Leadership and Advisor Roles 2016/2017

AGI’s Mission

Over a billion people in Africa need their governments to provide basic public services such as hospitals, schools, sanitation, employment opportunities and much more. When governments fail to deliver, it’s the poor that suffer most. That’s why AGI’s mission is to support effective government in Africa - to make government work for the world’s poorest people.

To achieve this vision, we provide practical advice and support to help African Leaders bridge the gap between their vision for a better future and the capacity of their governments to achieve it. In the last year, this has included helping to end Ebola in West Africa, supporting the set-up of the Development Bank of Nigeria, and reforms in Rwanda that will increase farmers’ incomes and exports.

Our model combines the experience of AGI’s founder and Patron, Tony Blair, with on-the-ground teams of professionals working shoulder-to-shoulder with counterparts in the heart of partner governments to develop capacity and put in place the skills, systems and structures needed to drive delivery on the ground. Currently, AGI is working to support the governments of Sierra Leone, Liberia, Rwanda, Guinea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique and Nigeria.

AGI’s People

AGI teams understand that politics is as important as technical knowhow when it comes to getting things done. They are excellent at building and maintaining relationships, possess strong leadership skills, and skilled in helping our partner governments solve some of the continent’s most complex delivery challenges. We are bound by a unique set of shared values; we’re bold in our approach, relentless in pursuit of impact, led by our government partners not by our own agenda, passionate about Africa’s potential and independent in our advice and analyses. Our work has the potential to help change millions of lives for the better.

Upcoming Opportunities - 2016/2017

We are seeking individuals with 7+ year’s relevant professional experience within public/civil services worldwide; strategy consulting; relevant industry sectors; private equity and finance; and international development. AGI is committed to building multi-disciplinary teams and are particularly interested in candidates with experience planning and delivery, performance management processes; change management, executive/private office support; or government and strategic communications. For any of our roles, experience of living and working in developing countries is desirable but not essential.

Candidates who speak fluent French and/or Portuguese, will be prioritized for roles in our Francophone and Lusophone countries.

Leadership Positions

AGI Country Heads have full responsibility of all programme activities, including managing a team of 4-10 people, project budget oversight, strategic programme design and the delivery and evaluation of project goals. This includes managing relations with senior government stakeholders, including, in some countries, the President. For these challenging and demanding roles we are looking for exceptional performance in the AGI competencies and proven experience of building senior relationships and managing high performing teams.

Governance Advisor roles

AGI’s Governance Advisors work within Centre of Government institutions – Presidents’ and Prime Ministers’ offices; cross-government co-ordination offices; and strategy, policy and delivery units, as well as within Priority Ministries. These include:

• Finance and Investment – individuals with experience of economic planning, project finance, innovative public finance models, donor and financier coordination, and/or securing access to finance for the private sector and farmers. We are also seeking individuals with experience of the ICT and innovation industry.
• Energy – individuals with government, consulting or industry experience in the electricity sector, e.g. in energy policy, the performance of energy utilities, public-private partnerships, and the management of power generation and distribution projects.
• Transport Infrastructure – individuals with government, consulting or industry experience e.g. the performance of infrastructure ministries and agencies, public-private partnerships, project management and oversight of major infrastructure projects in developing countries.
• Private Sector Development – individuals with experience in investment facilitation/ promotion, business linkages and value chain coordination, managing investment deals in emerging market economies and/or delivering organisational change.
• Agriculture – individuals with experience in value chain development, investment appraisal, and business planning and market analysis. Experience in emerging market economies preferred.

HOW TO APPLY:

For further information on upcoming opportunities please visit our careers website

In order to apply for an AGI role you are required to complete an online application form which includes uploading your CV (no longer than 2 pages) and completing a 300 word personal statement explaining why you want to work at AGI and your suitability to the role.

For more information please contact jobs@tb-agi.org. We will be looking to fill roles throughout 2016/2017 and will let you know if your application is being considered.

Consultancy Service to Conduct Maize and Sorghum Value chains Analysis

Request for Application: Consultancy Service to Conduct Maize and Sorghum Value chains Analysis, Algeria, Burkina- Faso, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Sudan

Closing date: Sunday, 10 May 2015

AFRICAN UNION UNION AFRICAINE UNIàO AFRICANA Addis Ababa, ETHIOPIA P.O.Box 3243 Telephone +251 11 5517700 Cables:OAU Website : www.africa-union.org

REQUEST FOR APPLICATION

Consultancy Service to conduct Maize and Sorghum Value chains

Analysis in Sahelo-Saharan zone of Africa

ACKGROUND INFORMATION

The Semi-Arid Food Grain Research and Development (SAFGRAD) is one of the specialized technical offices of the African Union Commission in the Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture (DREA). As a technical office, the strategic mandate is to lead, coordinate and facilitate the formulation of appropriate policies and programmes that build resilience of rural livelihoods in semi-arid Africa. To achieve this, SAFGRAD activities include strengthening institutional capacities aimed at advancing agricultural research, technology transfer and adoption; enhancement of value chains; management of natural resources; and mitigation and adaptation to climate change and combating desertification. SAFGRAD vision falls within the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development (CAADP) framework which is at the heart of efforts by African governments to accelerate growth and eliminate poverty across the continent. SAFGRAD adopts regional and strategic group approach in its research activities to explore complementarity advantage in promoting collaboration and partnership across regional and economic blocks.

In furtherance of its activities in strategic commodity development, AU- SAFGRAD intends to engage the service of consultants to conduct maize and sorghum value chains analysis in the Sahelo-Saharan zone of Africa. The Commission invites applicants, who are citizens of Member States, for the consultancy service.

The study will be conducted in the following countries: Algeria, Burkina- Faso, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Sudan.

Post

Post title: Consultants (one per country)

Post level: Consultant

Duty Station: Countries listed above.

Immediate Supervisor: Coordinator, AU-SAFGRAD

Major duties and responsibilities (Scope of work)

Conduct a desk review of the maize and sorghum economy in the country

• review of the production and marketing trends and condition
• review of existing laws, policies, programmes and institutional frameworks put in place to encourage investments in the commodity chain

Conduct the maize and sorghum value chains mapping in each country. This will involve

• Identifying the main actors and the flows of products, money and information along the commodity chain.
• Map key policies and institutions that influence the functioning of the value chain at the national and regional level,
• Conduct focus group interviews with the major stakeholders at each section of the value chain so as to identify constraints and opportunities to reduce transaction cost and improve market access of the commodities
• Identify and analyze any institutional arrangements, public-private partnerships and formal linkages between chain actors in the value chain.
• Conduct a gender and youth analysis of value adding activities so as to highlight the power relations along the chain 3
• Facilitate and present the final report at a national stakeholders' workshop to be organized by AU-SAFGRAD in the country of study, if required
• Present the final report at a regional workshop to be organized by AU-SAFGRAD in Ouagadougou, Burkina.
• Finalize the study document and submit to AU-SAFGRAD within the time allotted.

Educational Qualifications

• An advanced University degree (Masters Level or PhD) in agricultural Science, agricultural economics, development and investment sciences, social economics or any related discipline.

Work Experience

The consultant shall have the following minimum qualifications

• At least 10 years of experience working in the agriculture or rural sector in developing countries
• Previous experience in value chain or commodity assessment, agribusiness studies, market or trade development studies, farm surveys and group analysis in Africa.

Other relevant skills

• Computer literacy and expertise in use of presentations software
• Excellent report drafting and reporting skills.
• Good planning and organizational skills in conducting field surveys and interviews.
• Conscientious and efficient in observing deadlines and achieving results.
• Takes accountability for goals and challenges.
• Effective and distinct communication ability with excellent written and verbal communications skills.
• Ability to understand, defend and explain with tact the findings of study.
• Ability to work under pressure and collaboratively with and to establish and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues

Language requirement

• Proficiency; both verbal and written, in any one of AU' working languages.
• Ability to write reports in English languages would be added advantage.

Tenure of Appointment

The consultancy is planned for a maximum period of 3 months, starting from July 2015.

Gender Mainstreaming

The AU Commission is an equal opportunity employer and qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply.

Expected Outputs

Inception report: The consultant will prepare an inception report including the methodology of the study and detailed work plan in consultation with AU-SAFGRAD. Draft report: the consultant will submit a draft report for review by AU-SAFGRAD team and other key stakeholders within and outside SAFGRAD. The report will be submitted in electronic copy.

Final report: The final report will be submitted in both hard and soft copies to AU-SAFGRAD 5

Remuneration

The remuneration is a lump sum of Six thousand dollars (USD 6000) to be released as follow

• 40% at contract signing and receipt of inception report
• 30% at submission of an approved draft report
• 30% after validation and submission of the final report

In addition, AU-SAFGRAD will sponsor selected consultants to the methodology and regional workshops in Ouagadougou.

Application

To apply, please submit the following

1. A letter of intent and
2. A detailed, updated CV

The applications must be received on or before 10th of May 2015, and should be addressed to

Africa Union Commission Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)

P.O. Box 3243

Fax: +251-1-5525840/5510430

E-mail: au-recruits@africa-union.org

Civil Society Scholar Awards

The Civil Society Scholar Awards (CSSA) support international academic mobility to enable doctoral students and university faculty to access resources that enrich socially engaged research and critical scholarship in their home country or region.

The awards support activities such as fieldwork (data collection); research visits to libraries, archives, or universities; course/curriculum development; and international collaborations leading to a peer-reviewed publication. 

Civil Society Scholars are selected on the basis of their outstanding contributions to research or other engagement with local communities, to furthering debates on challenging societal questions, and to strengthening critical scholarship and academic networks within their fields.

Eligibility Criteria

The awards are open to the following academic populations:

• Doctoral students of eligible fields studying at accredited universities inside or outside of their home country;
• Full-time faculty members teaching at universities in their home country.

Candidates must be citizens of the following countries: Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Haiti, Kosovo, Laos, Libya, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Myanmar/Burma, Nepal, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Serbia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Swaziland, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, or Yemen.

• Project duration: 2–10 months
• Eligible dates: August 1, 2015–August 31, 2016
• Maximum funding requests: $10,000 for doctoral students; $15,000 for faculty members

For more eligibility criteria, please consult the Frequently Asked Questions document in the Download Files section.

Ineligibility Criteria

Applicants may not request grant assistance for the support of:

• federal and/or state taxes;
• computer hardware, software or other computer-related equipment;
• automobile-related expenses;
• tuition/academic fees if the activity is not for the first year of a doctoral program;
• conference attendance which is not part of a larger research project;
• applications from more than one individual.

Ineligible fields include: business administration, management training, computer science, finance/banking, marketing, engineering, hard sciences (physics, biology, chemistry, etc.), mathematics, medical sciences, or teaching English as a foreign language/language instruction.

Applicants with permanent resident status, dual citizenship, and/or asylum seekers in Australia, Canada, European Union, New Zealand, Nordic Countries, or the United States are not eligible to apply.

Students or faculty currently enrolled in master’s degree programs are not eligible to apply.

Guidelines

Competition for the CSSA awards is merit-based. Selection will be made on the basis of proven academic excellence, a clear and justifiable need for international travel to complete the research project, and relevance of the project to the development of open society in the applicant’s home country. 

Selected grantees may be invited by CSSA to attend short-term trainings/summer school, and a participant conference during the grant period. Travel costs and accommodation for these events will be covered by CSSA.

Complete guidelines on the conditions of these awards are available in the Download Files section.

Applicants are strongly suggested to submit their application online.

Alternatively, applicants may submit an application in hard copy and submit it to one of the offices noted in the guidelines.

Research Officer - West Africa Programmes

Our vision is of a world where no one is blind from avoidable causes and where visually impaired people participate equally in society. Each year, we improve the lives of millions of people in the poorest parts of the world. Sightsavers offers a great place to work within easy reach of London and Brighton.

Research Officer – West Africa Programmes Location flexible within our West Africa country offices Salary paid in local currency to country

Sightsavers has an opportunity for an experienced Researcher with a strong interest in health and disability research to join its Policy and Strategic Programme Support team.

The post holder will work with our global research team and will be responsible for supporting research and other evidence generating activities within Sightsavers’ health, education and social inclusion programmes in West Africa.

The ideal candidate will have a postgraduate degree in public health, epidemiology, statistics or related discipline. You will have a good knowledge of different research methods including both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Candidates with a good knowledge and experience of research in West Africa will be of particular interest. Excellent analytical skills with the ability to plan and supervise research projects are required for this post, as well as excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and ideally French. The postholder must be able to travel for up to 16 weeks a year.

HOW TO APPLY:

To apply for this post, please visit http://www.sightsavers.net/about_us/vacancies/ and download our application form and equal opportunities form and email this as two separate documents tojobs@sightsavers.org.

We’re an equal opportunities employer, and we particularly encourage qualified people living with a disability to apply.

We will be contacting shortlisted candidates for interview, shortly after the closing dates. We very much regret that in view of the large number of applications we receive, we are unable to respond if you are unsuccessful. I am sure that you will understand the need to concentrate resources towards our work.

Deputy Chief of Party – West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change (WA-BICC) Program, West Africa

Tetra Tech ARD, headquartered in Burlington, Vermont (http:www.tetratechintdev.com/) is currently accepting expressions of interest from qualified candidates for a potential Deputy Chief of Party position on a USAID-funded program to improve conservation and climate-resilient, low emission growth across West Africa.

Position Description/Summary: The Deputy Chief of Partyshould possess the management skills necessary to provide day-to-day project management of this anticipated $50 million program to increase the capacity of institutions at all levels in order to reduce wildlife trafficking and deforestation and forest degradation, as well as promote climate-resilient growth in coastal areas.

Qualifications:

* Master’s degree or higher in Management, International Development, Business Management, Natural Resources Management, Public Administration, or other related field;

* Five to ten years of progressively responsible technical and project management experience

* Demonstrated familiarity with sustainable landscape management, climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation and/or institutional development;

* Extensive and substantive experience managing international development assistance projects, preferably in West Africa;

* Prior experience managing USAID funded contracts required, including experience managing subcontracts and sub-grants;

* Professional proficiency in English and French;

* Nationals of West African countries strongly encouraged to apply.

To be considered applicants must submit the following as part of the on-line process:

* Cover Letter

* CV in reverse chronological format

Please indicate where you saw Tetra Tech’s ad posted.

HOW TO APPLY:

Apply on-line at: http://bit.ly/1u2wRzp

Applications that do not meet the minimum requirements listed above will not be considered. No phone calls will be accepted.

Tetra Tech is committed to diversity and gender equality in all of its operations- in the U.S and overseas. We strive to reflect these goals in our global mission and in our workplace. We encourage applications from women and underrepresented ethnic, racial and cultural groups. Tetra Tech is proud to be an Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer.

Data Collection and Coordination Information Management Officer

UN VOLUNTEER DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT

Preamble: The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN organization that promotes volunteerism to support peace and development worldwide. Volunteerism can transform the pace and nature of development and it benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer. UNV contributes to peace and development by advocating for volunteerism globally, encouraging partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming, and mobilizing volunteers. In most cultures volunteerism is deeply embedded in long-established, ancient traditions of sharing and support within the communities. In this context, UN Volunteers take part in various forms of volunteerism and play a role in development and peace together with co-workers, host agencies and local communities. In all assignments, UN Volunteers promote volunteerism through their action and conduct. Engaging in volunteer activity can effectively and positively enrich their understanding of local and social realities, as well as create a bridge between themselves and the people in their host community. This will make the time they spend as UN Volunteers even more rewarding and productive.

1. UNV Assignment Title: Data Collection and Coordination Information Management Officer

UNV Strategic Framework 2014-2017; Outcome 1, Output 1.2: ‘Volunteerism is integrated within UN entities’ programming through the implementation of UNV-UN partner joint programmes/projects in four priority areas: (a) youth; (b) peace building; (c) basic social services; (d) community resilience for environment and disaster risk reduction’

1. Type of Assignment: International UN Volunteer
2. Project Title: UNV Assistance to UNMEER, ID no. 00092053
3. Duration: 6 months (with possible extension depending on Mission’s mandate, operational necessity and satisfactory performance)
4. Location, Country: Sub-national UNMEER office –Sierra Leone
5. Expected Starting Date: Immediate
6. Brief Project Description: Support UNMEER mandate
7. Host Agency/Host Institute: United Nations Mission to Ebola Emergency Response

(UNMEER)

1. Organizational Context: UNMEER was established in September 2014

http://www.un.org/ebolaresponse/mission.shtml

1. Type of Assignment: Non-family assignment
2. Description of tasks:

Under the overall direction of the UNMEER Field Crisis Manager of the sub-national district office but with a technical guidance and direction being provided by the Chief of the Information Management Unit in Accra, Ghana the UN Volunteer Data Collection and Coordination Information Management Officer will undertake the following tasks. In the light of the start-up of the mission and the setup of the UNV Field Unit, the Description of Assignment (DoA) may change in the course of assignment. Provides support to

Ebola responders and Sub-National teams and performs other related duties, as required under the direction of the head of the sub-national office. Duties will include:

 Trouble shooting technical issues with data collection mechanisms of data collection staff and provide supplemental training if necessary

 Collection of contact information for all responders

 Collection of 3W (who does, what, where) data

 Collection of 4W (who does, what, where, and when) data

 Identifying possible data source and ensuring connection into national level data collection mechanisms.

 Distributing products prepared by UNMEER to all responders (reference and thematic maps, infographics, dashboards, contact directories)

 Advocate for the use of data standards and common platforms, and for the open exchange of information

Promotion of the UN Volunteer programme mandate1

UN Volunteers are expected to integrate the UNV programme mandate within their assignment as well as promote voluntary action through engagement with communities (urban & rural) during the course of their work. As such UN Volunteers should dedicate a proportion of their working week to the following in support of and in synergy with their primary role as UN Volunteer.

 Strengthen knowledge and understanding of the influence of voluntary action by the communities serviced directly or indirectly by UNMEER by doing the following;

 Research of the subject matter;

 Develop knowledge of related non-profit community based organizations and promote major issues of these organizations through voluntary actions that will influence development and peace-building initiatives;

 Undertake awareness-raising (promotion) activities in communities that will increase knowledge of issues of interest to UNMEER and UNV mandate;

 Encourage communities to volunteer thoughts and actions to the development of their communities on the basis of core child protection issues of concern.

 Build relationships with a wide range (private/public) of Community Based Organizations, (CBO’s) Civil Society Organizations (CSO’s) - to support and/or participate in community driven voluntary activities and assist them to tell their stories to the World Volunteer Web site;

 Encourage, mobilize and support co-workers and fellow UN Volunteers to better understand the connections between UNMEER mandate and volunteerism;

 Monitor on a continual basis the impact of integrating issues, activities and voluntary action at the community level;

 Contribute to articles/write-ups on the peace-building and development process and experiences from the above outlined activities and submit them to UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;

 Promote and/or advise CSO’s and Citizens groups in the use of OV (online volunteering), and encourage relevant - groups to use OV whenever – technically possible.

1. Results/Expected Output:

1The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme was created by the General Assembly (GA) in 1970 through GA resolution 26/59. Since then, UNV’s mandate has been expanded by GA resolution 31/131 in 1976, GA resolution 56/38 in 2001 and others in the follow-up to the International Year of Volunteers in 2001.

 The UN Volunteer will be expected to facilitate the flow of information from the sub-national hubs to the national level information management units. They will need to be creative and resourceful to ensure that the most accurate and reliable data is being collected at the field level for use in planning and decision making at the sub-national, national and regional levels.

 A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for development during the UN Volunteer assignment, such as reporting on the number of UN Volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed.

1. Qualifications/Requirements:

a) Qualifications, skills, experience:

The incumbent must be a dynamic, multi-functional person, who supports the host entity with professionalism, dedication and client orientation. The following qualifications are required:

 University degree (bachelor) in information management, information systems, social science or related field, or technical training/college in similar disciplines;  Work experience of 2/3 years in a private company, UN, or NGO dealing with the collection, coordination and dissemination of operational information. Experience working in a developing country as well as previous experience as a volunteer and/or promotion of volunteerism will be an asset.  Excellent English is required; French is an asset.

 Previous working experience in Africa is highly desired. Knowledge of the region will be a strong asset.

 Solid computer skills, including full proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word etc) and other IT applications and office technology equipment;

 Ability to perform duties under stress and in insecure, isolated and potentially hostile environments;

 Have a valid driver’s license and proven ability to drive manual gear 4x4 vehicles;

 A demonstrated ability to work effectively in a multi-cultural and dynamic environment;

 Have affinity with or interest in humanitarian relief, post-conflict situations, volunteerism as a mechanism for durable development, and the UN System.

Competencies and values:

Team Work: Ability to work effectively with the least available resources; ability to work in the remotest areas and ability to work transparently without being politically affiliated; ability to establish and maintain effective professional relations with representatives of the civil society, local governments, media and other target groups with sensitivity and respect for cultural and gender diversity.

Communication: Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills.

Creativity: Takes interests in learning new things.

Professionalism: Ability to prioritize work and meet deadlines.

Organizational skills: Ability to work under pressure, willingness to work flexible hours and visit remote areas

Commitment: Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards the UN core values

Planning and organizing: Capacity to identify priorities. Allocate appropriate time and resources to complete work, allowing for contingencies; use time efficiently. Ability to work efficiently and effectively under pressure.

Technological Awareness: Excellent computer skills and use of relevant software and other applications.

1. Living Conditions:

Sierra Leone enjoys relative stability in the last few years and the living condition is therefore reasonable. Infrastructure, such as transportation and social services is poor in general, and western amenities such as food, restaurants, apartments, etc. tend to be a little bit expensive but it will not be difficult to get by. Electricity and water supplies will remain volatile and many people are relying on generators and private delivery services.

Since May 2014, Sierra Leone is suffering an Ebola Outbreak that has further weakened its health system and its economic growth. Most UN Programmes have been redirected to the Ebola response and UNMEER has been established in Ghana and the 3 most affected countries (Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea) to coordinate the response. The Mission will be temporary and will respond to immediate needs related to the fight against Ebola.

Security recommendations from the UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) must be followed by all UN Staff and UN Volunteers in the course of their assignments in Sierra Leone.

1. Conditions of Service

Contracts are issued depending on budget and mission mandate (renewable depending on Mission mandate, operational necessity and satisfactory performance). Settling-In-Grant is provided. Monthly Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) (US$ 2,348 single rate, US$ 2,598 1 dependent rate or US$ 2,798 at 2+ dependency rate) is intended to cover housing, utilities, and normal cost -of-living expenses. Life, health and permanent disability insurance are included, as well as periodic home leave, final repatriation, and resettlement allowance.

The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is committed to ensuring gender equity among UN Volunteers and applications from qualified women are strong encouraged.

HOW TO APPLY:

If you are not yet registered in the UNV database, please apply by completing the UNV web application at the following link: https://ereta.unv.org/html/index.php?module=myprofile . Important: please select the following code from the drop down menu on the first page of the application: “14GHA_DATAEB”. If you are registered in the UNV database, please update your profile at: http://MyProfile.unv.org, click on the “Special Recruitment” option on the left menu, then click on the “Edit” button and select the advertisement code “14GHA_DATAEB” from the drop-down list.

Please only apply, if you fulfill all of the above requirements.

United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme which welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

International Researcher, assessment on the smuggling phenomena in Benin, Togo and Guinea Conakry

Duty Station: Home Based and Field Visits to Benin and Togo

Position Title: International Researcher (migrant smuggling)

Type of Appointment: Consultancy

Organizational Location: IOM Accra, Ghana

Period: From 15 November 2014 to 15 February 2015

Assignment Duration: 51 working days

A. BACKGROUND

Worldwide communities and individuals engage in both regular and irregular migration in search of better livelihoods and to improve their overall standard of living. IOM experience in providing assistance to stranded migrants found in West Africa has shown that in countries of origin individuals are often lured by the false promises of human smugglers. Organized rings of unscrupulous human traffickers and smugglers are often involved in orchestrating this process. Migrant smuggling is an important source of revenue for organized criminal networks. They prey upon their victims by demanding large sums of money and organizing hazardous journeys with migrants often abandoned along the route. Push factors for migration are complex and range from political instability, ethnic and land disputes, socio-economic conditions to climate change leading to displacement and migration. Vulnerable migrants, who migrate to or become stranded within West and Central Africa, and associated criminal networks of human smugglers, pose an increasing migration management challenge for governments in the region.

During their irregular journey, migrants are subject to economic exploitation; physical and psychological abuse, including gender-based violence; arbitrary detention; destitution; compromised health; and even loss of life. These vulnerabilities demonstrate the need for a robust identification and referral mechanism in West and Central Africa. However, due to the lack of knowledge about the scope of migrant smuggling or resources in the region, such referral mechanisms are often not in place. A strict definition and categorization of migrants (victims of trafficking, smuggled migrants, unaccompanied minors etc.), despite being legally relevant, does not capture the variety of circumstances in which migrants could find themselves in West Africa; an area characterized by free movement (ECOWAS countries), internal and regional displacement, and irregular migration from outside the region. Specific data and analysis on smuggling in persons including the profile of migrants, unaccompanied minors and victims of smuggling is lacking in West and Central Africa.

In an effort to better grasp the magnitude and nature of irregular migration and smuggling, IOM seeks to conduct an assessment that aims to examine the extent of the phenomenon, the current level of stakeholders’ awareness on both issues, the on-going governmental actions undertaken, and to make appropriate recommendations for future interventions to achieve migration management objectives.

The assessment will serve to inform and guide both policy and programmatic interventions. It aims to assist governments to develop a comprehensive response to smuggling networks in their purview. The findings will also be disseminated within the ECOWAS region through the Free Movement of Persons and Migration (FMM) West Africa project, which supports migration data management, border management, labour migration and combating trafficking in persons in West Africa[1].

C. SCOPE OF THE WORK

Under the framework of the project ‘Global Assistance to Irregular Migrants’ funded by the Government of Canada, and under the overall guidance of the Chief of Mission in Accra, in coordination with the Regional Thematic Specialist in Dakar, the Migration Research Division in Geneva, and under the direct supervision of the Project Manager based in Accra, the International Researcher will be responsible for the following duties:

Produce an analytical report on smuggling covering Benin, Guinea Conakry[2] and Togo. The researcher will base the work on (a) literature review of counter smuggling (CS) in three targeted countries (Benin. Guinea Conakry and Togo) and in the ECOWAS region; (b) field visits in Benin and Togo to conduct interviews with government department and international organizations, NGOs and any other organizations working on trafficking- and smuggling-related areas (i.e police, human trafficking police units, migration and border officials, health/social services).

In Guinea Conakry, the literature review and the interviews with stakeholders working in smuggling-related areas will be performed by a National Researcher. The National Researcher will follow and implement in Guinea Conakry the methodology developed by the International Researcher, and will submit to him/her a draft and a final report for this country.

The International Researcher will benefit from the support of IOM offices in Benin and Togo for travel arrangements, identification of stakeholders and arrangements of interviews, and for all logistics in case of in-country visits. The international researcher will travel one time each to the Benin and Togo and will spend an average of 10 working days per country. S/he will participate in a debriefing with the Project Manager after the completion of each country visit through conference calls. The report should include – but is not limited to- the following elements:

• Literature review on national and regional legal frameworks on CS,
• Identification of general vulnerability factors, and profile of smuggled migrants, with a gender perspective;
• Assessment of the migratory patterns (including countries or regions of origin, transit, and destination), and cross-border transportation methods used in smuggling;
• Identification of the methods of coercion used in the exploitation of smuggled victims; and when available a record of potential cases of human rights violations for victims of smuggling identified by the authorities
• Assessment of the government tools and existent actions to prevent smuggling, and the identification of gaps where reinforcement is required;
• Assessment of the assistance currently provided to irregular migrants, which includes smuggled and exploited migrants, unaccompanied minors and victims of trafficking, in selected countries by governmental, intergovernmental agencies and by non-governmental organizations, and the identification of gaps where assistance is required; and
• Assessment of the extent to, and areas in which further counter-smuggling action is needed.

D. OUTPUTS/DELIVERABLES AND TIMELINES

The following outputs are expected from the consultant:

1. Proposal for a methodology of assessment, and for a report structure (for pre-approval) (latest 10 days after start)
2. Travel to targeted countries and, with support of IOM country offices, conduct a minimum of 20 individual or focus group interviews (per country), with relevant governmental and non-governmental agencies and organizations, and when relevant with migrants or communities (to be completed latest mid-December 2014).
3. Submit a first draft of the report, as well as an executive summary and a power point document presenting preliminary results (latest mid-January 2014). The report must be written in the French language.
4. Review and revise the report based upon the comments of all relevant partners on the draft report, and submit final report (latest mid-February 2014).
5. The researcher must be ready to participate in a conference that will be organized by IOM to present the results of the project. The date will be defined at a later stage, but could fall after the completion of the contract.

F. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

The assessment calls for the following qualifications and experience:

• Advanced degree in Political Science, Law, International Relations or Social Sciences;
• Five years of experience in working in the field of migration, migrant’s rights, human trafficking or migrant smuggling; some field work in Africa preferred;
• Experience in conducting qualitative and quantitative research on irregular migration, trafficking in persons, migrant smuggling, human rights, mixed migration, transnational organization crime or related areas; and developing relevant research tools; especially among the target group in West and Central Africa;
• Cultural awareness and sensitivity to gender issues, ability to maintain confidentiality and use discretion when dealing with victims of trafficking and smuggling. The researcher will be abiding by IOM guidelines on confidentiality and ethics.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, under tight deadlines and challenging circumstances and pay attention to detail.
• Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, etc.); and
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written in French and English.

Note the research in Guinea Conakry will be completed with the assistance of a National Researcher.

HOW TO APPLY:

Interested Candidates are requested to submit cover letter and CV to:

Ana PEREZ Project Manager IOM Accra aperez@iom.int

Closing date: 15 November 2014, postponed to 24 November 2014 Due to the urgency of the recruitment, applications will start to be screened upon reception, and applicants may be contacted for interviews before the closing date. Information on consultancy fees and financial arrangements will be provided to and discussed only with selected candidates. .