Project Context and Scope
Albanian citizens are likely to continue to emigrate for employment, which will have a major impact on the country's development. Therefore, it is important to provide valid alternatives of employment in the country, especially in those areas experiencing a considerable tourism inflow in the recent years. Other considerable changes to the migration landscape in Albania include: the facilitation of internal migration of the Albanian workforce, an increase in employment opportunities for potential internal migrants, the creation of sustainable reintegration opportunities for returned migrants also, the encouragement of diaspora investment, plus the engagement of communities and businesses representatives will all reinforce conditions for working, living and investing in Albania.ย
In August 2024, IOM Albania started the implementation of the project โStrengthening Local Institutional Capacities on Migration in Albaniaโ funded by the UK Government. The aim of this project is to contribute to enabling local governments to effectively manage migration and diaspora matters. This includes a focus on promoting employment for internal migrants, reintegrating returned migrants, and encouraging diaspora investments, while strengthening inter-institutional coordination and migration stakeholders' engagement, all the while reshaping the narrative on migration.
The project will support central and local institutions in Albania to develop and strengthen capacities, whilst piloting the legal, administrative, and operational procedures for internal migration. In addition, it will build capacity among institutions on return and reintegration, and diaspora engagement aiming to increase employment opportunities for the Albanian workforce. This will be done in tandem with supporting the inter-institutional cooperation of local and central government agencies, both vertical and horizontal coordination. In addition, the project aims to change the narrative on migration targeting the public at large with a special focus on youth and their self-improvement/empowerment.ย
This includes:ย
- Consolidating the national regulatory framework by drafting new guidelines, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on internal migration, return and reintegration of Albanian emigrants, diaspora engagement in local development, and developing inter-agency cooperation protocols followed by trainings, and capacity building of public officials at local level to effectively apply, test and pilot the improved framework.
- Exploring and supporting cooperation opportunities and mechanisms between local government, business community representatives, local communities, and other stakeholders to encourage internal migration aiming to increase employment opportunities for Albanian workforce. Additionally strengthening the horizonal and vertical cooperation between the two governance levels and other related stakeholders, including a fully-fledged communication campaign targeting all segments of society, with a focus on youth and women. This will be achieved through designing and implementing Inter-Municipal Pacts for Employment (IMPEs) between Municipalities, business community representatives and the public employment/VET services. Selected Municipalities in North Albania (most affected by emigration) and South/coastal municipalities (most affected by considerable seasonal tourism) will participate in the design and piloting of the IMPEs.
- IMPEs will serve as a competitive alternative to securing job opportunities, decent salaries, skills development, transfer of knowledge and skills to home municipalities, compliance with the labour code and the social/health insurance legal frame, while discouraging - from an individual, social and economic perspective - irregular migration abroad from Albania. The Inter-municipal Pacts for Employment will act as an effective tool for employability, especially with regard to internal migration, thus contributing to contrasting irregular emigration, especially from the most marginalized areas of Albania.
The principle of inter-municipal cooperation is embedded in the Albanian Law on Self-Governance. The establishment of IMPEs will be founded on environmental, social and economic sustainability. Well-formulated and well-structured IMPEs can create quality jobs, reduce inequalities, and advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as the objectives of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration. IMPEs also foster shared commitments and responsibilities, enhancing opportunities and improving citizens' quality of life, as well as empower migrants as agents of change. As instruments of participatory democracy, IMPEs are built on the quality of relationships among institutions, economic and social representatives, mutual recognition of each signatory's role in society, shared strategic objectives, and collective responsibility.
The project will also ensure gender mainstreaming and the inclusion of minority groups, promoting inclusivity and diversity in the relevant practices. In summary, the project will help Albania develop more effective and inclusive opportunities for its residents, with a focus on strengthening local capacities.
To achieve the project objective, the project team are working to ensure that (Outcome 2): Inter-municipal Pacts for Employment (IMPEs) are enforced and contribute to a prompt, predictable, safe, and orderly internal migration process.ย To do so, the following activities are planned to be implemented including:ย
- Support with the creation of at least 1 IMPE involving at least four selected Municipalities in north and north-eastern Albania (affected by potential outgoing internal migration) and at least 3 coastal/large Municipalities (affected positively by incoming tourism and working opportunities). The IMPE(s) will set clear objectives for internal migration employment opportunities, employability outcomes and indicators and division of tasks for achieving the envisaged results.
- The IMPE will include local partnerships with business communities, employers' associations, sectoral associations (such as the Tour Operators and Tourism Associations) trade unions, regional offices of the National Agency for Employment Agency (NAES), etc. These partnerships will be supported through the organization of Migration and Diaspora Local Community and Business Forums at the municipal level.
In the framework of the project, the baseline assessment of the local government capacities on migration and diaspora governance, and inter-institutional cooperation, will be built upon to define the legal and institutional framework and capacitiesย to promote employment opportunities for internal migrants, the reintegration of returned migrants, and the facilitation of diaspora investments in Albania.ย More specifically the baseline assessment will serve the following purposes under specific themes such as: Legal and institutional framework, inter-institutional cooperation; Internal Migration - Inter-municipal Pacts for Employment (IMPEs); Capacity building needs; Stakeholder analysis and mapping of public authorities at a central and local level and Diaspora and Migration Structures (DMS) services and pilot municipalities.ย
In reference to this consultancy the baseline assessment will, among others, serve the following purposes:ย
- Evaluate the baseline assessment conducted on promoting employment for internal migrants, reintegrating returned migrants, and encouraging diaspora investments, at municipal level and inter-institutional cooperation between the local and central level institutions. Through this evaluation, identify the gaps and needs to propose the most feasible approaches to achieve the above project objectives.ย
- Take stock of the current legal and institutional frame on promoting employment for internal migrants, reintegrating returned migrants, and encouraging diaspora investments, identifying each actor's roles and responsibilities, resources and capacities, and main gaps, to inform the design of the new legal and institutional frameworks for regular emigration and to provide suggestions for reviewing the current legislation related to migration and labour migration governance.ย
- Provide suggestions for a coordination mechanism at both horizontal and vertical level, taking into consideration the existing mechanisms, adding more responsibilities and actors and/or proposing new ones.ย
- Explore the cooperation opportunities, mechanisms and best practices between Albanian municipalities and fields of cooperation; between municipalities, business community representatives, local communities, and other stakeholders to facilitate internal migration for employment opportunities.ย
- Identify mechanisms and any existing forum like the Inter-municipal Pacts for Employment (IMPEs)ย between Albanian Municipalities and other actors. Additionally, identify municipalities in need of increased labour force and the skills needed to match labour market gaps as well as the municipalities with high level of unemployment and the skills available. Propose the IMPE between the municipality whose unemploymentโ skills match the labour market needs of the other municipality.ย
- Explore municipalities willingness to enter into the Inter-municipal Pacts for Employment (IMPEs) relationships with other Municipalities and other relevant actors as well as cooperation mechanisms and tools in operational level.ย
In addition, in the framework of the project the process for the development of the Standard Operation Procedures including the consultation workshop and training delivery on Standard Operation Procedures of the Migration and Diaspora Structures in municipal level regarding the internal migration, targeting 61 municipalities officials and other stakeholders is going on.ย
Two consultants, 1 international consultant and 1 local consultant will be engaged to develop the Inter-municipal Pacts for Employment (IMPEs).ย
The engagement of the Local consultant will take place for 30 working days starting from potentially 26.12.2024 to 31.03.2025.ย ย
The engagement will serve the following purposes under the specific themes as below:
- Consolidated Regulatory Framework:ย
- Development of the methodology, the tools, the process and the timeframe for the design and implementation of the IMPEs in Albania, including identifying relevant actors.ย
- Explore and support cooperation opportunities and mechanisms between relevant actors (local government, business community representatives, local communities, and other stakeholders) to encourage internal migration aiming to increase employment opportunities as well as strengthening the horizonal and vertical cooperation between the two governance levels and other related stakeholders.ย
- Development of the Inter-municipal Pacts for Employment (IMPEs) tool for Albania.ย
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Organizational Department / Unit to which the Consultant is contributingLabour Migration /ย Strengthening Local Institutional Capacities on Migration in Albaniaย Tasks to be performed under this contract
The Local consultant in close cooperation with the international consultant, will submit deliverables as below both in English and Albanian language:ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
First deliverable โ Inception reportย including a methodology, tools, the process, and the timeframe for the design and implementation of the IMPEs in Albania; to be reviewed and endorsed byย IOM. โ Deliverable by email potentially by 20 January 2025. Second deliverable โ Development of the Inter-municipal Pacts for Employment (IMPEs) including theย methodology, tool, the process timeframe, cooperation opportunities and mechanismsย to be reviewed and endorsed by IOM. Deliverable by email potentially by 10 February 2025. First instalment payment Third deliverable โ Piloting Inter-municipal Pacts for Employment (IMPEs) in selected municipalitiesย to be reviewed and endorsed by IOMย - Deliverable by email potentially by 28 February 2025. Fourth deliverable โ Facilitation of the entire process from initiation until the final approval of the Inter-municipal Pacts for Employment (IMPEs) by relevant authorities and support stakeholder consultations throughout the process, in cooperation with IOM.ย Deliverable by email potentially by 10 March 2025. Second instalment payment Fifth Deliverable -ย Develop and submit capacity-building/guidance tools for agencies involved in Inter-municipal Pacts for Employment (IMPEs)ย including M&E tools for the capacity building sessionsย - Deliverable by email potentially by 15 March 2025. Sixth Deliverable - submit a consultancy report on the work done under this assignment including findings, recommendations, and best practices if any.ย โ Deliverable by email potentially by 25 March 2025.ย Third instalment payment Performance indicators for the evaluation of results timeliness,ย responsibility,ย initiative,ย communication,ย satisfactory completion of tasks indicated in this ToR;ย quality of products delivered.ย Education Completed advanced degree from an accredited academic institution in legal studies, development and other related areas.ย Completed Third Cycle studies (Phd) would be an advantage.ย Experience At least 5 years of relevant professional experience Proven experience in the conduct of similar assignments Relevant experience related to migration governance and esp. labour migration would be an advantage. Relevant experience related to local governance would be an advantage Experience in legal documents -drafting, institutional processes analysis, report writing, presentations. Experience in production of analytical work, both written reports and brief presentations of research Relevant experiences in Albania or in the Western Balkans would be an advantage Skills Ability to communicate with a wide range of stakeholders (public authorities, local authorities, migrants, private sector, etc.) Effective communicator, both orally and written Ability to maintain accuracy & confidentiality in performing responsibilities Good communication skills in both written and oral form Strong interpersonal & intercultural skills with an attention to detail LanguagesFluency in English and Albanian is required (oral and written)ย
IOMโs official languages are English, French and Spanish. Proficiency of language(s) required will be specifically evaluated during the selection process, which may include written and/or oral assessments. ย Travel required No Required Competencies ย IOMโs competency framework can be found atย this link. Competencies will be assessed during the selection process. ย 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. 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. Courage: Demonstrates willingness to take a stand on issues of importance. Empathy: Shows compassion for others, makes people feel safe, respected and fairly treated. Core Competenciesย โ 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 Organizationโs priorities and assumes responsibility for own actions and delegated work. Communication: Encourages and contributes to clear and open communication. Explains complex matters in an informative, inspiring and motivational way. Notes Any offer made to the candidate in relation to this vacancy notice is subject to funding confirmation. Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, verification of residency, visa, and authorizations by the concerned Government, where applicable. Vaccination against COVID-19 will be required for IOM personnel who are hired or otherwise engaged by IOM. As part of the mandatory medical entry on duty clearance, candidates may be requested to provide evidence of full vaccination. Consultants engaged to work on a home-based consultancy who do not need to travel do not need to provide vaccination records, regardless of the length of the consultancy contract. IOM covers Consultants against occupational accidents and illnesses under the Compensation Plan (CP), free of charge, for the duration of the consultancy. IOM does not provide evacuation or medical insurance for reasons related to non-occupational accidents and illnesses. Consultants are responsible for their own medical insurance for non-occupational accident or illness and will be required to provide written proof of such coverage before commencing work. 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. IOM only accepts duly completed applications submitted through the IOM online recruitment system. The online tool also allows candidates to track the status of their application. For further information and other job postings, you are welcome to visit our website:ย IOM Careers and Job Vacancies