Programme Design Support and Inception Phase Consultant (INSPIRE )

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 project titled Inclusive Stabilization Partnerships for Reintegration and Empowerment (INSPIRE) is a five-year programme (July 2026 – June 2031) funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (MFA) and implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). INSPIRE will operate in Ninewa, Anbar, and Salah al-Din Governorates, with national-level engagement in Baghdad.

The project aims to address key barriers faced by vulnerable internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees (including Iraqi individuals from northeast Syria), and host community members in accessing basic services, civil documentation, and durable solutions. It operates across three interconnected levels: individual, community, and systemic, organized under three outcomes:

• Outcome 1: Improved access to basic services and durable solutions pathways for vulnerable displaced populations
• Outcome 2: More resilient and cohesive communities in areas of high return, with empowered local civil society structures
• Outcome 3: Enhanced national and local government capacity to plan, coordinate, and deliver services to Iraqi citizens

Inception Phase

Recognizing Iraq's evolving context, with shifting return and displacement patterns, changing funding priorities, and significant differences across governorates and districts - INSPIRE will begin with a three-month inception phase. This phase is critical to ensure that the five-year programme is evidence-based, context-sensitive, and strategically targeted from the outset.

The Inception Phase will produce one core output: the Inception Report. The Report will contain:

• A detailed Year 1 Intervention Plan, identifying priority locations and beneficiary groups based on current conditions; and
• A five-year Strategic Impact Monitoring Framework, aligned with INSPIRE's Results Matrix and Theory of Change.

The Inception Report will integrate multiple data sources, including: IOM Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) data; funding and intervention mapping to identify gaps where INSPIRE can add value without duplication; field consultations with local authorities, community leaders, and potential beneficiaries; and interviews with Government of Iraq (GoI) counterparts, local CSOs, UN agencies, and international partners. The Inception Phase will conclude with a Validation Workshop convening the Government of the Netherlands, relevant Iraqi ministries, the UN Resident Coordinator's Office (RCO), and key partners to finalize the Year 1 workplan and agree on coordination structures, including annual revision mechanisms.

The INSPIRE inception phase requires specialized expertise in programme design, durable solutions programming, stakeholder consultation methodologies, conflict-sensitive analysis, and strategic results framework development. Given the time-bound nature of the inception phase and the need for independent technical expertise to support the development of the Inception Report and associated strategic frameworks, these services cannot be fully met through existing project staffing resources during the inception period. Therefore, IOM seeks to engage a consultant to provide targeted technical advisory support for this assignment.

Organizational Department / Unit to which the Consultant is contributing

Under overall guidance of the Chief of Mission (CoM), and the direct supervision of the Senior Programme Coordinator in close coordination with the involved IOM teams.

The consultancy is open to international consultants and will be primarily remote. Field missions to Iraq will be required for stakeholder consultations, fieldwork, and facilitation of the Validation Workshop. Mission timing and locations will be agreed with the IOM Senior Programme Coordinator based on operational needs and security considerations.

Responsibilities

Scope of Work

The consultant will provide senior-level technical advisory support and facilitate the analytical and consultative process for the development of the INSPIRE Inception Report and associated strategic frameworks.

The consultant will provide advisory services only and will not have decision-making, supervisory, or representational authority on behalf of IOM

The consultant's responsibilities include:

• Conducting a comprehensive desk review of relevant secondary data sources, including IOM DTM reports, existing assessments (legal, protection, MHPSS, livelihoods), prior IOM project documentation, and national/UN strategic frameworks (UNSDCF, National Plan to End Displacement, Yazidi Survivors Law, INAP III)
• Developing and implementing a stakeholder consultation methodology, including Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and focus group discussions, with GoI counterparts (federal and KRG), local CSOs, UN agencies, international partners, community leaders, and affected populations across Ninewa, Anbar, and Salah al-Din
• Conducting a funding and intervention mapping exercise to identify ongoing and planned interventions in target areas, assess complementarity, and identify gaps where INSPIRE can add value
• Analysing IOM DTM and other displacement data to ensure targeting reflects current displacement and return dynamics
• Development of a strategic Year 1 Intervention Plan, including prioritized locations, target beneficiary groups, preliminary activity plans, and indicative resource allocation, in coordination with the IOM programme and MEAL teams
• Developing a five-year Strategic Impact Monitoring Framework aligned with the INSPIRE Results Matrix, Theory of Change, and SRoL/DSH indicators
• Supporting the facilitation, preparation and documentation of the Validation Workshop with the Government of the Netherlands, Iraqi ministries, UNRCO, and key partners
• Incorporating stakeholder feedback and finalizing the Inception Report for submission and publication

Tasks to be performed under this contract

Category B Consultant hired to deliver the INSPIRE Inception Report on a three-instalment payment basis:

• First deliverable: Annotated Table of Contents of the Inception Report, summary of kick-off meeting with IOM teams, and detailed 3-month work plan including methodology, stakeholder consultation plan, and data collection tools. First instalment payment: Deliverable by email by 31 Jul 2026.
• Second deliverable: Stakeholder Consultation and Mapping Report presenting analysis outputs, summarizing findings from KIIs, field consultations, and desk review, including funding/intervention mapping matrix and DTM data analysis across priority locations. Deliverable by email by 15 August 2026.
• Third deliverable: First draft of the Inception Report as a structured synthesis document, including the Year 1 Intervention Plan with priority locations and beneficiary targeting, and the five-year Strategic Impact Monitoring Framework. Second instalment payment: Deliverable by email by 31 Aug 2026.
• Final deliverable: Validation Workshop report (attendance list, minutes, recommendations) and Final Inception Report ready for circulation, incorporating all stakeholder and IOM/GoN feedback, with agreed Year 1 Workplan and coordination/revision mechanisms. Third and Final payment: Deliverable by email by 30 September 2026.

The timelines outlined in this Terms of Reference are indicative and may be revised in accordance with the consultant’s actual start date and operational needs.

Payment Schedule

Consultancy Fee and Payment Schedule

The consultant will be engaged as a Category B, for the duration of the assignment.

Payments will be made upon satisfactory completion and acceptance of the following deliverables by the Senior Programme Coordinatorr:

• First instalment: [20]% of the total fee upon submission and acceptance of Deliverable 1.
• Second instalment: [30]% of the total fee upon submission and acceptance of Deliverable 2.
• Third instalment: [25]% of the total fee upon submission and acceptance of Deliverable 3.
• Final instalment: [25]% of the total fee upon submission and acceptance of Deliverable 4 and the Final Inception Report. No payment shall be made for incomplete or unsatisfactory deliverables. All payments are subject to IOM's financial rules and procedures.

Performance indicators for the evaluation of results

• Performance Indicator Means of Verification Target Inception Report delivered on time and accepted by IOMWritten acceptance by IOM Project ManagerFinal report accepted by end of Month 3Year 1 Intervention Plan delivered on time and accepted by IOMWritten acceptance by IOM Project ManagerFinal plan accepted by end of Month 3Number and breadth of stakeholder consultations conducted (GoI, KRG, CSOs, UN agencies, community leaders, beneficiary groups) across priority locationsConsultation log / KII tracker submitted alongside Deliverable 2Minimum 20 KIIs/consultations covering all key governorates and all three INSPIRE outcomesFunding and intervention mapping completed, identifying gaps and complementarity for INSPIREMapping matrix included in Deliverable 2 and final reportAt least 15 active donor/partner interventions mapped across priority locationsFive-year Strategic Impact Monitoring Framework developed, aligned with the INSPIRE Results Matrix and SRoL indicatorsWritten acceptance by IOM MEAL Unit and Project Manager Framework endorsed and accepted by end of Month 3 Validation Workshop successfully convened and documentedWorkshop report, attendance list, and agreed minutesWorkshop held with participation of GoN, at least 3 Iraqi ministries, and minimum 10 partners; agreed minutes produced