[Re-announcement] Consultants to Conduct National Mapping (2 positions)

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Central Asian countries face complex migration dynamics that require stronger and more coordinated protection systems for all vulnerable migrants. While all five countries have adopted anti-trafficking legislation, broader categories of migrants in vulnerable situations, such as irregular migrants, stranded individuals, and migrant workers facing violence and abuse, often remain insufficiently covered in policy and practice.

Despite progress in legal frameworks and capacity-building, the identification and referral of vulnerable migrants remain inconsistent. Mechanisms such as National Referral Mechanisms exist across the region but are not fully operational, and implementation gaps continue to limit effective support. Institutional coordination also remains a challenge, with responsibilities spread across multiple agencies and often lacking clear procedures or accountability. This leads to fragmented responses, weak data collection, and reactive rather than strategic approaches. Similar gaps are evident in child protection systems, which are not always adequately adapted to the needs of children on the move. Service provision is uneven, with significant barriers to access for many vulnerable migrants due to legal, administrative, or geographic constraints. While some support services exist, their availability and accessibility vary, particularly in remote and border areas, limiting timely and comprehensive assistance.

Given these challenges, a comprehensive national mapping is required to address the persistent gaps between policy and practice across Kyrgyzstan. The mapping will systematically review and assess existing national frameworks, including legislation, policies, standard operating procedures, tools, and service provision mechanisms, to identify areas where implementation is falling short.

It will examine key questions such as the adequacy of legal frameworks in covering all forms of vulnerability, the availability of clear guidance and capacity for frontline actors to identify and assist vulnerable migrants, the effectiveness of inter-agency coordination and referral processes, and the extent of geographic and thematic service coverage. By identifying bottlenecks and gaps, the mapping will generate an evidence-based foundation to strengthen protection systems and improve outcomes for vulnerable migrants at the national level.

This initiative is closely aligned with a parallel regional assessment covering Central Asia, which analyzes cross-cutting trends and shared challenges across countries. The regional study provides a comparative perspective, while the national mapping offers a more in-depth analysis of country-specific contexts and institutional realities.

The two efforts are mutually reinforcing: insights from the regional assessment, including common challenges and good practices, will inform the national analysis, while findings from the national mapping will contribute to a more nuanced regional understanding. Coordination mechanisms will be established to ensure complementarity, facilitate information sharing, and avoid duplication of efforts.

The mapping will identify priority actions required to operationalize existing frameworks and address identified gaps, including the development of standard operating procedures, strengthening inter-agency coordination, enhancing service provision, and delivering targeted capacity-building. It will inform the development of practical, user-oriented SOPs and guidance tailored to the national context, supporting frontline practitioners in improving protection for vulnerable migrants.

In addition, the mapping will establish a baseline of existing capacities and gaps, enabling the measurement of progress over time. Overall, it will serve as a critical step toward translating policy commitments into effective, system-wide protection outcomes.

IOM’s competency framework can be found at this link. Competencies will be assessed during the selection process.

IOM covers Consultants against occupational accidents and illnesses under the Compensation Plan (CP), free of charge, for the duration of the consultancy. IOM does not provide evacuation or medical insurance for reasons related to non-occupational accidents and illnesses. Consultants are responsible for their own medical insurance for non-occupational accident or illness and will be required to provide written proof of such coverage before commencing work. 

Any offer made to the candidate in relation to this vacancy notice is subject to funding confirmation.

Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, security clearances.

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