Project Context and Scope
North Macedonia is actively engaged in the process of aligning its legal, regulatory, and institutional frameworks with the EU Acquis, a prerequisite for its European Union integration journey. This alignment is crucial for the country’s development and integration into the EU’s political and economic structures. A significant resource in this effort is the Diaspora, composed of highly skilled professionals across various sectors—including justice, public administration, environment, energy, etc., who possess specialised knowledge and experience that can facilitate this alignment. Many of these individuals have acquired specialised knowledge and hands-on experience from EU member states and other advanced economies, making them uniquely positioned to support the country’s reform processes. To effectively leverage the Diaspora's expertise, a comprehensive mapping of sectoral needs within North Macedonia is essential. This process will identify specific areas where diaspora specialists can offer the most impactful contributions, ensuring their skills are utilised to address critical gaps and enhance capacity in key sectors. This will involve consulting government bodies and other local stakeholders to pinpoint precise areas requiring support to ensure alignment with national priorities and EU accession benchmarks. The entire initiative will be structured to ensure that the level of effort does not exceed 30 days of engagement. All tasks, including the mapping process, stakeholder consultations, and final reporting, must be completed by the end of September 2025 to align with project timelines and objectives.
Organizational Department / Unit to which the Consultant is contributing
“Leveraging the Potential of Diaspora to Advance EU Accession and Labour Mobility in the Western Balkans” Tasks to be performed under this contract
Performance indicators for the evaluation of results
DeliverableTimeline 1. Inception Note (work plan & methodology) Day 5 2. Draft Sectoral Needs Assessment Report Day 23 3. Final Report Day 30 Education
Advanced degree in EU studies, public policy, law, international relations, migration studies, or related field. Experience Proven experience in EU Acquis alignment and sectoral reforms, minimum five years. Familiarity with diaspora engagement mechanisms. Skills Strong analytical and report writing skills. Languages Fluency in English and Macedonian. Required Competencies IOM’s competency framework can be found at this link. Competencies will be assessed during the selection process. Values Inclusion and respect for diversity: Respects and promotes individual and cultural differences. Encourages diversity and inclusion. Integrity and transparency: Maintains high ethical standards and acts in a manner consistent with organisational principles/rules, and standards of conduct. Professionalism: Demonstrates ability to work in a composed, competent and committed manner and exercises careful judgment in meeting day-to-day challenges. Courage: Demonstrates willingness to take a stand on issues of importance. Empathy: Shows compassion for others, makes people feel safe, respected and fairly treated. Core Competencies – behavioural indicators Teamwork: Develops and promotes effective collaboration within and across units to achieve shared goals and optimise results. Delivering results: Produces and delivers quality results in a service-oriented and timely manner. Is action-oriented and committed to achieving agreed-upon outcomes. Managing and sharing knowledge: Continuously seeks to learn, share knowledge and innovate. Accountability: Takes ownership for achieving the Organisation’s priorities and assumes responsibility for one's own actions and delegated work. Communication: Encourages and contributes to clear and open communication. Explains complex matters in an informative, inspiring and motivational way. Notes 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. This post is subject to local recruitment. Only those holding a valid residence or work permit for North Macedonia will be eligible for consideration. 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 accidents or illness and will be required to provide written proof of such coverage before commencing work. 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 fees). IOM does not request any information related to bank accounts. IOM only accepts duly completed applications submitted through the IOM online recruitment system. The online tool also allows candidates to track the status of their application. For further information and other job postings, you are welcome to visit our website: IOM Careers and Job Vacancies