Nature of the consultancy: To develop a gender-sensitive and rights-based Training of Trainers (ToT) Package for the Government of Zimbabwe Employment officials.

Project Background / Rationale

With the adoption of the National Labour Migration Policy on 2019, the recruitment industry has a significant role to play in Zimbabwe’s labour migration landscape. As actors at the centre of labour market supply chains in countries of origin, transit and destination, recruiters are key in contributing towards decent work and fair and ethical recruitment standards to and from Zimbabwe. Yet there still exist gaps and deficits in promoting ethical recruitment. Labour migration in Zimbabwe has been evolving rapidly and at the same time coinciding with rising human capital demands in poorly regulated sectors such as agriculture, care and domestic work, construction, and hospitality to mention but a few. Crucially, in Zimbabwe, there appears to be significant foreign recruitment across sectors from highly skilled health and education personnel as well as semi-skilled and low-skilled occupations such as nurse aides, care workers and cruise ship personnel. Yet significantly, these labour migration trends predominantly occur outside the purview of government regulations or formally regulated channels. With a growing realisation that failure to address these complex labour dynamics in the country, foreign recruitment is increasingly seen as one of the ways through which people on the move can easily be denied their human rights protections, notwithstanding the element that the COVID-19 crisis also amplified vulnerabilities of labour migrants across the globe. The Government of Zimbabwe therefore realizes that it is crucial to design programmes and policies that effectively address unscrupulous recruitment practices to mitigate abuses of migrant workers through forced labour, trafficking in persons, modern day slavery and domestic servitude situations.

It has been since observed that migrants are confronted by a myriad of challenges throughout the migration cycle as they often fall prey to fraudulent and abusive recruitment practices, usually through well-orchestrated recruitment scams and traps which may lead them to become victims of forced labour and exploitation. Furthermore, the GoZ recognizes that labour migration can reap positive benefits for both countries of origin, transit, and destination if well managed and planned in line with SDG target 10.7 which calls for facilitating safe, orderly, and responsible migration and mobility of people through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies. Against this context, it was realised that there are opportunities through the NLMP for the GoZ, in coordination with the recruitment industry and other partners to play a vital role in regulating, implementing, and monitoring recruitment practices in order to engender protection of labour migrants. This recognition led to the birthing of the project “Strengthening the Government of Zimbabwe’s Capacities in Ethical Recruitment” whose overall objective is to strengthen ethical recruitment practices in Zimbabwe and capacitate players in the recruitment industry to understand and implement fair and ethical recruitment practices in Zimbabwe. Thus, as a follow-up to the NLMP, IOM is supporting the GoZ to operationalize the National Labour Migration Policy through strengthening the governments capacities in ethical recruitment practices. Building on labour migration as one of the strategic priorities that the GoZ has set to be synchronized and mainstreamed into the national development strategy, migration support services that aim to promote safe and regular migration as well as uphold the rights of labour migrants has thus emerged as a key priority. To achieve these aims, promoting ethical recruitment practices among private employment agencies and frontline employment officers in government is a crucial step which will lead to the realization of sustainable development goals (SDGs) and the Global Compact for Migration (GCM). Specific SDG goals, notably goal 8 mandates member states to ensure decent work and economic growth for all through the promotion of decent, safe, and secure work environments for migrants. Explicitly, SDG target 8.7 recommends states to take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern day slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers and by 2025, end child labour in all its forms. This goal is complemented GCM objective 6 which calls for member states to ensure decent work for migrants by facilitating fair and ethical recruitment and safeguard conditions that ensure decent work.

It is in the spirit of Agenda 2030, the GCM, the AU Migration Policy Framework for Africa, the SADC Migration Policy Framework, and the National Development Strategy 1 (2021-2025) and the National Labour Migration Policy that the GoZ that this project is being implemented by the GoZ with technical support from IOM. The overall objective of this project is to strengthen ethical recruitment practices in Zimbabwe in order to capacitate PEAs and frontline employment officers to understand and implement fair and ethical recruitment practices in Zimbabwe. Crucially, an effective and responsive implementation of the National Labour Migration Policy requires capacitation of all players involved in foreign labour market supply chains in all provinces countrywide through programmes that have strong linkages to international recruitment standards, notably IOM’s IRIS Standard and ILO labour standards. Against this milieu, three capacity building training workshops on ethical recruitment were conducted from November 2021 to July 2022 to capacitate stakeholders on ethical recruitment and sensitize them to international recruitment standards and practices. The capacity trainings led to the development of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for PEAs and employment officers to provide step by step guidance in ethical recruitment processes and obligations. These SOPs were developed with guidance from regional and global SOPs as bench markers for best practices for adoption and represent a significant milestone of labour migration governance in Zimbabwe.

Subsequent to the validation and adoption of the SOPs, the Ethical Recruitment Project is now set to proceed to the next phase which is to develop a gender-sensitive labour recruitment Training of Trainers Package (ToT) which will include the development of a curriculum and online modules for the GoZ and the private sector, targeting frontline employment officials. The development of this package will be guided by SOPs and its purpose will be to provide well-developed guidelines and insights to trainers on the methodologies to be used in conducting training for employment officers and provide a reference and steps to be followed in the trainings in all provinces in Zimbabwe. It is anticipated that the curriculum and modules to be developed shall be grounded in a rights-based approach, guided by international norms and standards which will include but will not be limited to the IRIS standards and Montreal Recommendations on Recruitment. Ultimately, this curriculum will be published for wide reach to stakeholders which will include civil society organizations and tripartite negotiating forum (TNF) members which comprises of government, employer organizations and organized labour i.e., trade unions. The ToT will be cascaded through a Trainer of Trainers workshop and eventually be rolled out through provincial workshops targeted to reach relevant stakeholders in all provinces of Zimbabwe.

To accomplish this, the project seeks to achieve the following main outcome and expected output:

Outcome 1: Government of Zimbabwe promotes and facilitates ethical and fair recruitment practices and processes in a rights-based and migrant-centered manner in accordance with international standards

Expected Output: Contextualized gender- sensitive labour recruitment ToT package including online modules developed for the Government of Zimbabwe and the private sector.

To this end, IOM seeks to engage the services of a Consultant to undertake the development of comprehensive training module/ curriculum in English for the Government of Zimbabwe and players in the recruitment industry, in close consultation with the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare. Priority focus areas of gender sensitive and rights-based ToT development will focus on curricula development that is set to strengthen and sustain capacities developed in the initial trainings through:

1. Supporting the GoZ to set up a comprehensive and operational training mechanism that promotes ethical recruitment practices anchored in the National Labour Migration Policy.

2. Address capacity gaps through national and sub-national levels to respond to labour migration effectively and adequately through curriculum development and online modules which will target a wide reach of stakeholders in the recruitment industry.

3. Support achievement of SDGs and the GCM to promote decent work that promotes economic growth through development of an online training portal that can facilitate remote learning in labour migration and ethical recruitment.

  1. Purpose of the Consultancy

The Consultant will develop a gender sensitive and rights-based ToT package on ethical recruitment for rolling out nationally.

  1. Specific expectations, Deliverables, and payment terms

Key expectations:

  1. Scoping and analysis of existing guidelines: Undertake a rapid analysis of current global and regional guidelines and resources to inform the development of the localised context- sensitive ToT. The scoping will include relevant national, regional, and international legislations and policies that have been adopted or ratified pertaining to labour migration and ethical recruitment and training documents / materials in order to fully grasp the ground situation.
  2. Carry out a gap analysis: Identify gaps in knowledge and capacity of all relevant stakeholders which will include consultations and meetings / interviews with stakeholders working in the recruitment industry.
  3. Consultations with key stakeholders and develop draft ToT guide: Based on the scoping analysis, engage with relevant stakeholders i.e., MOPSLSW, private sector and other relevant stakeholders to develop a draft ToT package which will include curriculum and modules.
  4. Develop training material: Based on the above, develop training material (manuals, handouts) for duty bearers in the labour migration industry. The modules, though not limited to the outlined topics will be focused on labour migration; roles and responsibilities of employment officers based on existing, laws, policies, and practices; labour laws, national legislation and policy, regional, sub-regional and international frameworks; decent work; ethical recruitment standards and practices; migrant protection, trafficking in persons, foreign recruitment etc.
  5. Validation workshop: Assist the IOM project team to convene a stakeholder’s validation workshop of the draft guide before finalization where the guided will be subjected to expert reviews.
  6. Produce a final practical ToT package for duty-bearers: After the validation workshop, pilot the ToT first and then producea guide that will focus on ethical recruitment standards and approaches with practical guidance on how to follow and implement fair recruitment practices throughout the migration cycle i.e., pre-departure, transit, arrival, and return. This should also include a comprehensive resource directory of all relevant government ministries, agencies, and departments (MDAs) and private sector players with focal points and their alternates.
  7. Assist the IOM project team: To facilitate a Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop to train frontline employment officials (key resource persons) who will in turn be focal persons in cascading the training downwards to all provinces.
  8. Submit final reports: Produce a well written and comprehensive end of assignment report, final copies of the guide and final copies of the training manual
  9. Final deliverables:
  • Inception report, outlining the approach, methodology and work plan with timelines.
  • One training needs assessment report which will include desk review, situation report and stakeholder and gap analysis reports.
  • Comprehensive curriculum
  • Validation workshop and workshop report
  • Finalized ToT package developed
  • Training of front-line officials based on ToT
  • Final / end of assignment report.

Travel required

Local / in-country field travel may be required for meetings with Government Stakeholders and other relevant partners and to pilot the ToT package.

  1. Competencies

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 action and delegated work. – Communication: encourages and contributes to clear and open communication; explains complex matters in an informative, inspiring, and motivational way.

Values

      • Inclusion and respect for diversity respects and promotes individual and cultural differences; encourages diversity and inclusion wherever possible. – Integrity and transparency: maintain 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.
  1. Payment terms:

Output/ Deliverable

Payment amount

Inception report, outlining the approach, methodology and work plan with timelines.

10%

Training Needs Assessment Report

10%

Curriculum development for duty bearers

40%

Validation workshop

20%

Final ToT Package, training officials and end of assignment/ final report

20%

  1. Required Skills and Experience

The consultant must possess the following attributes:

  • Master’s degree in Migration Studies / Development Studies/ Social Sciences/ Law or related field
  • Solid understanding of labour and employment context in Zimbabwe
  • A strong background in labour migration
  • A sound background in fair and ethical recruitment
  • Strong knowledge and understanding of trafficking in persons
  • Have the proven ability to engage effectively and constructively with the GoZ officials, social partners, IOM, and other relevant stakeholders
  • Deep knowledge of government structures and experience of working government officials
  • Demonstrated knowledge and skills in facilitating stakeholder/working group consultations and training
  • Excellent writing, editing and oral communication skills in English
  • At least five years’ experience working in the field of training, labour migration, labour law and rights etc
  • Demonstrated experience in developing training materials preferably in labour migration-related issues. Previous experience in developing manuals for UN agencies would be an added advantage
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills including quality report-writing skills
  • Extensive knowledge of migration governance in Zimbabwe
  • Knowledge of and commitment to IOM Vision, Mission, and Strategic goals
  1. Management and Support Arrangements

This consultancy will be supported under the overall supervision of IOM Governance and Development Unit.

  1. Time Frame

This consultancy shall be for a total of 60 working days with the contract commencing in January 2023 and expiring upon satisfactory completion of the services described above but not later than February 2023.

  1. Expected travel

The consultant will be expected to travel locally for consultations.

  1. Duty Station of the Consultancy:

Remote work/Home Based

  1. IOM Role
  • IOM will provide financial and logistical support to organize stakeholders for meetings/ workshops
  • Provide available relevant documents and information
  • Review the submitted draft reports
  • Support in contacting government and other relevant officials for meetings and consultations
  1. Conditions & Remuneration

IOM will contract the successful candidate under an individual contract and will be responsible for the payment of fees payable according to qualification and standard terms of payment and subject to satisfactory completion of assigned outputs.

How to apply

How to Apply

Interested candidates are invited to submit their cover letters (detailed expression of interest including technical and financial proposals) and CVs with names and contacts of three referees, citing references to previous similar work done. In the technical proposal, the prospective bidder should enclose any sample of previous similar work

All applications clearly indicating the position title in the subject line must be submitted on or before 17 January 2023 via e-mail to procurementbids@iom.int. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Posting period:

From 11 January 2023 to 22 January 2023

Notice: There is no application, processing, or another fee at any stage of the application process. IOM does not in any way solicit or screen for information in respect of HIV or AIDS and does not discriminate on the basis of disability, HIV/AIDS, ethnicity, or gender.