Technical Consultant for Screening and Referral Toolkit Pilot Project

Open to Internal and External Candidates

Position Title :                  Technical Consultant for Screening and Referral Toolkit Pilot Project

Duty Station :                    Home-based. This Consultancy will require occasional travel to The Regional Support Office of the Bali Process (RSO)

                                           in Bangkok, Thailand and pilot airport sites in Bali Process Member States, as required.

Classification :                 Consultancy (Deliverable-based)

Type of Appointment :     Consultant Contract (Up to 130 days and consultancy ends on 30 June 2026) 

Desired Start Date :          As soon as possible

Closing Date :                   08 July 2025

Reference Code :              CFA15615/2025

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT AND SCOPE: 

The Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime (Bali Process) is a non-binding and state-driven process involving 49 members (countries and international agencies), including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC), as well as a number of observer countries and international agencies who participate in this voluntary forum.

More information about the Bali Process can be found at www.baliprocess.net.

The Regional Support Office of The Bali Process (RSO) was established in 2012 to facilitate the operationalization of the Regional Cooperative Framework (RCF) to reduce irregular migration in the Asia and Pacific region. The RSO aims to support and strengthen practical cooperation on refugee protection and international migration, including human trafficking and smuggling, and other components of migration management in the region. The RSO is co-managed by the Australian and Indonesian Governments.

More information can be found at www.rso.baliprocess.net.

The RSO, in collaboration with UNHCR has developed a Screening and Referral Toolkit (the Toolkit)—a mobile-based tool to assist frontline border officials in identifying and referring vulnerable migrants and victims of trafficking to appropriate procedures, such as victim assistance services, child protection for unaccompanied or separated children, voluntary return mechanisms, and other relevant support systems. The Toolkit has primarily been designed for the training of, and use in the field by, border and other relevant officials in Southeast Asian countries. It has the following objectives:

1. Develop a common understanding of vulnerable individuals among new arrivals at national borders and how to communicate with them.
2. Improve the identification of vulnerable individuals among new arrivals at national borders.
3. Improve the referral of vulnerable individuals among new arrivals at national borders.

The Toolkit has been developed as a publicly downloadable mobile application.

The Toolkit is specifically designed to assist border officials in communicating with arriving individuals at the border who do not share a common language, simplifying the screening process and ensuring no critical information is lost.

The Toolkit features a Visual Questionnaire – an illustrated, multilingual tool used to collect essential information from new arrivals that is supported by both symbolic representations and translated text to account for varying cultural contexts. The Toolkit main language covers English, Malay, Indonesian and Thai. There are additional languages inside the modules commonly spoken by migrant groups, including Arabic, Burmese, Chinese, Dari, French, Khmer, Laos, Pashto, Punjabi (Pakistan), Rohingya, Russian, Somali, Tagalog, Tamil and Urdu.

It also incorporates a text-to-speech functionality and translated referral pathways. The referral pathways component displays country-specific referral options tailored to ten categories of vulnerability, such as trafficking, child protection, or medical needs. Based on the user’s selected country and the results of the screening checklist, the app guides officers to relevant support services and authorities for each identified case. The mobile application format allows all materials to be presented seamlessly without the need for separate versions.

In 2024, the Australian Institute of Criminology conducted a comprehensive review of the toolkit, confirming its readiness for field piloting and highlighting its utility in strengthening border officials' capacity to manage vulnerable individuals effectively. The review noted the Toolkit’s strengths in accessibility, multilingual usability, and alignment with frontline workflows. It concluded that the Toolkit is well-suited for second-tier screening—where further assessment is needed after an initial interaction—and emphasised the value of its visual, audio-supported format in diverse operational environments. The report also recommended enhancements to improve monitoring and evaluation functions, such as enabling anonymised tracking of Toolkit usage and referral actions.

Scope of the Consultancy

The overall objective of this consultancy is to provide expert technical and operational guidance to support the successful field piloting of the Screening and Referral Toolkit (the Toolkit) in two international airports in Bali Process Member States. The Consultant will play a key role in ensuring the Toolkit is appropriately adapted, deployed, and evaluated in real-world operational settings. The pilot will span approximately 11 months and include site assessments, digital adaptation, training delivery, deployment oversight, and evaluation. It will begin with virtual and onsite assessments, followed by a collaborative implementation phase designed to be responsive to operational realities and evolving needs on the ground. 

The pilot will follow a phased rollout, starting with Pilot A in one selected site. This initial phase will include field validation of the Toolkit, delivery of officer training (both virtual and in-person), deployment of the app, and monitoring of its use to gather early feedback. Insights and lessons from Pilot A will inform necessary adjustments to the Toolkit and/or implementation strategy. A Go/No-Go decision point will then determine whether to proceed with Pilot B, which will follow a similar process in a second site, incorporating refinements based on the outcomes of the first pilot.

The pilot will include extensive training for frontline officers using a train-the-trainer approach, along with ongoing support throughout the implementation period. The entire process is designed to be responsive to needs and operational realities, with flexibility to adapt as the pilot progresses.

Tentative schedule of consultant involvement based on the project timeline

August and September 2025

The Consultant will support the RSO in conducting field assessments of shortlisted countries. This includes both virtual and onsite engagements to evaluate the technical, legal, and operational readiness of potential pilot sites. The Consultant will help analyse findings to inform pilot site selection and ensure alignment with national systems and frontline workflows. Based on these assessments, an Updated version of the Toolkit will be finalised and adapted to reflect country-specific needs and current best practices.

October 2025 to January 2026

The first pilot (Pilot A) will be implemented. This phase will begin with field validation of the Toolkit's usability, followed by the delivery of training for frontline officers in both virtual and onsite formats. The Consultant will support deployment and provide operational oversight and troubleshooting during the early implementation period. Feedback will be collected to identify lessons learned and inform the refinement of the Toolkit and its rollout strategy.

A Go/No-Go review will be conducted at the end of Pilot A to assess whether adjustments are required before proceeding to Pilot B. If successful, Pilot B will be implemented from February to May 2026, following the same sequence: field validation, training, deployment, and feedback monitoring, with refinements incorporated based on insights gained from the first site.

May to June 2026

The final phase will involve documenting implementation experiences, drafting a final report with recommendations for potential scale-up.

The Technical Consultant will provide technical and operational expertise to ensure the S&R Toolkit is appropriately adapted, implemented, and evaluated in two international airports. 

• The Consultant will support Toolkit customisation, stakeholder liaison and partnerships, Toolkit deployment, user training, and technical troubleshooting—ensuring the product aligns with national protocols, standard operating procedures (SOPs), border control systems, and inter-agency referral practices. 
• The Consultant will ensure the Toolkit upholds international good practices in border governance and supports frontline officials in identifying and referring vulnerable individuals in a manner that respects human rights, dignity, and the principles of protection-sensitive migration management.
• The Consultant will report to the Border and Migration Management Programme Manager at the RSO. The Consultant may be required to perform other duties related to the successful delivery of the pilot, as mutually agreed with the RSO, and in support of the broader objectives of protection-sensitive border management and capacity building.

To succeed, the Consultant must be solution-oriented, able to work under a limited number of consultancy days, and comfortable operating in fast-paced, cross-cultural, and multi-agency environments. The work requires flexibility, adaptability, and a pragmatic approach to achieving the objectives of the pilot across diverse institutional and national contexts.

The expected deliverables and due dates outlined below are indicative and will be adjusted in consultation with the RSO to reflect operational realities, stakeholder needs, and lessons learned during the pilot phases. The timeline is designed to provide structure while allowing for flexibility as the project progresses. The total consultancy duration is capped at a maximum of 130 working days, and the actual allocation of days across deliverables will be refined depending on the pilot site conditions, and the outcomes of key decision points.

Education:

• A bachelor's degree in any subject. Equivalent professional experience may be considered in lieu of formal academic qualifications.

Experience:

• At least 7 years of professional experience in border control and/or immigration operations at international airports, ideally in the Asia Pacific region.
• Demonstrated experience with traveller screening, inter-agency referral systems, and use of technology at ports of entry.
• Demonstrated experience in protection-sensitive border management, particularly in relation to the screening of vulnerable individuals such as victims of trafficking, asylum seekers, and unaccompanied children.
• Experience advising or working with government authorities, immigration systems, or international organisations.
• Familiarity with mobile application deployment and/or digital tools in law enforcement or border settings is a strong asset.

Skills:

• Strong understanding of traveller assessment protocols, border control workflows, and operational requirements at international ports of entry, especially airports.
• Technical knowledge of user interface and usability considerations for mobile or web-based screening tools.
• Ability to translate operational needs into actionable software development or customisation inputs.
• Skilled in identifying and addressing implementation challenges in multi-stakeholder and cross-border environments.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, particularly in multicultural and inter-agency settings.
• Ability to work under limited direction. 
• Intellectual ability and personal resilience to positively challenge conventional ways of doing things. Has the judgment and integrity to engage constructively with risk.
• Strong ability to effectively communicate with influence in oral and written English.

Languages:

• Fluency in English (oral and written) is required.
• Desirable languages: Fluency in official languages across Bali Process Member States is desirable.  Southeast Asian languages for instance Indonesian, Burmese, Thai, Malay would be beneficial, but not essential.

Travel required

This is a home-based consultancy with periodic travel to the RSO in Bangkok and to selected pilot airport sites in Bali Process Member States. The Consultant is not required to be based in Bangkok but must be available for occasional in-person meetings in Bangkok, site visits in pilot sites, and training workshops as scheduled. 

Should the Consultant be required to travel by the Organization, the Consultant will be provided with transportation or reimbursed for the cost of their travel following advance agreement and in accordance with IOM’s travel policies, including IN/6. The Consultant will receive a Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) according to IOM’s established rates, during their stay in the place of duty while on TDY.  

DESIRABLE COMPENTENCIES

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

• 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 action and delegated work.
• Communication: encourages and contributes to clear and open communication; explains complex matters in an informative, inspiring and motivational way.

Other
Any offer made to the candidate in relation to this vacancy notice is subject to funding confirmation.
Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment and verification of residency, visa and authorizations by the concerned Government, where applicable.

How to apply:

Interested candidates are invited to submit their applications via IOM e-Recruitment system within the above said deadline referring to this advertisement. Please attach the following documents in your application.
• a cover letter, indicating the dates of availability, and how you heard about this job opportunity;
• a curriculum vitae;
• a duly completed IOM Personal History Form which can be downloaded from https://thailand.iom.int/sites/g/files/tmzbdl1371/files/Vacancies/Form/iom-personalhistory-
form-270122.xls.
 

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.