ThaiNGO

Consultant/ Consulting Firm - Study on work conditions and risks facing migrant workers in the garment and home textile supply chains in Thailand (Request for proposals)

The International Organization for Migration (IOM)

The International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Nonprofits / องค์กรไม่แสวงหาผลกำไร
1795
23 Jan 2020
12 February 2020

Open to External Applicants

Services Title : Consultant/ Consulting Firm - Study on work conditions and risks facing migrant workers in the garment and home textile supply chains in Thailand (Request for proposals)

Duty Station : Home-based with travel

Classification : Consultant or Services

Type of Appointment : Consultancy or Service Contract, 3 months

Desired Start Date : As soon as possible

Closing Date : 12 February 2020

Reference Code : CFCV001/2020

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.

Summary

Migrant workers play an increasingly important role in the rapidly growing apparel, footwear, leather and home textiles industries. The Asia - Pacific region is the largest global producer of fashion goods, and one of the most dynamic regions for both internal and international labour migration.

The intersection between the increasing demand for fashion goods, faster turnaround deadlines coupled with the quest for the most competitive pricing in a region with abundant domestic and trans-boundary labour supply creates a vortex of migration and recruitment dynamics resulting in severe labour rights violations.

Their vulnerabilities make migrant workers a perfect target for discrimination, exploitation and harassment. Both internal and international migrants not only suffer deplorable and hazardous working conditions but face high recruitment fees, long working hours, low wages, a lack of regular contracts, and extremely tight deadlines without commensurate pay and rest hours. Incidents of forced labour and trafficking are much more prevalent among migrants who have used unscrupulous formal or informal recruitment intermediaries.

General Project Introduction

The International Organization for Migration (IOM), through its Corporate Responsibility in eliminating Slavery and Trafficking in the Fashion Industry (CREST Fashion) programme, is implementing a 3-year regional initiative that will strengthen the capacity of fashion industry to address the risks of labour exploitation, forced labour and human trafficking of internal and international migrant workers in daily operations and global supply chains in both countries of origin and countries of production. In addition, the ‘Poverty Reduction through Safe Migration, Skills Development and Enhanced Job Placement in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Thailand’ (PROMISE), a regional programme led by IOM and funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), seeks to define a clear pathway to promote better employment opportunities and working conditions for migrants, especially women from Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Myanmar (CLM), through safe migration and skills development.

Objectives

The aim of this research is to understand the issues and risks pertaining human and labour rights violations of migrant workers as well as opportunities for migrant workers to become more equipped with necessary skills to better protect themselves and find better work opportunities in garment and home textile supply chains in Thailand, especially in the key special economic zones. Findings from this research will support IOM to prepare the ground to address the risks of exploitation and opportunities for skills development of migrant workers through development of training materials for global buyers, suppliers and skills providers in Thailand, as well as awareness raising and training/knowledge materials for migrant workers to better inform them of their rights, and potential risks and skills development opportunities in this sector. Key objectives of this research have been outlined below.

Identify issues of human and labour rights violations and challenges migrant workers are experiencing in four tiers of garment and home textile supply chains in Thailand.

Compile existing national law in Thailand on rights and entitlements of migrant workers, including those relevant to the industry context such as regulations on border pass, gender, etc.
Identify gaps in business practices and national laws/regulations focusing on migrant workers in garment and home textile sector.
Identify migrant’s needs on pre-departure and post-arrival orientation and preferred channel of grievance mechanisms.
Identify entry level skills for jobs and positions that migrant workers are generally employed and the skills that are considered for job promotion in the industry as well as challenges employers, skills providers and migrant workers typically face in promoting skills development in the industry.
Develop a section on recommendations for businesses to better protect workers from labour and human rights exploitation.
Develop a section on recommendations for relevant stakeholders including employers, skills providers, government agencies, recruitment agencies and migrant workers themselves to promote skills training, and raise awareness on the importance of skills development and recognition for migrant workers.

Timeframe

Following the review of received applications, IOM will notify short-listed candidates no later than Friday 14 February 2020. Qualifying interviews will be scheduled for a week of 17 and 21 February to ensure that selected candidates are notified and sign their contract by 28 February. The study should be completed by the end of May 2020.

Open to External Applicants

Services Title : Consultant/ Consulting Firm - the development of an investment case for adoption of ethical recruitment practices by suppliers in Thailand (Request for proposals)

Duty Station : Home-based with travel

Classification : Consultant or Services

Type of Appointment : Consultancy or Service Contract, 3 months

Desired Start Date : As soon as possible

Closing Date : 15 February 2020

Reference Code : CFCV067/2019 (EXT)

Background Information

The IOM Corporate Responsibility in Eliminating Slavery and Trafficking (CREST) is a regional partnership initiative working with several private and public sector actors to advance human and labour rights of migrant workers in global supply chains.

CREST is a response to the risks faced by migrant workers in the Asia and Pacific region, where over 60 per cent of victims of modern slavery encompassing human trafficking, forced labour, servitude and slavery, are located. Two thirds of those fall prey of forced labour practices, almost one in four of whom are migrants.

Modern slavery often starts at the recruitment stage when unscrupulous labour brokers or recruiters request migrant workers to pay excessive recruitment fees and related costs of travel to the country of employment, visa, documents and additional processing fees upfront and prior to their departure. Migrant workers, often in economic difficulties, turn to relatives, acquaintances and their labour recruiters to borrow money for this upfront investment. Taken loans may result in the situation of debt bondage where the amount owed is equivalent to multiple months of workers’ salaries. As a result, jobs are performed at nearly zero profit. Unethical practices may affect migrants at any stage of the employment cycle. These often include failure by recruiters to provide sufficient information about the job and work conditions in the country of destination, retaining personal documents, withholding of salaries, restricting freedom of movement, and denying migrants their human rights.

Acknowledging the importance of tackling issues related to the recruitment of migrant workers in the global supply chains and growing interest in advancing human rights in the context of international business, IOM is looking for a consultant to develop an investment case for adopting and supporting ethical recruitment practices including employer pays principle promoted under IOM CREST and IRIS programme outlined here https://iris.iom.int.

Objective

Based on assessment of an employer in the garment sector selected by IOM, the commissioned case study should capture company’s potential financial and non-financial outcomes including 1) potential short and long-term impact of adoption of ethical recruitment practices on financial and non-financial performance (e.g. productivity, reputation); 2) the level of upfront investment required to align the existing recruitment practices of migrant workers with ethical recruitment principles including ‘’employer pays’’ principle; 3) savings arising from the avoidance of potential litigation costs borne by a selected supplier related to the prevalence of unethical recruitment schemes in their facilities, 4) organizational changes (management system, personnel, support structure) introduced in order to support the transition to employer pays principle;

Overall, this investment case aims to serve two purposes:

1) to present global buyers with an investment scenario of transitioning to ethical recruitment and employer pays principle showcasing the level of financial investment and organizational efforts required by local suppliers in advancing their ethical recruitment practices in relation to migrant workers, and support needed from global buyers;

2) to showcase potential financial (including avoidance of litigation costs) and reputational gains arising from the adoption of ethical recruitment practices to local employers in order to encourage them to take an active role in combating unethical recruitment practices of migrants in their facilities.

Deliverables

Stage	Description	Deliverables
Desk Review	This review aims at identifying similar case studies with clearly outlined methodologies. Consultant/ consulting firm should focus on identifying business performance areas most affected by the adoption of ethical recruitment practices and ways to quantify them (e.g. reduced staff turnover = reduced training costs = reduced rate of production errors = productivity gains). This desk review should also look into penalties foreseen by Thai law for non-compliance with labour rights in order to determine the extent of possible savings from the avoidance of litigation costs.	A list of key business performance areas affected by the adoption of ethical recruitment practices and their quantifications; A list of initial short and long-term gains arising from the adoption of these practices; and possible savings arising from the avoidance of litigation costs based on local law; savings arising from increased productivity; A list of references to similar studies.
Methodology	Methodology should outline how consultant/ consulting firm is going to carry out this assignment based on the conducted desk review and consultations with IOM staff. At this stage, IOM does not foresee interviews with a Thai employee but consultations are possible if consultant/ consulting firm deems it necessary. Depending on the availability of Thai companies, the consultant may have to conduct a hypothetical analysis based on open-source data.	Final methodology, including Background of the study Literature review Methodology & Limitations Data Collection Methods & Tools Final Data Analysis and Reporting Plan Final Timeline & Workplan (if amendment is required)
Supplier Assessment	An assessment of financial and non-financial outcomes of a selected supplier including calculation of relevant financial ratios, estimation of upfront costs required to align the company’s practices with two scenarios mentioned above and possible short and long-term gains arising from its adoption.	Debriefing presentation to showcase initial findings;
Final Investment Case Studies	Based on the desk review and supplier assessment, a consultant/consulting firm should prepare two investment scenarios outlining the level of efforts, investment and potential gains arising from 1) eliminating labour exploitation in the supplier’s recruitment chain, and 2) aligning the supplier’s policy with ‘’employer pays’’ principle.	Two Investment Cases: 1) Eliminating Labour Exploitation and 2) Employer Pays, including: Estimation of possible financial and non-financial gains in long and short-term; Estimation of upfront costs required to align the company’s and recruiter practices with ethical recruitment standards including the employer pays principle; Estimation of possible cost saving resulting from the avoidance of litigation costs;

Timeframe

Following the review of received applications, IOM will notify short-listed candidates no later than 14 February 2020. Qualifying interviews will be scheduled for a week of 17 and 21 February to ensure that selected candidates are notified and sign their contract by 28 February.

The Recruitment Timeframe	Expected output
15 February 2020	Submission of detailed an all-inclusive budget proposals from interested applicants to IOM
1 March 2020	Short-listed candidates notified
4- 7 March 2020	Interviews with short-listed candidates/ consulting firms
14 March 2020	Selected candidate/ consulting firm notified, contract signed

This consultancy will commence on 30 March 2020 and will be carried out as per tentative timeframe outlined below. Consultants/ consulting firm may propose changes to this workplan if deemed necessary.

The Assignment Timeframe
*30 March*	*Start date of the assignment*	*Home-based*
*1-12 April*	*Desk Review*
*13 April*	*Desk review submitted*
*16 April*	*Methodology submitted for feedback*
*23 April*	*IOM provides feedback on methodology*
*24 April – 4 May*	*Supplier Assessment*	*Thailand-based*
*5 May*	*Debriefing with IOM*	*Thailand-based*
*6 May – 13 May*	*Report writing*	*Home-based*
*14 May*	*Report submitted to IOM for feedback + Debriefing with IOM*
*25 May*	*IOM provides feedback on the draft report*
*26 May – 2 June*	*Revised Final Report submitted to IOM*

Requirements

The selected candidate/s should possess the following minimum qualifications and provide references as follows:

A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in economics, international development, business analysis, investment banking or other relevant fields;

Experience working in the Asia-Pacific region is an advantage;
Previous work experience with UN is an advantage;
Communication skills, time management, gender and cultural sensitivity;
Fluency in English;

Governance Arrangement

This assignment will be coordinated between a company representative and a designated programme staff. IOM will facilitate initial communication with a selected Thai supplier and obtaining relevant information. Consultants/ consulting firms should budget for translation services if required.

Terms of Payment

The payment will be output based as per the financial proposal submitted by the consultant/ consulting firm.

Negotiations

Contract negotiation is expected to take place no more than one week after notification of the successful bidder.
Negotiation will include discussion and finalization of:

a) the ToRs and Scope of Services;

b) the methodology and work programme proposed by the Service Provider;

d) the Financial Proposal submitted;

f) the assignment delivery timing; and

g) the contractual terms and payment schedule.

All agreements coming out of the negotiations will be incorporated into the contract.

Award of Contract

Following negotiations, the contract will be awarded to the selected Consultant/consulting firm no later than Friday 14 March 2020.

Confidentiality

Information relating to the evaluation of proposals and recommendations concerning awards shall not be disclosed to the Consultant/ consulting firm who submitted Proposals or to other persons not officially concerned with the process.
IOM shall not disclose any information in the application to any third party. IOM will however archive all applications for auditing purposes.

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.

Only candidates residing in either the country of the duty station or from a location in a neighboring country that is within commuting distance of the duty station will be considered. In all cases, a prerequisite for taking up the position is legal residency in the country of the duty station, or in the neighboring country located within commuting distance, and work permit, as applicable.

How to apply:

Interested organization or consultant are invited to submit their applications , the proposals along with the following documents to the IOM Bangkok Human Resources Unit at e-mail bkkrecruitment@iom.int no later than 5.00 pm on Saturday, 15 February 2020. No late proposal shall be accepted.

A duly completed IOM Personal History Form The form can be downloaded from http://thailand.iom.int/sites/default/files/Recruitment/IOM%20Personal%20History%20Form%20with%20Declaration.xls and Consultant’s CV (individual consultant)
CVs of the consultants engaged for this assignment (consulting company)
Cover letter with samples of previous work similar to this consultancy;
Financial proposal (Annex A); please download https://bit.ly/35QZB9Z

Kindly indicate the reference code CFCV067/2019 (EXT) followed by your name or organization name in the subject line.

IOM shall notify the successful candidate via e-mail fourteen (14) working days of the application unfolding.

Proposals submitted after the above deadline will not be considered. IOM reserves the right to reject the whole or part of any or all applications based on the fulfilment of the provisions described in the requirement. Applicants who do not receive notification before 01 March 2020 can consider their offers

Contact : bkkrecruitment@iom.int

ผู้ประสานงาน / Coordinator