The International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN Migration Agency, was established in 1951 and is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration working closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. With 173 Member States, 8 states holding observer status and offices in over 100 countries, IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. Since 1996, IOM Ukraine has assisted over 600,000 migrants, internally displaced persons (IDPs), victims of trafficking (VoTs), and other vulnerable groups, directly or through its project partners.

In Ukraine there is a growing demand for sustainably produced goods and services. However, the general understanding of “sustainability” usually is limited to the environmental impact of the production of material with human rights concerns, like ethical recruitment and countering labour exploitation, being consistently overlooked. At the same time, since 2014, over 70,000 Ukrainians were trapped in human trafficking situations both in Ukraine and abroad with forced labor as the prevailing form of exploitation.

In light of this context, IOM with the financial support of the IOM  Development Fund (IDF) launched a project «Consciously Made in Ukraine» (SVIDOMO MADE), which will support Ukrainian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) on their way towards sustainable development and responsible production, raise awareness among Ukrainian citizens of responsible consumption, and draw attention to the problem of labour exploitation. In addition the project will provide informational resources about ethical recruitment, respect for human rights and viable alternatives to irregular labour migration. The project is implemented in partnership with the NGO «Made in Ukraine». One of the goals of the project is the development of comprehensive corporate sustainability assessment tool, based on international best practices and national regulations, as well as IOM expertise in countering labour exploitation, which will serve as the pillar of the shared corporate sustainability standards and constitute «Svidomo made» ideology, focusing on six main aspects of the concept of sustainable production and consumption:

1. Decent pay

2. Respect for human rights

3. Safe workplace

4. Abolition of child labour and exploitation of workers

5. Supply chain transparency

6. Environmental safety and protection

The tool will be further used for voluntary assessment of SME’s on corporate sustainability by  self-regulatory organizations.

Nature of the Consultancy:

Within the project «Consciously Made in Ukraine» («SVIDOMO MADE»), supported by IOM IDF, the Consultant will analyze international best practices and national regulations on ethical recruitment, human rights and supply chain transparency. Based on the results of the above, the incumbent will provide recommendations on adaptation of the international best practices to the Ukrainian context for subsequent development of comprehensive corporate sustainability standards for small and medium enterprises in Ukraine. The incumbent will also analyze IOM international experience in combatting labour exploitation using data provided by IOM and provide recommendations on adaptation of IOM CREST tools to corporate sustainability assessment tool to be developed within the project.

Tasks to be performed under the assignment:

1. 1.  Conduct desk review and analysis of the existing international best practices, corporate sustainability standards, sustainability trends and issues in the sphere of ethical recruitment, human rights and supply chain transparency, as well as national regulations and provide detailed overview;
2. Adapt the existing international best practices and corporate sustainability standards in the sphere of ethical recruitment, human rights and supply chain transparency to Ukrainian context and target group  (small and medium enterprises) and compile the results into report, as well  accompanying learning brief to summarize the main findings and recommendations.
3. Based on the results of P.2, provide recommendations for the development of  the following modules of the shared corporate sustainability standards and assessment tool, incorporating expert data on countering labour exploitation, provided by IOM:

1. Decent pay

2. Respect for human rights

3. Safe workplace

4. Abolition of child labour and exploitation of workers

5. Supply chain transparency

6. Perform other relevant duties pertinent to the assignment

Consultancy deliverables

1)    Detailed overviewon the results of the desk review and analysis of the existing international best practices, international legislation and corporate sustainability standards in the sphere of ethical recruitment, human rights and supply chain transparency.

2)    Report on the results of the adapting existing international best practices and corporate sustainability standards in the sphere of ethical recruitment, human rights and supply chain transparency to Ukrainian context. This should be submitted to the project coordinator, for comments and discussion, to finalize plans prior to the next step;

3)    Recommendations for the development of the shared corporate sustainability standards and compliance assessment tool for small and medium enterprises in Ukraine.

All deliverables are to be written in Ukrainian and English and meet good language standards.

Education and experience:

• University degree in social sciences, statistics or related field;
• Minimum of three years of experience in relevant fields (such as corporate social responsibility, audit, labour law, human rights);
• Skills in evaluation design, qualitative data collection and analysis, drafting and editing in English, communication, time management and cultural sensitivity are required.

Languages:

• Fluency in English and Ukrainian both written and spoken. Fluency in Russian is an asset.

Desirable Competencies:

• Proven excellent analytical and drafting skills;
• Ability to process large volumes of information;
• Effective communication skills with the ability to clearly and concisely express ideas both verbally and in writing;
• Ability to take responsibility and manage constructive criticism;
• Timeliness in performing functions, provision of deliverables and in reporting; and
  • Ability to work well under pressure.

How to apply:

Interested candidates are invited to submit the following application materials to [email protected] , referring to this advertisement in the subject line of your message:

• CV;
• Cover letter;
• Proposed time-line for deliverables and all-inclusive budget.

Any questions should be addressed to the e-mail mentioned above. 

Closing date for applications is 25 December 2020, however interested candidates are strongly encouraged to apply sooner.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.