CON 2026/36 - Consultant for the Mid-Term Review of the EU4Migration project

Established in 1951, IOM is a Related Organization of the United Nations and the leading UN agency in the field of migration. Working closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners, IOM promotes humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It saves lives and protects people on the move, drives solutions to displacement, and facilitates pathways for regular migration, while providing services and advice to governments and migrants. 

IOM is committed to fostering a respectful, inclusive and supportive workplace where all employees can thrive professionally and feel valued. By creating such an environment, IOM aims to better harness the full potential of migration and strengthen its support to people on the move.

IOM invites candidates from diverse backgrounds to apply and provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process when required. Learn more about IOM’s workplace culture at IOM workplace culture | International Organization for Migration

The project EU4Migration in Albania is a joint initiative implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), funded by the European Union. The action is implemented during 2025 – 2028 and aims to contribute to the implementation of effective, efficient and EU-aligned border and protection-sensitive migration management systems in Albania. The project supports the Government of Albania in addressing migration and asylum challenges in line with the country's EU accession commitments, the National Strategy on Migration 2024-2030 and its Action Plan, and relevant international and European standards.

The project is structured around three interrelated outcomes:
1.    The governance of migration and asylum in Albania is strengthened in support of the EU accession process;
2.    Authorities in Albania have strengthened technical and operational capacities to manage migration and asylum in accordance with international and EU standards;
3.    Migrants, asylum-seekers and refugees are included in local social and economic services.

To achieve these outcomes, the project supports a broad range of interventions, including strengthening migration governance and coordination mechanisms; supporting implementation and monitoring of the National Strategy on Migration; improving migration data collection and analysis; enhancing asylum procedures and reception conditions; strengthening capacities related to border management, protection-sensitive migration management, returns and reintegration; supporting services for unaccompanied and separated children; and promoting the social and economic inclusion of migrants, asylum-seekers and refugees at the local level.
 

As foreseen in the project Description of Action and Monitoring and Evaluation framework, an independent mid-term external evaluation will be conducted at the midpoint of implementation (end of second year of the project) to assess the project's relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability. The evaluation will assess progress against planned outputs, outcomes, indicators and implementation arrangements; identify key achievements, challenges, risks and lessons learned; and provide practical recommendations to inform decision-making, adaptive management and prioritization for the remaining implementation period.

The evaluation will serve both an accountability function and a learning function. From an accountability perspective, it will assess the extent to which the project is progressing towards its intended outcomes and objectives, as well as the effectiveness of its implementation arrangements. From a learning perspective, it will identify good practices, lessons learned, implementation challenges, and opportunities for adaptive management to strengthen the project's performance and sustainability during the remainder of the implementation period.

The evaluation will examine the project's contribution to strengthening migration and asylum governance in Albania, enhancing institutional capacities for migration and asylum management, and improving access to social and economic services for migrants, asylum-seekers and refugees. It will assess progress under all three project outcomes and their associated outputs, while also reviewing the project's responsiveness to evolving migration and asylum dynamics, national priorities, and EU accession-related commitments.

The evaluation will also provide stakeholders, including the Ministry of Internal Affairs, other relevant public institutions, local authorities, the European Union, IOM and UNHCR, with an opportunity to assess the project's responsiveness, effectiveness and contribution to strengthening Albania's migration and asylum management system in line with EU and international standards.

Based on the collection and analysis of relevant data and evidence, the evaluation will generate findings, conclusions, lessons learned and recommendations. The primary users of the evaluation will be IOM and UNHCR project management teams, and national counterparts as relevant. Findings will support adaptive management, strategic planning and decision-making for the remainder of the implementation period. Preliminary findings will be presented to relevant stakeholders through a validation workshop or presentation session to discuss conclusions and recommendations prior to finalization of the evaluation report.

The roles of the IOM project team, evaluator, and stakeholders are identified below: 
External evaluator: 
•    Carry out the evaluation as per the ToR. 
•    Implement the data collection, analysis, and reporting activities of the mid-term evaluation. 
•    Conduct bilateral meetings with the IOM project team.
•    Provide regular updates and flag any challenges or emerging issues with the IOM project team.
•    Prepare and deliver the inception report, final report, two-page evaluation brief, and the visual presentation (MS PowerPoint) of the evaluation of the findings and recommendations.

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.

IOM has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and IOM, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities.

IOM does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, processing, training or other fee). IOM does not request any information related to bank accounts.

IOM only accepts duly completed applications submitted through the IOM e-Recruitment system (for internal candidates link here). The online tool also allows candidates to track the status of their application.

No late applications will be accepted. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

For further information and other job postings, you are welcome to visit our website: IOM Careers and Job Vacancies

•    An advanced university degree in evaluation, international development, public administration, social sciences, migration studies or another field directly relevant to the assignment is required.

 

•  Experience conducting at least three to five evaluations of large-scale projects comparable to the one to be evaluated.
• Strong background and expertise in conducting quantitative and qualitative data analysis.
• Demonstrated sound understanding of migrant's thematic topics, e.g. migration and asylum governance, labour migration, trafficking in persons, crisis management, border management, etc.
• Experience working with IOM is an advantage.
• Experience in technical and analytical report writing.
• Experience in leading an international evaluation project.
• Experience in working in complex institutional environments
• Experience with collecting data under challenging circumstances
• The consultant must be independent of the design, management and implementation of the EU4Migration in Albania project and must disclose any actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest. The consultant must be available for the full assignment period and must comply with UNEG ethical requirements, IOM data-protection obligations and applicable confidentiality and PSEA provisions.

•    Excellent analytical, oral, and written communication skills in English.
•    Ability to create graphic visuals on key findings.
•    Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
•    Ability to work with minimal supervision and to meet deadlines.
 

For this consultancy, excellent command of English is required. Working knowledge of the Albanian language is an advantage.

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