EU and the Swiss Development Agency. Internally, UNDP used to closely monitor remittance trends in the region, with a special focus on the development impact of remittances on Central Asia (http://europeandcis.undp.org/uploads/public1/files/vulnerability/Data%20bases/Fast%20facts/Fast%20facts%20on%20the%20move_10%20Feb%202012.pdf). The extensive work done by UNDP Europe and CIS regional office and country offices on Roma, covered also the issue of Roma migration in the publication “Migration of Roma and Non-Roma from Central and Eastern Europe”. A forthcoming human development paper on “Labour Migration, Remittances, and Human Development in Central Asia” examines human development aspects (including certain labour market issues) of the large cross-border labour migration and remittance flows among the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and (to a lesser extent) Uzbekistan. 
As an organization specialized on migration management, ICMPD has been publishing extensively about a wide variety of topics of concern to UNDP. Particular publications linked to development are: Migration and Development Policies and Practices: A mapping study of eleven European countries and the European Commission as well as the “Guide on Organising Mobile Counselling for Migrants and Diaspora Members”( http://www.icmpd.org/New-publication-guides-government-officials-in-organising-counselling-for-migrants-and-diaspora-memb.2693.0.html). In 2015 ICMPD published a paper which details the organization’s latest thinking on the links between border management and development (http://www.icmpd.org/fileadmin/ICMPD-Website/ICMPD_General/Working_Papers/Working_Paper_BMdevelopment_final.pdf).

The aim of this consultancy is to produce a Joint Positioning Paper for ICMPD and UNDP. This paper will inform the collaboration of UNDP and ICMPD based on thorough analysis of opportunities, partners’ priorities, and risks specific to the ECIS region. The Consultant will carry out the tasks specified below and will report to the Regional Conflict Prevention Advisor in the Governance and Peacebuilding Team at the Istanbul Regional Hub in Turkey jointly with a designated Focal Point at ICMPD. 

Duties and Responsibilities

The Consultant will assess to which extent UNDP’s ongoing work contributes to alleviating root causes of migration, supports improved mobility and strengthens the migration and development linkage. The Consultant will identify whether present programming takes migration issues sufficiently into account and to which extend it would be beneficial to do so. Where possible, he or she will identify good practices and possibilities for their replication in different contexts. The Consultant will then be expected to advise on remaining gaps and how varied efforts across the region can be better coordinated.

In terms of context, the Consultant will need to establish:

• The current nature of migration flows and related challenges within the ECIS region (reflecting different sub-regional dynamics), as well as those that impact the ECIS region but originate externally; this should include a brief synopsis based on current literature and research; 
• Existing forecasts on future developments in migration flows pertaining to the region;
• The state and scope of support, provisions in the region to respond to migration challenges and supports its potential for development– and the key remaining gaps;
• The priorities and stated agendas of likely development partners in the context of migration and development (particularly the EU).

Subsequently, in order to quantify UNDP’s current contribution, the Consultant will need to establish:

• Relevance of UNDP’s global scope of migration-specific projects and programmes (in liaison with BPPS colleagues and UNDP HQ) (Including the joint UNDP-IOM programme on Mainstreaming Migration in Development Planning and the Joint Migration and Development Initiative managed from the UNDP Brussels Liaison Office. )within the ECIS region;
• The extent of UNDP’s work within the ECIS region that falls within the framework mentioned above, whether explicitly targeted at migration or not, including but not limited to: data gathering on migration and returnees; aid for trade, regulatory work, and capacity development; trade facilitation and related regulatory work; area based development projects; human rights and legal aid; local governance and service delivery; border management; vocational education and training; climate change adaptation and mitigation; employment and SME development projects; livelihoods assistance; migration, remittances, and human development; and community security;
• An assessment of the impact that this work has had on migratory flows or preferences, according to evaluations or other sources, to the extent that this can be ascertained.

In order to form forward-looking recommendations for coordinated collaboration with UNDP and ICMPD, the Consultant will also need to detail: 

• The capacities of ICMPD and UNDP (human resources, relevant mandates, financial, operational, geographical, technical); and areas of overlap, as well as the space for cooperation provided by the MoU; 
• The relevance of other organizations in these areas of overlap, in particular UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) (http://publications.iom.int/bookstore/free/Migration_Initiatives2015.pdf), and the combined competitive advantages of UNDP-ICMPD; this should focus in particular but not only on the EU’s priorities and instruments for responding the migratory pressures;
• A series of practicable next steps that can be taken based on all of the above to improve UNDP-ICMPD cooperation and impact; this can include recommendations relating to data collection based on gaps established in the sources used to measure UNDP’s migration impact. 

The Consultant will need to be in regular contact with the Regional Conflict Prevention Advisor of the Governance and Peacebuilding Cluster and engage with other members of the Cluster on his/her progress and findings. This will take the form of short-email briefs and Skype calls. The Regional Conflict Prevention Advisor will act as the main contact for the Consultant and will facilitate connections between the Consultant and other relevant sources of information within both ICMDP and UNDP. The Consultant is expected to work largely independently and to draw upon extensive relevant thematic and regional expertise. The Consultant will be required to travel once to Vienna to meet key counterparts in ICMPD. A mission to Brussels for consultations with EU agencies is optional.

Deliverables

1st of three payments will be given upon completion of following deliverables:

• A short paper (5-10 pages, not including annexes) on the theoretical framework and context for UNDP-ICMPD collaboration as detailed above in the Responsibilities section; this should be submitted for review by UNDP and ICMPD within four weeks of the contract begin-date.

2nd of three payments will be given upon completion of following deliverables:

• A short paper (5-10 pages, not including annexes) on UNDP’s current contribution, as detailed above in the responsibilities section, and including links and references to further information on all initiatives mentioned; this should be submitted for review by UNDP and ICMPD within eight weeks of the contract begin-date;
• A short paper (3-5 pages) summarizing working practices and possibilities for their replication; this should be submitted for review by UNDP and ICMPD within eight weeks of the contract begin-date.

 3rd of three payments will be given upon completion of following deliverables:

• A presentation of all findings, and of preliminary recommendations for next steps, to be made to representatives of UNDP and ICMPD within ten weeks of the contract begin date, either in person or remotely using video-conferencing as appropriate; this session must be convened by the Consultant and allow for feedback on all aspects of the work and proposed findings, which should then guide the finalization of the Positioning Paper;
• A final, comprehensive Positioning Paper (20-25 pages, not including annexes) covering all of the aspects detailed in the Responsibilities section above, and using the short papers as inputs, to be submitted within twelve weeks of the contract begin-date. 

Competencies

Corporate competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards; 
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP; 
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism; 
• Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment .

Functional competencies:

• Strong interpersonal skills, communication and diplomatic skills, ability to work in a team;
• Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback;
• Ability to work under pressure and stressful situations;
• Strong analytical, reporting and writing abilities;
• Excellent public speaking and presentation skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications/Education: 

• Advanced degree (Master) in political science, international relations, development, other social science or related field.

Experience: 

• At least seven years’ work experience in political science, international relations, or development fields; preferably in migration or economic fields;
• Demonstrable research experience related to migration or development;
• Experience analysing and writing about salient political, economic or social factors which influence migration or development; specifically in the ECIS region is an asset;   
• Experience working internationally and in multi-cultural environments;
• Experience working with UN/UNDP is an asset.

Language skills: 

• Fluency in English.

Evaluation of Applicants :

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on a cumulative analysis taking into consideration the combination of the applicants’ qualifications and financial proposal.

The award of the contract should be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

• Responsive/compliant/acceptable; and
• Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation. 

Only the highest ranked candidates who would be found qualified for the job will be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Technical Criteria - 70% of total evaluation – max. 70 points:

• Criteria A – Extent of previous research experience in the political, economic or social factors which influence migration– max points: 10;
• Criteria B: Extent of previous research experience in the political, economic or social factors which influence development – max points: 10;
• Criteria C – Evident experience with the ECIS region – max points: 10;
• Criteria D- Demonstrable work experience in migration or economic field – max points: 10;
• Criteria E – Demonstrable work experience in development – max points: 10;
• Criteria F – Quality of methodology approach – max points: 15;
• Criteria G – Experience working with the UN/UNDP – max points 5.

Financial Criteria - 30% of total evaluation – max. 30 points

Application procedure:

Qualified candidates are requested to apply online via this website. The application should contain:

• Cover letter explaining why you are the most suitable candidate for the advertised position and a brief methodology on how you will approach and conduct the work. Please paste the letter into the "Resume and Motivation" section of the electronic application. 
• Filled P11 form including past experience in similar projects and contact details of referees (blank form can be downloaded from http://europeandcis.undp.org/files/hrforms/P11_modified_for_SCs_and_ICs.doc ); please upload the P11 instead of your CV. 
• Financial Proposal* - specifying a total lump sum amount  (USD) for the tasks specified in this announcement. The financial proposal shall include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (number of anticipated working days, and any other possible costs). Travel costs related to missions, if any, will be covered separately according to UNDP rules and regulations.
• Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials;
• Please combine all your documents into one (1) single PDF document as the system only allows to upload maximum one document.

*Please note that the financial proposal is all-inclusive and shall take into account various expenses incurred by the consultant/contractor during the contract period (e.g. fee, health insurance, vaccination and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services...). 
Payments will be made only upon confirmation of UNDP on delivering on the contract obligations in a satisfactory manner. 

Individual Consultants are responsible for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director. Consultants are also required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under dss.un.org
General Terms and conditions as well as other related documents can be found under: http://on.undp.org/t7fJs.

Qualified women and members of minorities are encouraged to apply.
Due to large number of applications we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidates about the outcome or status of the selection process.