External Collaborator to Conduct Baseline Assessment for the EU-funded Project – “Strengthening Inter-Regional Cooperation for Safe, Reg – Ethiopia 4 views

Ethiopia is a major country of origin, transit and destination for migration. While the Government of Ethiopia has taken significant steps to strengthen labour migration governance—through the revision of labour migration (LM) frameworks and institutions, bilateral labour migration agreements, strengthened regulation of Private Employment Agencies (PrEAs), and improved pre-departure training—gaps remain in ensuring safe, regular and orderly labour migration pathways.

To support these national efforts, the International Labour Organization (ILO), with financial support from the European Union (EU), is implementing the project “Strengthening inter-regional cooperation for safe, regular, and orderly Labour Migration in Ethiopia” running from November 2025 to October 2029.

The project is structured around four interrelated interventions areas:

1. Strengthening institutional capacities at national and international level to monitor labour migration and inform evidence-based policies.

2. Improving skills Development for potential and current migrant workers seeking overseas employment.

3. Strengthened protection system for migrant workers across the migration continuum—from pre-departure to return and reintegration.

4. Professionalising and improving the Ethiopian overseas recruitment process.

   II. Objective

The overall objective is to generate evidence-based baseline data and analysis to inform project implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.

Specific Objectives:

1. Assess the current LM governance framework, including laws, policies, regulations, and institutional roles.

2. Map existing inter-regional and inter-ministerial coordination mechanisms to promote LM migration governance

3. Assess the capacity of key stakeholders :MoL, MoFA, PrEAs, regional bureaus, TVET institutions, NGO and social partners – in LM governance

4. Establish baseline values for project outcome and output indicators

5. Provide actionable recommendations for effective project implementation

   III. Scope of work

The baseline assessment will employ both primary and secondary research, collecting quantitative and qualitative evidence for all outcome and output-level indicators. Specifically, the assessment will establish baseline information on:

• Labour migration governance structures and coordination mechanisms
• Data systems, information flows, and administrative processes
• Labour market and migration information availability and accessibility
• Skills development, assessment, and recognition mechanisms
• Protection mechanisms (pre-departure, post-arrival, return, reintegration)
• Fair recruitment policies, compliance, and practices
• Institutional readiness for inter-regional cooperation

The consultant will engage relevant institutions, including, but not limited to Ministry of labour and Skills (MoLS), Bureau of labour and skills (BoLS), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), Ethiopian Ethiopia Statistical Service (ESS), Ministry of Women and Social Affairs (MoWSA), diplomatic missions, Private Recruitment Agencies (PrEAs), Technical and vocational education and training’ (TVET) institutions, skills training and certification bodies, social partners (workers’ and employers’ organization) and returnee migrant workers association. Geographic coverage will reflect migrant prone regions in Ethiopia namely Amhara, Oromia, Tigray and Central Ethiopia and Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa City Administrations, and key migration corridors.

Gender equality, disability inclusion, youth perspectives, and protection-sensitive approaches must be integrated throughout the assessment. The baseline must also identify gaps in indicator measurability, validate indicator assumptions, provide methodological recommendations for future monitoring, and update target-setting where needed.

The consultant must ensure full compliance with ILO research standards, ethics, confidentiality, data protection, and Do-No-Harm principles.

IV. Detailed tasks

Inception Phase

• Conduct a comprehensive desk review of relevant documents, including the project document (PRODOC), logical framework, theory of change, monitoring plan, pre-existing research on labour migration in Ethiopia, relevant government policy frameworks and administrative data pertaining to labour, employment and labour migration.
• Engage with the Chief Technical Advisor (CTA), project technical team, ILO Specialists on intended objectives and goals of the project as well as expected outputs of the assignment.
• Prepare proposed methodology, sampling design, data collection tools, indicator measurement strategies, and ethical safeguards.
• Submit a detailed Inception Report, including data collection tools, timelines, sampling frame, and proposed stakeholder list.

Data Collection

• Deploy mixed methods approaches quantitative surveys, qualitative key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and institutional mapping.
• Conduct primary and secondary data collection with relevant stakeholders to determine baseline indicator value.
• Ensure gender-, age and protection sensitive data collection, particularly for women, youth, people living with disability (PWD) and vulnerable groups.
• Document operational realities of governance structure, data systems, and institutional capacities.

Data Analysis and Draft Report

• Conduct qualitative and quantitative baseline data analysis, including triangulation across data sources.
• Produce baseline reference values for all indicators and institutional capacity assessments.
• Submit a Draft Baseline Assessment Report to the ILO for review.

Stakeholder Validation

• Present preliminary findings during a validation workshop with key stakeholders and project team.
• Record and incorporate feedback requiring clarification, adjustment or expansion.

Final Report

• Integrate feedback and submit Final Baseline Assessment Report.
• Provide a concise summary of key findings and recommendations.

V. Expected deliverables

• Inception Report (≤15 pages) including:
  • Expanded methodology; sampling; data collection tools; indicator mapping matrix; ethical protocols; fieldwork logistics; and Gantt chart and stakeholder list.
• Draft Baseline Assessment Report (≤40 pages + annexes)
• Validation Workshop Presentation
  • PowerPoint summarizing key findings, data gaps, conclusions, and recommendations.
• Final Baseline Assessment Report
  • Clean and track-changed versions
  • Annexes: Data collection tools, raw data tables, methodological notes
  • Comments log explaining how feedback was addressed.
• Summary Brief (3–5 pages)
  • Summary of key findings for policy recommendations.

Delivery timeline: 01 January 2026– 28 February 2026.

VI. Reporting arrangements

The consultant will report directly to the Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) at the ILO Country Office in Addis Ababa. The CTA together with the project team, will provide day-to-day technical guidance, facilitate access to stakeholders, and coordinate feedback. Technical oversight will be provided by relevant ILO technical departments.

All deliverables will be submitted electronically.

All intellectual property, including data, interview notes, and reports remain the property of the ILO.

VII. Detailed qualifications, experience and skills required

The consultant must demonstrate:

• At least 7–10 years of relevant experience conducting baseline studies, evaluations, labour market assessments, or labour migration related research.
• Proven experience in labour migration, employment, skills development, social protection, trafficking/smuggling, or governance systems in Ethiopia or the region.
• Strong capacity in mixed-methods research design, sampling, large-scale surveys, qualitative fieldwork, and gender-responsive methodologies.
• Advanced degree in economics, migration studies, public policy, social sciences, statistics, or related field.
• Experience working with government institutions, social partners, PrEAs, migrant communities, and vulnerable populations.
• Excellent analytical and writing skills in English; Knowledge of Amharic and regional languages would be an asset.
• Ability to deliver high-quality outputs under tight deadlines and adhere to ethical standards.

VIII. Indicators for evaluation of outputs

• Quality, clarity, and methodological soundness of the Inception Report.
• Completeness, timeliness, and rigor of fieldwork and data collection.
• Accuracy and reliability of baseline indicator measurements.
• Alignment with ILO methodological standards, gender and inclusion guidelines, and ethics.
• Timely submission of deliverables according to the approved workplan.
• Responsiveness to feedback from ILO, government, and partners.
• Clarity, usability, and policy relevance of the Final Baseline Report and Summary Brief.

IX. Payment terms

1. Progress payments against deliverables:

   1. 30% upon approval of the Inception Report
   2. 40% upon submission and acceptance of the Draft Baseline Report
   3. 30% upon approval of the Final Baseline Report and Summary Brief

2. In case of progress payments, payment schedule and timeframe shall be based on the number of days corresponding to the deliverables.

3. The daily fee shall be established within the fee range corresponding to the complexity of assignment and the external collaborator’s country of residence, as per the ILO Daily Fee Range Table.

4. If the external collaboration contract is to be established in local currency, the amount will be converted from USD to local currency using the United Nations Operational Rate of Exchange effective at the time of establishing the contract.

   X. Travel arrangements (if applicable)

The consultant will travel to selected regions and will participate in the project co-creation w/shop to collect baseline data. Any travel for the assignment must be authorized in advance by the ILO and will follow ILO rules, including class of travel, DSA rates, security clearance, and adherence to UNDSS protocols. The consultant is responsible for managing field-level security and logistics.