MRC Counsellor, Bangladesh

VacancyAnnouncementVA18P120V01 MRC CounsellorBangladesh(4 positions) Improving Migration Management in the Silk RoutesCountries

Posting date: 02 November 2018

Deadline for applications: 23 November 2018

Duty station: Dhaka or Kumilla, 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 Resource Centre Counsellor. The position is based in

Dhaka and/or Kumilla with frequent travel within the country.

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

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the MRC Coordinator based in Dhaka and the Project Manager for

MRCs based in Vienna, the incumbentwill be responsible for the following tasks:

• Using various means and platforms suchas face-to-face, phone and online, regularly 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 to upgrade their skills or with the BMET for the processing of their documents for overseas employment;
• Conduct regular pre-departure orientation sessions, briefings and trainings to prospective migrants through and with the DEMOs and TTCs as part of the regular requirements for migrants prior to their overseas employment;
• Conduct regular outreach on migration and the MRC to the public in general using various meanssuchas radio or TV guestings,online discussions,forumor symposium, conferences and other related events;
• Provide capacity building and trainings targeting government agencies, media, academe, civil society and other stakeholders whenever opportunity arises;
• In partnership with MEWOE and BMET, coordinate with relevant agencies both in the public and private sector, establish networks and contacts, and help organise communityevents and outreach suchas briefings in academicand training institutions, symposium with civil society, training of education or emigration consultancies, and setting-up booths, kiosks or similar structures in public places to help disseminate information and materials on safe, orderly and regular migration;
• In collaboration with the ICMPD team and whenever applicable, with consultants or experts, conduct studies or mapping of available migration-related programmes, services and activities of various stakeholders, 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, 2 as may be necessary, such as brochures, handbooks, audio-visual products, web- based information documents,etc.;
• Maintain and populate MRC website, Facebook and other social media accounts, initiate online discussions relevant to migration, respond regularly and timely to issues raised and information requested, etc.;
• Support the MRC Coordinator in managing the day-to-day operation of the MRC to ensure effective service delivery to potential migrants and other clients who come to the MRC or participate in its events,whichinclude, amongothers maintaining database or records of MRC clients or beneficiaries and ensuring their confidentiality, preparing relevant reports, responding to client feedback and monitoring, 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;
• Support the MRC Coordinator in ensuring the timely, efficient and effective implementation of MRC activities, and prepare and update work plan when and where necessarytoensure that the outputs and outcomes are aligned and integrated with the national priorities and strategies of MEWOE and BMET and of the Silk Routes project;
• Support the MRC Coordinator in preparing 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; and
• 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

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 of three (3) years of related professional experience in the field of migration.

Knowledge, skills, abilities:

Fluency in English and Bengali (oral and written proficiency)

3 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, counselling, and migration issues

Excellent background knowledge on recent economic, social and political

developments in Bangladesh

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

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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