Consultant

FOR THE CONSULTANCY CONTRACT OF: 

1. Assignment 1: Baseline of the project titled “Bangladesh: Reducing Irregular Migration and Supporting Returnees & Displaced Persons”
2. Assignment 2: Baseline of the project titled “Strengthened service delivery systems for improved migration management and sustainable reintegration”

    

    

   1. Duty Station of the Consultancy:  IOM Bangladesh, Dhaka

       

   2. Duration of Consultancy:  2.5 months
   3. Nature of the consultancy: Category B Consultancy 

       

   4. Project Context and Scope: 

      4A.i Context of Assignment 1:

      The vast majority of Bangladeshi migrants attempting to reach Italy irregularly first travel to Libya, and then attempt to cross the Mediterranean, often in dangerous and unseaworthy vessels. If intercepted, either in Libya or while at sea they are detained in Libya in sometime harsh conditions. Hundreds of these detained Bangladesh nationals per year opt to return to Bangladesh, and IOM plays a key role in facilitating these returns. 

      As well as supporting the physical return of migrants, to mitigate the risk of returned migrants reattempting to leave the country irregularly, it is essential that returnees are given the opportunity to reintegrate into their community in a sustainable manner. This is particularly the case for those who may have spent several years trying to make their way to Europe. Sustainable reintegration is best achieved through integrated assistance which supports returnees across the economic, social and psychosocial dimensions of life. 

      Bangladesh is also highly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change, which contribute, amongst other things, to increased migration and displacement. With climatic impacts anticipated to worsen under various emissions pathways, the effects on livelihoods are also expected to grow. Indeed, as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has noted, one of the main pathways for climate-induced migration is through deteriorating economic conditions and livelihoods. This may in turn result in an increased number of Bangladeshis seeking out opportunities in other parts of Bangladesh or overseas, especially when overlaid with existing migratory pressures such as poverty and inequality. 

      Under the project, IOM will support awareness raising on safe migration and the risks of irregular migration across the entire country, with specific focus on Sylhet, Madaripur, Shariatpur, Faridapur, Rajshahi Districts. This will be coupled by the provision of economic, social and psychosocial reintegration support to Bangladeshi migrants who have voluntarily returned from Libya availing the assistance of IOM, as well as female returnees in vulnerable situations coming back from Libya and other transit or destination countries. The project will also provide support to communities that are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, focusing on viable and more sustainable internal resettlement options and climate resilient alternative livelihoods opportunities which will support their adaptation and reduce the threat of displacement. 

      4A.ii Aims and Specific Objectives of the study:

      The overall aim of the baseline survey is to collect data for indicators stated in the log frame and also understand the knowledge and attitude of the migrant’s community.  The specific objectives are to;

   5. update result matrix of the project with baseline line value
3. assess the knowledge, attitude and practices of returned migrants and communities on safe migration. 

4A.iii Indicators 

The baseline survey will be collecting data on log frame indicators as below. 

4B.i Context of Assignment 2:

The Prottasha I project was conceptualized following the European migration crisis of 2015 and 2016 which saw an increased focus on irregular arrival in Europe by South Asian nationals. The first focus of the project was to ensure that those who were returned to Bangladesh in this context had access to sustainable reintegration support, which would reduce the likelihood of them attempting to reach Europe irregularly again. In line with IOM's Integrated Approach to Reintegration, the project provided reintegration support at the individual, community and structural levels across the economic, social and psychosocial dimensions of reintegration. 

Second, the Prottasha project focused on migration governance, supporting GoB to further enhance coherent and coordinated approaches to migration governance and sustainable reintegration in Bangladesh.  

Third, the project sought to raise awareness and contribute towards social behaviour change amongst aspirant and potential migrants, and their communities, around safe migration practices and the dangers of irregular migration. 

Building upon the achievements of the Prottasha - I project, under PROTTASHA II project IOM proposes to focus on GoB capacity building and strengthening service delivery systems, including capacitating the Government to engage meaningfully in safe migration through improved policy interventions and sustainable reintegration programming at the local, national, regional and global levels, including empowering them to raise awareness on the importance of safe migration practices. The project also proposes to support the development and piloting of a system for the identification of vulnerable returnees and the provision of immediate post-arrival assistance and referral services to such cases. The proposed interventions have been developed based on lessons learned from the Prottasha -I project and the ongoing partnership with the GoB - specifically MoEWOE. In this sense, the interventions are fully aligned with Government needs, and a sense of ownership of the process can be assured. This is critical for the purposes of sustainability of impact.     

The project is supporting all of these initiatives by strengthening the Government of Bangladesh's capacity to engage in migration management and sustainable reintegration programming at the policy and systemic levels. The project is also in line with EU migration policy priorities, as set out in the New Pact on Migration and Asylum and the 2021 EU Strategy on Voluntary Return and Reintegration. Both of these documents emphasize the need for migrant sending countries to have the capacity to manage migrant flows and the reintegration process at the points of origin and return, and this project will seek to further build this capacity.

4B.ii Aims and Specific Objectives of the study:

The overall aim of the baseline survey is to collect data for indicators stated in the log frame and also understand the knowledge and attitude of the migrant’s community.  The specific objectives are to;

4B.iii Indicators 

The baseline study will utilize a mixed methods approach. Both quantitative and qualitative methods will be used to answer the survey objectives, including questionnaires, key informant interviews, focus group discussions and participatory observations. This will be preceded by a comprehensive review of secondary data from the project, including the quarterly and annual reports (if any), project descriptions, the project Management of Information Systems which contains current achievements beneficiary profiles required to review to assess the current state of returnee migrants accessing tailored reintegration, planning and referral services.

5.1 Sampling:

A representative sample size will be drawn up to collect data from the selected districts where the two projects are being implemented. 

                      3.1.1 Sample size for Assignment 1:

The sample size for the study will be 180, determined using the standard sample size calculator. The study sample will be proportionately distributed based on the proportion of migrants who returned from Libya, identified and profiled during the project implementation. The sample frame will also be designed to take care of gender.

Table 1: Distribution of the Sample Size district-wise

Questionnaire

The baseline survey questionnaire will be designed with structured questions by the consultant. The questionnaire will be administered to the selective respondents (beneficiaries, aspirant migrants, community members etc.), and proportionately distributed from across the selected districts.

Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) 

FGDs will be conducted as follows, one each in the following categories;

Key Informants Interview (KIIs)

KIIs will be conducted with local and national level stakeholders, including government officials, CSOs and other non-state actors, Union Parishad chairman, committee members, community leader to assess their knowledge, attitudes and practices towards safe migration. A minimum of three KIIs will be done per district, with pre-identified stakeholders and in coordination with the implementing partners.

5.2 Study Area:

National level and selected 5 districts will be targeted for the baseline survey where the projects are being implemented. 

5.3 Target Population:

The proposed target population groups are:

6 Organizational Unit to which the Consultant is contributing: Migration Policy and Sustainable Development

7 Category B Consultants: Tangible and measurable outputs of the work assignment 

7A Assignment A: Deliverables 

      IOM will work closely with the consultant in the entire baseline survey process, beginning with the design as contained in this concept note. The evaluator will be responsible for providing the following deliverables: 

The baseline survey will be conducted over a period of five weeks from 25th May to 31st July 2025.

7B Assignment B: Deliverables

IOM will work closely with the consultant in the entire baseline survey process, beginning with the design as contained in this concept note. The consultant will be responsible for providing the following deliverables: 

The baseline survey will be conducted over a period of five weeks from 25th May to 30th June 2025.

8 Education, Experience and/or skills required

Each Submission must Include the Following: (Please ensure the attachment is in a single PDF file and the total size does not exceed 8 MB) 

SL#

Study Type

Study Title

Study Details (Summary)

Study Locations

Clients

Year

The consultant should have following competence. 

The Proposal should be written in English.

9 Travel required

The consultant needs to travel within the country for data collection under assignment A and assignment B.

10 Competencies 

Values

Core Competencies – behavioural indicators