2. Intra-ACP Migration Facility
The Intra-ACP Migration Facility’s target is the
development of a global arrangement for
Migration and Development, based on ACP intra-
regional and South-South co-operation.
Introduction/Rationale OutlookMethodologyBackground
3. Introduction/Rationale
• The project of technical assistance in establishing the
intra-ACP Migration Facility in the Caribbean has
three (3) stages:
– Component 1: Regional/Country Situational Analysis and
Capacity Assessment;
– Component 2: Strengthening National and Local Capacity
for Participation in Integrated Migration and Mobility
Management in Haiti and Trinidad and Tobago;
– Component 3: Design of a Programme for Sustainable
Region-wide Involvement and Investment in Migration and
Development (M&D) and the intra-ACP Migration Facility.
5. Defining Capacity
• Capacity = Political Arrangements + Legal-
Institutional Arrangements + Technology
+Social Arrangements + Physical Infrastructure
• Given the targets and objectives of the ACP
Migration Facility/ACP Observatory, capacity
is required to achieve specific goals
6. Ecology of Migration
The Migration-Development nexus comprises a number of interconnected
relationships among seven (7) sectors:
1) Community Members: Migrants’ households in origin and destination
countries
2) Civil Society Organisations in Countries of Origin
3) Civil Society Organisations in Countries of Destination
4) Relevant Government Institutions in Countries of Origin
5) Relevant Governments Institutions in Countries of Destination
6) Private Sector/Commercial Sector in Countries of Origin
7) Private Sector/Commercial Sector in Countries of Destination
8. Capacity Survey
• Political Arrangements
• Legal-Institutional Arrangements
• Technology
• Social Arrangements
• Physical Infrastructure
9. Social Marketing
Social marketing is the application of
commercial marketing techniques to
the analysis, planning, execution, and
evaluation of programmes designed to
influence the voluntary behaviour of
target audiences.
12. Message Design - Tasks
1. To capture the attention of the right
audience
2. To deliver an understandable and credible
message
3. To deliver a message that influences the
beliefs or understanding of the audience
4. To create social contexts that lead toward
desired outcomes
13. Message Design- Spread
• Civil Society
• Communities
• Social Media
• Universities
• Private Sector
• Regional and International Organisations and
Events
14. Assessment of Capacity
• Capacity assessment will be based on raising
interest among stakeholders and potential
prime movers using the analysis of the
relationship with migration issues and existing
arrangements.
• Interview questions and the resulting
sector/institutional dossier will tie M&D to
current local issues of significant importance
in Haiti & Trinidad and Tobago
15. Assessment of Capacity
• Use of vivid and central imagery in message
design, including humour and drama
• Use of credible sources of information,
including known local events, community
representatives and celebrities
• Attention to the timing of communication to
accommodate or take advantage of social,
cultural or political rhythms.
17. Field Testing/Workshop
• Preparation of Sector and Institution-
Specific Dossiers, situational analysis and
sketch of relevant networks:
–Identification of ministerial portfolios
–Identification of relationship between M&D
and goals of prime movers.
18. FT/Workshop Report
• Report on Capacity
• Report on Social Marketing
• Outlook for sustainable capacity
development
• Report on Workshop post-testing
19. Capacity Building Threats
• Dynamics of Global Change
• Political Interests & Opportunism
• M&D as a Multi-levelled Issue
20. Monitoring & Evaluation
• Review and revision of templates
• Qualitative-quantitative baseline report
• Ensure that the technical support provided
remains relevant
• Participative M&E techniques
The objective of capacity assessment for the ACP Migration Facility is the identification of existing resources and needs with the aim of developing a suitable and sustainable political and economic framework for the management of transnationalism in the Caribbean. The ACP Migration Facility’s target is the development of a global arrangement for Migration and Development, based on ACP intra-regional and South-South co-operation. This presentation specifically addresses Component 1: REGIONAL/COUNTRY SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS & CAPACITY ASSESSMENT
This approach draws from experiences in and reflections on seven (7) projects: As a global migration specialist, I undertake consultancies for institutions such as IDRC (International Development Research Centre) as Lead Researcher on its scoping study on the emerging ICT4Development and Diaspora that included Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Guyana and Barbados (2005/6), with the IOM (International Organization for Migration) specifically on civil society knowledge of Human Trafficking issues and incidence in Trinidad and Tobago (2007), and with the (ACE) Association of Caribbean Economists on the design of tool for capacity building among negotiators in the region (2003/4). I worked with the ERM in collecting community responses as part of an Economic and Social Impact Assessment of a major industrial development project planned by the ALCOA (2007). I worked both as a facilitator and monitoring and evaluation specialist on the UNICEF-sponsored project, Developing Child-Friendly Communities and was part of the initial capacity assessment team as well as the implementation and evaluation operations (2007-2008). I also undertook research design and capacity building work with the (WAGI) Women and Gender Institute in the Philippines as a researcher and then my own research in Kuwait on the political economy of technical and other remittances, and internal migration in the Filipino and other Asian diasporas in the Middle East (2009-2010).
Specific to the targets and objectives of the ACP Migration Facility/ACP Observatory mentioned above, capacity is required to achieve specific goals such as: Swift processing of visas/passes Skills banking based on regional human resource strategies Low-cost regional and inter-regional travel and transport Accessible language and other communication services Migrant support institutions, including accessible and accurate information on mobility and migration
The extent of migration-related capacity assets as well as the intensity and quality of these relationships represent the targets for capacity assessment. Key factors influencing the intensity and quality of these relationships are: The regional and national commercial and financial system, including monetary policy The quality and cost of communications and transport The quality and intensity of intra- and inter-regional commercial and NGO activity.
- Potential sources on information include: ACP Observatory, Association of Caribbean States, CARICOM, IDB, IDRC, MINUSTAH, UNECLAC, UNDP, UNCTAD, UN-WOMEN, UWI, Government Institutions, Civil Society Organisations and networks. - While each of the seven sectors will be addressed, primary focus would be given to Haiti as a country of origin and Trinidad and Tobago as a country of destination. - Specific attention would be placed on the intergovernmental, civil society and private sector relationships that influence migration between the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
My choice of social marketing is guided by my local and regional experience with research on migration and development as well as the limited public awareness to the migration-development nexus and high political sensitivity of specific migration issues in the Caribbean. Social marketing is the application of commercial marketing techniques to the analysis, planning, execution, and evaluation of programmes designed to influence the voluntary behaviour of target audiences (Andreasen, 1995; italics mine).
I outline here eight (8) steps or goals of social marketing to bridge between target audiences voluntary actions and the goals of the Facility. Given the overall aims of the project, as well as the need to insert the concept of migration and development into the decision-making process at the individual and institutional level in a relatively short period, my suggested breakdown on Research Methods is as follows: 30% desk research; 30% interviews with key informants; 40% fieldwork/workshop.
I assume that there is significant capacity available in terms of related issues and intermediate services which would have a direct impact on the question of migration and development. Among these related issues are: Intra-regional Travel, Tourism and Commerce Energy, including Oil and Gas Housing and Transport Remittances, Banking and Community Finance Health care, research and related services, including sex work and drug abuse Environmental protection, in particular marine resources Science, Food and specialised agriculture Gender and Human Rights Labour representation, in particular service and domestic workers Family counselling Religion and Ethnicity Music, Dance and other Copyright Industries Information and Communications Technology, in particular mobile communications Youth and Volunteerism Education and Accreditation Sport Disaster Preparedness, Prevention and Response Data and Research, including Monitoring and Evaluation and the lack of relevant data for research and policy-making
Issues to Consider 1.Defining the target audience, selecting channels to reach the audience, attracting sufficient attention 2.Message credibility and clarity, fit with prior knowledge, duration of exposure 3.Providing information, directing attention to relationship between underlying values and preferences and the issue of migration and development 4.Understanding the pressures that govern individual and institutional action, choices and social relationships While capacity specific to the question of migration and development may not be well developed in the region, these are several areas in which the preferences, goals and current strategies of civil society, private sector and government institutions may by analogous with or beneficial to the aims of the Migration Facility.
Following on this spread of issues, there may be a concomitant spread of migration-related activities and capacity assets across institutions at the national and regional level: Civil Society Diasporic and Ethnic Organisations Regional Civil Society: ACP (Assembly of Caribbean Peoples); AIH-IAI (International Association of Inhabitants) Religious Institutions: CCC (Caribbean Conference of Churches) Social Media Communities Social Media Universities-Global (given educational exodus by Trinidadian and Haitian students) Universities- Local/Regional Private Sector CAIC- Caribbean Association of Industry and Commerce CANTO- Caribbean Association of National Telecommunication Organizations Caribbean Multinationals CaribExport/CAIPA- Caribbean Association of Investment Promotion Agencies Regional and International Organisations and Events ACP ACURIL Commonwealth December 18- International Migrants Day December 19- United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation La Francophonie PAHO/WHO United Nations UN International Year for People of African Descent (January-December 2011) WIPO
Capacity assessment will be based on raising interest among stakeholders and potential prime movers using the analysis of the relationship with migration issues and existing governmental, civil society, community and private sector institutional arrangements. Interview questions and the resulting sector/institutional dossier will tie Migration and Development to current local issues of significant importance in Haiti and Trinidad and Tobago such as: Shelter and Housing availability Energy prices and its impact of cost of living Crime and Deportation Food security and access to agricultural lands Health care and availability of health professionals Education and the availability of educational professionals Economic mal-alignment and the absence of opportunities for work and entrepreneurship Racism and/or Inter-ethnic relations Media and access to information Vulnerability of children and domestic workers Exploitation of migrant workers, including lower pay and poor living conditions Drug and Arms Trafficking Trade Issues, including Economic Partnership Agreement
Proceeding from the domains outlined above, I would stress the following in the design and implementation of capacity assessment activities at the national level: Use of vivid and central imagery in message design, including humour and drama Use of credible sources of information, including known local events, community representatives and celebrities Attention to the timing of communication to accommodate or take advantage of social, cultural or political rhythms. Pre-testing of tool through focus groups or selected group of key informants The expected duration of initial capacity assessment: 1-2 months for both countries. An initial workshop would mark the transition between Capacity Assessment and Capacity Building. This would involve persons identified during the capacity assessment study as well as those attracted to the process by publicity surrounding the workshop itself.
1. Field Testing/Workshop Inputs: Preparation of Sector and Institution-Specific Dossiers, situational analysis and sketch of relevant networks, including factors such as: Identification of ministerial portfolios that address the various elements of the migration-development nexus, taking into account the possibility of jurisdictional conflict Identification of relationship between Migration and Development and the interests and goals of civil society or private sector prime movers. CIVIL SOCIETY CIVIL SOCIETY MEETING Initial civil society feedback requested Migration Facility to focus on connecting education to opportunities for work and entrepreneurship based on the use of communications and internet media and inclusion of various areas of the country (South Trinidad; Tobago). Also important is the integration of information and communications technologies and ICT in the activities of the Facility as a means of including the wider public and civil society actors affected by migration issues, including existing platforms such as the JMDI’s Migration4Development forum. As is noted earlier, a process of social marketing will be required to positively link the theme of migration and development to Gender, Environmental Protection, Trade, Education and Crime and Security, these being areas of concerted civil society intervention in Trinidad and Tobago in the past five years. Regional efforts may be require more concerted effort, and should include outreach to established fora such as the Assembly of Caribbean People. Indeed, visits and online exchanges among NGOs internationally are important for the growth of the social sector through the sharing of information. Increased collaboration by civil society actors across ACP regions on the topic of migration and development may represent another criterion for NSA inclusion.
Outcomes: Preparation of Workshop Report, outlining the following: Report on Capacity- An overview of existing and needed Political Arrangements/ Legal-Institutional Arrangements/ Technology/ Social Arrangements/ Physical Infrastructure as identified by research and participant contributions. Report on Social Marketing- An assessment of Interest, Research, Involvement and Commitment by Sector (Civil Society, Community, Government, Private Sector) Outlook for sustainable capacity development via ACP Migration Facility Report on Workshop post-testing to confirm retention, interest and commitment.
Capacity Building Challenges/Threats The main challenges anticipated for capacity assessment and building in the Caribbean: Migration and Development as a Multi-levelled Issue: The development of capacity is subject to competition among various levels of authority. Earlier research (Greenidge, 2009: 241) indicates that the following division of responsibility may occur: - Technology/Institutional & Social Arrangements: National/Sub-national Levels - Physical Infrastructure/Political Arrangements: Regional/Sub-regional Levels Fortunately, the ACP Migration Facility has already been structured to deal with capacity assessment and capacity building at each of these levels. Dynamics of Global Change Potential Migration of Prime Movers/Key Personnel trained by the Facility Technological change Politico-military regimes Natural disasters Sub-national social psychology, including inter-ethnic relations Global cities’ policies (both within and outside the ACP) Political Interests and Opportunism External funding dependency influences NGO priorities Lack of integration with existing national and regional priorities Competition among political or bureaucratic institutions New institutions/development plans can be interpreted as the domain of the ruling political party and abandoned if there is a change of regime
The Monitoring and Evaluation process should feed into the review and revision of templates created for the streamlining on intra- and inter-regional migration in the ACP. The research carried out by the ACP Observatory, as well as this capacity assessment exercise should yield qualitative-quantitative baseline report with clear domains. A monitoring and evaluation process that influences content design must help ensure that the technical support provided remains relevant to the stakeholders. In the Caribbean context, it is likely that given the instability of migration outcomes in global cities and other areas in the United States of America and to a lesser extent Europe, both primary extra-regional countries of destination for the two pilot countries, as well as the related fallout for dependent territories in the Caribbean such as the Netherlands Antilles, US Virgin Islands of economic downturn on the mainland, there will be need to reassess both capacity and environmental conditions affecting the framing of technical support for the pilot countries with the initial period of implementation of the Facility (2011-2013). Once involvement and commitment/competition are achieved, capacity building would include training in participative Monitoring and Evaluation techniques specific to the objectives and activities of the Facility.