National Consultant on Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)

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.

Background

Objective of the Consultancy

Under the overall supervision of IOM Kazakhstan and in close coordination with Regional project M&E Specialist, and all relevant project stakeholders, the consultant shall:

• Conduct a review of all project documents, including the logical framework and, work plans, the donor agreements, and relevant national migration strategies in Kazakhstan.
• Develop a robust M&E framework aligned with the IOM Monitoring Policy and the project's regional approach. This must be based on the project’s Theory of Change (ToC), and include Indicator Tracking Matrix, defined data sources, collection frequencies, baselines, targets, and a risk mitigation strategy for data collection.
• Ensure the M&E framework mandates the collection of Sex and Age-Disaggregated Data (SADD) and integrates IOM’s cross-cutting themes: gender-responsiveness, a human rights-based approach, and the "Do No Harm" principle.
• Design, test, and finalize culturally contextualized quantitative and qualitative data collection tools (e.g., KoboToolbox/Qualtrics surveys if determined to be needed, Pre-departure Orientation Trainings’ (PDO) pre/post- assessments, key informant interview (KII) guides, and focus group discussion (FGD) protocols).

• Conduct targeted monitoring visits to selected project activities and events in Kazakhstan, including pre-departure orientation sessions, awareness-raising activities, and stakeholder engagement events, as agreed with IOM.
• Assess the quality, relevance, and effectiveness of project interventions through field observations, participant consultations, and review of available project data.
• Collect and analyze feedback from project beneficiaries and stakeholders to assess participant satisfaction, knowledge gained, and perceived usefulness of project activities.
• Identify emerging challenges, lessons learned, and good practices, and provide practical recommendations to strengthen project implementation and maximise impact.
• Submit concise monitoring notes and observations following each field visit, highlighting key findings, outcomes, and recommendations for corrective actions, where applicable.
• Contribute to the assessment of the project's overall results and impact, including progress towards intended outcomes and benefits for prospective seasonal workers.

• Collect, clean, verify, and analyze all monitoring data to systematically track quantitative and qualitative progress against project outcomes, outputs and indicators (as per the M&E Framework)
• Draft and submit 2 (two) comprehensive quarterly programmatic monitoring reports and 1 (one) final report. These reports must go beyond activity logging to include: progress against indicators and impact, analysis of emerging migration trends, identification of implementation bottlenecks, and risk matrix updates.
• Ensure all deliverables, datasets, and programmatic reports are developed and submitted exclusively in English, ensuring strict compliance with the IOM House Style manual.
• Ensure all data collected and reported aligns seamlessly with IOM's institutional reporting standards, data protection principles, and specific donor requirements.
• Document concrete best practices, lessons learned, and at least three (3) compelling human-interest stories/case studies illustrating the project's impact on individual migrants or communities.

All written outputs, reports, methodologies, and briefs listed below must be submitted exclusively in English and written in accordance with the IOM House Style.

DeliverableKey OutputsDeadlineDeliverable 1M&E Framework, Indictor Tracking Matrix and Final Data Collection Tools14 September 2026Deliverable 2First Programmatic Monitoring Report detailing progress against indicators, analysis of beneficiary feedback, financial/activity tracking context, and operational challenges approved by IOM management.14 December 2026Deliverable 3Second Programmatic Monitoring Report detailing progress against indicators, analysis of beneficiary feedback, financial/activity tracking context, and operational challenges approved by IOM management.15 February 2027Deliverable 4Comprehensive final report to measure end-of-project impact for IOM Kazakhstan’s activities. Must include documented best practices, actionable lessons learned, and human-interest case studies and strategic recommendations for future safe migration programming in Central Asia. Submission of the finalized, fully cleaned master datasets encompassing all project data.15 March 2027

• Timely submission and institutional approval of all agreed deliverables according to the established workplan.
• Quality, analytical rigor, and practical relevance of the developed M&E framework and field data collection tools.
• Active and constructive participation in project events, demonstrated by prompt and insightful post-event monitoring briefs that lead to actionable project improvements.
• Strict adherence to the IOM House Style guidelines, including the mandatory use of English for all text and reports, demonstrating high-level drafting precision.
• Accuracy, reliability, and ethical collection of monitoring data in strict line with IOM.
• Full alignment with IOM reporting templates, RBM guidelines, and data protection policies.

Education

Required Experience

Languages

Competencies

• Exceptional analytical, research, facilitation, and field monitoring skills.
• The candidate must possess strong stakeholder engagement abilities and elite report-writing skills, with a demonstrated capacity to distill complex datasets into clear, actionable, donor-ready English prose.
• Must be able to work independently, manage multiple deadlines, and maintain the highest level of professionalism and integrity.
• The consultant must possess the legal right to reside and perform remunerated work in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
• Active civil servants or government officials may only be contracted if they can demonstrably prove that the consultancy tasks do not overlap with or relate to their official state duties, ensuring a strict absence of any conflict of interest.

Intellectual Property and Data Protection

• The selected consultant must perform all tasks, research, report writing, data analysis, and field collection independently. Subcontracting, delegating to third parties, or utilizing unauthorized external assistants (including translation agencies) for any part of this assignment is strictly prohibited.
• All materials, monitoring frameworks, data sets, evaluation tools, reports, and other products developed under this consultancy shall become the exclusive property of IOM. The consultant shall not reproduce, distribute, or publish any products developed under this assignment without prior written authorization from IOM.

Technical Proposal

Financial Proposal

The financial proposal shall provide:

A lump-sum consultancy fee in KZT;

• Confirmation that all consultancy-related expenses are included in the proposed fee.

Evaluation Methodology

CriteriaMaximum PointsMasters’ degree in a relevant field10Demonstrated experience in designing and implementing complex M&E frameworks 15Exceptional capacity for programmatic reporting and drafting high-level institutional documents independently in English (assessed via portfolio/test)15Proven experience in field monitoring, event evaluation, and designing/executing quantitative and qualitative data collection in the field10Experience conducting research and stakeholder consultations with governmental bodies, international organizations, or donor-funded projects10Substantive knowledge of labour migration dynamics, ethical recruitment, and migrant protection issues in Kazakhstan and Central Asia10Total Technical Score70

Financial Evaluation (30 Points)

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.