Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Consultant

Context and Scope

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) seeks an experienced monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) consultant for the Climate Resilience Against Trafficking and Exploitation (CREATE) Project.

Climate change puts a strain on livelihoods, worsening pre-existing socio-economic vulnerabilities and can lead to an increase in high-risk migration as a coping strategy among affected populations. This may include resorting to migrant smugglers and other agents, which in turn increases vulnerability to trafficking and associated forms of exploitation and abuse, particularly when knowledge about these risks is limited.

The impact of climate change, however, is rarely considered as a potential contributor to human trafficking and the nexus remains relatively unexplored. Evidence and understanding of the different impacts of slow and sudden onset hazards at the community level, as well as appropriate and effective responses is limited.

The CREATE project is a pilot initiative aimed at reducing risks of trafficking by supporting climate-resilient and trafficking-aware communities in hotspots in Ethiopia and the Philippines and building the evidence base on the climate change-human trafficking nexus.

To achieve the overall objective, the project will work across four outcomes:

1. At-risk communities in key hotspots have more climate-resilient livelihoods;
2. At-risk communities increase their knowledge and understanding of trafficking risks;
3. Local disaster response frameworks in the Philippines mainstream counter-trafficking considerations through community-driven approaches (Philippines only);
4. The evidence base on the climate change-human trafficking nexus and programmatic responses is enhanced;

Working at the community-level in key hotspot locations in Ethiopia and Philippines, the project seeks to reduce risks of trafficking by supporting the communities to be more climate-resilient and trafficking-aware. The project draws on the theoretical and practical knowledge which has emerged from climate change adaptation projects, particularly resilient livelihoods (as well as disaster risk reduction and ecosystem management), applying these to a trafficking context. The project will also contribute to enhancing the evidence-base on the ways in which climate change can impact migration and vulnerability to trafficking, and generate learning about potential responses.

Ethiopia and Philippines have been chosen as target countries as they are both significantly impacted by both climate change and human trafficking. In Ethiopia, the climate impacts are usually characterised by slow-onset events and processes (such as drought), while in the Philippines, the climate change impacts are usually characterised by sudden-onset events (such as typhoons).

In particular, the project will focus on two communities within each country experiencing climate change impacts, as well as high levels of out and return migration, where some of the migration dynamics can be characterised as high-risk, due to the use of smugglers / agents, or where there are known patterns of exploitation.

In the Philippines, two communities are being selected from Region V (Bicol), which is most prone to sudden onset events particularly disruptive typhoons, heavy rainfalls and floods, and where there is high dependence on climate-sensitive resources and livelihoods (such as fishing and agriculture), and which host a large number of Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) returnees.

In Ethiopia, two communities are being selected from the Oromia and Amhara Regional States, targeting Kebeles whose livelihoods are primarily focused on agriculture and where there are high numbers of migrants and returnees, primarily who travelled to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries, on routes which often involve abuse and exploitation.

The M&E consultant will be responsible for reviewing and further developing the CREATE project’s MEL framework, drafting new tools as required.

The consultant will report to the Project Manager in London but will be required to work very closely with the country project teams based on Philippines and Ethiopia.

Key Tasks and Deliverables

Tasks:

1. Review and strengthen the project’s MEL framework, including the MEL plan and the results matrix. In particular, this will involve:

   1. further developing the results monitoring framework to ensure that the terms of each indicator are clearly defined and understood, as well as the data collection method/tools, frequency and approach. This will need to be done in collaboration with the two Country Offices to ensure they reflect the different project contexts and local MEL plans. Where differences exist between the two countries (e.g., in terms of disaggregation requirements), this will need to be clearly detailed
   2. further developing the reporting tool to be used which covers progress made across the project as well as by individual country (results matrix or logframe).

2. Develop key MEL tools to be used to gather baseline, monitoring and evaluation data, including tools that gather qualitative information. This task will require a review of existing MEL tools used by both IOM Philippines and Ethiopia for similar project activities to ensure alignment and to build on established approaches.

3. As required, conduct online training/orientation of country project teams on the revised MEL framework and tools, ensuring they understand how they should be used.

Deliverables:

1. 1. Inception report on the assignment
   2. Updated MEL plan and reporting tool
   3. MEL tools
   4. Delivery of online training /orientation to country office staff