Study on the Integration of Human Mobility into Social Protection Programming in Malawi: Case Study of the National Social Support Programme

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is part of the United Nations System as the leading inter-governmental organization promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all, with 174 member states and a presence in over 100 countries. As the leading inter-governmental organization on migration, IOM plays a key role to support the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through different areas of intervention that connect both humanitarian assistance and sustainable development.

2.1 Background on Malawi’s Social Protection Programming 

The Government of Malawi established the National Social Support Policy (NSSP) in 2012. The National Social Support Policy is a medium-term policy that aims to contribute towards the reduction of poverty and vulnerability, in line with the then Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS), theme of Social Protection and Disaster Risk Reduction.

The policy was developed as a foundation for programme development, and it provides a holistic framework for designing, implementing, coordinating, monitoring and evaluating social support interventions in Malawi. It is envisaged that the implementation of a comprehensive social support policy, integrated with other pro-poor development policies, would also contribute significantly to Malawi’s economic growth. The policy has linkages to the sectoral policies, the Malawi 2063 and its MIP I, the Malawi constitution and relevant international conventions.

It is expected that programmes developed from the NSSP will be implemented through the National Social Support Steering Committee, with the Ministry of Economic Planning & Development as its coordinating ministry and secretariat. At the local level, the Area Development Committees (ADCs) and Village Development Committees (VDCs) will work with Community Social Support Committees (CSPCs) to oversee targeting and implementation of social support activities. Development partners and NGO/CSOs are expected to complement Government in its efforts to reduce extreme poverty and vulnerability to risks of many Malawians.

Social Support interventions have strong positive linkages with other economic and social policies and with disaster risk reduction. These interventions will not infringe on or duplicate the established policies and programmes in the fields of social development, economic development and disaster risk management, but will complement these programmes.

There are four policy themes which also constitute the policy areas are:

1) Welfare support

2) Protection of assets

3) Promotion through productivity enhancement

4) Policy linkages and mainstreaming.

The NSSP was developed to guide social support programming in Malawi. The NSSP interlinks with three other policy areas: the Social policy, the Disaster Risk Management Policy and the Economic policy. Each policy area has other specific policies. For example, the social policy has the Education policy among others. The economic policy area has the Agriculture Policy and Trade Policy among others. Following the approval of the NSSP, Malawi developed the National Social Support Program whose phase 1 ran from 2013 to 2016. The National Social Support Programme (NSSP) II has three pillars: Pillar 1 – Consumption Support; Pillar 2 – Resilient livelihoods; and Pillar 3 – Shock-sensitive social protection. Each pillar outlines programme-specific strategic actions and cross-cutting strategic actions.

The National Social Support Program was revised in 2018 to develop a new programme for the period 2018 to 2023. In 2023, the Government of Malawi drafted the National Social Protection Strategy 2023 – 2028. The strategy provides guidance on the implementation of the three flagship social protection programmes in Malawi: Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP), Public Works Programme (PWP), and School Meals Programme (SMP).

2.2 Human Mobility and Social Protection

Human mobility is defined as a collection of all dimensions of human movements which are undertaken in response to stimuli. Since time immemorial humans have moved from one place to another in response to certain risks or in search of certain opportunities. Some movements are more voluntary, while others are more forced in nature. However, there is a very thin line to distinguish voluntary movements and forced movement – there is always a push factor for movement. The major forms of human mobility that have been studied and well documented include Migration, internal displacement, planned relocation, labour migration, asylum seeking. Each type of mobility presents risks and opportunities – others present more risks than opportunities and vice versa.

The advent of climate change and escalation of environmental degradation has resulted in an increase in human mobility both internally and across borders. According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center (IDMC) disasters emanating from climatic hazards have caused an increase in new displacements between 2008 and 2014. The numbers are likely to grow as the intensity and frequency of these disasters has been on the increase since 2014.

This global trend resonates well with the picture at country level. Since 2014, Malawi has seen an increase in the frequency and intensity of both floods and dry spells. More people have been affected in the last 10 years than in the 10 years before 2014. The increase in the scale of environmental degradation and land degradation also compounds the situation as more households move to new areas in search of natural resources and better livelihoods.

As people move into new areas either internally or across borders, they experience new risks and challenges. For example, displacement resulting from floods causes loss of productive assets, loss of access to social services and other livelihoods. Migrants and internally displaced persons also face challenges such as legal and documentation constraints as migrants are often unregistered or non-registered in their current location, lack of information and language barriers, mobility and stability factors as migrants are often in transit and on the move and cannot regularly be present to receive support in person, economic barriers as migrants are more likely to work in the informal sector which does not provide employment-based social protection, as well as other political and policy reasons for exclusion and non-inclusion. Access to productive land is another challenge that migrants and internally displaced people are likely to face. Due to limited financial capital and/or statutory laws migrants may not be able to acquire land for settlement and agro-based livelihoods.

3.0. Justification and Objectives of the Study

3.1 Justification

Malawi’s SPPs should account for the underlying vulnerabilities resulting from the inextricable linkages between poverty, climate change and forced mobility. Including migrants in social protection is recognized internationally to manage migration flows, stabilize societies, and foster economic development. Despite qualifying for social protection schemes, migrants and IDPs generally face higher challenges in being included in social protection schemes due to challenges such as legal and documentation constraints as migrants are often unregistered or non-registered in their current location, lack of information and language barriers, mobility and stability factors as migrants and IDPs are often in transit and on the move and cannot regularly be present to receive support in person, economic barriers as migrants are more likely to work in the informal sector which does not provide employment-based social protection, as well as other political and policy reasons for exclusion and non-inclusion.

Amid the clear link between poverty and climate change vulnerability Malawi’s SPPs remain inadequately shock responsive and socially non-inclusive. This becomes evident as climate-related impacts and human mobility are not adequately taken into account, especially concerning:

A) Eligibility and timely updating of beneficiary registry challenges: Climate shocks have high social and economic impacts, often reducing social and household safety nets and livelihoods that existed before the shocks. An alteration in people’s ‘poverty status’, meaning the need for external social protection support, is often the case after hazards occur and hence the list of beneficiaries needs to be revised to have the most in need covered under the SPPs. The beneficiary selection for the SPPs is based on the national Unified Beneficiary Registry (UBR), which is a social registry that provides information on the socio-economic status of all households in Malawi.

Building also onto findings from UNICEF’s UBR Update Report from 2023, which states that the SPPs and especially the UBR are not shock-responsive, a more agile way is needed to include forced movements into the UBR and have its update done on a more regular basis. By further including environmental fragility and risk of climate shocks in the beneficiary targeting criteria, while ensuring no encouragement is given for people to actively choose to live in fragile areas or locations that are prone to impacts of climate shocks, the GoM can ensure that the SPPs’ target population, the most poor and in need of social protection in Malawi, including forcedly displaced, at risk and relocated communities, are covered at all stages and under all circumstances – whether on the move or not.

B) High administrative/ implementation challenges: In forced displacement situations, many people move from their traditional (registered) location into displacement camps and/or to new, safer relocation locations. Often people who were previously covered under the SPPs may fail to access the support due to their displacement or relocation situation, being far from distribution sites. Additionally, Malawi’s internal rural-to-urban migration movements are growing (currently standing at 4.1% urbanization rate) but transfers of registry files are not always given.

C) Knowledge of SPPs to reduce tension in displacement situations: Knowledge about ongoing SPPs and emergency horizontal extensions among IDPs (meaning the inclusion of more beneficiaries with the same amount of assistance) needs to be investigated to identify gaps to inform information campaigns minimizing risks of social tensions and resentment among host and IDP communities, as IOM’s assessments among IDPs have shown that knowledge and recipients of UBR and social protection services remain very limited, and misunderstanding can quickly lead to tensions. On the contrary, human interventions could function as entry points and catalyst to reach many people with adequate SPPs interventions, and Camp Management Structure could support awareness-raising activities as well as strengthen the responsibility and accountability of affected populations claiming their rights to social protection.

3.2 Overall objective

The objective of the study is to contribute to the enhancement of displacement shock responsiveness of the SPPs in Malawi through the provision of research-informed recommendations and evidence. It is expected that the study findings will help the Government of Malawi, Development Partners and other stakeholders to improve their social protection programs so that they are sensitive to the evolving climate shocks and inclusive of social and demographic dynamics

3. Specific Objectives

4. To review the policy and legislative framework on social protection and human mobility.
5. To collect and analyze data, assessing and documenting how climate shocks and migration have affected potential and existing beneficiaries of Malawi’s social protection programs in districts highly affected by climate shocks such as Nsanje and Chikwawa, including their access and coverage to the different programmes.
6. To review the vulnerability criteria and targeting systems used in Malawi’s Social Support Programmes: Social Cash Transfer, the Climate-Smart Public Works Program and the School Meals Program and identify limitations and opportunities in relation to displacement and other shock-sensitivity and social inclusivity.
7. To identify and assess statutory and administrative instruments and/or challenges which limit the inclusion of internal and cross-border migrants in social protection programming.
8. To develop and disseminate concrete recommendations or strategies that can be adopted given the current environment and situation as well as influence and be added to existing strategies, policies and programmes in order to address limitations and challenges identified in (ii) and (iii).

3.4. Scope of Work

The consultant will work closely with IOM, the Department of Economic Planning and Development (EP&D) in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, the Ministry of Gender and the technical expert working group responsible for social protection. The Consultant will lead the activities that cover the scope of the study. The study will mainly focus on enhancing the understanding of how climate-change related shocks affect current and future beneficiaries of SPPs access to the diverse SPPs, including their potential migration and heighted vulnerabilities. in line with the study objectives as well as develop hands-on, actionable recommendations for enhancing the inclusion of forced displacement and shock-sensitivity of existing policies, strategies, guidelines and/or standard operating procedures for and programmes based on the review of relevant policy documents for Malawi SPPs,  the Consultant is expected to carry out the following tasks:

1. Develop with an overview of the existing policy framework that addresses social support programming and human mobility and their linkages.
2. Gather data and evidence on how climate change and internal displacement is affecting SPPs’ accessibility and inclusivity for current and future beneficiaries in Nsanje and Chikwawa districts as case studies.
3. Explore linkages or disconnections between SPPs and human mobility in Malawi and their impact on shock sensitivity and social inclusivity of the SPPs
4. Outlining gaps (policy, legislative and administrative) in the vulnerability criteria and targeting systems and their implications on shock-sensitivity and social inclusivity of Malawi’s social support programs.
5. Develop concrete recommendation or strategies that can be adopted given the current environment and situation as well as influence and be added to existing strategies, policies and programmes in order to address limitations and challenges identified in (ii) and (iii).
6. Disseminate and present findings to development and government partners in cooperation with IOM

The Consultant’s Technical Proposal should, in the methodology section, provide further details of how each of the above tasks will be carried out.

5.0. Study Methodology and Role of the Consultant

The study will be conducted by an external individual or team of consultants who will provide suitable /best fitting methodology with guidance of IOM. The Consultant will specify in their technical proposal in response to the Terms of Reference what methods they will use to carry out this study.  The consultant will be responsible for guiding the entire study process and all other specific responsibilities as stipulated in the TORs.

6.0. Role of IOM and Partners

IOM will facilitate logistical arrangements for the Consultant (s) as needed. The relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies will provide program documents and other information. IOM, the MDAs and the relevant technical working group will collectively perform quality assurance functions including reviewing proposals, reviewing and approving draft and final report respectively.

7.0. Education Qualifications, Competencies and Experience of the Consultant/Team 

The Consultant/Team is expected to hold the following qualifications in order to be eligible for this position:

• A post-graduate degree in Social Science, Development Economics, Development Studies, International Development, or related fields.
• A minimum of 15 years progressive working experience in social science or development related fields with a minimum of 10 years’ experience in research.
• Experience in work related to migration and its linkages to climate change and disaster risk reduction.
• A track record of leading policy analysis studies and community and institutional surveys while maintaining high standards in data collection, managing survey logistics, and training.
• At least 7 years of consultancy experience in the areas of migration, climate change, demography, and/or disaster risk management.
• A demonstrated high level of professionalism and an ability to work independently and in high pressure situations.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• High proficiency in written and spoken English.
• Demonstrable ability to meet timelines is a desirable attribute.

8.0 Supervision and Management

The Consultant will report to and receive briefing from the IOM.

9.0 Deliverables

The incumbent will be responsible for the following deliverables:

1. Inception Report detailing the Consultants’ understanding of the assignment including baseline study design, methodology, data collection tools, and work plan.
2. Draft report covering the following:
   1.  An overview of the existing policy framework that focuses on how SPPs addresses human mobility aspects and their linkages.
   2. findings and evidence and of the sampled population, on how climate change and forced displacement is affecting SPPs’ accessibility and inclusivity for current and future beneficiary in Nsanje and Chikwawa districts. Evidence on the linkages or disconnections between SPPs and human mobility in Malawi and their impact on shock sensitivity and social inclusivity of the SPPs
   3. Gaps (policy, legislative and administrative) in the vulnerability criteria and targeting systems and their implications on shock-sensitivity and social inclusivity of Malawi’s social support programs.
   4.  Develop concrete recommendation or strategies that can be adopted given the current environment and situation as well as influence and be added to existing strategies, policies and programmes in order to address limitations and challenges identified in (ii) and (iii).
3. Present findings of the study to the technical working group responsible for social support programming in Malawi for technical review and national validation.
4. Final report incorporating inputs from IOM and other stakeholders and endorsed by the TWG. Final narrative report package should include a powerpoint presentation of the key findings and recommendations as well as a policy brief.

The Report should be presented in Calibri light size 11 font and should present data and information disaggregated based on sampled community, institution, sector, gender, etc. The consultant will also be required to submit copies of cleaned data sets including field notes and audio recorded material.

10.0 Timeline

The assignment is for 45 -days spread across sixty (90) calendar days from the date of signing the contract.

11.0 Application Procedure

Applications must be sent by email to lilongwevacancy@iom.int no later than 30th September 2024. Applications should contain:

• Letter of Motivation and Curriculum Vitae of the Principal Investigator and other support staff
• Technical proposal describing the methodology and work plan.
• Financial proposal including professional fees.
• Proof of previous related work – at least two examples of written work of a similar scope and at least two traceable references.

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