Nature of the consultancy
To conduct a post-implementation impact assessment for the Social and Behavioural Communication (SBCC) programme, identify existing harmful beliefs and attitudes regarding the appropriate roles and behaviours of vulnerable women in migration and support NGOs in implementing SBCC campaigns with methodological materials and guidelines. The post-implementation assessment will guide the refinement of SBCC strategies, materials, and approaches to ensure a greater impact on vulnerable women in migration. By equipping NGOs with the necessary tools and methodologies, the programme can foster long-term behavioural and societal changes.
Objectives
Conduct a comprehensive assessment of interventions implemented to change behavior and strengthen positive attitudes towards women in each community. Determine the effectiveness and efficiency of the measures implemented and propose recommendations for further action.
Project Context and Scope
The five countries of Central Asia โ Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan โ are closely linked in terms of history and culture.ย Issues of migration management in these countries are therefore also linked and share strong commonalities.ย The latest migration trends in Central Asia have placed the issue of migration high on the regional agenda.ย Migration, as a cross-cutting issue, influences all aspects of life of all countries, including national security, social and economic development, health and education, labour and employment, environment and gender.ย Some Central Asian countries recognize migrantsโ contribution to economic development and poverty reduction, yet migrants are the most unprotected and vulnerable group of the population in Central Asia.ย Women in migration face specific severe risks due to being both a woman and a migrant or a remittance-dependent household. The dynamic migration landscape in the region, calls also for increased attention of all stakeholders to ensure that migrant vulnerabilities are identified, and that migrants, especially women, are being protected throughout their migratory experience.ย This certainly requires concerted efforts at the national level but also a greater regional cooperation. The need for strengthened cooperation and response has become even more pressing during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.ย
The regional project aims to contribute to the protection of migrants and increase the resilience of vulnerable migrants, especially women, in Central Asia, in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.ย
The project will achieve this overall objective by accomplishing the following three outcomes at the individual and at the household/family level, at the community and at the structural levels:ย
- Outcome 1: Women in the context of migration are empowered to participate in the labour market in countries of origin and destination (at the individual, household/family levels)ย
- Outcome 2: Target communities in Central Asia adopt gender equitable attitudes and behaviours towards women in the context of migration (at the community level)ย
- Outcome 3: Strengthened national response to migrantsโ vulnerabilities through consolidated coordination platforms, and cooperation among all relevant actors, also in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic (at the structural level)ย
Outcome 2: Target communities in Central Asia adopt gender equitable attitudes and behaviours towards vulnerable women in the context of migration (at the community level)ย
To achieve Outcome 2, IOM will use the Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) programming using a phased-based approach, which includes analysis and problem definition, strategy design, development and testing, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation.ย In each participating country, IOM will identify country-specific harmful community beliefs and attitudes about the appropriate roles and behaviours of women in migration that contribute to vulnerability in a gendered way and will propose SBCC campaigns to challenge and change these behaviours and practices, and the beliefs, values, attitudes, and norms that underlie them. The country-specific campaigns will be rolled out at community level and will use a combination of channels such as interpersonal communication, community/folk media, mass/mid-media, digital and social media โ applying the most appropriate method of communication for the community. This shall further result in an increased propension of community members to show knowledge, attitudes and behaviours that support gender equality and the respect of the rights of migrant women.
Organizational Department / Unit to which the Consultant is contributing ย โProtection of Vulnerable Migrants with Special Emphasis on Empowering Women in the context of Migration in Central Asiaโ / PX.0327 Tasks to be performed under this contract
a) Analyze and evaluate the results (results, impact, sustainability) of the interventions on harmful beliefs and attitudes regarding the appropriate roles and behaviors of vulnerable women in migration that the project aims to change. - Assess the pre-existing harmful beliefs and attitudes toward vulnerable women in migration.
- To interview beneficiaries, primary, secondary and tertiary target audiences.
- To analyze local communication tools and channels.
b. Strategy development
Assess achievement of defined KPIs (key performance indicators). Assess available resources to conduct effective SBCC campaigns.c. Design and testing
Based on the assessment and as needed: Update the SBCC campaign methodology guide for NGO partners: Include analysis of harmful community beliefs and attitudes in two districts from the final report. Include developed strategies for segmented messages for each target group. Include analysis of appropriate communication channels for each message and target group. Supplement guidance on use of specific types of communication channels for specific target groups, considering technical features of the channels and local context. Supplement communication materials instructions, including structure of segmented messages for each target group and communication channel based on needs assessment results. Suggest recommendations for improving methodology and strategy for future activities and projects.Tangible and measurable output of the work assignment
Consultancy Deliverables:
Assessment Report: Comprehensive analysis of the SBCC programmeโs pre- and post-implementation outcomes. Documentation of identified gaps and areas needing further intervention. Methodological Recommendations: Refined SBCC materials and tools based on feedback and evidence collected. Best practices and guidelines for NGOs to strengthen future SBCC campaigns. Capacity-Building Strategy: Framework for monitoring and evaluating the long-term impact of SBCC interventions. Stakeholder Engagement Plan: Recommendations for engaging community leaders, influencers, and policymakers in addressing harmful beliefs. Strategies for fostering multi-stakeholder collaboration to sustain behavioral change.Approach and Methodology
Conduct mixed-method research, including surveys, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews. Perform a desk review of existing SBCC materials, guidelines, and project reports. Utilize participatory approaches to engage NGOs, community stakeholders, and beneficiaries in the assessment process. Evaluation methodology developed, report outline and structure as part of the methodology. Questionnaires for interviews with beneficiaries, three types of target groups and relevant NGOs developed: 4 questionnaires for target groups and 1 questionnaire for NGOs. Interviews with NGOs, beneficiaries and target groups conducted. Methodological Guide updated (especially the part on communication materials instructions) based on the results of the evaluation of the achievements of the activities. Activity analysis report including quantitative and qualitative indicators. Detailed recommendations for improving the approaches and methodology. Presentation of key results to IOM and partners. The activities are expected to be organized and implemented within the period specified in the IOM project (15 February โ 15 April 2025). Performance indicators for the evaluation of results Satisfactory completion of all tasks. Quality of the elaborated assessment, analysis, report, and methodological guide. Timely delivery of drafts, reports, and other materials indicated above. Delivery of any other tasks indicated above. Education Master's degree in Social Science, Social Work, Communications, or International Relations with an emphasis on research methodologies, data collection, and analysis, and monitoring and evaluation; or Bachelorโs degree in the above fields with six years of relevant professional experience. Experience At least 5 years of professional experience, preferably in Tajikistan and/or Central Asia, conducting community research, including data collection and analysis. Experience working with vulnerable populations, including migrants, Afghan communities, and victims of trafficking. Experience with qualitative methods, including Focus Group Discussions and Key Informant Interviews. Proven work record in a multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary environment. Technical knowledge, skills and experience related to SBCC is a strong advantage. Experience working on projects focused on social cohesion is a strong advantage. Direct experience in the design, development, and implementation of data management cycle, from planning to reporting. Experience in data compilation and report writing. Skills Strong and demonstrable interest in research, project impact assessment associated with human mobility, migration and displacement matters. Excellent writing, communication and analytical skills. Ability to prepare clear and concise reports. Advanced level of computer literacy. Effectively coordinates actions with partners and stakeholders. Proven analytical skills and creative thinking. Excellent communication skills, efficiency, and flexibility. Strong information management architecture knowledge, Kobo development, concepts of Relational Database Systems is an advantage. Languages Fluency in English and Tajik. Working knowledge of Russian. 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 Travel is required to the project implementation sites. 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