Consultant (Development of ‘Exploratory Piece’: “Integrating Human Mobility into Cross-border Trade, Trade Facilitation, and Border Management in the

1. Background

IOM Project to which the Consultancy is contributing: Socio-economic Recovery Task Force

The IOM Regional Office (RO) for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) in Bangkok, Thailand covers and supports 40 Country Offices (CO) across the Asia and the Pacific Region. The key responsibility of the ROAP is to formulate regional strategies, processes and programs in line with the overall priorities and policies of the Organization and to provide strategic and programmatic guidance and support to countries within its region. IOM’s Regional Office for Asia-Pacific (ROAP) and its partners use, produce, and monitor migration-related data for planning, policy-making and operational purposes.

1.1. Context

Trade, migration, and cross-border human mobility are inherently interconnected; in many cases, goods, capital, and services rely on the transnational movement of individuals and often contribute to formal economic development. Due to their frequent crossing of international borders, cross-border traders (CBT) are considered a mobile population and are therefore of particular focus on research conducted by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Despite prior economic planning, the Greater Mekong Subregion has experienced severe economic recessions due to border closures and other safety measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The closure of local and cross-border transportation infrastructures, including border crossing points, has restricted the mobility of small-scale cross-border traders and migrant entrepreneurs, limiting the potential of their activities to contribute to socio-economic recovery. As GMS states seek short and medium-term strategies for coping with economic recovery, such as engagement with regional trade bodies or national recovery programming, an understanding of the relationship between small-scale cross-border trade facilitation, border management, and transport connectivity in the current and post-COVID-19 environment will be crucial to ensure economic stabilization and human security.

IOM ROAP is seeking an international expert to conduct desk-based research and develop an ‘exploratory piece’ titled, “Integrating Human Mobility into Cross-border Trade, Trade Facilitation, and Border Management in the Greater Mekong Subregion”.** The resulting piece is intended to provide, in part, a baseline for understanding challenges to socio-economic recovery to aid ongoing IOM policy, operational responses, and partnerships in the region that integrate human mobility, border management, and trade facilitation responses in the current and post COVID-19 world. It will draw on existing research and recent studies, including those undertaken by IOM.

Under the direct supervision of the IBM Senior Regional Thematic Specialist, and in coordination with the Regional LHD and EPC Specialists and the DESC Project Support Officer based in Thailand, Bangkok the successful candidate will:

2. Core Functions/Responsibilities:

1. Produce an ‘exploratory piece’, drawing from scholarly research, discussions with relevant IOM staff and stakeholders, and relevant quantitative data, titled “Integrating Human Mobility into Cross-border Trade, Trade Facilitation, and Border Management in the Greater Mekong Subregion”;

2. Abide by discussed and agreed upon timelines for submission of deliverables;

3. Conduct desk-based research on relevant thematic topics outlined in the TOR and discussed with IOM ROAP;

4. Consult with relevant IOM focal points and partnering organizations;

5. Coordinate with IOM ROAP:

6. Coordinate with the DESC Project Support Officer on coordination and acquisition of research;

7. Coordinate with the DESC Project Support Officer on phased review of the publication, including, but not limited to: formatting and editing, fact checking, and layout design;

8. Liaise with IOM’s Regional Data Hub on relevant research and recommendations;