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.
Lao People's Democratic Republic is increasingly exposed to climate change and disaster risks, including floods, droughts and environmental degradation, which are influencing livelihood systems and human mobility patterns such as migration and displacement. The country has experienced increasing frequency and severity of floods, droughts, storms, and landslides since 2022, with 31 major disasters between 2000 and 2024 affecting 4.3 million people and causing approximately USD 595 million in damage. In 2024 alone, monsoon floods and major storms impacted over 271,000 people and generated USD 313 million in losses. Climate projections indicate a potential temperature rise of up to 3.6°C by the 2090s, with extreme heat already observed—temperatures reached nearly 43°C in April 2023, the highest on record. Climate-related disasters are also expected to significantly affect development, with combined droughts and floods causing estimated average annual economic losses of 3.5% and 2.0% of GDP respectively. Looking ahead, flooding alone could affect more than 80,000 people annually by 2030, while shifting rainfall patterns, soil erosion and drought continue to threaten agricultural productivity and food security. Overall, these trends highlight that climate change in Lao PDR is not only an environmental issue but a major development challenge, affecting livelihoods, public health, and economic stability, particularly among vulnerable rural populations.
Existing data systems frequently face limitations related to fragmentation, inconsistent definitions, and methodological gaps, making it difficult to build a coherent evidence base. Institutions responsible for data collection, analysis, and use, including government agencies, statistical offices, local authorities, academic institutions, and civil society organizations, also face capacity constraints. These challenges highlight the need for tailored technical support and capacity-building to enable a more comprehensive and actionable understanding of the climate change and mobility nexus in Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Besides, available climate, disaster, and population data across institutions, these datasets remain fragmented and are seldom analyzed in an integrated manner to inform climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction (DRR) planning.
The consultancy is also aligned with Lao People’s Democratic Republic’s National Socio-Economic Development Plan (NESDP), which provides the country’s overarching development framework and emphasizes sustainable, inclusive and climate-resilient development. By strengthening the evidence base on climate-related human mobility, the assignment will help ensure that migration, displacement and livelihood considerations are better reflected in national planning processes, including climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction and broader socio-economic development priorities.
In this context, the consultancy aims to support the Government of Lao People’s Democratic Republic to develop a consolidated, evidence-based understanding of climate-related human mobility, contributing to stronger, more informed climate adaptation and DRR planning processes.
The consultancy will contribute to the Migration Policy Unit of IOM Lao People’s Democratic Republic, under the IOM Development Fund (IOMDF) project “Strengthening national climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction planning”.
Project Context and Scope
The Consultant will support the implementation of Output 1.1 of the IOMDF project.
The Consultant will be responsible for conducting analytical research on climate-related human mobility, including stakeholder mapping, data review, qualitative research and preparation of a government-validated analytical report.
Tasks to be performed under this contract
Education
- Master’s degree or higher in Social Sciences (e.g., Migration Studies, Economics, International Relations, Development Studies, Environmental Studies) or a related field from an accredited academic institution.
A background combining social science with data analysis, statistics, or environmental/climate studies would be an advantage.
Experience
- Proven experience in applied research, data analysis, or assessments.
- Experience working with governmental agencies in Lao People’s Democratic Republic.
- Familiarity with climate change, human mobility (e.g., migration, displacement) or DRR issues.
Skills
- Excellent analytical and reporting-writing skills.
- Ability to conduct qualitative research.
Ability to work effectively in a sensitive environment and exercise impartiality, diplomacy and neutrality.
- Gender-sensitive and context-sensitive analytical capacity.
Excellent presentation and representation skills.
- Capacity to work independently with minimal supervision.
- Demonstrated understanding of Responsible AI principles (fairness, accountability, transparency, and human oversight) and their application in humanitarian and migration contexts.
- Strong understanding of climate-related human mobility data landscape.
- Gender-sensitive, culture-sensitive, and able to work with colleagues from diverse cultural backgrounds.
- Demonstrated ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
- Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of Thai is an asset.
Travel required
Travel to and within Lao People’s Democratic Republic may be required for field data collection and consultations subject to project needs. If required, IOM will provide transportation or reimbursement per IOM travel policies (IN/6), along with Daily Subsistence.
Remuneration and Term of Payment.
The Consultant will receive an all-inclusive fee based on milestones and deliverables as follows:
- Conduct preparatory work and initial phase (inception) – 30%
- Data collection and draft reporting phase, addressing comments and validation – 40%
- Final analytical report, and other materials including interview or FGD transcripts, meeting notes, presentation material, cleaned datasets – 30%
The fee will be transferred to the registered bank account in the following month upon submission of the approved report. This fee shall be final and not subject to revision; and should the Consultant be requested to work during weekends and IOM official holidays upon prior coordination with the Manager, the Consultant’s performance of such services will not give rise to extra compensation.
The payment will be made 10 (ten) days upon satisfactory confirmation from the Direct Supervisor after receiving the submitted report/ guideline/ etc.
Required Competencies
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 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.
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.
No late applications will be accepted. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.