International Consultant – Comparative, Gender-Sensitive and Youth-Inclusive Assessment of Georgia’s Diaspora Engagement Policy and Institutional Framework, Tbilisi

Introduction

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Duty Station of the Consultancy: Tbilisi, Georgia. Remote assignment - 2 missions to Georgia envisaged for the presentation of preliminary findings and participation in the validation of the final report.

Duration of Consultancy: 24 November 2026 – 8 April 2027 (20 working days).

Nature of the consultancy: Conduct an international comparative, gender-sensitive and youth-inclusive assessment of diaspora engagement policies, institutional arrangements and practices, and to contribute to evidence-based recommendations for strengthening Georgia’s diaspora engagement framework.

The international consultant (IC) will specifically contribute international comparative expertise, identify relevant global good practices and provide methodological and analytical input to the Georgia-specific review undertaken jointly with the national consultant.

Project Context and Scope

Georgia has a large and diverse diaspora community worldwide whose knowledge, skills, networks, investments and other resources represent an important potential contribution to the country’s social and economic development. According to international estimates, nearly half a million Georgian-born migrants live abroad, while the broader diaspora is considerably larger and geographically dispersed across Europe, North America and other regions. Georgia’s diaspora represents a significant source of human, social, cultural and economic capital that can contribute to innovation, investment, entrepreneurship, knowledge transfer and local development.

Over the years, the Government of Georgia has implemented a range of initiatives aimed at maintaining ties with Georgian communities abroad and promoting diaspora engagement, including diaspora outreach programmes, grant schemes, cultural initiatives and institutional coordination. However, existing efforts remain fragmented, and there is a need for a more comprehensive, evidence-based, gender-sensitive and youth-inclusive approach that can respond to the evolving profile, needs and aspirations of diaspora communities.

To address these challenges, IOM is implementing the project “Georgia’s Global Diaspora Engagement Initiative for National Development”, which aims to strengthen the enabling environment for effective and sustainable diaspora engagement and support greater contributions of diaspora communities to national development. The project seeks to institutionalize diaspora engagement as a core component of Georgia’s development agenda through strengthened policies, institutional arrangements, coordination mechanisms, and innovative approaches to diaspora investment, innovation and knowledge exchange.

As part of this effort, IOM will undertake a comprehensive policy and institutional analysis of diaspora engagement in Georgia. The analysis will assess existing policy frameworks, institutional arrangements, coordination mechanisms, and stakeholder engagement practices, while also examining opportunities for strengthening diaspora participation in national development processes. Particular attention will be paid to the meaningful engagement of women and young diaspora members and to identifying international good practices relevant to the Georgian context. The policy and institutional analysis will serve as a foundational activity under the project and will provide the evidence base for strengthening policy coordination, identifying institutional gaps and opportunities, supporting stakeholder consultations, and informing future strategic planning on diaspora engagement. The assignment will contribute to ensuring that diaspora engagement policies and mechanisms are evidence-based, inclusive, and aligned with international good practices while remaining responsive to the specific needs and priorities of Georgia.

Under the direct supervision of the IOM Programme Manager, the IC will provide an comparative, gender-sensitive and youth-inclusive assessment of diaspora engagement policies, institutional arrangements and practices, identify relevant global good practices and provide methodological and analytical input to the Georgia-specific review, to contribute to evidence-based recommendations for strengthening Georgia’s diaspora engagement framework.

The consultant will undertake the following tasks:

A. Develop the methodology and analytical approach and review relevant materials

• Review the existing analytical and policy framework for diaspora engagement in Georgia, as well as relevant project documentation and materials provided by IOM, with the support of the national consultant.
• Develop an inception report with the findings from the literature review and methodology for assessing diaspora policies and institutional arrangements from an international comparative perspective.
• Ensure that gender equality and meaningful youth participation are integrated throughout the methodology.
• Agree with IOM and the national consultant on the workplan, division of responsibilities and approach to consultations.

B. Conduct an international comparative review

IC will review selected international and global approaches to diaspora engagement, with particular attention to: a) diaspora policy and strategy development; b) institutional and coordination mechanisms; c) diaspora consultation and representation; d) engagement of diaspora professionals, entrepreneurs and investors; e) mobilization of diaspora knowledge, skills and networks; f) youth diaspora engagement and women’s participation.

IC will identify relevant global good practices and innovative approaches. Analyse the conditions under which these practices have been effective and assess their relevance and applicability to the Georgian context.

C. Contribute to the policy and institutional analysis of Georgia

With the support of and in close coordination with the National Consultant, the International Consultant (IC) will provide international comparative, methodological and analytical expertise to the assessment of Georgia’s diaspora engagement policy and institutional framework. The IC will ensure that the Georgia-specific assessment is informed by relevant international experience and good practices, while remaining responsive to Georgia’s institutional, policy and socio-economic context.

The IC will:

• Contribute to the assessment of Georgia’s existing diaspora engagement policy and strategic framework, including relevant legislation, policies, strategies, action plans and other key government and institutional documents, with a focus on their objectives, scope, implementation arrangements, coherence and alignment with broader national development priorities.
• Assess the institutional architecture for diaspora engagement, including the mandates, roles and responsibilities of relevant government institutions and other key stakeholders involved in diaspora affairs. Particular attention will be given to institutional coordination, division of responsibilities, information-sharing and mechanisms for ensuring a coherent and whole-of-government approach to diaspora engagement.
• Examine existing mechanisms and practices for diaspora consultation, participation and representation, including opportunities for diaspora communities and diaspora organizations to contribute to policy development, programme design, implementation and monitoring. The assessment should consider the extent to which existing mechanisms enable meaningful, inclusive and sustained engagement.
• Provide comparative perspectives on Georgia’s institutional and coordination arrangements, drawing on the international comparative review undertaken under this assignment. The IC will identify relevant models and approaches from other countries and assess their potential relevance and applicability to the Georgian context, taking into account differences in institutional structures, diaspora profiles and national circumstances.
• Assess existing approaches to mobilizing diaspora human, social, professional, financial and knowledge resources, including mechanisms for engaging diaspora professionals, entrepreneurs, investors, researchers and other skilled members of the diaspora in national and local development. Where relevant, the assessment should consider existing or potential mechanisms for knowledge transfer, investment, innovation, entrepreneurship and skills exchange.
• Identify key policy and institutional gaps, overlaps, coordination challenges and opportunities affecting effective diaspora engagement in Georgia. This should include consideration of the enabling environment, institutional capacity, stakeholder coordination, outreach and communication mechanisms, and the sustainability and effectiveness of existing engagement approaches.
• Assess the inclusiveness of the existing diaspora engagement framework, with particular attention to the participation and representation of women and young diaspora members. The assessment should identify structural, institutional or practical barriers to their meaningful participation and highlight opportunities and entry points for strengthening their engagement in policy processes, programmes, investment, entrepreneurship, knowledge exchange and other forms of national development.
• Contribute to the identification of priority areas for strengthening Georgia’s diaspora engagement framework, drawing on evidence from the Georgia-specific assessment, stakeholder consultations and international comparative experience. Recommendations should be practical, context-sensitive and, where possible, linked to specific institutional or policy entry points.
• Work closely with the National Consultant to ensure complementarity between the international comparative and Georgia-specific components of the analysis, jointly review emerging findings, and integrate relevant national evidence and stakeholder perspectives into the comparative assessment.

Gender equality, youth inclusion and meaningful participation of diverse diaspora groups should be systematically integrated across all aspects of the analysis rather than treated as stand-alone considerations.

D. Support consultations and validation processes

The consultant will support IOM and the national consultant in preparing and conducting:

• Stakeholder consultations, validation workshops and IWG meetings, including contributing consultation methodologies, agendas and guiding questions.
• Prepare presentations and analytical materials;
• Facilitate and/or co-facilitate discussions and incorporating stakeholder feedback into the final report.

Based on the policy and institutional review, international comparative analysis and stakeholder consultations, the consultant will contribute to a set of practical recommendations, based on evidence and international experience, aimed at strengthening Georgia’s diaspora engagement framework.

Organizational Department / Unit to which the Consultant is contributing

Georgia’s Global Diaspora Engagement Initiative for National Development

Responsibilities

Category B Consultants: Tangible and measurable outputs of the work assignment

• Deliverable 1: Inception Report, with Methodology and Analytical Framework. A concise inception report to be submitted by 8 December 2026.
  
  • Deliverable 2: International Comparative Review of Diaspora Engagement Policies and Practices with institutional and coordination models and special focus on diaspora youth and women engagement, mobilization of diaspora knowledge, skills and resources, to be submitted by 29 January 2027.
  • Deliverable 3: Analytical Inputs to the Joint (with the National Consultant) Policy and Institutional Review, including comparative assessment of Georgia’s existing framework, key policy and institutional gaps, opportunities and entry points, gender and youth considerations and comparative lessons relevant to Georgia to be submitted by 15 March 2027.
  • Deliverable 4: Final report with actionable recommendations, validated by the stakeholders, to be submitted by 8 April 2027.

Performance indicators for the evaluation of results

• Delivers the listed deliverables on time and with good quality.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications and Experience

Education

• Advanced postgraduate degree (i.e., PhD, MA, MSc) in Demography, Economics, Sociology, Statistics, Development Studies, Migration Studies, Public Affairs, and/or other disciplines relevant to the assignments.

Experience & Skills

• Demonstrated experience in research, policy analysis, comparative policy analysis, developing policy recommendations and/or programmatic work related to the migration, development area.
• Demonstrated experience in diaspora engagement, migration and development, migration governance or related fields.
• Knowledge of diaspora engagement policies and institutional models in different regional contexts would be an advantage.
• Experience conducting assessments on migration and development, preferably in Eastern Europe, or South Caucasus.
• Proficiency in qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, including field data collection, stakeholder consultations, and policy analysis.
• Previous engagement with government institutions, international organizations, or NGOs on migration and development issues.
• Demonstrated ability to work in English, with excellent oral and written communication skills.

Travel required

Remote assignement, with two missions to Georgia envisaged for the presentation of preliminary findings and participation in the validation of the final report. Consultancy fee will cover all travel and other expenses of the consultant and shall constitute the only financial entitlement which will be disbursed to the consultant.

Languages

For this consultancy, excellent command of English is required.

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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