International Consultant: Demographic Resilience Strategy

The International Consultant on Demographic Resilience will work under the direct supervision of the UNFPA Georgia Country office Head of Office in Georgia. 

The consultant will lead the analysis of Georgia's demographic policy landscape, conduct international benchmarking, and develop a comprehensive national policy framework aligned with Georgia’s long-term development goals and EU integration path.

To ensure a coordinated approach, the consultant will oversee and harmonize work with a local consultant, if recruited.

15 June - 15 December 2026

Home-based. UNFPA will make all necessary logistical arrangements as found necessary.
 

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.  UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.

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UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.
 

Georgia is facing significant demographic challenges that have important implications for its long-term social and economic development. In recent decades, the country has experienced a steady decline in fertility rates, population aging, and persistent outmigration, particularly among youth and working-age groups. These trends are contributing to a shrinking labor force, growing regional disparities, and increased pressure on social protection and healthcare systems. At the same time, opportunities exist to harness demographic potential through improved family policies, gender equality measures, youth empowerment, migration management, and active aging initiatives. Addressing these issues requires a coordinated, evidence-based, and forward-looking policy framework that promotes demographic resilience and supports sustainable development.

In recognition of these challenges, the Government of Georgia has taken steps to integrate demographic considerations into national and sectoral development strategies. In June 2016, the Parliament of Georgia adopted the Demographic Security Concept, establishing demographic stability as a matter of national security. The concept, developed with UNFPA support, identifies four pillars: fertility (including sexual and reproductive health), morbidity and mortality, migration, and the population’s age-structure.  Its overarching goal is to prevent depopulation, slow emigration, and mitigate risks associated with an ageing population. 

Following adoption, the government was instructed to draft a Demographic Security Strategy for 2017–2030 and a 2020 action plan. A National Council for Population Development was also created, chaired by the Prime Minister, to coordinate demographic policy. However, implementation has faced setbacks: according to UNFPA’s evaluation, as of 2019 the council had not convened regularly, and parts of the strategy lacked sufficient political and financial backing. 

In more recent years, Georgia has continued to develop demographic policy instruments. For example, its 2021–2030 migration strategy explicitly links to the demographic security concept.  Likewise, UNFPA in 2021 launched a Demographic Resilience Programme to help the country adapt to shrinking and ageing population challenges, including promoting labour-market inclusion, reproductive health services, and social protection. 

Considering the above-said, existing policies and programs around the Demographic Resilience remain fragmented across ministries and levels of government, often lacking a unified vision or coordination mechanism. Strengthening demographic resilience, therefore, requires the development of a comprehensive, multi-sectoral policy approach that brings together economic, social, health, education, and regional development dimensions. The creation of such a policy framework would help ensure that demographic trends are systematically addressed and that population dynamics are harnessed as drivers of inclusive growth and national sustainability.

In this context, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Georgia will support the Government of Georgia in elaborating a Demographic Resilience Policy. This initiative aligns with UNFPA’s global mandate to advance the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action and to help countries adapt to evolving demographic realities.

To this end, UNFPA Georgia will engage an International Consultant to analyze the existing demographic policy landscape, identify international best practices, and propose a coherent set of recommendations and institutional arrangements for a national Demographic Resilience Policy that aligns with Georgia’s long-term development goals and its EU integration path.

• Analyze the existing policy framework of Georgia on demographic resilience/security and evaluate policy gaps and fragmentation in existing national and local programs.
• Conduct International Benchmarking to review best practices from comparable countries (e.g., Baltic States, Eastern Europe, South Caucasus, and EU member states) and assess which models or interventions could be adapted to Georgia.
• Propose a coherent set of recommendations and institutional arrangements of the demographic policy in Georgia, including but not limited to the following aspects:
  • Long-term demographic resilience vision (e.g., to 2050) aligned with Georgia’s national development strategies and EU integration path.
  • Strategic objectives (e.g., increasing fertility, improving work-life balance, reducing outmigration, fostering return migration, ensuring healthy aging).
  • Thematic pillars of the demographic resilience policy/strategy. 
  • Institutional and governance arrangements of the policy by elaborating on the multi-sectoral coordination framework.
  • Desired stakeholders' engagement and consultation plan.
• Hold meetings (online or offline, later determined based on the budget availability and need) with the relevant governmental stakeholders for completing the tasks as outlined by the present ToR. Number of the meetings will be determined in consultation with the Head of Office, as deemed necessary in the course of carrying out the consultancy.

Overview of assignment objectives and approach

• Proposed analytical framework and data sources
• Methodology for policy review and international benchmarking
• Work plan with timeline and milestones
• Stakeholder mapping and consultation plan outline

• Review of existing national and local policies and programs related to demographic resilience/security (e.g., family policy, migration, labour market, aging, youth, regional development)
• Assessment of policy coherence, institutional fragmentation, and gaps
• Analysis of alignment with Georgia’s national development strategies and international commitments (SDGs, ICPD25, EU integration agenda)
• Comparative overview of demographic resilience policies in selected countries (Baltic States, Eastern Europe, South Caucasus, EU member states)
• Identification of successful interventions relevant for Georgia’s context
• Summary of potential policy options and best practices to consider

Stakeholder mapping (government institutions, local authorities, academia, civil society, private sector, international partners, diaspora representatives)

• Detailed plan for stakeholder engagement, including consultation formats (roundtables, expert groups, public discussions) and communication approach
• Recommendations for ensuring gender-responsive and inclusive participation

• Executive summary
• Summary of key analytical findings
• Synthesis of international benchmarking results
• Final recommended Demographic Resilience Policy framework for Georgia (vision, pillars, objectives, governance, and coordination model)
• Stakeholder engagement summary and proposed next steps for policy formulation and adoption
• Annexes: data tables, methodology, references, consultation notes

• At least MA (PhD preferred) in demography or economy public policies, Social Science, international development, and/or other related sciences. 

• Minimum 5 years of professional experience in demographics, policy elaboration and analysis, statistics, including periodic updating of technical skills.
• Preferably sound understanding of the demographic policy from any country and the track record of working on in the area of demographic policy elaboration, development of population projections and data analysis.
• Proven experience in working with the international organizations (successful experience in working with UN agencies is an asset).
• Preferably knowledge of the development situation in Georgia.
• Demonstrated capacity for strategic thinking and policy advice is essential.

• Proven drafting skills in the English language.

• Exemplifying integrity, 
• Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system, 
• Embracing cultural diversity, 
• Embracing change

• Achieving results,
• Being accountable,
• Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen,
• Thinking analytically and strategically,
• Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships,

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements. 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts. 

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.