National Consultant to Provide Technical Support to the Government on the Seasonal Workers Scheme

  Project Context and Scope:   

Established in 1951, IOM, the UN Migration Agency, works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. IOM established its office in Kazakhstan in 1997. Since then, the Organization has been promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefits of all, providing services and advice to the government as well as to migrants. As the Country Office with Coordinating Functions for Central Asia, the IOM mission in Kazakhstan helps to address specific sub-regional migration issues and emerging trends in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, establishing priorities for project development in the country offices in the context of sub-regional strategies, policies and consultative processes.  

Since January 2024, IOM has been implementing the regional project “Supporting Safe and Orderly Migration from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to the UK”, funded by Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), which aims to contribute to the improvement of labour migration management in order to use the human mobility impact on development in countries of origin, as well as in countries of destination. Project participating countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. 

In Kazakhstan, recruitment of migrant workers under the SWS is officially carried out by the UK-based SWS operators (private recruitment companies) and their sub-contractors (also private recruitment companies) licensed by the UK government. Misinformation and fraud have been rife as there has thus far been no legitimate and reliable information disseminated by the Government of Kazakhstan on the SWS and more specifically, recruitment. Since 2020, the number of Kazakh nationals receiving the UK’s Seasonal Worker visas has grown significantly, exceeding 5,000 people in 2024. It is imperative that the migrants’ migration experiences are as positive as possible - from the recruitment process, to employment, to return - to mitigate  the risks and maximize the benefits of this migration for the livelihoods and quality of life of migrants and their families. 

The formal engagement of the Government of Kazakhstan in the implementation of the Seasonal Worker Scheme (SWS) has recently commenced with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening coordination and transparency in the recruitment process. Prior to this, recruitment of seasonal workers was largely ad hoc and carried out by various private recruitment agencies. In the absence of officially endorsed and reliable information from the Government on the SWS—particularly regarding recruitment procedures, misinformation has been widespread, increasing the risk of exploitation and abuse among prospective migrants. 

IOM will support governmental engagement in the seasonal worker scheme at the national level, ensuring that potential migrants receive accurate and reliable information about legal migration pathways, thereby reducing the risk of exploitation and trafficking. This initiative also helps regulate labor migration flows, protect workers' rights, and strengthen bilateral cooperation with the host country.  

 Organizational Department / Unit to which the Consultant is contributing: LMD, Safe Migration of Seasonal Workers from Central Asia to the UK/LM0612 

Tangible and measurable outputs of the work assignment.

In close coordination and cooperation with relevant staff members in IOM Kazakhstan, support the Labour Migration Unit:  

• Conduct an assessment of PDO Centers to identify strengths, gaps, and operational inefficiencies, while evaluating the adequacy of resources for effective SWS program implementation. 
  • Provide capacity-building support to PDO Centers at Labour Mobility Centers, focusing on sustainable reintegration practices, rights awareness, and access to services. 
    • Support the implementation of recommendations in PDO Centers during the previous phase of the project, ensuring the adaptation and integration of developed solutions into daily operations. 
      • Contribute to the implementation of a comprehensive database system in PDO Centers to track returnee profiles, services provided, and reintegration progress, ensuring compliance with data protection standards. 
        • Advise on the contextualization of Enbek.kz courses to ensure they are accessible and relevant to returnees, considering linguistic needs, educational backgrounds, and work experience. 
          • Facilitate engagement with key stakeholders, including government entities, migration authorities, and labour unions,hotline 1414 to strengthen coordination and policy coherence in collaboration with PDO Centers. 
            • Support the development of policy recommendations and analytical inputs based on data gathered from PDO Centers, consultations, and field insights to inform national strategies on return and reintegration. 
              • Support the development of long-term sustainability strategies for PDO Centers to ensure the continued effectiveness and impact of their operations. 

                Timeline: 

                •  Deliverable 1: Bi-monthly Report submission for June and July 2025 by July 15. 
                  • Deliverable 2: Bi-monthly Report submission for August and September 2025 by September 15. 
                    • Deliverable 3: Bi-monthly Report submission for October and November 2025 by November 15. 
                      • Deliverable 4: Bi-monthly Report submission for December 2025 and January 2026 by January 15. 
                        • Deliverable 5: Bi-monthly Report submission for February and March 2026 by March 15.  Education
                          • A bachelor's degree in social sciences, migration, international relations, or related fields.

                             Experience and/or skills required: 

                            • Prior experience in programme and admin work. 
                              • Extensive experience in communication with relevant government stakeholders. 
                                • Knowledge of English, Kazakh and Russian. 
                                  • Ability to communicate efficiently and concisely, strong organizational skills, attention to the details, personal commitments, capacity to work effectively and harmoniously with colleagues from varied cultures and professional backgrounds 

                                    Travel required: Undertake duty travel, as and when required.   Required Competencies   IOM’s competency framework can be found at this link. Competencies will be assessed during the selection process.   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 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 actions and delegated work.
                                      • Communication: Encourages and contributes to clear and open communication. Explains complex matters in an informative, inspiring and motivational way. Notes
                                        1. Any offer made to the candidate in relation to this vacancy notice is subject to funding confirmation.
                                        2. 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.
                                        3. 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.
                                        4. IOM has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and IOM, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities.
                                        5. 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.
                                        6. 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: IOM Careers and Job Vacancies