Project background:

Advancing Durable Solutions to Internal Displacement in Vanuatu is a project being implemented by the Vanuatu country office of the International Organization for Migration. The proposed project aims to strengthen government-led mechanisms to comprehensively address and respond to displacement in Vanuatu. 

Consultancy background:

Vanuatu is one of the most hazard prone states in the world.  Sudden onset hazards—such as tropical cyclones, storm surges and extreme rainfall—and slow onset processes including sea level rise, salinization and coastal erosion increasingly impact residents across its 83 islands. Climate change projections, even under scenarios limited to 1.5°C of warming, indicate that Pacific Island Countries face critical human security risks that will intensify the drivers of migration, displacement and planned relocation. As hazards increase in frequency and severity, communities across Vanuatu are vulnerable to climate and disaster-induced displacement. Where disaster risk reduction and adaptation measures are insufficient to address these risks, planned relocation will likely be necessary as a last resort.

The Government of Vanuatu is actively addressing climate change and disaster induced displacement through key national frameworks, including the National Sustainable Development Plan (2016–2030), the National Policy on Climate Change and Disaster Induced Displacement (2018), and the Vanuatu Loss and Damage Policy (2025). These efforts are complemented by the Pacific Regional Framework on Climate Mobility (2025). Together, these instruments prioritize action on climate mobility—encompassing displacement and planned relocation—as a national and regional priority.

The International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) Vanuatu Country Office contributes to government-led efforts towards strengthening resilience and adaptive capacity in the context of climate change and disasters, ensuring that the risks and impacts of displacement are averted, minimized and addressed. Under this project, IOM works in partnership with government actors to strengthen national action, leadership, and governance mechanisms to identify and plan displacement solutions. In coordination with the National Durable Solutions Taskforce and relevant ministries in the Government of Vanuatu, IOM is supporting the development of protection and rights-centred, gender-sensitive national planned relocation guidelines. The development of the guidelines will set out safeguards to ensure that the government and communities have access to quality standards that can guide processes before, during and after planned relocation interventions are implemented. The consultant will be responsible for the development of these guidelines, ensuring that they are informed by priorities and perspectivations of local, sub-national and national actors, including community members. 

Please see details of the specific deliverables below:

Deliverable 1 – Final methodology and workplan

Following discussions with IOM and government partners, the consultant will provide a final methodology and workplan. 

•     The methodology should include the list of references for scoping and desk review, including relevant literature, policies and legislations, and available data sources. IOM will support by facilitating coordination with relevant government counterparts and provide data collected at the community level to inform the guidelines. 
•     The workplan should outline key deliverables and the means of achieving them. 
•     Support IOM as necessary to present the approved methodology and work plan to relevant government counterparts.

This will be reviewed by IOM, who will provide feedback and share any relevant resources in line with the assignment. The revised workplan should be submitted after 1 day with incorporated feedback. 

Delivery details: Submission of the final methodology and workplan with incorporated feedback and timelines of deliverables.  

Deliverable 2 – Summary report of desk review and stakeholder consultations

The summary report should be based on a desk review and stakeholder consultations, which will together inform development of the guidelines. As part of this -

•     The consultant will undertake desk review which will include a review of existing climate mobility policies and guidelines in Vanuatu and the Pacific region, relevant evaluations and data on displacement, planned relocation, and migration. IOM will facilitate by sharing relevant available resources and data.
•     The consultant will develop relevant tools for stakeholder consultations, including Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and surveys. The tools will be reviewed and approved by IOM and will also be shared with government partners for feedback.
•     The consultant will undertake review and analysis of data collected through consultation workshop and bilateral consultations. 
•     The consultant will provide technical support for conducting a national-level consultation workshop including development of concept note, agenda and presentation material. IOM will facilitate the organization, presentations and consultations at the event.
•     IOM will facilitate organization of bilateral consultations and data collection with stakeholders. 

The summary report should include:

•     Context analysis: Current trends and climate mobility projections including the climate change impacts on climate mobility.
•     Key findings from community-level and stakeholder consultations.
•     Identification of relevant policies and legislation, as well as policy, data and operational gaps and challenges.
•     Identification of capacity gaps in managing planned relocation processes.
•     Draft outline for the planned relocation guidelines and proposed list of relevant annexes. The outline must be based on feedback from stakeholders and ensure that all stages of planned relocation are considered: prior, during and post-planned relocation.
•     Summary of references consulted for desk review. 
•     Summary of the consultations/data collection including gender and age disaggregation of participants, consent, and a brief outline of any other ethical considerations and undertakings.

Delivery details: Summary report in a word document and presentation format for feedback and discussion with stakeholders. Following a discussion with IOM and relevant stakeholders, the revised output should be submitted after 3 days taking into account inputs provided.

Deliverable 3 – Two in-depth case studies on planned relocation in Vanuatu or the Pacific region
Based on a desk review and, where relevant, key informant interviews, the consultant will develop two comparative case study analysis on planned relocation to highlight key lessons and challenges. 

The case studies should include:

•     Context analysis
•     Roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders including national and local government, service providers, community-based organizations, etc.
•     Challenges and lessons learned
•     Reflections and recommendations for Vanuatu context

Delivery details: case study in word and presentation format. Following a presentation and discussion with IOM, the revised output should be submitted after 3 days taking into account inputs provided.

Deliverable 4 – Working draft of the National Planned Relocation Guidelines

Based on the summary report, the consultant will 

•     Draft culturally appropriate, gender sensitive and protection centered national guidelines.
•     Ensure that culturally appropriate approaches are embedded in the guidelines, utilising holistic perspectives, indigenous customary networks and systems, traditional land management and negotiation pathways and conflict resolution processes. 
•     Facilitate feedback discussions with key government counterparts
•     Incorporate feedback from IOM country and regional office colleagues and government counterparts to produce a revised draft.

The working draft should include:

•     Context/situational analysis, objective, scope, key principles, risks, and timelines.
•     Clear indication of the planned relocation phases and roles and responsibilities
•     Operational guidelines for priority components identified together with stakeholders
•     Recommendation for future development of Standard Operating Procedures, training manuals, and capacity building.
•     Annexes on relevant tools and capacity building needs.
•     Glossary for key definitions and concepts.

As part of the drafting, the consultant will

•     Develop a clear, user-friendly structure.
•     Ensure quality by sharing draft versions of each chapter or set of chapters for review and incorporate feedback.
•     Capture the relevant tools, templates and checklist in Vanuatu or other Pacific countries, while also integrating case studies and success stories to illustrate best practices.

Delivery details: Submission of the working draft on national planned relocation guidelines in a word document.

Deliverable 5 – Revised final National Planned Relocation Guidelines

IOM will organize a validation workshop in Port Vila for a final review of the guidelines and to ensure buy-in by key stakeholders. The consultant will facilitate the validation workshop with the purpose of receiving input from partners. The consultant will - 

•     With support from IOM, prepare the concept note, agenda and other relevant documents for the organization of the workshop.
•     Prepare presentations on the draft guidelines and the development process
•     Incorporate feedback into the final version of the guidelines. The guidelines will be reviewed by IOM colleagues at Country and Regional level and government counterparts, who may offer comments to be incorporated into the final document.

Delivery details: Submission of revised draft of the national policy on planned relocation.

Deliverable 6 – Develop tools and related training material on planned relocation

Based on the national guidelines and the capacity building needs identified through consultations, priority tools and related training material will be developed. The number and type of tools will be decided in coordination with IOM during the course of the consultancy.

•     The tools will focus on early phases of planned relocation, focusing on conducting site selections, community-based assessments and supporting local planning. 
•     The training package will be inclusive of the detailed content for each session including the PowerPoint presentations, handouts and facilitator’s guiding notes. 
•     Incorporate feedback from IOM country and regional office colleagues to produce a revised version of the toolkit and training material.

Delivery details: Submission of toolkits and training material

Estimated timeline for completion of deliverables
Approximate number of days for all deliverables – 80 days
 

• Performance should be assessed according to the tangible and measurable outputs of the work assignment above.
• Payment instalments to be made upon the satisfactory completion of each of the deliverables and approval by the project manager.