National Consultant to Mainstream Labour Migration into EASS Strategy, in South Sudan. 43 views0 applications

1. Background and purpose.

The South Sudan hosts a significant number of irregular migrants, primarily from neighbouring countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, and Somalia. Porous borders, weak migration governance, and perceived economic opportunities have contributed to this trend. UNDESA (2020) estimates 882,252 migrants in South Sudan, though the actual number is likely higher due to the irregular nature of most migration flows.

In response, the Ministry of Labour of South Sudan, in collaboration with social partners and with ILO support, validated the National Labour Migration Policy in early 2025. The policy aims to enhance governance, protect migrant workers, build skills, and harness migration’s benefits. In parallel, the PrEAs Regulation was technically validated in February 2024 and is pending government endorsement.

The Employers’ associations of South Sudan (EASS), established in 2012, is recognized as the national voice of employers and currently holds the presidency of the Confederation of IGAD Employers (CIE). Despite earlier setbacks due to conflict and institutional challenges, EASS has regained momentum, including development of its first Strategic Plan (2021–2025) with ILO support. However, the plan lacks integration of labour migration governance and alignment with relevant international labour standards (ILS).

To address this gap, the ILO, through the Better Regional Migration Management (BRMM) project, seeks a national consultant to review and revise EASS’s Strategic Plan. The consultant will mainstream labour migration, align the strategy with ILS, and identify pathways to expand EASS membership particularly through inclusion of PrEAs, to reinforce its role in promoting fair recruitment and decent work.

Scope of work

The Consultant will support the Employers Association of South Sudan (EASS) in reviewing and updating its institutional Strategic Plan to reflect evolving labour market dynamics and recent policy developments, including the Labour Migration Policy and the Regulation on Private Employment Agencies (PrEAs).

More specifically, the consultant will:

• Assess how labour migration and PrEA priorities are currently addressed and identify areas for alignment with national and international standards.
• Engage key stakeholders, government bodies, trade unions, PrEAs, migrant communities, and civil society, to gather insights and recommendations for improving EASS’s strategy.
• Draft a revised EASS Strategic Plan (2026–2030) that fully integrates labour migration governance, PrEA inclusion, fair recruitment principles, and a results-based monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework.
• Facilitate a validation workshop with EASS, PrEAs, government representatives, and social partners to present the draft plan and incorporate stakeholder feedback.
• Finalize and submit the updated EASS Strategic Plan (2026–2030), along with a summary report outlining the methodology, key findings, and stakeholder inputs.

1. Detailed tasks

The Consultant will be responsible for the following key tasks:

• Desk Review: Review key documents including the EASS Strategic Plan (2021–2025), Labour Migration Policy, PrEA Regulation, South Sudan Labour Act (2017), and other relevant national and regional policies.
• Gap Analysis: Identify gaps in the current strategy, especially related to labour migration and Private Employment Agencies (PrEAs).
• Stakeholder Consultations: Engage government, trade unions, PrEAs, migrant groups, and community organizations to gather input and feedback.
• Strategic Integration: Integrate labour migration and PrEA priorities into a revised strategic direction for EASS (2026–2030), ensuring alignment with national and international standards.
• Draft Strategic Plan: Develop a draft EASS Strategic Plan (2026–2030) with clear priorities, M&E framework, and sustainability strategy.
• Validation Workshop: Facilitate a stakeholder workshop to present and refine the draft plan based on feedback.
• Final Submission: Finalize and submit the updated strategic plan, along with a summary report and supporting documents.

1. Expected deliverables

The estimated required number of days 15-20 days with the period of two months.

• Submit an Inception Report outlining the consultant’s understanding of the assignment, proposed methodology, and a detailed work plan for the consultancy. 2 weeks from signing of the contract.
• Submit the Draft EASS Strategic Plan (2026–2030), fully integrating labour migration and PrEA priorities, along with a PowerPoint presentation for the stakeholder validation workshop. 5 weeks from signing of the contract.
• Submit the Final EASS Strategic Plan (2026–2030), incorporating feedback from the validation workshop, together with the Validation Workshop Report. 8 weeks from signing of the contract.

1. Reporting arrangements

The consultant will work under the overall supervision of the Chief Technical Advisor of the ILO BRMM Project and the technical support of National Project coordinator, and The Employers’ associations of South Sudan (EASS).

1. Detailed qualifications, experience and skills required

Qualified individual who wishes to apply for this consultancy should meet the following requirement:

• Master’s degree in Public Policy, Labour Studies, Economics, Migration, or related fields.
• More than 5 years of experience in strategic planning, organizational development, or labour governance.
• Proven experience in developing strategic frameworks in fragile or post-conflict settings.
• Strong knowledge of labour migration, PrEAs, and international labour standards.
• Excellent facilitation, analytical writing, and stakeholder engagement skills;
• Familiarity with South Sudan’s labour and private sector context is highly desirable.
• Experience working with or for the ILO or UN agencies is an added advantage.

The submitted offer will be assessed against the following criteria:

Evaluation Criteria

Maximum marks

Master degree in Public Policy, Labour Studies, Economics, Migration, or related fields; 25

More than 5 years of experience in strategic planning, organizational development, or labour governance. 20

Proven experience in developing strategic frameworks in fragile contexts, with at least two samples of previous related work provided. 25

Proven ability to conduct stakeholder dialogues, with excellent facilitation and analytical writing skills, and strong knowledge of labour migration, PrEAs, and international labour standards. 20

Experience working within South Sudan’s labour and private sector context, particularly on issues related to migrant workers, and/or with the ILO or other UN agencies.10

Maximum Points 100

1. Indicators for evaluation of outputs

The consultant’s outputs will be evaluated based on the following key indicators:

• Submit an Inception Report outlining the consultant’s understanding of the assignment, proposed methodology, and a detailed work plan for the consultancy.2 weeks from signing of the contract.
• Submit the Draft EASS Strategic Plan (2026–2030), fully integrating labour migration and PrEA priorities, along with a PowerPoint presentation for the stakeholder validation workshop. 5 weeks from signing of the contract.
• Submit the Final EASS Strategic Plan (2026–2030), incorporating feedback from the validation workshop, together with the Validation Workshop Report summarizing key inputs and outcomes. 8 weeks from signing of the contract.

1. Payment terms and timeline.

This assignment will be from 10 September to 09 November 2025**.**

Payments will be made upon the successful completion and acceptance of the agreed deliverables, in accordance with the timeline and quality standards outlined in the contract. The payment schedule shall be structured based on the number of working days corresponding to the following deliverables:

• 20% submission and approval of the Inception Report (Deliverable 1), demonstrating a clear understanding of the assignment, methodology, and work plan.
• 30% upon submission and acceptance of the Draft Strategic Plan and PowerPoint presentation Deliverable 2.
• 50% upon submission and acceptance of the Final Strategic Plan and Validation Workshop Report Deliverable 3.