Introduction
Established in 1951, IOM is a Related Organization of the United Nations, and as the leading UN agency in the field of migration, works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants.
Project Context and Scope
Indicative positions / profiles:
IT Consultant (Migration Data / Statistics & Interoperability) – RR.0271
Focus: dataset assessment, Eurostat alignment (methodology/data structure/reporting), and data exchange mechanisms among actors.
IT Consultant (Registry Digitization / Information Architecture & Infrastructure Assessment) – TK.0102
Focus: review diaspora records, define target digital registry needs, and draft procurement ToR for an IT company; incorporate infrastructure constraints.
IT Consultant (Process Mapping / Digitalization Opportunities & Requirements) – LM.0625
Focus: end-to-end workflow mapping (work permits & temporary residence permits), bottleneck analysis, and proposal of digitalization solutions; translate into technical/functional requirements and procurement ToR.
IT Consultant (AI Chatbot / Conversational AI & Requirements Engineering) – IB.0537
Focus: requirements engineering and conversation design for a multilingual AI-powered chatbot; technical architecture/specifications (incl. integration into the IOM BiH website/Digital MRC), data governance and safeguards, vendor implementation ToR drafting, and market/vendor mapping.
As the principal intergovernmental organization in the field of migration, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) plays a pivotal role in shaping global migration governance and advancing humane and effective solutions to mobility challenges worldwide. IOM supports migrants and governments across the world by developing responses to the shifting dynamics of migration and serves as a key source of advice on migration policy and practice. The organization operates in emergency settings, strengthens the resilience of people on the move, particularly those in situations of vulnerability, and builds the capacity of governments to manage all forms and impacts of mobility.
Today more than ever, migration and mobility are shaping our collective future, and Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is no exception. Migration and mobility trends in BiH are complex and dynamic. Traditionally a country of origin with a long history of emigration, and active diaspora community whose skills, knowledge, and transnational engagement remain crucial for the country’s development. Since 2017, BiH has additionally become a key transit point on the Eastern Mediterranean Route and, in recent years, a destination for labour migrants from within and beyond the region.
Confronted with challenges, including one of the most rapid demographic transitions in Europe, BiH is increasingly considering migration and mobility as potential drivers for building more resilient and prosperous communities. In the context of the European Union (EU) accession process, the BiH diaspora represents not only a social and cultural asset but also a key partner in advancing circular migration—the regulated, repeated movement of people between BiH and other countries for work, study, or temporary assignment. Circular migration contributes to skills transfer, labour‑market flexibility, and institutional development, aligning closely with BiH’s broader goals for economic resilience and EU accession. Effective migration governance and reconciliation efforts are key to unlocking the country’s potential. As the national context continues to evolve, IOM is adapting its work to meet the changing needs and priorities of the authorities and communities.
In response, IOM is actively working on the implementation of digital solutions aimed at improving access to information, services, and engagement with migrants, diaspora members, host communities, and institutional stakeholders. These initiatives may include digital platforms, information portals, AI-powered tools, and similar.
To ensure that these digital tools are user-cantered, technically sound, and sustainable, IOM seeks to engage an IT consultant to support the following tasks, but not limited to: needs assessment, including the analysis of digitalization levels, existing systems, and interoperability between systems, as well as the identification of processes suitable for digitalization, develop technical and functional specifications, prepare implementation ToR for IT service providers, and conduct market research.
Additionally, IOM provides its support to governments to align their policies and practices in the area of migration statistics with those in EU which are regulated by the Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 July 2007 on Community statistics on migration and international protection and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 311/76 on the compilation of statistics on foreign workers (Text with EEA relevance). To ensure these policies and practices are fully harmonized, IOM seeks to engage an IT consultant with expertise in statistics to support tasks related to collection and exchange of migrants’ non-personal data, within the government’s bodies as well as with Eurostat.
The consultancy requires expertise in digital transformation, IT advisory services, migration statistics, including system design and testing, process optimization, interoperability, and support to implementation planning.
The consultant will work under the overall supervision of IOM Bosnia and Herzegovina. Regular coordination meetings will be held, and progress updates will be submitted according to an agreed schedule.
The consultant shall treat all data and information obtained during the assignment as confidential and comply with IOM data protection policies. All intellectual property developed under this assignment shall remain the property of IOM.
Organizational Department / Unit to which the Consultant is contributing
Mobility Pathways and Migration Governance Tasks to be performed under this contract
The consultant will deliver the outputs relevant to the assigned project component.
Common deliverables (all positions)
Inception note / workplan (1–2 days): review relevant documents and confirm approach, stakeholders, and schedule.
Stakeholder consultations & findings note: consultations with IOM and relevant institutions; document workflows, roles, information flows, constraints.
Draft outputs for review: submit draft(s) of requirements / ToR / recommendations to IOM for consolidated feedback.
Final consolidated deliverable pack: incorporate comments and submit final deliverables for the assigned project.
Project-specific deliverables
Project RR.0271: Assessment of existing migration datasets (Eurostat alignment + exchange mechanism)
Dataset assessment report: assess existing migration datasets and the degree of compliance with Eurostat requirements (methodology, data structure, reporting formats); identify gaps.
Harmonization instructions: provide precise, implementable guidance for harmonization (fields, coding, definitions, validation rules, reporting templates).
Data exchange mechanism proposal: propose a practical mechanism for data exchange between key actors (e.g., Ministry of Security, Agency for Statistics), including interoperability considerations, governance, and data protection considerations.
Recommendations for MIS/statistical reporting improvement (if applicable): testing/validation of statistical reports and recommendations for improved reporting quality, mapping, and exchange
Project TK.0102: Support to MHRR on digitizing diaspora records
Records review & information architecture note: review existing diaspora records; propose target structure for a digital registry (data model, categories, metadata, search and usability needs).
Infrastructure & constraints assessment: assess current IT infrastructure relevant to hosting/operating the registry and identify constraints to be reflected in procurement requirements.
Procurement ToR for IT company: draft a clear implementation ToR describing what the IT company must build (functional requirements, technical requirements, security/compliance, acceptance criteria, maintenance/support).
Vendor mapping (if requested by IOM): identify relevant vendors and indicative cost considerations.
Project LM.0625: Map and identify digitalization opportunities in regular migration management processes
End-to-end process maps: map workflows for work permit and temporary residence permit procedures as implemented across institutions; capture roles, handoffs, information flows, coordination points.
Bottleneck & digital opportunity analysis: identify bottlenecks (manual steps, inter-institution coordination, data sharing gaps) and propose targeted digitalization opportunities.
Requirements & procurement ToR: translate findings into technical/functional requirements and draft ToR(s) for procurement of digital solutions for one or more bottlenecks/process segments, including testing/acceptance criteria and support arrangements.
Project IB.0537: Development of technical specifications for the development of an AI-powered Chatbot (Digital MRC)
Discovery & requirements validation note: confirm target user groups, primary languages, top information needs/use-cases, chatbot scope boundaries, escalation pathways (handover to human support), and success criteria/KPIs.
Content & knowledge base readiness assessment: inventory and assess existing migration-related content for chatbot use (structure, gaps, language coverage, update/ownership process), and recommend content governance (review cycles, approvals, versioning).
Functional specifications package: define chatbot functional requirements, including conversation flows/intents, multilingual behavior, tone-of-voice guidelines, fallback behavior, user consent notices, accessibility considerations, and analytics/feedback capture.
Technical specifications package: propose the technical architecture and non-functional requirements for an AI-powered chatbot integrated into the IOM BiH website/Digital MRC, including hosting approach, integration points/APIs, identity/access (as applicable), logging/monitoring, performance, availability, maintainability, and scalability.
Data protection, privacy & cybersecurity requirements note: define required safeguards (data minimization, retention, access controls, secure logging, vulnerability management), and propose risk controls aligned with IOM data protection commitments and relevant legal/regulatory expectations (e.g., GDPR-aligned safeguards as already referenced in the ToR).
Acceptance criteria & testing approach: define measurable acceptance criteria and test plan outline (functional tests, language/intent tests, security testing requirements, performance tests, and user acceptance testing process).
Procurement / implementation ToR for IT service provider: draft an implementation ToR describing what an IT company must deliver (scope, architecture, functional requirements, technical requirements, security/compliance, milestones, documentation, knowledge transfer/training, warranty/support, and acceptance criteria).
Market research & vendor mapping (as requested by IOM): identify suitable service providers/implementation partners and solution approaches, summarize pros/cons and indicative evaluation considerations to support procurement. Performance indicators for the evaluation of results
Understanding of the scope of the assignment
Delivery of results consistent with the agreed Terms of Reference.
Professional competence and mastery of the subject matter of the consultancy.
Accurately judging the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task.