Introduction
Established in 1951, IOM is a Related Organization of the United Nations, and as the leading UN agency in the field of migration, works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants.
Project Context and Scope
The Arab region is undergoing a rapid demographic transition with an expanding older population cohort. Migration dynamics (including labour migration, displacement, return, and diaspora engagement) interact with ageing in ways that have major implications for labour markets, care systems, social protection portability, and the rights and well-being of older migrants and displaced persons.
The Situation Report on International Migration in the Arab Region (SRIM) is the region’s flagship biennial synthesis of migration data, trends, policy developments, and analysis. IOM RDH MENA and UNESCWA will jointly produce a SRIM Special Edition on “Migration in an Ageing Arab Region” to provide rigorous, policy-relevant evidence and recommendations.
The senior researcher will lead the drafting process, ensure methodological rigor, coordinate authors and partners, and deliver publication-ready outputs and dissemination materials.
Category B Consultants: Tangible and measurable outputs of the work assignment
The consultant will be hired to deliver a SRIM Special Edition report and related products on a four-instalment payment basis. Deliverables and corresponding payment plan are as follows:
1- First Deliverable:
Submit an inception package, including:
Inception note outlining objectives, scope, analytical framework, and key research questions;
Detailed workplan (14‑week Gantt chart) with milestones and responsibilities;
Risk register with mitigation measures;
Stakeholder engagement plan (including NSOs, UN agencies, research networks and key regional partners);
Draft data inventory template and data access plan.
2- Second Deliverable:
Produce and submit a region‑wide data inventory and modelling plan, including:
Consolidated data inventory covering census, HIMS, DTM, surveys, administrative sources, UN/WB/ILO datasets, and relevant academic studies, with a focus on age‑disaggregated data;
Preliminary statistical tables and descriptive analysis relevant to ageing and migration;
Documented modelling/estimation approach for addressing data gaps and inconsistencies;
Confirmation of data access arrangements (e.g. requests, MoUs, and permissions) and updated metadata.
3- Third Deliverable:
Develop and submit a full first draft of the SRIM Special Edition, including:
Complete draft of all chapters (I–IV), including executive summary, analytical chapters, and concluding recommendations;
All figures, tables, and methodological notes;
Preliminary datasets (where permitted) and accompanying documentation;
Reproducible analytical scripts/code used for generating core figures and tables.
4- Fourth and Final Deliverable:
Facilitate validation, revise the report, and submit the final publication package, including:
Validation workshop report summarizing technical and policy validation events (co‑organized with UNESCWA), including participants, key feedback, and agreed follow‑up;
Revised manuscript of the SRIM Special Edition, fully incorporating stakeholder and peer review feedback;
Final edited SRIM Special Edition in publication‑ready format (co‑branded PDF/print files, as per IOM and UNESCWA guidelines);
A 2‑page policy brief highlighting key findings and recommendations;
A presentation slide deck and press note for communication and outreach;
Final dataset and metadata package (subject to data‑sharing agreements), including documentation of data sources and limitations;
Methodological annex detailing data sources, methods, and modelling approaches;
Handover package containing all code/scripts, updated data inventory, and documentation to ensure reproducibility and continuity.
Inception quality: submission of a complete inception package (methodology, Gantt, stakeholder map, risk register) accepted by RDH and UNESCWA.
Data inventory completeness: proportion of target countries with validated age‑disaggregated datasets and accompanying metadata.
Methodological rigor: documentation and justification of modelling/estimation approaches for data gaps and completion of internal/peer review.
Chapter quality: delivery of coherent, evidence‑based chapters with verified factual accuracy and clear policy linkages.
Policy relevance: delivery of policy‑relevant recommendations and a Migration Data Roadmap (if agreed) with prioritized, feasible actions validated by stakeholders.
Responsiveness: proportion of substantive stakeholder and peer review comments addressed and logged, within agreed timelines.
Reproducibility: share of core figures/tables accompanied by reproducible code, cleaned datasets (where permitted) and complete metadata.
Stakeholder engagement and uptake: number and quality of validation events held, attendance targets met, and dissemination activities completed.
Required Qualifications and Experience
Education
Advanced degree (PhD) in Demography, Migration Studies, Population Studies, Statistics, Public Policy, or a related field.
Experience
Familiarity with MENA migration contexts and key datasets (HIMS, DTM, UNDESA, ILO, World Bank) and regional institutions (UNESCWA, StatAfric, LAS).
Proven experience engaging with National Statistical Offices (NSOs), UN agencies, and research networks.
Skills
Languages
Excellent written English; working knowledge of Arabic is an advantage.
Required Competencies
IOM’s competency framework can be found at this link. Competencies will be assessed during the selection process.
Values - all IOM staff members must abide by and demonstrate these five values:
Core Competencies – behavioural indicators
Notes
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 if applicable.
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.
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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.
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