Technical Adviser, RCM Border Management Working Groups

Appendix A

TERMS OF REFERENCE

 

Technical Adviser of the Working Groups of the Regional Conference of Migration (RCM)

 

WORKING GROUP ON IRREGULAR AND MASS MIGRATION

WORKING GROUP ON BORDER MANAGEMENT

 

 

 

1. Background Information

 

General Information

The Regional Conference on Migration (RCM) is a non-binding Regional Consulting Process (RCP) on migration created in 1996 at the Tuxtla Summit, in order to address, from a technical-political level, the different dimensions of migration in the region in a practical and comprehensive manner.

The Regional Consulting Processes on Migration are important mechanisms that encourage inter-governmental cooperation and collaboration on migration-related issues by bringing together Member Countries to participate in an informal dialogue of a non-binding nature at a regional level.  The RCM is one of seventeen RCPs that exist in the world.

The RCM is comprised of eleven countries, including all the countries of North America and Central America, as well as the Dominican Republic.

The main objectives of the RCM are:

-             To act as a platform for the discussion and articulation of national positions on regional migration issues, regional consultation, dialogue, and cooperation.

-             To promote regional dialogue, cooperation and solutions on migration to address the challenges and opportunities of migration in the short, medium and long term.

-             To promote the development and implementation of comprehensive legal frameworks, policies, and cooperative actions to ensure safe, orderly and regular migration flows.

-             To promote the exchange of information, best practices, policies, procedures and activities that lead to the establishment of cooperation mechanisms to help ensure an effective migration governance in the region and access to international protection.

-             To encourage, as appropriate, the exchange of national and regional disaggregated statistical data as a tool to facilitate migration-related decision-making, particularly regarding extraordinary migration situations and emergencies.

-             To address key regional challenges on migration, starting from the establishment of an RCM Strategic Plan that includes results-based management of objectives and actions, in the short, medium, and long term.

 

The RCM’s main pillars are:

• Migration governance
• Integration, migration and its links to development
• Preparedness, protection, assistance and irregular migration

 

Structure of the RCM

The RCM holds annual meetings of Vice-Ministers, where political decisions are made, and resolutions are adopted regarding actions to be carried out.

The Regional Consultation Group on Migration (RCGM) works at the technical and operative levels, reporting to the Vice-Ministers and executing and monitoring their resolutions.

 

Presidency Pro-Témpore (PPT).

Held by a different Member Country each year.  Current PPT: Costa Rica.

 

Executive Secretariat.

Provides administrative and logistical support to the Presidency Pro-Témpore for purposes of organizing and following up on RCM activities and initiatives.  The Secretariat receives technical cooperation and logistical support from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

 

RCM Working Groups.

Working Groups for the development of the RCM Strategic Plan 2019-2022:

 

1. Protection

The priority activities of this Working Group promote actions that strengthen national capacity and regional cooperation to strengthen asylum determination systems, and facilitate assistance and protection for migrants, in the context of responsibility sharing and respect for human rights, especially for migrants in vulnerable situations or those who have been victims or subjects of crime.

 

2. Irregular and mass migration

From a comprehensive approach of shared responsibility, this Working Group will strengthen the management of mixed migration flows, in response to current migration dynamics in the region, to promote strategies and implement actions that prevent irregular migration and combat migrant smuggling, human trafficking and related crimes. Through monitoring and information exchange, develop national and regional actions that provide immediate and effective responses within the framework of respect for national sovereignty and the human rights of migrants.

 

3. Labor migration

The Working Group on Labor Migration aims to promote the benefits of safe, orderly and regular labor migration and its link to development in countries of origin, transit and destination. In this sphere of work, the RCM seeks to promote full respect for labor rights of migrant workers under the framework of respect for human rights. Likewise, to promote ethical recruitment practices and decent employment to prevent the exploitation of labor migrants.

 

4. Border management

In order to make border management more efficient, in the region, the Working Group on Border Management seeks to develop strategies and actions to ensure that the movement of migrants takes place in a safe, orderly and regular manner to deter irregular migration, to promote better institutional and regional coordination, to strengthen the capacity to identify profiles of people in or at risk of vulnerable situations, and verify the identity of people and their documents. The priority activities of this Working Group contribute to the strengthening of the RCM Member Countries in the implementation of border management mechanisms and the management of migratory flows.

 

RCM Troika.  Comprised of three countries: the outgoing Presidency (PPT); the current Presidency; and the upcoming Presidency.  Used as a consultation mechanism that expedites decision-making in coordination with the Executive Secretariat.  Currently comprised of Guatemala, Costa Rica and Mexico.

 

Tripartite Committee.  Its mission is to coordinate actions with civil society (comprised of the Regional Network of Civil Organizations for Migration – RROCM), the Presidency Pro-Témpore, and the RCM Executive Secretariat.

 

Beneficiaries and Participating Entities

The beneficiaries of the consulting service to be contracted are the Member Countries of the Regional Conference on Migration (RCM), which are Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and the United States.

 

Basis for the Consulting Service

The need to contract consulting services derives from the XXIV Regional Conference on Migration, held on 13-14 November 2019 in Guatemala.  The Vice-Ministerial Declaration reads the following:

1. To thank Guatemala for leading the process to relaunch the RCM. In this regard, the following is agreed:

1. To approve the Charter and the Strategic Plan of the RCM 2019-2022;
2. To accept the provisional mandates recommended for each of the Working Groups, as recommended by the RCGM, which will be annexed to the Strategic Plan.

 

Also, the Conclusions and Recommendations of the meeting of the Regional Consultation Group on Migration (RCGM) held on 12 November 2019 in Guatemala reads:

 

1.              In regard to the RCM relaunch process:

(…)

c.              To determine the structure and functioning of the Working Groups.

i. To recommend the proposal of Costa Rica to coordinate during its PPT, the general functioning of the four Working Groups. The TS, the PPT and the Member Country interested in co-chairing or supporting the activities of a Working Group will coordinate as appropriate.

ii.        To invite Member Countries to take part in the Working Groups, once they have made consultations with their capitals.

iii.       To delegate the incoming PPT to convene the Working Groups for December 9-13, 2019.

iv.       To request that the Working Groups, once they have been established, identify and prioritize the activities of their work plan, based on the proposed activities and the analysis provided.

v.        To submit the work plans of the Working Groups to the Vice-Ministers for their approval online.

 

2. Contracting Entity

The International Organization for Migration (IOM), in coordination with the RCM Executive Secretariat.

 

3. Scope

The described roles will contain inputs from the eleven RCM Member Countries: Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and the United States.  Input will also be received from the Observer Organizations and civil society organizations (through the RROCM).

 

The adviser will report to the PPT, in coordination with the RCM Executive Secretary. His or her work will be under the supervision of the Executive Secretary of the RCM.

4. Objectives

 

General Objective

To support the Government of Costa Rica, as Presidency Pro-Témpore for the year 2020, in the oornation, functioning, following up and monitoring of the Working Groups of the RCM.

 

Specific Objectives

1. Prepare documents and matrixes (in Spanish and English) on the follow-up of the activities, goals and result indicators of the Working Groups of the RCM.
2. Monitor progress of workgroup activities, develop outcome indicators
3. Convene the call to meetings of the Working Group, face-to-face or virtual meetings.
4. To organize the meetings of the Working Group, whether face-to-face or virtual meetings.
5. To prepare the reports of the meetings of the Working Group.
6. Advise the PPT on the progress of the Working Group and propose improvement actions to meet the objectives, in accordance with the RCM Strategic Plan.
7. Fulfill any other function for the good performance of the Working Groups.

 

5. Logistics and Timeline

6 months contract.

 

Intellectual Property

All material produced during the consulting service shall pertain to the IOM, for use by the RCM, in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the IOM and the RCM.

All material produced during the consulting service shall be given to the RCM Executive Secretariat, as all the information belongs to the eleven RCM Member Countries.

 

Working Principles

Use of Results.  The work products will be delivered to the PPT and RCM Executive Secretariat and shall be disseminated during the RGCM Meetings.

Verification of Results.  For purposes of arriving at the products, reports shall be prepared based on the proposed work plan and accompanied by the respective means of verification.  If necessary, the Contracting Entity may request reports outside of the proposed plan.

Coordination.  All work prepared by the Consultant shall be developed in close coordination with the Executive Secretariat.

 

7.           Reports and Deliverables

Under the supervision of the Executive Secretariat, the consultant will deliver a monthly report to the PPT, reflecting the result of the working groups (please refer to part 9). He/she will be delivering a total of 6 reports, one per month.

 

Compliance Indicators

• Satisfactory conclusion of the tasks described herein.
• Quality of the analysis carried out.
• Delivery of products on time and in proper format.

 

8.           Requisites

Education and experience

• Licence or Master´s degree in Political or Social Sciences, Law, Migration Studies, International Relations, Industrial engineer, Planning or a related field from an accredited academic institution with two years of relevant professional experience; or
• University degree in the above fields with two years of relevant professional experience.
• English as a second language required.

 

Experience

• Experience in project management in the field of migration ore related areas;
• Experience in monitoring and evaluation of migration projects or related areas;
• Experience in liaising with Government authorities, other national/international institutions;
• Operational and field experience in migration management in the country or in the region is of particular interest as it is an understanding of the complex social-political environment of the region;
• Knowledge of migration management principles, concepts and techniques.

 

9.           Expected Results for each Working Group

In accordance with the needs indicated by Costa Rica in its role as PPT, a consultant is required, in charge of the coordination of the following working groups:

 

Working group #1	WORKING GROUP ON BORDER MANAGEMENT
Working group #2	WORKING GROUP ON IRREGULAR AND MASS MIGRATION

 

The expected results for each Working Group are as follows:

WORKING GROUP ON BORDER MANAGEMENT

Stock of best practices in the region   Regional strategy to combat migrant smuggling   Map of smuggling routes prepared at the regional level   Knowledge on new migrant smuggling trends   Directory of competent national authorities   Procedural manual for investigating and prosecuting migrant smuggling cases   RCM Member Countries strengthened on the identification of irregular migrants and detection of fraudulent documents at the borders   Joint RCM and SACM strategy on irregular migration and extra-regional migration trends   Tracking of progress towards compliance of the Guidelines for the attention and protection of women in the context of migration   Mapping of impact actions for migrant people

WORKING GROUP ON IRREGULAR AND MASS MIGRATION

Officials from RCM countries trained in public policies and migration governance   Consolidated protocol of assistance to vulnerable populations   Regional guide for assistance of mass flows   Inventory of measures to reduce irregular extra-regional migration   Exchange of joint strategies and measures between countries of origin, transit and destination to deter extra-regional irregular migration   Prevention on the risks of irregular migration, with emphasis on the protection of populations in vulnerable situations