Advancing Durable Solutions for Displaced Syrians- Consultant

Position Title: Advancing Durable Solutions for Displaced Syrians- Consultant

Duty Station: IOM Regional Office for Middle East and North Africa in Cairo, Egypt (RO), (Home-Based)

Type of Appointment: Category B Consultancy Contract for 61 days within three months period.

Estimated Start Date: As soon as possible

Closing Date: 20 November 2023

Reference number: EOI RO 2023 02

Established in 1951, IOM is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration and works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants.

Context and Scope:

After almost 12 years of conflict, the crisis in Syria continues to affect the lives of millions. While international efforts continue in finding a political solution to the crisis, 6.6 million people are internally displaced country-wide, while another 6.8 million Syrians remain as refugees in Türkiye, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt.

Affected populations face mounting challenges due to prolonged and protracted displacement, poor living conditions, restricted economic opportunities, and limited humanitarian access. These conditions have been made worse by the ongoing financial crises in the region exacerbating the existing vulnerabilities of affected populations.

A consultant will be contracted by IOM to research and collate technical inputs from stakeholders and affected populations for the purpose of developing a Resilience Strategy in Support of Advancing Durable Solutions for Displaced Syrians; mindful that any return must be voluntary and informed and ensure the safety and dignity of displaced Syrians under the right conditions.

The strategy will outline an approach to build the resilience of displaced Syrians to advance durable solutions and build social cohesion between host communities and refugees and strengthen, and ultimately guide and harmonize resilience programme design and implementation by the Türkiye, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Egypt COs within the current political parameters.

Organizational Department / Unit to which the Consultant is contributing*:*

Under the direct supervision of the RO MENA Syria Programme Coordinator and in close coordination with the Regional Emergency and Post Crisis Thematic Specialist, the selected consultant(s) will be responsible of developing the noted strategy through three key deliverables.

• Desktop study (15 working days (January 2024) – home-based)
• Consultations (20 working days (January / February 2024) – home-based and travel)
• Drafting the strategy and workshop (26 working days) (February /March 2024) – home-based and travel).

***Category B Consultants: Tangible and measurable outputs of the work assignment

First Deliverable: Desktop study

• Conduct desktop research to:
  • Conduct a stock take of resilience building programming, with a focus on an innovative graduation approach to livelihood programming tailored to the current regional context, that supports cash savings, access to key institutions (e.g., training institutions, trade cooperatives), finance (e.g community-based microfinancing schemes or Enterprise Development), engagement with the private sector, access to markets and services and skill development for both Syrian populations and the host communities and identify common best practice for the purpose of informing the strategy.
  • Review IOM’s existing global programmatic tools contributing to durable solutions, including community-based planning (CBP), Enterprise Development Fund (EDF), Grant Management System (GMS), solutions and mobility index (SMI), grant matching mechanism and others.
  • Assess challenges and opportunities concerning the achievement of durable solutions for Syrian refugees with a focus on possible voluntary return, host-countries refugee policies (including such as the right to work, freedom of movement, and access to social services) and the intentions of Syrian refugees.
  • Identify integrated and interconnected programming opportunities to support maximize the opportunities sustainably build resilience for displaced Syrians and within the framework of national laws.
• Prepare an initial report covering findings from the first deliverable, as well as recommendations for the knowledge, policies, systems, and tools to be developed (or amended) during the second deliverable of the consultancy. The initial report should include a workplan for the second and third deliverables of the consultancy.

Second Deliverable: Consultations

• Develop a list of Syria related stakeholder informants including IOM staff, CSOs and refugees (including the most vulnerable) to be targeted for interviews, develop questionnaires and the methodology for the purpose of testing recommendations from the first deliverable.
• Conduct key informant interviews in-person (when necessary) and online.
• Analyze research findings and prepare a preliminary analytical report with recommendations.

Third Deliverable: Drafting strategy and workshop

• In close collaboration with the Syria Programme Coordinator, the consultant will draft a strategy that will:
  • outline an approach to innovatively build the resilience of displaced Syrians to advance durable solutions and build social cohesion between host communities and refugees and strengthen, and ultimately guide and harmonize resilience programme design and implementation by the Türkiye, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Egypt COs within the current political parameters.
  • Consider how IOM can support the Syrian refugee decision making to ensure that any voluntary movement is informed, safe and dignified. Conditions in Syria for voluntary return to be possible (UNHCR outlined some – we should build on those)
  • Highlight under which conditions greater support can be provided by IOM to refugees in support to their voluntary return decision.
  • Explore partnerships with the private sector, government, communities and humanitarian and development actors, and donors.
• This strategy will be aligned with international and national frameworks, the Regional Refugee & Resilience Plan (3RP), and IOM’s global strategies and policies to support the resolution of displacement situations including:
  • Progressive Resolution of Displacement Situations (PRDS) Framework will be used to develop integrated, multi-level, multi-sectoral programming responding to humanitarian, transition and recovery and development needs.
  • IOM’s global programmatic tools for durable solutions (listed above)
  • Migration Crisis Operational Framework (MCOF) which lays out priority areas of intervention for each phase of the crisis-response management cycle.
  • The results-based Migration Governance Framework (MIGOF), which defines the principles and objectives underpinning IOM’s global activities.
  • Middle East and North Africa – Regional Strategy 2020–2024 that promotes the resilience of migrants while enhancing safe mobility and migration governance.
  • Principles for Humanitarian Action (PHA) (2015).
  • IOM Data Protection Principles (2009).
• In coordination with the Syria Programme Coordinator, the consultant will be facilitating a two-day workshop with IOM stakeholders from HQ, COs and Regional Office where the preliminary draft strategy and findings from the research and recommendations will be presented for the purpose of discussion and collating feedback.
• Design and facilitate a consultative workshop with private sector actors, government authorities and relevant organizations to discuss key findings from the initial report and develop recommendations. This report should also include a workplan for the workshops to be carried out under the third deliverable, as well as an outline of the workshop’s materials.
• Draft a final workshop report that includes inputs from the consultative workshop. The final recommendations include as annexes the tools and templates that DSTWG should utilize.
• Complete the drafting of the strategy in compliance with IOM brand guidelines and print 50 hard copies in addition to a soft copy.

Required Qualifications and Experience:

Education:

Master’s degree in development studies, Political or Social Sciences, Economics and Business, International Relations, and a related field from an accredited academic institution with a minimum of five years of relevant professional experience; or a university degree in the above fields with seven years of relevant professional experience.

Experience and skills:

• Demonstrated experience and competency related to durable solutions and development of institutional strategies in the humanitarian and development sector.
• Substantial knowledge of resilience building, and livelihoods work in post-conflict and displacement settings.
• Strong familiarity with and/or experience in Syria or in other internal displacement contexts in the Middle East is an asset.
• Substantial knowledge of resilience building, and livelihoods work in post-conflict and displacement settings.
• Excellent analytical, communication, writing and presentation skills.

Languages:

• Fluency in English language is required.
• Working knowledge of Arabic language is an advantage.

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

• 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.