Ethnic Minority Worker Engagement Advisor

CONSULTANCY NOTICE

(Open to National candidates only)

Position Title: Ethnic Minority Worker Engagement Advisor

Duty Station of the Consultancy: Ho Chi Minh City (remote consultancy)

Organizational Unit: Labour Mobility and Social Inclusion, IOM Viet Nam

Type of Appointment: Consultancy Contract, Category B

Closing Date: 15 October 2025

Reference Code: Call for CVs HCMC_2025/003

1. Project Context and Scope:

Established in 1951, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is the UN’s leading agency on migration. IOM provides services and advice to governments, migrants, and other stakeholders to promote safe, orderly, and regular migration. This consultancy is being undertaken through IOM’s regional programme which collaborates with governments, business and civil society to uphold the human and labour rights of migrant workers in key sectors and migration corridors in line with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). This flagship programme is being implemented from 2024-2028 across Cambodia, Malaysia, Nepal, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam. In Viet Nam, IOM works with multinational corporations with suppliers in Viet Nam to strengthen fair recruitment, employment practices, and worker wellbeing, with a focus on internal migrant and ethnic minority workers.

IOM’s recent case study found that 62% of surveyed workers from two factories identified as ethnic minorities, with many originating from northern mountainous provinces. The factory assessments revealed that ethnic minority workers had the lowest awareness and reporting rates for grievance mechanisms, due to perceptions that when abuse occurred, it was not “serious enough” to warrant a complaint. The community-based research confirmed that new hires, particularly internal migrants from ethnic minority backgrounds, struggled with fatigue and stress due to shift arrangements and pressure to meet production quotas. These challenges were compounded by limited onboarding support, leaving new workers isolated and unprepared to adapt to the factory settings. These findings align with A 2021 study from UN Women¹ observed that an increasing number of ethnic minority women and men from northern provinces are migrating to urban and industrialized areas in search of higher-income jobs. Many of these migrants find employment in factory jobs within the formal sector. The study highlighted Vinh Phuc and Bac Ninh among the common destination provinces for the interviewees. A joint IOM and Women’s Union study (forthcoming) which assessed the rental housing conditions of internal migrant workers employed by foreign direct investment (FDI) companies and Vietnamese small and medium (SME) enterprises in industrial areas in Me Linh, Hanoi also confirmed that there was a marked increase in factories hiring ethnic minority workers for short-term work over the past six years. While this shift in labour force composition has provided businesses with a flexible workforce. Surveyed ethnic minority workers exhibited more transient housing patterns, and landlords in Me Linh reported communication barriers with tenants from different linguistic backgrounds, sometimes leading to misunderstandings or disputes. Such challenges may affect tenants’ ability to raise concerns, assert needs, or negotiate rental terms. One recommendation from the study was to improve awareness raising materials targeted at helping new workers adapt to life inside and outside of work. This is especially crucial for ethnic minority workers and those without prior experience in industrial zones.

Under this consultancy, IOM will contract an expert or team of consultants in ethnic minority engagement to conduct consultations with ethnic minority internal migrant workers employed in the electronics sector in Bac Ninh and Vinh Phuc industrial zones, and to provide advisory inputs for culturally and linguistically appropriate worker orientation and awareness materials, as well as inputs to IOM’s forthcoming guidance on engaging internal migrant workers, including ethnic minorities, in human rights due diligence exercises in Viet Nam.

2. Scope of Work and Key Deliverables:

The objective of this assignment is to:

Lead ethnic minority worker consultations to inform the development of a practical, standardized orientation package and awareness-raising materials for internal migrant and ethnic minority workers employed in industrial zones that are culturally appropriate and accessible. IOM plans to develop a standardized, practical, and easy-to-understand internal migrant worker orientation package for HR teams as well as awareness raising materials for workers will be used at selected electronics factories in Bac Ninh and Vinh Phuc. These factories employ workers from many ethnic minority groups, including a large proportion from H’mong, Dao and Tay backgrounds. Using findings collected from the consultations, IOM will strengthening the internal migrant worker orientation package to be tailored to the learning needs of ethnic minority workers, emphasizing clarity, cultural appropriateness, and actionable guidance to help internal migrant workers navigate both workplace and daily life.
Provide inputs into IOM’s awareness-raising materials for internal migrant and ethnic minority workers employed in industrial zones which include a) videos for internal migrant workers, including ethnic minorities to raise awareness about their rights during both recruitment and employment; and b) multimedia materials (videos and flyers) that reinforce key messages from the internal migrant worker orientation training, with a particular focus on reaching internal migrant workers from ethnic minority backgrounds. These materials will help workers better understand their rights, entitlements, workplace expectations, and the support systems available to them in industrial zones.
Review and provide inputs related to ethnic minority inclusion in IOM’s forthcoming practical guidance for engaging internal migrant workers in due diligence exercises in Viet Nam. The guidance will be used for gathering feedback from workers, including ethnic minority internal migrant workers, within the framework of human rights due diligence exercises. By incorporating participatory research models, businesses can attain a holistic understanding of participants’ experiences and pinpoint areas for improvement. This guide, which will be contextualized for Viet Nam, will underscore the significance of involving all participants in a respectful and inclusive manner, actively listening to their perspectives and employing participatory approaches to empower them in sharing their narratives and experiences.

Deliverables:

Practical, standardized orientation package and awareness-raising materials for internal migrant and ethnic minority workers:
1. Consultation FGD/IDI guides for ethnic minority workers to inform the internal migrant worker orientation training package and culturally and linguistically appropriate awarenessraising materials (videos, flyers, audio or other suitable formats)
2. Conduct 01 day of on-site ethnic minority worker consultations (FGDs and short IDIs) to identify onboarding experiences, needs and recommendations for the internal migrant worker orientation training package and awareness raising resources at the selected electronics supplier in Vinh Phuc and prepare site debrief meeting with IOM and notes per session. Additional follow-up interviews can be organized online or via phone call.
3. Conduct virtual consultations with ethnic minority representatives, practitioners working in the field of ethnic minority engagement, academia or civil society.
4. Recommendations report (8–10 pages) directly shaping the orientation package: priority topics, misconceptions, preferred modalities (verbal, visual, peer-led), timing (pre/onboard), and language needs.
IOM’s awareness-raising materials for internal migrant and ethnic minority workers, this could include the following (but not limited to):

1. Awareness raising recommendations report (maximum 15 pages) and online presentation targeted to IOM and video production service provider (if required) with:
  1. Recommendations on the dissemination plan (target populations including adaptations for different ethnic minority populations, outreach channels) for IOM’s existing videos to reach ethnic minorities to raise awareness about their rights during both recruitment and employment.
  2. Recommendations on the messaging, content and voiceover/image guidance for planned awareness raising materials (such as videos, audio files flyers) that reinforce key messages from the internal migrant worker orientation training, with a particular focus on reaching internal migrant workers from ethnic minority backgrounds.

IOM’s forthcoming practical guidance for engaging internal migrant workers in due diligence exercises in Viet Nam:

1. 1. Tracked edits/comments (one round) to IOM’s forthcoming practical guidance on engaging internal migrant workers in due diligence exercises in Viet Nam. The technical review should consider how to adapt participatory research methods to engage internal migrant workers from ethnic minority backgrounds.

The consultant or team of consultants will be required to attend ad-hoc online meetings to plan and present the deliverables to IOM as well as other external stakeholders as required.

Budget: IOM expects the Consultant to submit an all-inclusive fee for the services with a detailed breakdown of costs. The accepted budget proposal would need to comply with IOM’s financial regulations, including but not limited to The UN-EU local cost norms (version 2022).

Time schedule: The assignment is expected to work in 25 days over a 3-month period tentatively from 1 November 2025 to 31 January 2026. The actual timeline of the deliverables will be agreed with the selected Consultant. 

3. Performance indicators for the evaluation of results

All deliverables (Consultation FGD/IDI guides for ethnic minority workers, worker consultations, recommendations report directly shaping the orientation package, awareness raising recommendations report, tracked edits/comments to IOM’s forthcoming practical HRDD guidance) completed within the agreed timeframe. All written deliverables to be submitted in English in MS word files.
Deliverables meet requirements under the TOR, follow IOM House Style and Manual, IOM Data Protection Principles. All deliverables will be reviewed by IOM and the consultant or team of consultants will be expected to address requests for revision.

The consultant or team of consultants will work under the overall supervision from the MBHR Asia Monitoring and Evaluation Officer and under direct supervision of National Project Officer covering the internal migration portfolio at IOM Viet Nam. IOM will provide access to relevant literature and facilitate IOM will facilitate factory access and introductions for the ethnic minority consultations.

4. Education, Experience and/or skills required

Master’s degree in Social Sciences (e.g. Social Anthropology, Sociology, Development Studies, Political Science, International Relations, Public Policy, Communications, Human Rights, or related fields) from an accredited academic institution, with at least 3 years of relevant professional experience; or a Bachelor’s degree in the above fields with at least 4 years of relevant experience. Equivalent combinations of education and experience will also be considered.
Research and community engagement: Demonstrated experience in designing and/or leading participatory or qualitative research, needs assessments, or community-based studies in Viet Nam, particularly involving ethnic minority or internal migrant communities.
Experience: Experience in developing, adapting, or disseminating information and awareness materials tailored for ethnic minority or internal migrant groups.
Knowledge: Familiarity with labour conditions in industrial zones in Viet Nam; knowledge of electronics supply chains and issues faced by ethnic minority or internal migrant workers in global supply chains is an advantage.
Proficiency in speaking and writing both Vietnamese and English is essential. Working proficiency in an ethnic minority language, especially H’mong, Dao and Tay are an advantage.

5. Travel required

Remote consultancy with field travel required to Vinh Phuc (01) day.

6. Competencies

Values

Inclusion and respect for diversity: respects and promotes individual and cultural differences. Encourages diversity and inclusion.
Integrity and transparency: maintains high ethical standards and acts in a manner consistent with organizational principles/rules and standards of conduct.
Professionalism: demonstrates ability to work in a composed, competent and committed manner and exercises careful judgment in meeting day-to-day challenges.
Courage: demonstrates willingness to take a stand on issues of importance.
Empathy: shows compassion for others, makes people feel safe, respected and fairly treated.

Core Competencies – behavioural indicators

Teamwork: develops and promotes effective collaboration within and across units to achieve shared goals and optimize results.
Delivering results: produces and delivers quality results in a service-oriented and timely manner. Is action oriented and committed to achieving agreed outcomes.
Managing and sharing knowledge: continuously seeks to learn, share knowledge and innovate.
Accountability: takes ownership for achieving the Organization’s priorities and assumes responsibility for own actions and delegated work.
Communication: encourages and contributes to clear and open communication. Explains complex matters in an informative, inspiring and motivational way.

7. Proposal Submission

Interested candidates should submit a full application package including:

Technical proposal (max. 10 pages) outlining methodology, timeline, and examples of similar assignments. If submitting an application as a team of consultants, please indicate their specific contribution to the assignment and the working days required (i.e. Consultant 1 draft recommendations report)
Financial proposal outlining daily rate against deliverables. The financial proposal should adhere to UN-EU cost norms version 2022 . IOM will cover travel and subsistence costs for field activities (01 field trip to Vinh Phuc and/or other location(s) as required)
CV and two references of each team member.

Applicants’ complete set of documents should be submitted to IOM via email, addressed as “Ethnic Minority Worker Engagement Advisory Consultant” or “Call for CVs HCMC_2025/003”, to the following address: [email protected] no later than midnight (GMT+7) on 15 October 2025.

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¹ UN Women. Domestic migration among ethnic minority women – A situation analysis (Hanoi, 2021).