CON 2025 009 | Recruitment Fees and Costs Research Consultant

Job Description

To strengthen their human rights and welfare protections for OFWs, and to incorporate fair and ethical recruitment practices in their stakeholder incentives systems, the DMW is exploring ways to promote EPP among employers, private recruitment agencies (PRAs), and countries of destination, and implement measures to reduce (or eliminate) recruitment fees and related costs for workers and jobseekers as per the ILO Fair Recruitment definitions¹. However, information is not readily available on what is the total and actual scope of recruitment fees and related costs are in the Philippines, and how much each recruitment stakeholder (OFW, PRA and employer) currently spends for the successful recruitment process of an OFW. Therefore, there is not enough information to advise stakeholders on how to practically apply EPP in recruiting OFWs, or whether and how recruitment fees and costs could be reduced in the Philippine context.

The IOM has been a longstanding partner of the DMW (and formerly the POEA) on initiatives involving the promotion of migrant worker rights and welfare, advocacy for an enabling environment for fair and ethical recruitment standards, and prevention of illegal recruitment, human trafficking, forced labour, and exploitation of OFWs. Thus, in continuous support for the above initiatives, IOM’s proposed research aims to provide the DMW with comprehensive evidence and data on recruitment fees and related costs involved in the recruitment of OFWs through Philippine PRAs, and subsequent recommendations for the reduction of these fees and costs and the promotion of EPP. This approach is in line with the NAP-FER, which does not directly espouse a blanket prohibition of elimination of recruitment fees, but instead emphasizes the development of a supportive policy and regulatory environment to enable more recruitment and employment stakeholders to implement EPP and align their business practices with international Fair and Ethical Recruitment standards. 
 

Responsibilities

1. To provide the Philippine government with a complete overview of all recruitment fees² and recruitment-related costs, including "hidden" administrative, operational, and time costs involved in internationally recruiting an OFW in three (3) migration corridors³; 
2. To provide data to the Philippine government to support the development of “charge rates”⁴ or a clear public guidance for stakeholders (OFWs, PRAs and employers) for two types of migration corridors: Type 1. where EPP is legally required; and Type 2. where fee-charging is still legally allowed. The “charge rates” would be based on an evidence-based understanding of: (a) the actual costs borne by the worker (and their family) during the recruitment phase up to deployment, including “hidden” costs where possible to identify; (b) the costs actually covered by employers per type of migration corridor; and (c) costs actually absorbed by a PRA for deployment of an OFW per type of migration corridor. 
3. To identify evidence-based factors that (a) discourage employers of OFWs from adopting the EPP and (b) make it challenging for Philippine PRAs to find and secure employers who are willing to practice EPP; and 
4. To provide recommendations to the Philippine government on: effective measures to reduce recruitment fees and related costs in the recruitment process of OFWs; communicating to stakeholders the actual costs of recruiting OFWs from the Philippines; the use of the data to inform DMW policies on incentives for employers and PRAs; and jointly advocating with private sector for broader EPP adoption among employers and countries of destination. 

The results of the research shall also inform and compliment IOM’s ongoing partnership with the DMW on strengthening overall labour migration policy, including initiatives to incentivize private sector stakeholders practicing fair and ethical recruitment and human rights due diligence, and to support capacity-building and professionalization of the recruitment industry by standardizing management systems requirements for PRAs.

Category B Consultant shall be hired to deliver an output on an instalment payment basis:

OutputsRelated TasksDeadline

1. Required deliverables are submitted in accordance with the agreed-upon deadlines.
2. Submitted output clearly delivers high-quality, impactful research that expounds on the currently available literature.
3. Submitted output ensured that all writing and formatting are consistent and aligned with the IOM Brand Style Guide.
4. Issues raised are resolved amicably with outcomes accepted by the involved parties.

Qualifications

Institutional Experience and/or competencies required for the Consultant

• Must have completed minimum bachelor’s degree in economics, business management, public policy, social science, international relations, international development, migration studies or related courses with at least seven years of relevant professional experience; preferably have a graduate degree in any of these or other related fields with at least five years of professional experience.
• Must have advanced knowledge on migration and cross-cutting issues, and Philippine labour migration context.
• Having managerial experience in working in the Philippine private sector or at multinational level is an advantage.
• Established network of contacts in government agencies and companies involved in Philippine labour migration is an advantage.
• Needs to have excellent writing and research skills with a demonstrated capacity to produce impactful research.
• Proficiency in English is required; working knowledge of Filipino is an asset.

Required Skills

Job info