MRC Coordinator, Bangladesh

VacancyAnnouncementVA18P121V01 MigrantResourceCentreCoordinatorBangladesh Improving Migration Management in the Silk RoutesCountries

Posting date: 02 November 2018

Deadline for applications: 23 November 2018

Duty station: Dhaka, Bangladesh

Start date: 02 January 2019

Contract duration: 12 months – 40 h/week

Type of post: Local Organisational Overview

The International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) is an international organisation tasked with promoting innovative, comprehensive and sustainable migration policies. With 17 Member States and over 60 projects active throughout Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America, ICMPD is a growing and ever-more relevant presence in its field. The organisation’s greatest assets are its 200+ staff members, who personify its values of commitment,integrity, partnership, respect,and innovation in actions and decisions. Project Overview

ICMPD is inviting all interested candidates to apply for the MRC Coordinator for the project ImprovingMigration Management in the Silk Routes Countries. One componentof this project is aimed at establishing Migrant ResourceCentres (MRC) in Dhaka and Kumilla, Bangladesh. In 2017, based on UN report, Bangladesh is the fifth largest origin country of international migrants. Since the 1970s, Bangladesh has been a source country of migrant workers. An estimated 8 million stock of Bangladeshi migrants are in more than 90 countries with Saudi Arabia, UAE, Malaysia and Kuwait as the top destinations. Every year, an average of 500,000 Bangladeshis leave for work overseas, where majority are classified as low-skilled and with a median age of 31. Forty seven percent of these workers are females. In 2015, Bangladesh received USD 15 billion remittances, which comprised around 8% of its Gross Domestic Product.

Given the increasing number of migrant workers, Bangladesh is enhancing its laws, policies and government structureto respond to the needs and challenges brought about by migration. Under the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment (MEWOE),the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) has set-up 42 District Employment and Manpower Offices (DEMOs) and 64 Technical Training Centres (TTCs) all over the country to facilitate access byprospectivemigrants of pre-departure requirements suchas processingof documents for overseas employment, training and issuanceof SMART card. Despitetheseefforts, there remainsomeissuesand challenges as regards skills development, costs of recruitmentand migration, frequent violation of employment contracts,harshworking conditions and exploitation in destination countries.In response to these challenges, the EU funded project “Improving Migration Management in the Silk Routes Countries” will support the national institutions of Bangladesh, particularly the

MEWOE and BMET as the primary responsible government entities, in the establishment of

MRCs in Bangladesh. Through collective collaboration with other key stakeholders at the

national and provincial level, theMRCs aim to increasethe public’s accessibilitytogeneral and

specific information on migration, provide potential migrants with information and counselling,

link up withrelevant government agencies for services,raiseawareness on irregular migration

and its related risks, and collaborate with other migration-related stakeholders such as the

academia and civil society to provide holistic and coherent information and guidance to the

public and outgoing migrants on migration.

In this regard, ICMPD is seeking applications from qualified and results-oriented Bangladeshi

citizens for the position of the Migrant ResourceCentre Coordinator. The position is based in

Dhaka with frequent travel within the country.

Please note that this position is subject to approval and availability of project funds.

Job Description

The MRC Coordinator is responsiblefor the management, coordination and implementation of

the MRC activities through the MRC in Dhaka and MRC in Kumilla. The MRC Coordinator

prepares workplan and reports, organises activities, coordinates with relevant partners and

networks, and is responsible for the MRCs’ timely achievement of high-quality outputs and

efficient delivery of services.The MRC Coordinator supervises the work of MRC counsellors

based in Dhaka and Kumilla.

The MRC Coordinator will report directly to the MEWOE,through the BMET, and ICMPD. S/he

will also work closely with the responsible ICMPD project team in Vienna and with the ICMPD

Country Coordinator based in Dhaka, to ensure effective, efficient and coherent

implementation of the MRC activities vis-à-vis the over-all programme of action of ICMPD in

Bangladesh under the Silk Routes project.

Tasks and Responsibilities

The following are the duties and responsibilities of the MRC Coordinator:

• Ensure timely, efficient and effective implementation of MRC activities and services, and prepare and revise the work plan when and where necessary to ensure that the outputs and outcomesarealigned with thenational priorities and strategies of MEWOE and BMET and of the Silk Routes project;
• Monitor all project activities, expenditures and progress,and provide feedback on MRC strategies and activities to MEWOE, BMET, the ICMPD project implementation team and to the MRC steering or advisory committee;
• Serve as the focal point and liaison for all coordination, communication and correspondenceconcerning the MRCs in Dhaka and Kumilla;
• Help train and mentor the MRC team/counsellors to ensure effective, efficient and timely implementation of the MRC activities and qualitative performance of their functions and responsibilities; 2 Manage, plan and coordinate the work of the MRC team in accordance with the workplan and in relation to the over-all workplan of the Silk Routes project and strategies and priorities of MEWOE and BMET;
• Manage the day-to-day operation of the MRC to ensure effective service delivery to potential migrants and other clients who cometo the MRC or participate in its events, which include, among others maintaining database or records of MRC clients or beneficiaries and ensuring their confidentiality, preparing relevant reports, responding toclient feedback andmonitoring ofprogress or updates,reporting to relevant agencies any policy or programmatic recommendations,maintaining cleanliness and order in the MRC premises, and ensuring availability of information materials for ready distribution to clients;
• Together with MEWOEand BMET, coordinatewith relevant agencies both in the public and private sector, establish networks and contacts, and initiate and organise communityevents and outreach suchas briefings in academicand training institutions, symposium with civil society, training with education or emigration consultancies, and setting-up of booths, kiosks or similar structures in public places to help disseminate information and materials on safe, orderly and regular migration;
• Whenever possible, provide counselling, advice, guidance, referral and information to a variety of clients (prospective or returning migrants, migrants, families of migrants, etc.) who visit or attend MRC activities, initiate and follow-up on referrals and link them with relevant agencies depending on their needs, e.g. technical and vocational institutes toupgrade their skills or with the BMET for the processingof their documents for overseas employment;
• Contribute and assist in the conduct of pre-departure orientation sessions, briefings and trainings delivered by the MRC counsellors and BMET through the DEMOs and TTCs,and to the trainings andrelated activities targeting government agencies,media, academe, civil society and other stakeholders whenever opportunity arises;
• Help draft terms of reference for potential consultants or experts, and coordinate and help monitor their work, such as the development of various knowledge materials (handbooks, brochures,audio-visual products,etc.) for use by the MRC;
• In collaboration with the ICMPD team and whenever applicable, with consultants or experts, conduct study or mapping of migration-related programmes and services, collect knowledge materials on migration that are helpful in the full operation and functioning of the MRC, and help revise, prepare or develop additional knowledge products and information materials,as may be necessary;
• Ensure timely procurementof administrative and logistical needs for MRC events and day-to-day operations suchas supplies, venues, transportation and equipment;
• Timely prepare and submit weekly, quarterly and annual progress reports, work plans and budget, meeting agendas and minutes, activity and mission reports, expenditure plans and advance budget requests on agreed formats, and other documentary requirements;
• Ensureappropriate and judicious use of MRC resources andbudgets, including timely submissionof financial reports or documents for processingof payments; and 3 Perform other duties as may be instructed or required to ensure the full capacity and operation of the MRCs. Key Results
• Effective set-up and operationalisation of the Migrant ResourceCentres in Dhaka and Kumilla in collaboration with MEWOE and BMET
• A results-basedimplementation work plan for the MRCs
• Effective, timely and qualitative delivery of MRC programmes and services to target clients and beneficiaries
• Communication and outreach workplan that include, among others, key messages, visibility materials and knowledge products
• Timely, qualitative and clear reports and documents on the MRC progress, with information on lessons learned, policy recommendations, and other information that will help improve MRC programmes and services

Incumbent Profile

Education:

University degree (Bachelor’s degree or higher) in international relations, law,

development studies, economics, social or political science, migration studies or

related field.

Experience:

Minimum offive (5) years of related professionalexperience in managementof projects

and programmes inthe field of migration.

Knowledge, skills, abilities:

Fluency in English and Bengali (oral and written proficiency)

Professional experience in project management and management of project teams

and/or experts

Prior work experience with and excellent understanding of the Bangladesh

administration or government structure,especially with regard to migration

Prior experience on and comprehensive understanding of effective service delivery,

communityengagement, outreach, social work or counselling

Excellent background knowledge on recent economic, social and political

developments in Bangladesh

Clear and sound understanding of migration issues,especially within the framework of

external cooperation

An attitude of openness and commitment to human rights and gender equality

principles

Ability to plan, manage priorities to meet deadlines, and work under pressure on

occasionin a highly stressfulenvironment

Ability toestablish good working relations withthe Government of Bangladesh and with

a multinational, multi-disciplinary team

Excellent inter-personal and communicationskills

4 Previous experience of working with governmental and international organisations is

an asset

Previous experience in developing knowledge products and information materials or in

managing web-basedplatforms for communicationand outreach is an asset

Compensation

ICMPD offers an attractive compensatory package, including accident insurance and six

weeks’ annual leave.

Application Procedure

Interested candidates are requested to submit their application in English through the ICMPD

online recruitment system at http://www.icmpd.org/work-for-us/current-vacancies by midnight

(CET)of theclosingdatespecifiedabove. For this purpose,candidates willfirstneed toregister

with the ICMPD website. Oncethe relevant data has been entered, candidates will be able to

apply for vacancies.

Please note that in the courseof the online application, the motivation letter and personal CV

mustbe uploaded in the EuropeAid format in English. The template is available for download

at http://www.icmpd.org/work-for-us/.

All applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possibleafter the vacancyhas been posted

and well before the deadline stated above. Applications received after the published deadline,

and offline applications submitted via email, fax or post, will not be considered.

Due to the high volume of applications, only short-listed candidates will be contacted and

applicants are expected to be available for a personal/telephone interview.

In the event of a technical issue with your application, please email recruitment@icmpd.org.

General Information:

ICMPD retains the discretion to re-advertise the vacancy or to cancelthe recruitment.

This position may entail frequent travel to high risk areas at short notice for the execution of

the tasks and duties, which may warrant adherence to security protocols, and/or health

procedures.

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