Purpose of Project and Background
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), as components of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (“the Movement”), are committed to protecting, assisting and advocating for individuals and communities affected by migration and displacement.
The Movement’s approach is strictly humanitarian, focusing on the needs, vulnerabilities and potential of migrants, irrespective of their legal status.[1] National Societies support a diverse variety of people affected by migration and displacement including refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs), migrant workers, stateless migrants, people who have been trafficked, the families and communities of migrants including the communities who host migrants. National Societies work with people at all stages of a person’s migratory or displacement experience - before migrating, during their journey and upon return.
The Philippines is a significant country of origin for some 10 million Filipinos working abroad with approximately 1 million leaving the country for employment annually.[2] Remittances from migrant workers is a major source of income for families and communities, and a cornerstone of economic development in the Philippines.[3] Despite domestic policies and legislation related to international migration, many Filipino migrant workers are subjected to abuse, exploitation, and even human trafficking.
There is a high level of internal population movement within the Philippines – particularly rural-urban migration - as well as internal displacement related to conflict and disasters (including climate-related disasters and hazards). As a result of the unrest and ongoing conflict in Mindanao, there is a situation of protracted displacement of people within Mindanao and a historical cyclical movement of people between Mindanao and the islands of the Sulu archipelago to the Malaysian state of Sabah on the island of Borneo.
Thus, migration and displacement within, from and to the Philippines is linked to a diverse range of complex drivers, and in many cases results in critical humanitarian needs. PRC, in line with IFRC’s Global Strategy on Migration 2018-2022, is committed to protecting and assisting all individuals and communities affected by migration and displacement.
Alignment to the IFRC’s objectives and strategy
(IFRC’s Strategy 2030)
The overarching goal of the IFRC Global Strategy on Migration is that “at all stages of their journeys, and irrespective of their legal status, migrants find the IFRC [and Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies] ready to respond to their needs, enhance their resilience, and advocate for their rights.”
This Global Strategy also commits the IFRC and its 192 National Societies to achieve the collective target of having “75% of National Societies undertaking assessments of need and integrate migration into their strategic planning.” In line with this target, PRC will undertake a national assessment to analyse and strengthen understanding on migration and displacement in order to enhance its response to humanitarian needs in the Philippines.
Project Objectives
The assessment will analyse the trends and dynamics of migration and displacement related to the Philippines and map the key stakeholders of relevance. Findings from the assessment and stakeholder mapping will enable PRC to make informed decisions about the design of future interventions and provide the basis for PRC’s migration and displacement strategy, policy and workplan.
Specific objectives are to:
- Identify the drivers, consequences and humanitarian needs related to migration and displacement in the Philippines across all sectors (including but not limited to labour migration, refugees, internal migration, internal displacement).
- Analyse the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders, including government agencies, non-governmental organizations, UN agencies, and private sector actors and subsequently, identify gaps in services.
- Analyse PRC’s previous and current migration and displacement activities, at branch, provincial and national levels, to assess preparedness and capacity to humanitarian needs.
- Based on gaps identified (objective 2), highlight opportunities for PRC to strengthen its role as auxiliary to public authorities, and to complement and/or to fill gaps in provision of humanitarian services.
- Recommend how PRC can provide targeted assistance for Filipino migrant workers, based on PRC capacity and strategic vision, including exploring cross-border cooperation with sister National Societies.
- Identify how components of the Movement can support PRC to strengthen internal capacity to assist, protect and advocate for migrants and displaced people.
- Recommend ways to improve stakeholder engagement and coordination in responding to humanitarian needs related to migration and displacement in the Philippines.
Desired outcomes
The Assessment findings will inform the development of PRC’s Migration and Displacement Policy and Strategy, and in turn contribute to the development of evidence-based programming and activities to respond to needs in accordance with PRC’s humanitarian mandate.
Consultancy outputs
- Inception plan (3-5 pages) describing the methodology and time-bound workplan for the Assessment, a list of key stakeholder groups and an indicative list of key informants to provide relevant context and inputs into the Assessment. The plan will be presented to PRC and IFRC for feedback during an inception meeting to agree on the proposed plan.
- Validation workshop (half-day): involving relevant stakeholders to present and validate assessment findings prior to finalising the report for submission to PRC and IFRC.
- Final report (20-30 pages): A finalised reader-friendly report in the form of a practical action paper (in English). The report shall include a full bibliography of references as well as recommendations for immediate, mid-term and long-term action for PRC. The Consultant is suggested to include matrices, charts and/or diagrams where relevant.
- Executive summary (3-5 pages): Highlighting key findings and recommendations and suitable for sharing with external stakeholders.
Method of delivery and reasons for selecting that method
The Assessment will be conducted through desk-based research using secondary sources of data, complemented by key informant interviews (KIIs) and focused-group discussions (FGDs) - as necessary - with relevant stakeholders at both national and provincial levels.
Key stakeholders include:
- Philippine Red Cross staff and volunteers from Headquarters and provincial branches
- IFRC, ICRC and relevant sister National Societies
- External partners such as relevant national and local government representatives, NGOs/CSOs, UN agencies, academia and other stakeholders.
Qualifications
A successful candidate for this position would have:
- Filipino citizenship holder
- Demonstrated professional experience in migration and displacement, human rights and protection issues including familiarity with trends and dynamics related to the Philippines, such as international circular migration among others and the wider Asia Pacific region.
- Demonstrated experience in conducting assessments or research and analysis, preferably related to migration and displacement.
- Strong oral presentation, report writing, facilitation skills and experience conducting interviews.
- Linguistic capability in English (required) and Philippine languages (desirable)
- Experience working within the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and direct experience working with migrants, refugees and other groups affected by migration and displacement.
How to apply
This is a Philippines National Consultancy contract. Those who are interested should send their CV, letter of interest, and daily consultancy rate in PHP (Philippine PESO) to Joanna.Pellerin@ifrc.org
Only shortlisted candidates who lives in Manila, Philippines will be contacted for an interview. CV must be saved in this sample format: Juan Dela Cruz_National Assessment on Migration and Displacement
Email subject: National Assessment on Migration and Displacement Consultant
Closing Date: 30th of April 2023