Consultant for assessment and development of three bilateral public health SOP packages for priority Points of Entry in Lao PDR, Vientiane

Introduction

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.

Project Context and Scope

The 24-month project “Enhancing National Pandemic Preparedness and Cross-Border Health Security in Lao PDR” (PRIMA Code LA10P0566; Project Code MP0745), starting 01 October 2026, supports national and provincial authorities to strengthen pandemic preparedness and cross-border health security. Outcome 2 focuses on strengthening legislation and policy frameworks for priority pathogens. Output 2.1 commits to expanding endorsement and operationalization of bilateral coordination SOPs and cross-border data-sharing protocols with Viet Nam, Thailand, and China.

Organizational Department / Unit to which the Consultant is contributing

Migration Health Unit / IOM Lao PDR, in coordination with the Ministry of Health and relevant border, immigration, and counterpart-country authorities; Pandemic Fund project LA10P0566, “Enhancing National Pandemic Preparedness and Cross-Border Health Security in Lao PDR.” IOM Thailand MHU provides technical support to IOM Lao PDR.

Responsibilities

Tasks to be performed under this contract

Scope of responsibilities

Under the project’s health component, the consultant will:

• Review existing public health surveillance, event notification, verification, risk assessment, response coordination, referral, and information-sharing arrangements for the Lao PDR–Thailand, Lao PDR–Viet Nam, and Lao PDR–China corridors.
• Recommend 1 Lao-side priority Point of Entry (PoE) for each corridor, with a rationale. IOM Lao PDR and the relevant authorities will confirm the sites and scope during inception.
• Identify operational gaps and clarify the roles, triggers, communication channels, timelines, safeguards, escalation, and follow-up needed for practical bilateral coordination.
• Develop 3 bilateral SOP packages, tailored to the confirmed corridor and PoE, and consult relevant authorities on the drafts.
• Align the review with applicable national procedures and bilateral arrangements; relevant IHR (2005) provisions—including Articles 19, 21 and 22 and Annex 1, Part B, as applicable—and WHO guidance on PoE core capacities and public health emergency contingency planning.
• Support technical validation, document feedback and unresolved decisions, and provide handover guidance for the Lao project team.

The NO-A will coordinate government and technical engagement; the G5 Project Assistant will support administrative arrangements; and IOM Thailand MHU will provide budgeted technical support. Competent authorities retain decision-making and formal endorsement authority. The assignment is limited to SOP-related procedures; it is not a nationwide or full IHR capacity assessment and does not determine PoE designation. After handover, the IOM Lao PDR project team will coordinate follow-up toward endorsement and operationalization. DRCMU flow-monitoring work is outside this consultancy.

Category B Consultants: Tangible and measurable outputs of the work assignment (with realistic delivery dates)

Deliverable 1 – Inception report | Due within 1 months of contract start | Payment: 30% upon written acceptance. The report will set out the methodology, document review, consultation plan, assessment framework, and workplan for all 3 corridors. It will recommend 1 Lao-side priority PoE for each corridor with rationale; identify preliminary priority events/pathogens and stakeholders; provide the common SOP outline, drafting approach, validation and travel schedule; and state assumptions, risks, mitigation measures, and decisions required. IOM Lao PDR and relevant authorities will confirm the 3 sites and scope before detailed assessment begins. The inception report will explain how relevant IHR provisions and WHO PoE guidance will inform the assessment and drafting.

Deliverable 2 – Consolidated assessment and draft SOP packages | Due by Month 4 | Payment: 60% upon written acceptance. Submit a consolidated assessment of the 3 confirmed corridors and PoEs, including current process maps, roles and responsibilities, operational gaps, and recommendations, together with 3 draft bilateral SOP packages using a common structure and country- and PoE-specific procedures. Each draft will cover event triggers, notification channels and timelines, verification and risk assessment, coordination and response, information-sharing safeguards, referral and follow-up where applicable, escalation and after-hours contacts, records, closure, and review. Include consultation records, draft forms or job aids, a comment log, and validation-session materials; provide editable files and clean PDFs. Include a concise IHR/WHO alignment and gap matrix for each package, mapping relevant IHR provisions and WHO guidance to the draft procedures, current arrangements, identified gaps, and recommendations.

Deliverable 3 – Final validated SOP package and handover | Due by Month 6 | Payment: 10% upon written acceptance. Submit the final assessment and recommendations and 3 complete SOP packages incorporating consolidated technical comments and documented validation for each package. Include relevant forms, concise job aids, an updated contact-list template, a response-to-comments matrix, unresolved decisions and endorsement steps, and a handover/implementation plan identifying sequence, proposed institutional responsibilities, resource and coordination needs, monitoring indicators, contact updates, and periodic review. Brief the Lao project team and designated government counterparts and provide editable source files. Formal government endorsement is not guaranteed by the consultant and is not a condition of payment where it depends on government decisions outside the consultant’s control; endorsement steps and decisions must be documented. Include the updated IHR/WHO alignment and gap matrix for each package, noting remaining gaps and any policy or institutional decisions for the competent authorities.

Performance indicators for the evaluation of results

Deliverable 1: Inception report

• Submitted within the agreed timeframe and includes the required methodology, document review, consultation plan, assessment framework, and workplan.
• Provides a clear rationale for the proposed Lao-side PoE in each of the 3 corridors, identifies preliminary stakeholders and priority public health events, and sets out how the sites and scope will be confirmed with IOM Lao PDR and the relevant authorities.
• Presents a practical common SOP structure and explains how relevant IHR provisions and WHO PoE guidance will inform the assessment and drafting.
• Identifies key assumptions, risks, mitigation measures, validation arrangements, and decisions required to proceed.

Deliverable 2: Consolidated assessment and draft SOP packages

• Provides an evidence-based assessment of the 3 confirmed corridors and PoEs, including process maps, roles and responsibilities, operational gaps, and recommendations.
• Includes 3 draft bilateral SOP packages, using a common structure and procedures tailored to each corridor and PoE.
• Each draft clearly describes relevant event triggers, responsible actors, notification channels and timelines, verification and risk assessment, coordination and response, information-sharing safeguards, referral and follow-up where applicable, escalation, and record-keeping and review arrangements.
• Includes a concise IHR/WHO alignment and gap matrix for each package, limited to the SOP-related procedures, and supporting consultation records, draft forms or job aids, a comment log, and materials for validation.
• Submits complete and editable files in the agreed formats by the agreed deadline.

Deliverable 3: Final validated SOP package and handover

• Provides 3 complete SOP packages revised in response to consolidated technical comments, with validation outcomes and any unresolved decisions documented for each package.
• Includes the updated IHR/WHO alignment and gap matrices, relevant forms and job aids, and an updated contact-list template.
• Provides a practical handover and implementation plan that identifies proposed responsibilities, sequence of follow-on actions, resource and coordination needs, monitoring indicators, contact-update arrangements, and periodic review.
• Briefs the IOM Lao PDR project team and designated government counterparts and submits complete, editable final files by the agreed deadline.
• Clearly identifies formal endorsement steps that remain for the competent authorities; government endorsement itself is not a consultant performance requirement where it depends on decisions outside the consultant’s control.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications and Experience

Education

• Advanced university degree in public health, epidemiology, health systems, health security, international health, or a related field.

Experience

• At least 7 years of relevant professional experience in public health preparedness, surveillance, border health, health emergency coordination, or development of operational procedures.
• Demonstrated experience assessing or developing SOPs, notification protocols, data-sharing procedures, referral pathways, or emergency coordination mechanisms.
• Experience facilitating multi-agency consultations and translating technical requirements into practical procedures for frontline and management levels.

Skills

• Knowledge of IHR (2005), public health surveillance and response systems, and cross-border health coordination. Experience in Lao PDR or the Mekong region is an advantage.
• Strong analytical writing, facilitation, and project coordination skills. Fluency in English is required; Lao language ability is an advantage. Interpretation and translation arrangements will be coordinated with IOM.

Languages

For this consultancy, fluency in English is required (oral and written).

Proficiency of language(s) required will be specifically evaluated during the selection process, which may include written and/or oral assessments.

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:

• Inclusion and respect for diversity: Respects and promotes individual and cultural differences. Encourages diversity and inclusion.
• Integrity and transparency: Maintains high ethical standards and acts in a manner consistent with organizational principles/rules and standards of conduct.
• Professionalism: Demonstrates ability to work in a composed, competent and committed manner and exercises careful judgment in meeting day-to-day challenges.
• Courage: Demonstrates willingness to take a stand on issues of importance.
• Empathy: Shows compassion for others, makes people feel safe, respected and fairly treated.

Core Competencies – behavioural indicators

• Teamwork: Develops and promotes effective collaboration within and across units to achieve shared goals and optimize results.
• Delivering results: Produces and delivers quality results in a service-oriented and timely manner. Is action oriented and committed to achieving agreed outcomes.
• Managing and sharing knowledge: Continuously seeks to learn, share knowledge and innovate.
• Accountability: Takes ownership for achieving the Organization’s priorities and assumes responsibility for own actions and delegated work.
• Communication: Encourages and contributes to clear and open communication. Explains complex matters in an informative, inspiring and motivational way.

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.

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.

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