Consultant – Knowledge Exchange and Capacity Development At International Organization for Migration

Position Title: Consultant – Knowledge Exchange and Capacity Development

Duty Station: Home based

Classification: Consultant, Grade Other

Type of Appointment: Consultant, six months

Estimated Start Date: As soon as possible

Closing Date: 11 February 2022

Established in 1951, 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.

Context:

Nature of Consultancy

The consultant will support the Implementation Phase of the Global Programme on Making Migration Work for Sustainable Development (Phase III) and supporting the streamlining of the Migration and Sustainable Development Unit’s capacity development response mechanism. Concretely this will include:

(i) Knowledge exchange: supporting the Programme Management Unit (PMU) and Country Offices in the implementation of the Knowledge Exchange and Capacity Development Strategy of the Programme, including coordinating and supporting the facilitating of online peer exchange meetings, webinars and other related activities as outlined in the strategy; feeding country-level activities and good practices into knowledge exchange webinars/trainings and drafting and disseminating reports and knowledge consolidated from the roll out of said activities.

(ii) Engagement in regional and global dialogues: supporting the PMU develop strategic position papers and other inputs based on the progress and lessons learnt from the Programme to feed into regional and global dialogues and discussions as well as coordinate and support Programme country partners’ inputs and participation in the same.

(iii) Capacity development: streamline the Unit’s response mechanism to capacity development requests, facilitate the delivery of capacity development and training activities at the global and country levels; support the design and implementation of capacity development activities.

Project Context and Scope

This Consultancy will support the Global Programme on Making Migration Work for Development (Phase III) funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and jointly implemented by IOM and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The programme has a global focus with direct country level implementation in Ecuador, Morocco, Nepal, Serbia, Senegal and Tunisia and in association with Bangladesh, Jamaica, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova and the Philippines. The Programme is led by the Programme Management Unit from IOM and UNDP, based in Geneva and New York respectively.

The main objective of the Programme is to enable the target governments to better govern migration to increase the human development outcomes and mitigate the risks for migrants, their families and communities at origin and destination. The Programme aims to further solidify the results and achievements reached to date in the earlier phases of the Programme and helps translate policy-oriented and process-driven actions into concrete results on the ground. Specifically, migrants and communities will be able to see the positive development impacts that well-managed migration can bring. The Programme aims to support more coherent and results oriented policies and implementation mechanisms and develop stronger involvement of local authorities, private sector and diaspora in implementing migration and development policies and practices.

To achieve this, the Programme will continue to support governments in the target countries to apply a ‘whole-of-government’ approach to migration governance with a new focus on four main sectoral areas: (i) health; (ii) economic inclusion and employment; (iii) education and; (iv) social security and human rights, which will have a direct impact on enhancing the well-being of migrants, their families and their communities in the target localities. In order to ensure successful implementation at the local level, governments at local and national level will be supported to set up vertical coordination mechanisms. Moreover, the Programme will ensure the strategic inclusion of diaspora and migrants associations as well as the private sector in the development and implementation of the action plans for enhanced effectiveness and development impact.

The implementation will be monitored and reported on against a robust results-monitoring framework that will be aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as well as the Global Compact for Migration. The third phase will therefore also allow for a full analysis and understanding of the entire mainstreaming process from setting out to monitoring and reporting on the results after implementation and aligned with and supportive of the roll out of IOM’s Migration and Sustainable Development Strategy. Finally, the results and lessons learnt from this phase will continue to be fed into relevant global dialogues and the UN Network for Migration for enhanced global understanding of how to effectively ensure policy coherence in migration governance for development.

The Programme therefore has an important knowledge exchange and capacity development component to ensure that knowledge, practices and tools developed within the Programme reaches those who need it the most through a combined approach that integrates both knowledge management and capacity development aspects and also helps develop strong networks among interested actors and/or groups to share and compare experiences and identify common issues and challenges. All activities knowledge exchange and capacity development are integrated into the four pillars of the Knowledge Management, Capacity Development and Communication Strategy of the Programme which is further detailed in the Knowledge Management Action Plan as well as Knowledge Exchange and Capacity Development Workplan for the Programme.

The capacity development is shaped by the Knowledge Management, Capacity Development and Communications Strategy which aims to provide national government, local authorities, civil society, private sector, diaspora and migrant organizations and the wider community of migration and development practitioners with the knowledge, tools and resources necessary to harness the development benefits and reduce negative effects of migration for host and home communities, migrants and their family members. The Strategy guides the Programme Management Unit, together with the Focal Points in each country, as a strategic plan that ensures that the Programme is utilizing existing knowledge products and tools from across IOM and UNDP and beyond and developing knowledge products, tools and mechanisms that respond to the needs of and enhance the capacities of all involved actors.

The Consultant will support implementation of the Knowledge Exchange and Capacity Development Workplan and also contribute to the activities under the Knowledge Management Action Plan of the Programme. In particular, the Consultant will support the Programme in connecting the stakeholders across a variety of channels to further knowledge exchange, global engagement and capacity development. S/he will also contribute to collecting information and knowledge from ongoing events, news, tools, resources and projects that could be of relevance as well as further knowledge consolidation to support the creation of specific and tailored knowledge products that aim to bring together and share knowledge, ideas, key issues, good practices and more with all pertinent stakeholders from the Programme countries and beyond.

Programme implementation is led on IOM’s side by the Migration & Sustainable Development (M&SD) Team, and thus the Consultancy will also support broader IOM efforts to strengthen capacities for the implementation of IOM’s Migration and Sustainable Development Strategy as well as general training and knowledge exchange actions for the M&SD Team.

The Consultant will work in close coordination with the Programme Manager, Operations Officer, Monitoring & Evaluation Officer, Communications and Knowledge Management Officer and other team members, including UNDP colleagues, in order to capture and disseminate country-level activities, achievements, lessons learned, and case studies, thus feeding these learnings into global processes through a robust Knowledge Management and Communications Strategy.

Core Functions / Responsibilities:

Knowledge exchange

1.Coordinate the roll out of the Knowledge Exchange and Capacity Development Workplan: Support the roll-out of the activities under the Knowledge Exchange, Capacity Development and Knowledge Management components of the Programme, including by engaging IOM and UNDP colleagues in Country Offices to facilitate participation of the national and local stakeholders in various events, supporting planning, preparation of the agendas, talking points, invitations, reports, etc.

2.Support knowledge exchange activities for the Programme: Aid the Programme ManagementUnit to design and implement knowledge exchange activities, including Peer Exchange Groups (which bring several countries together virtually to share knowledge on a topic of interest), After Action Reviews and Global Webinars, reports and knowledge tools, collecting information on specific practices and experiences which could be shared during the events, develop templates and guidance to collect content for knowledge exchange which can be further used for knowledge consolidation, etc.

3.Support engagement of the partners into exchange actions via M4D Net: Facilitate and promote the usage of the M4D Net knowledge exchange and community-driven functions including Our Community, e-discussions, and generating content from partners such as resources, events, news, etc., including supporting presentations of M4D Net knowledge exchange features to key partners, ensuring regular updates and adding of content, responding to queries, validating user-uploaded content and moderating e-discussions and exchanges.

4.Draft knowledge management products for the Programme: In close collaboration with the Programme Management Unit of the Programme, support implementation of the Knowledge Management Plan for the Programme tailored to the needs of the Programme’s stakeholders and based on practices and lessons learned in each country context. Specific type of support includes assistance in collecting and consolidating information, drafting tailored knowledge products and tools, such as reports on After Action Reviews and Peer Exchange Groups, Webinars, including formatting and editing documents in line with IOM content, style and formatting guidelines, through regular coordination with Media and Communications Division, Publications Unit and Translation Unit colleagues as needed.

Engagement in regional and global dialogues and foras

5.Support participation in regional and global dialogues: Support the Programme Management Unit in planning and participation in regional and global dialogues (High Level Political Forum, Global Forum on Migration and Development, Regional Consultative Processes, global outreach), incl. identifying priority topics, forms of participation, engagement and coordination with colleagues from Country and Regional Offices and HQ, developing talking points.

6.Assist in developing strategic position papers and other inputs: Based on the progress and lessons learnt from the Programme, collect relevant information and support the drafting of position papers to feed into the regional and global dialogues and discussions.

7.Support dissemination of Programme knowledge and knowledge products at the global and regional levels: Support the Programme Management Unit of the Programme in showcasing the Programme’s results and knowledge at regional and global fora and through developing communications materials around Programme results.

Capacity development

8.Support in streamlining the Unit response mechanism to capacity development requests: monitor the upcoming requests for capacity development activities, communicate with the Country and Regional Offices on identifying specific types of support requested and modalities of M&SD participation, incl. planning the events, coordinating the agendas, training materials, etc., developing the global roster of IOM trained staff who could provide support in responding to the request, collating information on available resources and tools which could be used for capacity development activities.

9.Facilitate the design and delivery of capacity development and training activities at the global and country levels: in close coordination with the Programme Management Unit and M&SD Unit colleagues, assist in planning and organizing workshops, training and other capacity development activities for the IOM staff and stakeholders, incl. developing the agendas, identifying speakers and facilitators, preparing talking points and presentations, disseminating the invites, preparing the notes and reports, incl. consolidating information which could be utilized for knowledge production. This also includes support in planning and delivering global capacity development activities for the Global Programme, including global webinars and Global Programme Boards, and support the Programme countries in delivering capacity development activities at the country levels.

Performance indicators for the evaluation of results

• Satisfactory completion of tasks indicated in these ToRs;

• Quality of the elaborated analysis, drafts and inputs for the knowledge products prepared;

• Timely delivery of drafts and deliverables;

• For the reports, compliance with IOM House Style Manual; IOM Brand Guidelines, IOMGuidelines on Research Report Writing, IOM Spelling List (2018) as well as IOM Data Protection Principles.

Required Qualifications and Experience:

Education, experience and/or skills required

• Master’s degree in Development Studies, International Relations, Social Science, Political Science, Anthropology, Economics or a related field from an accredited academic institution with two years of relevant professional experience; or

• University degree in the above fields with four years of relevant professional experience.

Experience

• Experience in providing support to knowledge management, capacity development and communications activities, including desk research and data collection, consolidating and analysing materials, drafting knowledge products, preparing reports, presentations, information materials;

• Proven experience in supporting planning, coordination and organization of the workshops, training, awareness raising activities and other events at the regional or global levels, including direct communication with the stakeholders and partners;

• Experience in working in the international organization in the context of migration and sustainable development desirable, including experience of collaboration with multiple stakeholders and partners at the global and regional levels is an advantage.

Skills

• Strong analytical and drafting skills;

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team;

• Ability to work from home;

• Knowledge of specific migration and sustainable development contexts or working experience in the Global Programme countries is an advantage.

Languages

IOM’s official languages are English, French, and Spanish.

For this consultancy, fluency in English, French and/or Spanish is required (oral and written). Working knowledge of any other UN-official language is an advantage.

Proficiency of language(s) required will be specifically evaluated during the selection process, which may include written and/or oral assessments.

Notes

The consultant must adhere to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Data Protection Principles (IN/138) and maintain confidentiality.

The consultant will be responsible to follow IOM writing guidelines and latest glossaries in all given assignments for accurate translation.

Accredited Universities are the ones listed in the UNESCO World Higher Education Database (https://whed.net/home.php).

Required Competencies:

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 wherever possible.

• 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.

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 action and delegated work.

• Communication: encourages and contributes to clear and open communication; explains complex matters in an informative, inspiring and motivational way.

IOM’s competency framework can be found at this link.

https://www.iom.int/sites/default/files/about-iom/iom_revised_competency_framework_external.pdf

Competencies will be assessed during a competency-based interview.

Other:

• The appointment is subject to funding confirmation.

• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances. Subject to certain exemptions, vaccination against COVID-19 will in principle be required for individuals hired on or after 15 November 2021. This will be verified as part of the medical clearance process.

• Vacancies close at 23:59 local time Geneva, Switzerland on the respective closing date. No late applications will be accepted.