Skills Mapping Consultant

Terms of Reference

Skills Mapping Consultant – Diaspora Climate Experts

Project Title: Diaspora Climate Action: Strengthening Climate Resilience in Zambia

Duty Station: IOM, Lusaka, Zambia (with remote collaboration as needed)

Duration: 4 months

Reporting to: IOM Zambia

Start Date: TBD

1. Background

The International Organization for Migration (IOM), in partnership with the Government of Zambia, is initiating a vital project focused on strengthening climate resilience by strategically mobilizing the expertise of its diaspora community. This initiative builds upon prior mapping efforts and engagement successes, seeking to formalize the mechanism for tapping into Zambians abroad for national development.

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This assignment’s core deliverable is a comprehensive and strategic skills mapping of Zambian diaspora professionals who possess expertise relevant to climate change adaptation and mitigation. This vital skills mapping exercise will provide critical data essential to the project’s long-term success. Specifically, the data gathered will directly inform the design of targeted diaspora engagement strategies and the specifications for the development of digital platforms or databases that will support various climate action initiatives. The final output of this assignment, a robust dataset of expertise, will be instrumental in creating an actionable Diaspora Climate Experts Database (to be created by a different consultant), which will directly inform and support targeted, high-impact climate resilience programmes nationwide.

2. Objectives of the Assignment

The consultant will be responsible for designing, conducting, and reporting on a skills mapping exercise to identify Zambian diaspora professionals with expertise relevant to climate resilience. The mapping will capture technical skills, willingness to contribute, preferred engagement modalities, and genderdisaggregated data.

3. Scope of Work

The consultant will design and implement a comprehensive skills mapping exercise to identify Zambian diaspora professionals with expertise relevant to climate change adaptation and mitigation.

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The consultant will ensure the mapping captures technical skills, willingness to contribute, preferred engagement modalities, and gender-disaggregated data, providing a robust foundation for future diaspora engagement initiatives and digital platform development in line with the project’s objectives.

The consultant will work in close collaboration with IOM, MoFAIC, the Diaspora Climate Database experts, and other relevant stakeholders.

The consultant will:

Design the Mapping Methodology

• Develop a detailed methodology and work plan for the skills mapping exercise, including survey tools and outreach strategies.
• Ensure the methodology allows for gender-disaggregated data and captures a wide range of climate-relevant skills in different sectors.
• Anticipate risks associated with the mapping process (e.g., low response rates, data privacy concerns, stakeholder reluctance) and incorporate mitigation measures in the proposed methodology.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Engage and coordinate with key stakeholders, including the MoFAIC, IOM Zambia, relevant government ministries and agencies, Zambian embassies/consulates, and diaspora associations to maximize reach.
• Leverage digital platform for diaspora community engagement, skills mapping and analytics, professional outreach for outreach and data collection.

Data Collection

• Administer the mapping survey using online tools (e.g., Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, Microsoft Forms) ensuring compliance with data protection and informed consent requirements.
• Conduct follow-up interviews or focus groups as needed to supplement survey data.

Data Analysis and Reporting

• Analyze quantitative and qualitative data to identify key skill areas, willingness to contribute, and preferred engagement modalities.
• Prepare a comprehensive mapping report, including recommendations for diaspora engagement and how the data can inform future digital platform development.

Presentation and Validation

• Present findings to relevant stakeholders for validation.
• Incorporate feedback and finalize the report.

4. Deliverables

The following deliverables must be submitted in digital format (editable files and PDF), meeting high standards of clarity and professional presentation:

Inception Report: Approved final mapping methodology, detailed work plan, and all survey/outreach tools.

Cleaned Data Sets: Raw and cleaned data sets, including comprehensive gender and geographic disaggregation, in organized and accessible format (e.g., Excel, CSV).

Comprehensive Mapping Report: A detailed analysis covering skill gaps/overlaps, diaspora profiles, analysis of engagement preferences, and preliminary recommendations.

Validation Presentation: To Project’s Steering Committee and key stakeholders.

Final Mapping Report and Recommendations: Incorporating all stakeholder feedback. This report must include detailed, actionable recommendations for how the mapped data can be used to inform the development of a Diaspora Climate Experts Database and a concrete Diaspora Engagement Strategy.

6. Duration and Timeline

The total estimated level of effort for this assignment is 88 working days over a period of 4 calendar months from the date of contract signature.

The consultant is responsible for proposing a detailed activity timeline as part of the inception report.

7. Qualifications and Experience

Successful candidates must demonstrate a strong blend of academic rigor, practical experience, and cultural familiarity.

Education

• Advanced degree (Master’s preferred) in Social Sciences, Development Studies, Migration Studies, Environmental Studies, Public Policy, or a closely related field.Primary & Secondary Schooling (K-12)

Experience

• Minimum five (5) years of demonstrated experience in designing and implementing skills mapping exercises, workforce or talent assessments, or diaspora knowledge and skills transfer projects within international development or migration contexts.

Technical Skills

• Proven expertise in survey design, online data collection, and advanced quantitative and qualitative data analysis (experience with statistical software like R, SPSS, or NVivo is an advantage during the selection process).

Sector Knowledge

• Familiarity with the nexus of climate resilience, migration, and diaspora issues in the Southern African context, particularly Zambia.

Soft Skills

• Excellent written and oral communication and presentation skills.

IOM welcomes applications from qualified individuals, particularly persons with disabilities, as we value diverse perspectives and experiences. Please note that this consultancy is restricted to Zambian nationals or residents legally permitted to work in Zambia.

Applicants are encouraged to send their applications and supporting documentation to the following email address:

iomlusakaprocurement@iom.int

Please ensure that the subject line in your email reads:
Skills Mapping Consultant – Diaspora Climate Experts Vacancy.

Kindly submit your applications by 22nd March 2026, 17:00hrs GMT+2 (Zambia Local Time).