Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)A (least hardship)
Family Type (not applicable for home-based)
Family
Staff Member / Affiliate TypeCONS Local
Target Start Date2024-07-01
Job Posting End DateJuly 2, 2024
Terms of ReferenceTerms of Reference
1. Requesting Office (hiring entity): Malaysia
2. Project details (or ABOD details):
Title of project: Comparative study of livelihood of refugees and host communities in Malaysia
Purpose of project: Information products on refugees in Malaysia’s access to and outcomes from labour market to inform policymaking
Chart Field (budget) details: cleared with (NAME):
Project Number : E11132
Project Name : 2024-DRS ABC-OPS-96508
Task: 96508 – UD5B00A105
Expenditure Organisation: DRS-JDC-XXX-XXX-01
3. Duration and dates of the assignment: 5 months
From: ASAP To: November 2024
Work 100% (fulltime) during above-mentioned period: Yes No (if no specify):
The consultant is expected to be engaged during the contractual period of 5 months in which they will work 40 days spread out across the full duration. The consultant is expected to provide inputs at different stages of the project (i.e. supporting data analysis as well as subsequent report writing). Due to the nature of the project, its various steps (i.e. data collection, analysis and report writing) and therefore its extended timeframe for the project activities, a 5-month contact is recommended.
Working Hours [check one]: ( ) Applicable ( X ) Not Applicable
Total amount of days/weeks/months to be worked: 40 work days (320 hours)
4. Location(s) (specify if working from home): Working Remotely
5. Assignment and/or Mission travel applicable: No
If yes, specify destination(s) and period(s): N/A
6. Suggested fee (daily/weekly/monthly/lump sum) and currency:
Total budgetary amount allocated for individual contract (incl. travel and DSA etc.): USD 15,200
Payment schedule: Monthly - 15,200/5 = USD 3,040.00 per month
7. General Background of Project or Assignment:
As of December 2023, there are a total of 185,308 refugees and asylum-seekers in Malaysia registered with UNHCR, of which 71% are adults between the age of 18-59 years old. Rohingyas account for the majority, at 58%, followed by other refugee groups from Myanmar at 29%, and all other groups (including those from Pakistan, Somalia and Syria) at 15% of the total refugee population.
In the absence of a legal and policy framework in Malaysia, refugees and asylum-seekers are considered as 'illegal immigrants', and are at risk of arrest, detention and refoulement. These population groups are also side-lined from meaningful inclusion into society with limited access to decent work, financial services, affordable healthcare, as well as national education and welfare systems. In order to meet their daily needs, refugees and asylum-seekers tend to seek out informal employment opportunities which often entail work in a precarious environment, occasionally involving under-/ non-payment of wages.
Their unmitigated exposure to shocks makes them even more vulnerable to poverty and violence. This vulnerability has further been exacerbated by the devastating health and socioeconomic repercussions of COVID-19, likely resulting in widespread loss of already precarious livelihoods. The negative impact of the pandemic on host communities has also resulted in adverse social conditions for refugees.
The proposed study aims to generate the first systematic and detailed household survey of refugees and host communities in Malaysia, enabling new areas of inquiry and analysis previously not possible due to lack of systematic data. Through the generation of comparative economic data on refugees and host communities, this study will contribute to the development of policies and actions related to refugees’ access to decent work.
The study will include a comparative analysis of the socioeconomic and employability profiles of different groups of refugees with host communities in a comparable economic situation. The focus of comparisons between refugees and host communities will be on skills, labour market/employment status and economic wellbeing outcomes of refugees and Malaysians under the ‘Bottom 40%’ income classification to help understand (i) complementarities and differences between refugee and host groups in the labour market, and (ii) the comparative economic wellbeing of the two groups to assess needs for common or differentiated assistance.
A representative survey of refugees will be conducted to collect data on economic well-being, employment and skill characteristics, education profiles and access to training, access to basic amenities and services, receipts of formal and informal transfers, perceptions of host/refugee communities, social networks and aspirations. The survey will also capture refugees’ employment trajectories before and during displacement to assess individual-level job changes over time and identify avenues for well-matched jobs during displacement. The questionnaire will build on international and UNHCR statistical standards and methods for survey questions. Consultations will be held with representatives of the target groups as part of the questionnaire development phase as part of checking comprehension/perceptions of questions asked. Survey development will also include consultations with relevant stakeholders such as civil society or academic think tanks within the area of research to ensure alignment with ongoing research projects. Necessary measures will be taken during these consultations to ensure that the integrity of the survey and data collection is upheld.
The survey will target three distinct groups of the refugee population registered with UNHCR (Rohingya, Myanmar and other refugee groups) as well as the lower income host community as a separate population group, with the same interviews being conducted across all 4 groups. Face-to-face household surveys will be conducted with heads of households using Computer-Assisted Personal Interviews. A pilot survey will also be implemented to test the relevance, comprehensibility and flow of the survey questionnaire for final adjustments to be made before the launch of the survey. The pilot will act as an indicative exercise with respondents comprising 30-40 households over two weeks of fieldwork. UNHCR’s Database, ProGres V4 will be utilized as the sampling frame for refugee groups and the survey will be representative of the refugee groups registered with UNHCR and residing in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Johor, which account for 80 percent of all refugees in Malaysia.
The host population sample will focus on vulnerable populations in comparable economic situations (i.e. the bottom 40% of the income distribution in Malaysia) living in the same area as (or close to) the refugee population; Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Johor. The host community comparison group will be determined using a combination of geographical area as criteria as well as targeting populations in similar vulnerable situations. The field team will first define an enumeration area based on geographical clusters of refugee households (according to addresses registered in the UNHCR database). Comparable vulnerable host community households will be identified from a listing of Malaysian households that are residing in the same enumeration (catchment) area than the refugee community. A random sample of host community households will be chosen from the listing exercise. Interviews with host community head of households will include filter questions at the beginning of the questionnaire to exclude households that are very well off (using affluence indicators such as a rooms-to-household members ratio, or ownership of expensive assets) to survey a comparison group, which is comparable in terms of economic vulnerability. Affluent households, which are filtered out of the survey, will be replaced to ensure that the sample comprises a suitable comparison group, in a similar economic situation, among host community households.
8. Occupational Safety and Health Considerations
To view occupational safety and health considerations for specific duty stations, please visit this link: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel
Specific Occupational Safety and Health Considerations to this assignment (if applicable):N/A
9. Overall Purpose and Scope of Assignment:
Concise and detailed description of activities, including measurable outputs and delivery dates, impact indicators (what qualitative and quantitative results would be achieved upon completion of individual contract), performance indicators (time lines, value of the service rendered in relation to the cost, timeliness) and work plan:
Key responsibilities:
1. Support a team of researchers to conduct a survey of refugee and host community households in Malaysia.
2. Develop a draft Analysis Plan for the study
3. Author (with support from the wider team) detailed survey reports and policy briefs that present an analysis of the survey data collected on the economic and integration outcomes of refugees and host communities.
4. Participate in the research team comprising WB economists, research assistant(s) and other collaborators for conducting analysis and drafting reports/ briefs.
5. Provide inputs for production of knowledge products.
6. Participate in the dissemination of study findings.
Deliverables:
1. Draft analysis plan
2. Completed survey data analysis using Stata
3. Draft write-up on thematic policy briefs based on data analysis
10. Required level, qualifications and work experience: The assignment is for an Individual Consultant
Qualification and experience required (degree required, years of work experience, field of expertise, language required):
1. Masters/ PhD degree in economics/ development economics or related field
2. Minimum 1-2 years of experience in conducting impact evaluation research projects/ well-identified studies on labor market analysis
3. Expertise and research experience on labor market research
4. Evidence of published policy-focused reports and/or peer-reviewed journals
5. Experience of designing and supervising surveys and primary data collection activities
6. Strong written and spoken communication skills in English
7. Strong teamwork skills
8. Strong understanding of econometrics
9. Strong coding experience, preferably Stata
11. Monitoring and Progress Controls (report requirements, periodicity, format, deadlines):
a. The final product (e.g. survey completed, data collected, workshop conducted, research documents produced specify):
The candidate is expected to complete an analysis of data files received from the survey, as well as produce relevant tables and figures required for overall project deliverables (i.e. research report and policy briefs).
The consultant is expected to work 40 working days during the contractual period of 5 months. The consultant is expected to provide inputs at different stages of the project (i.e. supporting data analysis as well as subsequent report writing). Due to the nature of the project and its various steps (i.e. data collection, analysis and report writing) and given the extended timeframe for the project activities, 5-month contact is recommended.
b. Work on the basis of time employed: No
c. If it is to result in a written product specify:
Number of pages: 4 policy briefs of approx. 10 pages each
Language(s): English
Number of copies: -
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Skills
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Work Experience
Other informationThis position doesn't require a functional clearance
Home-BasedNo