Introduction

The ILO Country Office for Pacific Island Countries is committed to interventions that progress Pacific Island Countries towards decent work. The ILO Office for Pacific Island Countries, in collaboration with the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), is implementing part of a four-year project to improve labour standards on fishing vessels in the Pacific.

The Project covers 15 countries in the Pacific: ILO Member States: Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Non-Member States: Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue and Tokelau.

Broadly, the project includes activities to help government agencies improve how they enforce laws as well as promote relevant ILO instruments such as the Work in Fishing Convention, 2007 (No. 188) and the Work in Fishing Recommendation, 2007 (No. 199).

Project Outputs

1. The provision of information, opportunities for collaboration and coordination, and technical support to PICs to improve working conditions on fishing vessels.
2. Technical and operational support to Pacific Island Countries (PICs) to develop, implement, monitor and enforce labour standards, including the national implementation of MTCs for Crew Employment Conditions.
3. The provision of knowledge and tools for advocacy, awareness raising and social consensus building on improving working conditions on fishing vessels.
4. Technical support and advice to fishing entities in PICs establish and maintain safe, decent and worthwhile working conditions on fishing vessels.

Context

The ILO is implementing particular elements of the Project in four areas:

1. Promoting responsible business conduct;
2. Promoting enhanced worker representation and voice for fishers;
3. Assisting government to work more effectively to promote compliance with national laws and where they do not exist, defer to the Work in Fishing Convention, 2007 (No. 188); and
4. Providing information and awareness-raising to communities whence where fishers come, both Pasifika and international, and aiding Pacific Island governments to engage with countries with out-migration to the industry.

Under Activity 3.2, the ILO is responsible for providing specialist advice and support to develop and disseminate information resources for those employed on fishing vessels, for the families and communities of those employed on fishing vessels and those wishing to be employed on fishing vessels. To this end, the project hopes to publish an information pack as below.

• Talking to communities about fishing
  • To outline considerations for families/individuals engaged in the fishing sector, covering labour rights, basic expectations of work on board, including minimum wage, the occupational health and safety risks working on fishing vessels, where to seek information, support and advice, labour challenges they face.
• Talking to policy makers about fishing
  • Tackling issues related to the fishing sector from a more macro perspective, including myths and facts about C188, contribution of the fishing sector to Pacific economies, decent work deficits and migrant fisher issues, including labour rights covering labour rights, basic expectations of work on board, including minimum wage.
• Talking to trade unions about fishing
  • Tackling issues related to the fishing sector from a union perspective, including myths and facts about C188, contribution of the fishing sector to Pacific economies, decent work deficits and migrant fisher issues, including labour rights covering labour rights, basic expectations of work on board, including minimum wage.

Scope of Work and Deliverables

The External Collaborator will draft the above-described materials. More specifically, the consultant shall:

1. Review the template/source material for the development of these briefs
2. Conduct a review of the secondary research materials available to populate these briefs, including ILO sources, and additional information in the public sphere
3. Draw together relevant information from various reliable sources to populate these briefs
4. Analyze and synthesize complex technical information into clear, concise, and accessible content.
5. Develop three briefs of no more than 8 pages, using a conversational tone, and similar layout to the source materials (note that graphic design will be separately contracted)

The External Collaborator will additionally:

• Take part in an initial briefing with ILO on the scope of work and remain in close coordination with supervising staff
• Design the materials in line with ILO Style Guide
• Provide drafts to ILO and make changes in line with 2 rounds of ILO comments
• To provide final files with all requested changes made

Copyright

Full copyright of all materials and the final design rests with the ILO.

Reporting

The consultant will report to the Project Coordinator Surkafa Katafono (surkafa@ilo.org) and International Labour Standards and Labour Law Reform Specialist (olsena@ilo.org)

Total Cost & Payment Schedule

The expected consultancy will be payable for up to 16 working days only. Breakdown of the contract days are as follows:

Con’td

Con’td

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The successful consultant will be paid in a one-off final payment after the timely completion and submission of the deliverables to the satisfaction of ILO requirements.

Qualifications and Experience

• Interested Applicants should possess the following qualifications and experience.
• A degree in the field of labour or employment law and international labour law or in a related field, or equivalent experience
• At least 7 years of relevant professional experience in communicating information about labour law, international law and labour standards. Relevant international experience and knowledge of international labour standards in the Pacific and the fishing sector would be an advantage.
• Excellent drafting and writing skills. Ability to present complex information in readily understandable forms.
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing. Ability to work on own initiatives as well as a member of a team. Ability to plan and organize work.
• Prior experience working with the ILO on communication materials, including familiarity with the Style Guide and Branding protocols.
• Excellent command and proficient working ability in English.

Proposal Submission

Interested applicants are invited to submit a cover letter, updated Curriculum Vitae, and a sample of similar work along with a daily rate. Proposals should be sent to surkafa@ilo.org no later than 22 April 2024.

For any inquiries or further information, interested parties can contact Anna Olsen via email at olsena@ilo.org