ThaiNGO

Open to Internal and External Candidates

Position Title              :    Online Platforms Toolkit & Research Consultant

Duty Station                :   Home-based

Classification               :   Consultancy (Deliverable-based)

Type of Appointment  :  Consultant Contract (2 months from the date of commencement)

Desired Start Date      :  As soon as possible

Closing Date                :  01 June 2025

Reference Code          :  CFA15009/2025

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.

1. ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT AND SCOPE: 

The Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime (Bali Process) is a non-binding and state-driven process involving 49 members (countries and international agencies), including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC), as well as a number of observer countries and international agencies who participate in this voluntary forum.

More information about the Bali Process can be found at www.baliprocess.net.

The Regional Support Office of The Bali Process (RSO) was established in 2012 to facilitate the operationalization of the Regional Cooperative Framework (RCF) to reduce irregular migration in the Asia and Pacific region. The RSO aims to support and strengthen practical cooperation on refugee protection and international migration, including human trafficking and smuggling, and other components of migration management in the region. The RSO is co-managed by the Australian and Indonesian Governments.

More information can be found at www.rso.baliprocess.net.

Under the supervision of the Transnational Crime & Technology Programme Manager, the Consultant will map and analyse content moderation policies for identified social media and communication platforms popular in Bali Process Member States, a process including both desk research and discussions with social media platforms, policymakers and law enforcement officers. Additionally, the project will map and analyse processes for requesting and sharing electronic evidence by communications apps and social media platforms. The consultant will provide insights on good practices for content moderation, through a lens of reducing trafficking in persons (TIP) and people smuggling (PS) online, detail what guidelines, frameworks, legislation or regulations have encouraged or required platforms to implement the most effective safety policies in the context of reducing TIP, PS and transnational organised crime, and, in addition, provide a set of actionable policy recommendations for the private sector, policymakers and law enforcement to improve online safety practices. Graphic design support will be provided by the RSO, with research outputs intended to be published as standalone reports, while the toolkit will be developed into an online portal developed to sit within the RSO’s website.

2. RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

Reporting to the RSO's Transnational Crime & Technology Programme Manager, the Consultant is expected to perform the following tasks during the period covered under this contract.

1. Policy Mapping and Policy Brief
   • Policy Mapping. The consultant will develop a detailed overview of platform content moderation policies, practices for sharing electronic evidence between online platforms and law enforcement/criminal justice officials, and strategies for reducing trafficking in persons and people smuggling on online platforms. The research paper must be no longer than 25 pages in length and provide a detailed mapping of platforms’ policies related to content moderation, the sharing of electronic evidence between platforms and law enforcement, where policy gaps exist in relevant Member States (focus countries to be determined by the consultant and the RSO), and detail approaches to online safety by major social media platforms and communication applications.  It is expected that this will total approximately 18 days of work.
   • Policy Brief. Key findings from the research in addition to policy recommendations for improving responses will be summarised by the consultant in an 8-10 page policy brief. The exact scope of the brief to be confirmed following the policy mapping, in consultation with the RSO. The brief will be accompanied by a PowerPoint of key findings and briefing notes detailing key points to discuss when presenting the PowerPoint. It is expected that this will total approximately 7 days of work.
2. Toolkit Development. The consultant will work with the RSO to develop the policy mapping research into an online toolkit for use by Bali Process Member States.  The consultant will be asked to provide strategic input and guidance into the structure of the Toolkit and to develop a strategic plan for the updating and maintenance of the toolkit.  The Toolkit will be required to be tested to promote usability. It is expected that this will total approximately 12 days of work.

All work submitted by the consultant must be grammar checked and to an RSO publication standard to be accepted. The RSO team will provide feedback and comments to the consultant as needed throughout the research process, and the consultant should factor in time to receive feedback and edit the deliverables to ensure deadlines are met.

The expected outputs of this work assignment are as follows.

3.  REQUIRED QUALIFICATION AND EXPERIENCE

Education:

• University degree or similar relevant credential from an accredited academic institution in a relevant field (such as criminology, cyber security, security studies or public administration)
• A graduate-level degree in a relevant subject is a strong asset.

Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience is required.
• Proven experience in the research and publication of materials related to cybersecurity, disinformation, social media, trafficking in persons, engagement with the technology sector or related topics.
• Proven understanding of content moderation policies and legal frameworks related to the collection and sharing of online evidence, demonstrating a nuanced understanding of privacy laws, jurisdictional challenges, and the ethical considerations inherent in discussions related to electronic evidence, online privacy and content moderation.
• In-depth knowledge of emerging trends and developments related to technology, social media regulation, and/or online investigations, with a proven ability to translate this knowledge into actionable strategies and recommendations for policy development and implementation.
• Prior work experience regionally or at the national level within a Bali Process Member State will be viewed favourably.
• Prior work experience working with technology companies, particularly social media companies, including an active network with tech sector policy/safety personnel will be viewed favourably.

Skills:

• Motivated by the opportunity to contribute to the work of the RSO.
• Ability to work collaboratively and build partnerships and networks.
• Ability to engage with, listen to and mobilise teams to successfully accommodate challenges and achieve beneficial outcomes.
• Ability to work under limited direction.
• Intellectual ability and personal resilience to positively challenge conventional ways of doing things. Has the judgment and integrity to engage constructively with risk.
• Ability to achieve RSO outcomes to a high degree. Ability to work to tight deadlines and ensure RSO outcomes are delivered to agreed requirements.
• Ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds.  Ability to lead, mentor and develop a team to deliver on RSO outcomes.
• Strong ability to effectively communicate with influence in oral and written English.

Languages:

• Fluency in English (oral and written) is required.
• Desirable languages: Fluency in official languages across Bali Process Member States is desirable.  Southeast Asian languages for instance Indonesian, Burmese, Thai, Malay would be beneficial, but not essential.

4. DESIRABLE COMPENTENCIES

Values

• Inclusion and respect for diversity: respects and promotes individual and cultural differences. Encourages diversity and inclusion.
• 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.
• Courage: demonstrates willingness to take a stand on issues of importance.
• Empathy: shows compassion for others, makes people feel safe, respected and fairly treated.

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. 

Other

Any offer made to the candidate in relation to this vacancy notice is subject to funding confirmation.

Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment and verification of residency, visa and authorizations by the concerned Government, where applicable.

How to apply:

Interested candidates are invited to submit their applications via IOM e-Recruitment system within the above said deadline referring to this advertisement. Please attach the following documents in your application.

• a cover letter, indicating the dates of availability, and how you heard about this job opportunity;
• a curriculum vitae;
• a duly completed IOM Personal History Form which can be downloaded from https://thailand.iom.int/sites/g/files/tmzbdl1371/files/Vacancies/Form/iom-personal-history-form-270122.xls.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Posting period: From 19/05/2025 to 01/06/2025