Researcher  

Position Title: Researcher  

Duty Station: Georgetown, Guyana. Work may be conducted off-site, but candidates based in Guyana are preferred. 

Type of Appointment: Consultancy.  6 months 

Estimated start and end date: February 2020 – July 2020 

 

 

IOM seeks to recruit a qualified consultant to lead a rapid assessment on skills gaps within the labour market in Guyana. This activity is to be carried out under the management of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), under the Western Hemisphere Regional Migration Capacity-Building Program, funded by the United States Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM).  

   

Background 

Guyana, the only English-speaking country in South America, is also one of the smallest, with a population of 779,004 as of 2017.1 Despite its geographic location with its coast on the Atlantic, Guyana is considered a Caribbean country due to its political and cultural history and structures. Guyana became a Member State of IOM on 5 December 2011. Since then, IOM has implemented several projects in Guyana to promote the involvement of the diaspora in Guyana´s development, strengthen the security mechanisms for the enhancement of migration management in Guyana, and promote the nexus of migration and health, among others.2 In 2020, IOM is conducting both a country profile and a needs assessment on migration governance, in addition to this skills gap study. These are distinct but interlinking projects, and each will provide a basis for the development of data-driven policies and programs.

 

In 2000, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) sparked the oil and gas industry’s interest in the Guyana-Suriname offshore basin with the release of its USGS assessment of undiscovered resource potential in South America. The 2012 update of this report identified the basin as the second-largest prospect on or near the continent. The assessment’s mean values for the basin were 13.6 billion barrels of oil, 21.2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 574 million barrels of natural gas liquids.3  

 

After years of exploration and development operations, a deal was made between the Government of Guyana and ExxonMobil for oil extraction, which will begin producing up to 120,000 barrels of oil per day from the Liza Phase 1 development by early 2020. Economic growth in Guyana is projected to jump considerably from the 3-4 per cent range in 2018-19 to over 30 per cent in 2020 and 2021, as a result of the oil industry.4  

 

This economic growth is expected to result in important migratory inflows of people, including Guyanese nationals in the diaspora, nationals from other CARICOM and OECS Member States and internal flows of Guyanese nationals from the interior. In response, this study will assess the needs of the country in terms of labour sectors and regulatory policies in order to ensure orderly and safe labour recruitment and migration processes in adherence to international standards and fulfilment of migrants’ rights. IOM will assess the needs of the country from the present through the next five to ten years in terms of labour demand and gaps in the main sectors and regulatory policies in order to ensure orderly and safe labour recruitment and migration processes.  This study will prioritise interviews with individuals and officials in the service sector who are responding to changes in the oil and gas sector, particularly those who are knowledgeable about the linkages with development, labour, migration and cash flows. The service sector serving the O&G sector as well as the agencies that accredit or certify the businesses will also be a priority.

 

This research is one of the many activities conducted in the field of labour migration as part of the Western Hemisphere Program, which looks to support the comparability and exchange of data on labour market gaps and labour migration information systems, promoting the use of evidence and “whole-of-government” approaches in policy making, in order to review and promote improved recruitment practices in the region to ensure that labour migration takes place in a safe, orderly and dignified manner. The Western Hemisphere Program is in its tenth year, funded by the United States Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration.

This study aims to help Guyana's progress in achieving orderly, safe and regular migration and mobility of people, through the facilitation of comprehensive and reliable data to support the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies. In addition, such migration policies should protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments of all workers, including migrant workers – and particularly migrants in vulnerable situations, including women, migrant children, indigenous people, individuals with disabilities, and LGBTQI individuals, and those in unstable or informal employment. This study will engage both government and private sector stakeholders, providing a critical cross-sector perspective, engaging with partners to address migration and related issues.

 

The main purposes and objectives of the skills gap assessment to be carried out in 2020 are:

  1. Contextualise the local dynamics of job creation in Guyana and the migrant labour force at sector level, identifying the skills and skills gaps in the Guyanese labour force, analysing the legislation and other mechanisms available to government to recruit labour, and assessing public and private organisational needs for recruiting in the oil and gas sector as well as surrounding sectors;
  2. Identify the current and anticipated stakeholders and actors responding to the increase in economic growth and consequent development programmes as a result of the emerging oil and gas extraction activities, including assessing Guyana’s labour migration information processes and data collection capabilities and needs;
  3. Conduct a quantitative analysis of current supply and demand of labour in Guyana and contribute to a forecasting model to predict labour trends and provide guidance to the Government of Guyana for reaching equilibrium in the labour market, focusing particularly in growing sectors in the economy.;
  4. Identify areas of intervention for continuous measurement of demand for foreign labour, the means of foreign labour recruitment, and the role of the Guyanese diaspora in Guyanese labour markets. The report will identify possible migration governance changes required including for granting Skills Certificates to CARICOM nationals and granting work visas to labour migrants.

 

General Functions 

Under the overall guidance of the IOM Program Support Officer for the Caribbean and the direct supervision of the IOM Research Coordinator, the incumbent consultant will take responsibility for the quality of the assessment and report, and should include the following tasks: 

 

Tasks 

Deliverable 

Design and Diagnostics

Identification and contact made with relevant stakeholders. 

  • Stakeholder mapping 
  • In in coordination with the Program Support Officer for the Caribbean, attend meetings and consultations with government stakeholders as necessary

In consultation with the Research Coordinator, develop methodology and instruments for data collection in the field. 

  • Methodology finalised for interviews and quantitative model
  • Finalised questionnaires for interviews with government officials 
  • Interview protocol for INGO and civil society stakeholders
  • Diagnostic interviews conducted with IOM and regional specialists 

Schedule travel and interviews. 

  • Detailed work plan and travel/interview schedule 

Desk review and analysis including review of current law and legislation and involvement in international and regional frameworks, published migration statistics, national strategies and action plans and related information. 

  • Report from the desk review analysis 

 

 

 

Payment: 20%

Fieldwork and Data Analysis

Field visit – Conduct interviews and data collection in the field. 

  • Field visit brief 
  • Interview notes 
  • Collect quantitative data from stakeholders

Systematise and analyse data, write first draft of the report. 

  • Analyse qualitative and quantitative data collected
  • Draft country report 

Payment: 40%

Validation and Drafting

Validate initial findings with stakeholders. 

  • Validation guidelines and matrix 

 

Edit draft with feedback from the validation process and finalise report. 

  • Final country report 

Editing and Publication

Edit report as needed to support the design and publication processes.

  • Final report

Payment: 40%

 

 

Main Tasks of the Consultant Related to the Assignment: 

  • Communicate regularly with the IOM Program Support Officer for the Caribbean and Research Coordinator. 
  • Conduct a comprehensive desk review and support data collection and analysis. 
  • Deliver documents and other deliverables in a timely manner as stated in the action plan, or as amended in conjunction with supervisors. 
  • Maintain a neutral and professional approach throughout the completion of the contract.
  • Ensure that all and any relevant data and finding are documented, appropriately archived and shared with IOM, whether or not they are used in the final report. 
  • Collaborate with Research Coordinator in leading tasks to completion to ensure a quality final product. 
  • Draft a comprehensive and evidence-based report to clearly identify priority issues and recommended actions to address those issues and needs. 

 

Desirable Qualifications  

Education and Experience  

  • Advanced university degree from an accredited academic institution, preferably in Public Policy, Social Sciences, Economics or related technical field; 
  • International experience, preferably in conducting fieldwork and assessments on labour markets, is preferred; 
  • Experience collecting and analysing qualitative and quantitative data; 
  • Capacity to collate and synthesise qualitative and quantitative data in a comprehensible manner; 
  • Knowledge of migration, remittances and development, as well as relevant related policies; 
  • Technical expertise in assessing issues of labour market demand and supply;
  • Ability to draw strong and valid conclusions;
  • Experience working with governments and civil society. 

 

Competencies  

  • Excellent analytical, oral and written communication skills in English;
  • Excellent report writing skills;
  • Experience in leading an international research project;
  • Experience in working in complex institutional environments;
  • Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability; 
  • Knowledge of the Caribbean region and global migration or migration management;
  • Ability to work with minimal supervision and to meet deadlines;
  • Language(s): Fluency in English is required.  

 

Candidates must submit three separate documents to iomguyana@iom.int by February 16, 2020:

  • A CV including a minimum of three references;
  • A technical proposal, including the candidate’s capacity to meet the objectives of the project, including relevant prior experience; proposed methodology to be used for data collection and analysis; and indication of availability;
  • A budget indicating the time and resources that will be required, including travel costs and consulting fee.
Duty Station: 
Georgetown, Guyana. Work may be conducted off-site, but candidates based in Guyana are preferred. 
Grade: 
Consultant
Closing Date:: 
Sunday, February 16, 2020