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        I.            BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT

The Cambodia-Thailand border, historically marked by geopolitical tensions and disputes over colonial-era demarcations like Preah Vihear Temple, has seen renewed conflict. Violence beginning on 24 July 2025 displaced over 134,000 people, closed 600 schools, and prompted the return of 470,000 Cambodian migrant workers from Thailand. A ceasefire on 28 July and a subsequent agreement on 8 August improved security, though unexploded ordnance continues to cause localized displacement.

Oxfam in Cambodia is undertaking an initiative to support the sustainable reintegration of Cambodian migrant workers who have returned from Thailand. With over 878,818 returnees recorded by September 2025, this movement poses a significant socio-economic challenge. The majority are young, underemployed individuals from the informal sector who now face immediate livelihood insecurity, loss of income, and depleted assets.

      II.            OBJECTIVES OF THE CONSULTANCY

The primary objective of this consultancy is to conduct a rapid, evidence-based assessment of returned Cambodian migrant workers to define their socio-economic profiles, immediate needs, existing skills, and livelihood aspirations, thereby informing the design of targeted reintegration programs—such as skills training, livelihood support, and economic reintegration— that respond to actual needs and promote resilience, poverty reduction, and sustainable livelihoods.

    III.            SCOPE OF WORK

The Consultant's key tasks within the assessment will be to:

• Profile the returnee population based on key demographic and socio-economic indicators (gender, age, location, household composition, dependency ratios, disability).
• Document migration histories, including employment sectors and income in Thailand, date of return, reasons for return, conditions of return, and quantify any asset or income loss.
• Identify immediate humanitarian needs and vulnerabilities, specifically assessing access to food, shelter, healthcare, and urgent financial needs.
• Map existing skills and capacities (pre- and post-migration), identify critical skill gaps, and gauge interest in training for new trades.
• Analyse livelihood aspirations (wage vs. self-employment, sectoral interests) and contrast these with perceived market barriers and realities.
• Evaluate access to and the effectiveness of existing support services, including government aid, NGO programs, financial services, and information channels.

Methodology:

A mixed-methods approach will be used to ensure robust data collection:

• Desk Review: Analysis of existing migration data, assessments, and government reports.
• Household Surveys: Structured surveys with a representative sample of returnee households.
• Key Informant Interviews (KIIs): Engagement with local authorities, community leaders, and Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MoLVT).
• Focus Group Discussions (FGDs): Separate sessions with male and female returnees to explore experiences, challenges, and gender-specific constraints

    IV.            DELIVERABLES

1. Inception Report: Methodology, sampling strategy, tools, and work plan.
2. Draft Assessment Report: For stakeholder review.
3. Final Comprehensive Report: Including executive summary, findings, analysis, recommendations and suggestions for possible programming of midterm responses.
4. Cleaned and anonymized data sets.
5. Stakeholder Workshop: Presentation of findings and recommendations

      V.            Payment Terms

    VI.            REQUIREMENTS

The ideal consultant or consulting team must possess a combination of technical expertise and methodological skills to successfully conduct this rapid needs assessment. The following qualifications are considered essential:

1. Technical Expertise and Qualifications:

• An advanced university degree (master’s degree or higher) in Social Sciences, Development Studies, Economics, Statistics, Migration Studies, or a related field.
• A minimum of 7 years of proven experience in conducting quantitative and qualitative research, particularly in leading needs assessments, socio-economic studies, or baseline evaluations in a development or humanitarian context.
• Demonstrated strong expertise in research methodology, including survey design, sampling strategies, data collection tools development, and mixed-methods data analysis.

2. Thematic Experience:

• In-depth knowledge of and proven experience working on issues related to labour migration, migrant rights, and/or reintegration programs.
• Significant experience in conducting assessments focused on livelihoods, vocational skills, and labor market analysis.
• A strong understanding of Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) principles, with a track record of effectively integrating these into research design, data collection, and analysis to capture differentiated impacts.

3. Language and Communication Skills:

• Fluency in English is required for reporting and international communication.
• Proficiency in Khmer is a strong asset, essential for directly supervising data collection, understanding nuances in qualitative data, and engaging with local stakeholders without complete reliance on translators.

4. Key Competencies and Skills:

• Excellent analytical and report-writing skills, with a proven ability to produce high-quality, concise, and evidence-based reports in English for diverse audiences.
• Strong facilitation and communication skills, including experience in presenting complex findings to stakeholders and conducting validation workshops.
• Ability to work within a tight timeframe and deliver high-quality outputs under the proposed 3-month timeline.

Follow the link for a full TOR: Terms of Reference