Deadline: 21-Aug-20
The UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (EAPRO), as part of its regional activities under the EU/UNICEF migration programme, seeks to engage an institution to develop a situation analysis on the protection of children affected by migration in Southeast Asia.
For the purpose of this situation analysis, children affected by migration are to be understood as encompassing children who: (a) are migrants themselves, either alone or with their families, (b) were born to migrant parents in countries of destination or (c) remain in their country of origin while one or both parents have migrated to another country. This includes:
- children who are migrating or are forcibly displaced within their own country;
- children who are migrating or are forcibly displaced across borders, including asylum-seekers and refugees;
- children migrating on their own or with their caretakers;
- stateless children;
- children left behind by migrating parents; and
- children whether they move in an undocumented or documented manner, including those whose movement involved smuggling or trafficking networks.
The findings of the research will be invaluable for supporting the efforts within ASEAN, including the implementation of the recently adopted ASEAN Declaration on the Rights of Children in the Context of Migration. This includes new and emerging challenges, most notably the primary and secondary impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children in the context of migration.
The overarching objective of the situation analysis is to enhance knowledge and evidence on the situation of children in Southeast Asia who are migrating between (including asylum-seeking children) or within Southeast Asian countries (with a particular focus on Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam), or who are left behind by their migrating parents.
The purpose is to, with particular attention to differential impacts on girls, boys and adolescents:
- enhance understanding of the nature (including the key drivers beyond poverty) and scale at which children in Southeast Asia are affected by migration (Southeast Asia comprises the ten countries16 that form part of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)), with a particular focus on Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam;
- identify existing, new and evolving protection risks (such as resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic crisis) and barriers and enablers in access to protection services for children and their families affected by migration (including children “left behind” by their migrating parent(s)), including for vulnerable groups such as unaccompanied or separated, refugee, asylum-seeking, stateless, internally displaced children, and children with disabilities;
- review and assess the current national (e.g., legislation), bilateral and/or multilateral (e.g., Memoranda of Understanding on trafficking and Standard Operating Procedures etc.) and regional frameworks (e.g., regional agreements such as ASEAN declarations and related plans of action, or the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime), supporting the realization of the rights of children affected by migration, and the status of their implementation (including barriers for this vulnerable group of children and their families to benefit from these);
- enhance understanding of: a) knowledge, attitudes and perceptions about risk factors related to unsafe migration; and b) perceptions about migrants in host communities / countries;
- identify emerging and good practices (including innovations) supporting the realization of the right to protection of children affected by migration; and
- identify short- and long-term recommendations, including policy and legislative recommendations at national, bilateral, multilateral and regional levels, as well as strategic recommendations for building partnerships and mobilizing different stakeholders to more effectively support the realization of the rights of children affected by migration.
The situation analysis is anticipated to contribute to a more accurate understanding of the situation for children affected by migration in Southeast Asia, including in regard to recent and emerging developments, such as the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, and allow for evidence-based and genderand age-responsive actions, programmes and policies, to advance their rights, including in the context of regional efforts within ASEAN. The study is expected to be utilized by government agencies, the United Nations, international and national civil society actors and other key actors.
Eligibility Criteria
Qualification requirements or Specialized skills/Experience Required:
- Proven experience and knowledge in conducting research on the situation of migrant, displaced and refugee populations, particularly in reviewing policies and practices, and in implementing multi-country quantitative and qualitative studies;
- Proven experience in successful management of similar research projects;
- Team leader to have at least 10 years of documented experience in relevant research and in child protection, with a focus on migrant, displaced and refugee populations;
- The research team must be comprised of experts that collectively meet the following requirements:
- advanced university degree in social sciences, such as social work (preferred) or psychology, law or sociology (with at least 5 years of progressively responsible professional work experience in child protection), strong knowledge and/or excellent understanding of social work/social services workforce (preferably applicable to children/youth and families’ area) at the national or international levels
- advanced university degree in statistics or another relevant field (with at least 5 years of progressively responsible professional work experience in research)
- strong knowledge and/or excellent understanding of social and/or migration issues (preferably applicable to children/youth and families’ area) at national or international levels
- extensive experience in carrying out field work collecting data on the situation of migrant, displaced and refugee populations, and experienced and trained in ethical and age-appropriate approaches, to carry out primary data collection in line with highest child protection standards, and clear and tested SoPs for referral/support
- extensive experience in processing, analyzing and disseminating qualitative and quantitative research data/findings
- knowledge of the Southeast Asia region through relevant work/research experience
- gender expertise (team leader and/or team member(s))
- excellent English writing and editing skills.
Further institutional requirements include:
- Professional links/partnerships with social work, social science research anf migration academic bodies (e.g. university faculties) an asset;
- Ability to be flexible and deliver results under tight deadlines;
- Fluency (oral and written) in English. Knowledge of language(s) spoken in Southeastern Asia an asset, a must for enumerators.
Applications can be made by a lead research agency working in partnership with another entity (for instance a university and a child rights NGO).
For more information, visit https://www.ungm.org/Public/Notice/111933
