Position Title: Consultant – Data Model Assessment
Duty Station: Home based
Classification: Consultant, Grade Other
Type of Appointment: Consultant, three months
Estimated Start Date: As soon as possible
Closing Date: 27 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 the Consultancy
The Consultant will carry out an assessment of IOM’s current data model and data fields for data on migrants in vulnerable situations, through analysis of IOM’s case data and existing forms/tools. The assessment should also provide recommendations for their adaptation as external-facing standards for administrative data on vulnerable migrants.
Project Context and Scope
IOM’s Protection Division provides protection and assistance to migrants in need, including trafficked persons, smuggled migrants with protection needs, (rejected) asylum seekers, migrants in irregular situations, unaccompanied and separated migrant children, migrants subjected to violence, exploitation or abuse, and other migrants in vulnerable situations. Through its presence across the globe, IOM’s Protection Division works to promote and uphold migrants’ rights and supports migrants and their communities to access and exercise their rights. The Division also supports governments in their roles in promoting and fulfilling migrants’ rights. It does so both directly and in partnership with other stakeholders, through advocacy, setting standards, conducting research and analysis, and developing guidelines for protection and assistance, including supporting member states to do so.
IOM and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) have developed the International Classification Standard for Administrative Data on Trafficking in Persons (ICS-TIP) and accompanying guidance manual (forthcoming). The ICS-TIP and guidance have been jointly drafted and reviewed by leading experts from academia, government, civil society and the private sector. The purpose of the ICS-TIP is to provide a common reference and guidance for the safe collection, management and reporting of data on trafficking in persons, as well as standardized indicators to ensure consistency and quality of data. Building upon the standards for governments, IOM has also developed data standards on human trafficking case management and an accompanying Toolkit and Guidance for frontline counter-trafficking civil society organizations. This aims to support their case management work and align their data collection and management practice. Through building anti-trafficking actors’ capacity to collect, manage and share high quality, standardized, human trafficking data, IOM aims to rapidly improve the evidence base for counter-trafficking response.
Building on the work to produce the standards for human trafficking administrative data, IOM now aims to expand this work to administrative data on vulnerable migrants more broadly. Unlike victims of trafficking or refugees, there is no internationally accepted definition of ‘vulnerable migrants,’ which can pose challenges for identification and assistance. However, many migrants do have protection needs and may be in situations of extreme vulnerability even if they do not fall within established categories of persons in need of international protection. Many organizations, including IOM, collect and manage administrative data on vulnerable migrants as part of their ongoing activities, whether it be for assessing and processing asylum claims or referral to specialized support services. However, in the absence of clear international standards, governments and organizations may not know what data it is pertinent to collect, and face uncertainty on how to classify vulnerable migrants in their information systems. This risks the loss of important evidence to inform immediate operational response, as well as broader policy and programming.
IOM has been implementing its own data model for migrants in vulnerable situations for the last four years. Building on this, as well as its broader expertise in the field of migration, and its extensive experience in providing assistance to, and advocating for vulnerable migrants, IOM is uniquely well placed to develop the first international standards on the collection, management, and safe use of administrative data on vulnerable migrants.
IOM is seeking the services of a consultant to carry out an assessment of IOM’s current data model and data fields for migrant vulnerability data, through analysis of IOM’s case data and existing forms/tools. This assessment should also provide recommendations for their adaptation as external-facing standards for administrative data on vulnerable migrants. It should be noted that a complementary call for interest has been published, to carry out an assessment and scoping exercise, with recommendations, to serve as a basis for the development of the first set of international standards for administrative data on vulnerable migrants.
Both consultants will be expected to coordinate with each other, and results will inform each other’s deliverables. IOM also encourages applicants to consider applying for both calls if they have relevant skill sets.
Core Functions / Responsibilities:
Tangible and measurable outputs of the work assignment
Write a report evaluating IOM’s vulnerable migrant data model and how it should be adapted to become an external-facing standard for other agencies to adopt. The report should:
• assess to what extent the data model can be useful for others;
• assess to what extent it can be used as a basis for an international standard;
• produce recommendations as to how it could be improved and adapted for an external-facing set of data standards.
This report should be informed by an analysis of IOM’s dataset. The analysis files (R scripts, Stata do files, etc.) should be shared with IOM alongside the report. This report should also inform the report prepared as part of the aforementioned call for interest on the broader assessment and scoping exercise.
Updated technical proposal following coordination with research team by 18 March 2022 by email; first draft of the report by email by 30 April 2022; final draft following IOM review by email by 15 June 2022.
Performance indicators for evaluation of results
• Satisfactory completion of the outputs indicated on this vacancy announcement;
• Showing initiative and problem-solving behaviour;
• Timely delivery of outputs;
• Upholding and demonstrating the values of IOM in the daily consultancy activities.
Required Qualifications and Experience:
Education, experience and/or skills required
A minimum of a Master’s degree in Migration Studies, International Relations, Development Studies, International Affairs, Political Science, Economics or a related field from an accredited academic institution with five years of relevant professional experience (required).
Experience
• Substantial experience in producing policy-relevant research on migration-management-related issues in a development or humanitarian context (minimum five years’ experience required);
• Substantial experience in data analysis (minimum five years’ experience required);
• Experience in communicating technical research content to a wide variety of different audiences (desirable);
• Experience and knowledge of working on the protection and human rights in the context of migration (desirable);
• Experience working with organizations that produce administrative data (desirable).
Skills
• Knowledge of migrants’ rights and of the institutional/organizational landscape with respect to assistance to migrants in vulnerable situation (desirable);
• Knowledge of statistical analysis software such as R or STATA (required);
• Excellent writing communication skills (required).
Languages
IOM’s official languages are English, French, and Spanish.
For this consultancy, fluency in English is required (oral and written).
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.
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.
How to apply
Interested candidates are invited to submit their applications via PRISM, IOM e-Recruitment system, by 27 February 2022 at the latest, referring to this advertisement.
IOM only accepts duly completed applications submitted through the IOM e-Recruitment system. The online tool also allows candidates to track the status of their application.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
For further information please refer to: www.iom.int/recruitment
Posting period:
From 14.02.2022 to 27.02.2022
No Fees:
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.
Requisition: CON 2022 04 – Consultant – Data Model Assessment – Homebased (57410688) Released
Posting: Posting NC57410689 (57410689) Released