ThaiNGO

Feasibility Study to assess opportunities and barriers in developing a system to connect recruitment agencies in the sub-region. 
 
BACKGROUND:  

Winrock International is a nonprofit organization that works with people in the United States and around the world to empower the disadvantaged, increase economic opportunity, and sustain natural resources. Winrock’s five-year Asia Counter Trafficking in Persons program (USAID Asia CTIP), funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) aims to reduce trafficking in persons in the region and to better protect rights of trafficked persons.  

OBJECTIVE:  

Over the past decade, millions of migrants, mainly from Myanmar, Cambodia, and Lao PDR have found their way to Thailand seeking employment, while often also fleeing political persecution and armed conflict. Such complex, mixed motives for migration mean that understanding the composition of groups in the country is a complicated endeavor. As of 2019, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates around 3.9 million lowskilled migrant workers from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Viet Nam currently live in Thailand.(1) Together, they constitute around 10 percent of the country’s labor force, with migrants from Myanmar comprising the largest group in Thailand - some 69 percent as of 2017.(2)

Migrants and employers struggle to understand the complex migration policy landscape, both in sending and destination countries, and this complexity encourage them to use brokers and intermediaries increasing costs and risks of not receiving correct information.  

In an effort to mitigate these discrepancies and uncertainties, Winrock International is currently seeking a consultant or organization to conduct a study to examine the feasibility of creating an open online platform for recruiting agencies both in sending and destination countries to facilitate and monitor sharing of information to migrate and work legally in Thailand. This online system should provide reliable, updated and practical information and decrease the need of intermediaries and brokers, resulting in reducing costs, as well as becoming a way to monitor compliance and to develop positive competition among agencies to reduce costs.  

Based on the results of the feasibility, Winrock will explore the possibility to pilot the system through its projects in the region. 

Research questions to be examined during the feasibility study include, but are not limited to:  

1) Who should run such a system for it to remain sustainable?

2) What information is more relevant for migrants and employers? What is the current information available? What are the gaps?  

3) What should be the role of agencies/recruiters in the system?

4) How to prevent risks of misuse and misinformation spread through the system?

5) What would it cost to develop, promote and maintain this new platform?

6) How the system will contribute to reduce migration costs?

7) Which channel would be most appropriate?  

 
TASKS:   

1. Develop and approve with Winrock a detailed research design and timeline outlining proposed methodology, research questions and final report structure  

2. Develop and approve with Winrock data collection tools

3. In collaboration with Winrock, develop a list of key informant interviews that can contribute to the feasibility study

4. Carry out the feasibility study

5. Hold bi-weekly status calls with Winrock  

6. Prepare a final report and a power point presentation on the findings, conclusions and recommendations   

DELIVERABLES:

PAYMENT AND PAYMENT SCHEDULE:   
Payment will be made upon timely submission of satisfactory deliverables per agreed work plan, and approval of the contractor’s supervisor. The payment will be made in 3 tranches after each deliverable has been met and approved. 
The payment schedule is subject to negotiation between Winrock and selected Consultant or Organization. 
The proposed payment schedule for the review is as follows:  
- 20 % upon Winrock’s approval of work plan, timeline, and tools 
- 30 % upon Winrock’s approval of draft report/ summary of key findings. 
- 50% upon final approval of the submitted final report 

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APPLICATION 

To apply, please submit a full application by 5pm, December 26, 2019 to Natasha.burley@winrock.org with:  

- Narrative explaining the research approach

- Detailed schedule and timeline

- Detailed research methodology

- Budget, including travel and staff costs

- Key staff assigned to the research project and their CVs

- Three references - List of past relevant work 

(1) IOM, Thailand Migration Report. 2019. Page XI. Accessible at https://thailand.iom.int/sites/default/files/document/publications/Thailand%20Report%202019_22012019_LowRes.pdf.  
(2) Ibid. Note: Derived from Thailand Department of Employment Data (2018); Save the Children, Pathways to a Better Future: A Review of Education for Migrant Children in Thailand: A Situational Analysis of Two Communities: Bangkok and Mae Sot. Full report. 2014. Page 5. 

Closing Date               :      19 April 2026 (11:59 PM, Bangkok Time)