Policy Advocacy Consultant

Context:

The consultant will report to the National Project Officer in the IOM Philippines Country Office. The consultant will be required to work independently with minimal supervision; however, specific guidance from the project team in the IOM Country Office must be followed.

Nature of Consultancy: The purpose of the consultancy is to contribute to achieving the CARP project objective of fostering greater public awareness of climate change by: (a) strengthening media practitioners’ understanding of the climate crisis and their capacity to deliver robust, well-informed reportage on this thematic area; and (b) building media practitioners’ knowledge of evidence-based climate change messaging that is fully aligned with the Philippines’ existing policy strategy and international commitments, and that integrates safe, humane, and orderly migration as an adaptation measure.

Background

The Philippines ranks third among the most at-risk countries in the world on the index of extreme natural hazards, just behind Vanuatu and Tonga. Between the years 2013 to 2017, it experienced 72 extreme disaster events such as typhoons, storms and earthquakes.

Despite its high vulnerabilities to effects of climate change and high risks of climate change-induced displacement and forced migration, the Philippines remains lacking sufficient awareness and actions related to the migration and climate change nexus, both at the policy level and the public/community level. The Climate Change Commission (CCC) has requested IOM to provide technical assistance to ensure increased awareness of, and capacity on, facilitating safe and orderly migration as a risk mitigation strategy for affected communities.

The primary objective of this project is to support the Philippines to mitigate adverse impacts of climate-related events through enhancing policy and community level interventions integrating safe and orderly migration as a tool of resilience for at-risk communities. This will be achieved through a) increasing awareness and technical capacity of local government bodies, decision-makers, civil society, media and vulnerable communities to adapt to climate change and consider migration management as an opportunity to build community resilience and b) creating core messages on Climate Change and Migration advocacy and awareness at the national and local level to aid local government units and community organizations to produce evidence-based climate adaptive programmes integrating migration perspectives.

IOM Project to which the Consultancy is contributing: The Climate Change Adaptation and Community Resilience in the Philippines (CARP) project aims to support the Philippines in adapting to adverse impacts of climate-related events through enhancing policy and community-level interventions that integrate safe, humane, and orderly migration as an adaptation strategy and resilience-building tool for at-risk communities. It is implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) – Philippines in cooperation with the Climate Change Commission (CCC), with funding from the IOM Development Fund. Through a combination of awareness promotion and evidence-based policy advocacy, the project will facilitate the development and adoption of effective climate change response programmes that integrate safe, humane, and orderly migration as adaptive measures (both at the local and national levels). The project also contributes to the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP) and the achievement of the Philippines’ commitments under the Global Compact for Migration (GCM) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Core Functions / Responsibilities:

1. With guidance from the project team, support the conduct of a series of dialogue/consultation sessions in selected communities at risk from the effects of climate-related events, with a specific focus on sectors with heightened vulnerability to these risks and/or with key roles in implementing adaptation strategies within the community. The consultant’s role in these activities may include supporting the project team in coordinating with stakeholders, drafting guide questions for the group discussions, assisting in the facilitation of the sessions, and/or documenting the activities;
2. Drawing on the Philippines’ National Climate Change Action Plan and IOM Philippines’ report “Framing the Human Narrative of Migration in the Context of the Climate Crisis,” in addition to the inputs from the community dialogues, draft a set of policy recommendations to guide actions by decision-makers at national and local level towards building community resilience to climate change through migration as an adaptation strategy;
3. In close cooperation with the project team, organize a virtual validation workshop convening the relevant stakeholders to gather feedback on the draft policy recommendations;
4. Based on the outcome of the validation workshop, consolidate all inputs into a short policy paper focusing on migration as a climate change adaptation strategy;
5. Present the paper to the Climate Change Commission (CCC) together with the project team, and participate in any follow-up meetings to discuss how the project outputs could be utilized to mainstream a migration lens into climate change policy implementation; and
6. Support the drafting of a post-activity survey/ evaluation tools, in close coordination with the project team.

Tangible and Measurable Outputs of the Work Assignment

The Consultant is expected to accomplish the following within six months:

1. With guidance from the project team, support the conduct of a series of community dialogues on the impact of climate-related events on vulnerable populations and on resilience strategies applied by Filipinos in areas affected by (super) typhoons, drought, sea level rise, or other effects of climate change;
2. Draft and finalize a brief policy paper to inform evidence-based policy-making on climate change, with an emphasis on mainstreaming migration as an adaptation strategy; and
3. Convene stakeholders for a validation workshop to gather feedback on the policy recommendations and participate in further discussions with the Climate Change Commission and/or other relevant actors to present the policy paper.

Realistic Delivery Dates and Details as to how the work must be delivered

These services shall be provided by the consultant, working on a hybrid modality (writing and research work, as well as some meetings to be held online; other activities may be conducted in person if circumstances permit) during a period of six (6) months, starting from 15 August 2022. Conduct of any face-to-face activities is understood to be subject to observance of applicable health protocols and to any movement restrictions that may be imposed by the Philippine government.

Deliverables are to be performed in accordance with the following indicative schedule:

• 15 to 31 August 2022 – desk research and meetings with the project team and the Climate Change Commission; preparatory coordination for community dialogues
• 15 September 2022 – submission of guide questions and workplan for community dialogues
• 16 to 30 September 2022 – preparations for community dialogues
• 01 October to 15 November 2022 – conduct of community dialogues
• 30 November 2022 – submission of draft policy recommendations
• 01 to 31 December 2022 – initial revision of draft; preparations for validation meeting
• 01 January 2023 (week of) – conduct of validation meeting
• 31 January 2023 – submission of final policy paper
• 15 February 2023 – deadline for final revisions; end of contract

Institutional Arrangement

The Consultant may be required to attend online or in-person meetings with the IOM project team and/or stakeholders (such as the Climate Change Commission or other relevant partners) on an ad hoc basis, to provide updates on deliverables and to ensure alignment with other project components. The Consultant may also need to travel to other regions/provinces of the Philippines (outside Metro Manila) to support the conduct of some project activities.

Performance indicators for evaluation results

• Quality and timeliness of the expected deliverables (value of services rendered in relation to their cost)
• Effective adaptation of thematic resources and information into materials and key messaging that are relevant to the target audience
• Application of a results-based approach to the consultancy – i.e. deliverables are aligned with project objectives and contribute concretely to the overall impact of the project
• Efficient coordination with the project team and all necessary stakeholders
• Strict adherence to ethical standards, including confidentiality and data protection

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Strong background in policy research and advocacy in the development sector
• Excellent writing and organizational skills; proven capacities in community organizing, capacity-building, and stakeholder coordination
• Ability to engage with a wide range of stakeholders, from grassroots level to national policymakers
• Prior advocacy or research experience on environmental issues, disaster response, internal displacement, or migration is desirable
• Relevant educational background in the Social Sciences, Public Administration, Law, Environmental Planning, or Community Development; or academic background in any field combined with relevant specialized experience
• Knowledge of/experience in climate change issues and policies in the Philippine context would be a clear advantage.
• Experience/familiarity with policies and practices of intergovernmental organizations or international NGOs is preferred.

Education

• Relevant educational background in the Social Sciences, Public Administration, Law, Environmental Planning, or Community Development; or academic background in any field combined with relevant specialized experience

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the UN Secretariat. For this position, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of a second official UN language is desirable.

Note

The consultant must adhere to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Data Protection Principles (IN/138) and maintain confidentiality.

The consultant will be responsible to follow IOM writing guidelines and latest glossaries in all given assignments for accurate translation.

IOM is an intergovernmental organization, and as such is exempted of all taxes in the Philippines. Therefore, it is not obligated to retain any taxes that should be owed to the Government of the Philippines as part of the execution of this contract. It is the sole responsibility of the contractor to comply with any fiscal obligations that might be applicable.

Copyright

The ownership of intellectual products developed during this project will be shared with the government entities partaking in its creation, as well as IOM’s regional office. Government agencies and the cooperating agency must be warranted visibility and recognition, through the use of their logos in every document and any other material that might be a result of these intellectual production. Applications received later or that do not specify the name of the call will not be considered.

Required Competencies

Values

• Inclusion and respect for diversity: respects and promotes individual and cultural differences; encourages diversity and inclusion wherever possible.
• 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.

Core Competencies – behavioural indicators level 1

• 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.

IOM’s competency framework can be found at this link.

Competencies will be assessed during a competency-based interview.

Other:

The appointment is subject to funding confirmation.

Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.

No late applications will be accepted.