Project Context and Scope:
Following its independence in 2011, The Republic of South Sudan has been struggling with addressing conflicts, natural disasters resulting in displacement of many millions of people and economic hardships, which have significantly impacted the well-being of the South Sudanese people. As an impact of displacement, many South Sudanese citizens have sought refuge in nearby countries or have been resettled further afield in countries, such as Australia and the United States of America. South Sudan has approximately one million diaspora who remain very much connected with South Sudan despite moving abroad. Leveraging the diaspora contribution will be critical for achieving the socio-economic development of the country.
Despite this, South Sudan has weak institutional capacities to respond to meaningly engage the diaspora. South Sudan currently has a draft policy that promotes engagement with South Sudanese diaspora and this policy has not been endorsed yet. Also, there is a weak institutional mechanism whereby diasporas can be invited and incentivized for the investments they make. South Sudanese diasporas are fragmented along ethnic lines; diaspora associations are very diversified and not much coordination exists. Nevertheless, collective remittances from formal or informal diaspora groups reaffirm transnational ethnic solidarity and maintain local bonds and sense of belonging.
In response to the above challenges, in 2023, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) partnered with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the African Union Commission (AUC) to support the implementation of a project entitled “Streamlining Diaspora Engagement to Catalyze Private Investments and Entrepreneurship for Enhanced Resilience’ (SDE4R) project. The project seeks to support socio-economic development of South Sudan by reviving the domestic private sector, climate resilience and recovery from political or humanitarian crises by leveraging the expertise and networks of diaspora groups, including identifying the best methods for effectively mobilizing the diaspora’s social and economic capitals. The regional project covers eight African transition states, including South Sudan, Somalia, The Gambia, Liberia, Mali, Togo, and Madagascar Zimbabwe. These countries have existing interventions on diaspora engagement for private sector development that this project will contribute to scale-up.
Organizational Department / Unit to which the Consultant is contributing:
Project Code: TK.0049
IOM South Sudan is the primary beneficiary of the consultancy. The assignment is managed by the Department of Migration Management Unit (MMU), IOM, Juba, South Sudan. The project will contribute to the Special Liaison Office in Addis Ababa and Regional Office in Nairobi. The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the Programme Coordinator (Migration Management Unit) IOM Juba, South Sudan, in coordination with the Regional Thematic Specialist and focal points at the Special Liaison Office in Addis Ababa (SLO), East, Horn and Southern Africa Regional Office and Headquarters.
Tangible and measurable outputs of the work assignment:
The primary objective of this consultancy is to conduct a comprehensive mapping of the South Sudanese diaspora in Western Europe to understand their potential contributions to trade, FDI, business creation, and entrepreneurship in South Sudan. The outcome of the consultancy should be a detailed mapping report with actionable recommendations.
The consultant will conduct the following activities:
Conduct a literature review on diaspora participation in trade, FDI, and entrepreneurship. The literature reviewed should include, among others, academic publications, policy reports, IOM literature, and case studies from similar contexts.Identify and document diaspora communities. This shall entail analysis of the composition, demographic details and geographic distribution of South Sudanese diaspora population in western Europe. Conduct surveys, interviews, and focus group discussions to gather qualitative and quantitative data on their interests, motivations, and barriers to engaging in trade, FDI, and entrepreneurship in South Sudan. Utilize online tools and platforms to reach a broader audience.Examine the governance factors that affect diaspora engagement. Identify both challenges and opportunities, including policy and regulatory frameworks, institutional arrangements, support services, access to finance/capital relevant to diaspora engagement in South Sudan.Based on the findings from the analyses, develop strategic and actionable recommendations for enhanced diaspora engagement by the government of South Sudan, IOM and other relevant partners. At the very least, the recommendations should cover policy changes, capacity-building initiatives, resource mobilization, and partnership opportunities between the diaspora, IOM, and the Government of South Sudan.The expected key deliverables include:An inception report outlining the methodology and work plan within two weeks of contract signing. The inception report will be reviewed and approved by IOM. A list of key stakeholders both internal and external to IOM, ministries of foreign affairs and labour, and diaspora associations/organizations, report being engaged and informed on the composition, distribution and skillsets of diaspora in Western Europe.Data collection instruments to be used for the survey, interviews, and focus group discussion.First draft mapping report for technical review by the Government of South Sudan and IOM.Participation in weekly progress review meetings with IOM.Participation in a workshop meeting to discuss and validate the draft reports. The consultant will prepare presentations and document input provided stakeholders during the validation workshop. Final report incorporating comments and recommendations provided during the progress review meetings, the technical reviews and validation workshop. The final report should include: Executive summaryOverview of the South Sudanese diaspora in Western EuropeAnalysis of diaspora potential in trade, FDI, and entrepreneurshipBarriers and enablers for diaspora contributionActionable recommendations for enhancing diaspora engagementKey Activities and Deliverables
Table 1: Schedule of activities to be delivered by the consultant
including the workplan, budget and draft mapping tools. 60% upon receipt and approval by IOM of the final report for IOM Country Office for South Sudan, including technical/policy brief, frozen datasets of the transcripts and secondary data.Performance indicators for the evaluation of results
Depth of Analysis: the diaspora mapping approach and methodology conforms to the IOM diaspora mapping guidelines and is based on thorough assessment of economic potential, barriers, and enablers, supported by robust data and evidence.Timeliness: Adherence to deadlines for the consultancy deliverables.Clarity of Recommendations: Actionable, well-structured, and clear recommendations that are feasible and strategically sound.Quality of Research: Comprehensive literature review and accurate identification and documentation of diaspora communities.Engagement Level: quality of the surveys, interviews, and focus group discussions conducted with diaspora members and consultations with IOM technical staff overseeing the consultancy. Professional writing: well written, designed and laid out mapping reports (in Ms word) that are analytical and technically sound, considerate of IOM cross-cutting issues (youth, gender, disability inclusion), and guided by IOM’s writing style/guidelines. Stakeholder Feedback: Positive feedback from IOM, the Government of South Sudan, and other stakeholders on the usefulness and relevance of the final report.Core Competencies
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.How to apply:
Interested individual consultants are expected to submit the following: Letter of motivation describing the consultant suitability for the assignment Up-to-date detailed CV with relevant experience At least one sample report of similar work and three professional referees; andFinancial quotation/proposal relating to this assignment in USD, specifying the daily professional fee as well as the total all-inclusive consultancy fee.2-paged technical proposal and work plan.Deadline for Applications: 25 November 2024. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for interviews.
Posting period: 11 November 2024 to 25 November 2024For further information and other job postings, you are welcome to visit our website: IOM Careers and Job Vacancies