Call for papers: Development policies that facilitate internal migration

BACKGROUND
The World Bank’s the Global Knowledge Partnership on Migration and Development (KNOMAD) program is a global hub of knowledge and policy expertise on migration and development issues. Among 13 TWGs, the Thematic Working Group on Internal Migration and Urbanization (TWG 12) aims to better understand the relationship between internal migration and development including rural/urban development, by identifying good practices that help develop sustainable livelihoods, create jobs in rural and urban areas and increase connectivity between rural and urban areas, while leveraging the migration process for poverty reduction and development. In this context, this call for papers aims to bring researchers to analyze and evaluate development policies which have influenced the outcome of internal migration, for migrants and their families, as well as for migrant host and sending communities.
 
RESEARCH OBJECTIVE
The key objective will be to analyze the impacts of different policies on leveraging the positive/negative outcomes of internal migration and to evaluate how these policies have facilitated internal migration through rural and urban transformation (e.g. reduced land and natural resource pressures), increased rural incomes (especially through remittances) and livelihood opportunities, among others.
Some of key research questions include:

1. What are the linkages between internal migration and rural-urban developments/ transformation?
2. Which development and other socio-economic policies have been associated with positive/negative outcomes of internal migration (for instance increased connectivity between rural and urban areas, urbanization of rural areas, job creations and enhanced incomes in rural areas, resilience to shocks, migrants’ wellbeing, gender equality and women’s empowerment, youth employment etc.)?
3. How does the composition of the migrant population in terms of age and gender influence the impact of migration on the households and recipient and sending communities?

This work would provide lessons learned and policy recommendations particularly for countries which have not yet experienced large-scale migration and are aiming to achieve sustainable and inclusive development. In order to identify good practices, the work will carry out in-depth case studies to determine whether, and the extent to which, internal migration has contributed to reduce unemployment and to more sustainable rural and urban development.
Potential case study countries are, not limited to, Vietnam, Brazil/Peru, Kazakhstan, Korea, Tanzania, Germany and the United States.
KNOMAD will commission four case studies. After reviews, the papers could be published as KNOMAD working paper series. Based on the research papers, KNOMAD may produce a report on comparative analyses and a policy brief. All papers should be in English.

PROPOSAL FORMAT AND TIMELINES
Proposals should be no more than 4 pages (single spaced), including (i) abstract, (ii) background and motivation, (iii) research questions, (iv) brief summary of literature, (v) analytical methodology, (vi) potential risks associated with completing the research, and (vii) team composition.

• Annotated outline by April 15, 2016
• Draft paper by June 30, 2016
• Final paper by September 30, 2016. 

This project aims to on-going research, using existing data. KNOMAD will offer $3,500 to those teams to be selected to prepare research papers. 
 
Please submit a proposal together with research team members’ CVs by April 4 (Mon), 2016 to:
 
Mr. Abrar Chowdhury (cabrar@gmail.com), Chair of KNOMAD TWG12
Ms. Rosemary Vargas-Lundius (vargaslundius@hotmail.co.uk ), Co-Chair of KNOMAD TWG12
Soonhwa Yi, (syi@worldbank.org, +1 202-458-8529), KNOMAD Secretariat, the World Bank.