CON 2026/36 - Consultant for the Mid-Term Review of the EU4Migration project

Grade: UG

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 EU4Migration in Albania is a joint initiative implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), funded by the European Union. The action is implemented during 2025 – 2028 and aims to contribute to the implementation of effective, efficient and EU-aligned border and protection-sensitive migration management systems in Albania. The project supports the Government of Albania in addressing migration and asylum challenges in line with the country's EU accession commitments, the National Strategy on Migration 2024-2030 and its Action Plan, and relevant international and European standards.

The project is structured around three interrelated outcomes:
1. The governance of migration and asylum in Albania is strengthened in support of the EU accession process;
2. Authorities in Albania have strengthened technical and operational capacities to manage migration and asylum in accordance with international and EU standards;
3. Migrants, asylum-seekers and refugees are included in local social and economic services.

To achieve these outcomes, the project supports a broad range of interventions, including strengthening migration governance and coordination mechanisms; supporting implementation and monitoring of the National Strategy on Migration; improving migration data collection and analysis; enhancing asylum procedures and reception conditions; strengthening capacities related to border management, protection-sensitive migration management, returns and reintegration; supporting services for unaccompanied and separated children; and promoting the social and economic inclusion of migrants, asylum-seekers and refugees at the local level.

Evaluation purpose and objective

As foreseen in the project Description of Action and Monitoring and Evaluation framework, an independent mid-term external evaluation will be conducted at the midpoint of implementation (end of second year of the project) to assess the project's relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability. The evaluation will assess progress against planned outputs, outcomes, indicators and implementation arrangements; identify key achievements, challenges, risks and lessons learned; and provide practical recommendations to inform decision-making, adaptive management and prioritization for the remaining implementation period.

The evaluation will serve both an accountability function and a learning function. From an accountability perspective, it will assess the extent to which the project is progressing towards its intended outcomes and objectives, as well as the effectiveness of its implementation arrangements. From a learning perspective, it will identify good practices, lessons learned, implementation challenges, and opportunities for adaptive management to strengthen the project's performance and sustainability during the remainder of the implementation period.

The evaluation will examine the project's contribution to strengthening migration and asylum governance in Albania, enhancing institutional capacities for migration and asylum management, and improving access to social and economic services for migrants, asylum-seekers and refugees. It will assess progress under all three project outcomes and their associated outputs, while also reviewing the project's responsiveness to evolving migration and asylum dynamics, national priorities, and EU accession-related commitments.

The evaluation will also provide stakeholders, including the Ministry of Internal Affairs, other relevant public institutions, local authorities, the European Union, IOM and UNHCR, with an opportunity to assess the project's responsiveness, effectiveness and contribution to strengthening Albania's migration and asylum management system in line with EU and international standards.

Based on the collection and analysis of relevant data and evidence, the evaluation will generate findings, conclusions, lessons learned and recommendations. The primary users of the evaluation will be IOM and UNHCR project management teams, and national counterparts as relevant. Findings will support adaptive management, strategic planning and decision-making for the remainder of the implementation period. Preliminary findings will be presented to relevant stakeholders through a validation workshop or presentation session to discuss conclusions and recommendations prior to finalization of the evaluation report.

Evaluation scope

Temporal focus: The mid-term evaluation will cover the implementation period from the project start date until the completion of the second year of implementation, corresponding to the period under review at the time of the evaluation. The evaluation will assess progress achieved to date against planned outputs, outcomes, indicators and implementation arrangements.
Geographic focus: The evaluation will cover project interventions implemented in Albania at both national and local levels. Attention will be given to institutions and locations directly supported by the project, including national authorities, local government units, reception facilities, border areas and selected municipalities benefiting from project interventions. Site visits and stakeholder consultations will be determined during the inception phase in consultation with IOM and UNHCR.
Programmatic focus:
The evaluation will assess progress across all three project outcomes:
• Outcome 1: Governance of migration and asylum in Albania is strengthened in support of the EU accession process.
• Outcome 2: Authorities in Albania have strengthened technical and operational capacities to manage migration and asylum in accordance with international and EU standards.
• Outcome 3: Migrants, asylum-seekers and refugees are included in local social and economic services.
The evaluation will assess the project's performance against the OECD-DAC evaluation criteria of relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, and, where feasible at the mid-term stage. It will evaluate progress at both output and outcome levels and analyse factors affecting implementation and achievement of results.
The evaluation will also examine project partnerships, coordination mechanisms, institutional ownership, capacity-development approaches, protection- and rights-based approaches and the sustainability of results achieved to date, while generating practical recommendations to maximize impact in future implementation.

Evaluation criteria

The evaluation will cover the criteria of relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability of the project. It will also examine the project's complementarity and coordination with other relevant interventions under the criterion of coherence. The OECD-DAC definitions will guide the evaluation.
Relevance: The extent to which the intervention's objectives and design respond to beneficiaries' global, country, and partner/institution needs, policies, and priorities and continue to do so if circumstances change.
Coherence: The compatibility of intervention with other interventions in a country, sector, or institution.
Effectiveness: The extent to which intervention achieved or is expected to achieve its objectives and results, including any differential results across groups.
Efficiency: The extent to which intervention delivers, or is likely to deliver, results in an economical and timely way.
Sustainability: The extent to which the net benefits of the intervention continue or are likely to continue.

Evaluation questions

The evaluation is expected to respond to the following key questions under each evaluation criteria below:

Evaluation Criteria Evaluation Questions

Relevance

1. To what extent are the project's objectives and interventions aligned with the priorities of the Government of Albania, the European Union, IOM and UNHCR in the fields of migration management and asylum?
2. To what extent are project interventions responsive to the needs and priorities of the main target groups and beneficiaries, and o what extent the project addresses identified institutional, operational and service delivery gaps in Albania's migration and asylum management system?
3. To what extent is the project design and theory of change, including risks and assumptions, and implementation approach appropriate for achieving the intended outputs and outcomes under the three project pillars: governance, capacities, and inclusion?

Effectiveness

1. To what extent are planned outputs, outcomes and indicators achieved?
2. To what extent did the project adapt to changing external conditions, emerging operational needs and policy developments to ensure project outcomes?
3. Which project strategies were more effective and less effective in producing planned short and long-term results and why?
4. What internal and external factors facilitated or hindered the achievement of the intended results of the project?
5. To what extent did the project contribute to broader intended changes in local migration and asylum governance, reintegration support, diaspora engagement, asylum–seeker and refugee protection employment opportunities and social inclusion?

Efficiency

1. How well were the resources (funds, expertise, and time) used to achieve intended results in a timely manner?
2. To what extent has the project benefited from the comparative advantages and complementary roles of IOM, UNHCR and national stakeholders, including synergies created internally and externally?
3. Did the project have the necessary coordination mechanisms and communication flow to ensure that the allocated resources were efficiently converted into the expected outputs?
4. To what extent have monitoring, reporting and coordination mechanisms contributed to efficient programme management and informed decision-making?

Coherence

1. Were the project activities coordinated with other actors in the sector, i.e., were there other interventions with the same type of activities or with similar objectives implemented by IOM/ UNHCR or other actors, and to what extent were they complementary to IOM/UNHCR’s activities?

Sustainability

1. What are the key project activities and benefits that are likely to continue after the project has ended? Are structures, resources and exit strategies in place to ensure that benefits generated by the project continue once external support ceases?
2. To what extent has the project strengthened institutional ownership and capacities within national and local authorities? Are migration governance, asylum management and service delivery improvements being institutionalized by relevant stakeholders?
3. Do the project partners have the financial capacity, and are they committed to maintaining the benefits of the project in the long run?

Cross-cutting themes

1. To what extent were cross-cutting principles such as gender equality, human rights, protection mainstreaming, AAP, leave-no-one-behind considerations, and the environment, integrated into project design, implementation, monitoring and reporting?
2. To what extent did the integration of these cross-cutting principles contribute to participation, access to benefits, and the relevance, effectiveness and sustainability of project results for different stakeholder groups?

The above are key evaluation guiding questions. During the inception phase, in consultation with IOM and UNHCR, the evaluator could develop and modify the questions and supplement them with additional, detailed, and specific sub-questions as appropriate and needed. The evaluation matrix will be prepared by the evaluator and shared with IOM for review.

The evaluator may also propose additional questions relevant to collecting sufficient data to respond to the evaluation purpose. The focus should be on summative assessment of the performance and results to date, particularly effectiveness in outcome level changes, and sustainability. The evaluation should also document any lessons learned and good practices to be used by IOM and UNHCR to inform the implementation of similar projects, whether in the country or globally. Finally, recommendations should highlight any actions that could be taken to strengthen performance and achievement of results in ongoing or future similar projects.

Evaluation methodology

The project's Theory of Change (ToC) will serve as the primary analytical framework for the evaluation. During the inception phase, the evaluator shall review and assess the intervention logic underpinning the project, including the causal pathways linking activities, outputs and intended outcomes, as well as the assumptions and risks on which these pathways depend. The evaluation shall assess the extent to which the Theory of Change remains valid in the current context and identify any factors that may have facilitated, constrained or altered the anticipated results pathway.

Given the mid-term nature of the evaluation, the assessment of outcome-level change should be guided by a contribution-oriented approach. The evaluation should examine the extent to which the available evidence supports a plausible contribution of the project to observed changes, while considering the influence of contextual factors, actions of other stakeholders and alternative explanations. The evaluation is not expected to establish direct attribution of results to the project.

Methodology for this evaluation should include, but not be limited to, the following quantitative and qualitative data collection methodology:
1. Desk and documentation review, including:
• EU4Migration in Albania Description of Action (DoA).
• Project Results Matrix, Monitoring and Evaluation Plan, Indicator Performance Tracking Tables (IPTTs), workplans, and risk monitoring tools as applicable.
• Project progress reports, donor reports, Steering Committee minutes, monitoring reports, visibility and communication materials, and other project-generated documentation.
• National policy and strategic documents, including the National Strategy on Migration 2024-2030, its Action Plan 2024-2026, the Integrated Border Management Strategy, and other relevant migration and asylum policy frameworks.
• Relevant EU policy and strategic documents, including the EU Action Plan on the Western Balkans, Albania Progress Reports, and relevant accession-related frameworks under Chapter 24.
• Relevant IOM and UNHCR strategic, policy and operational guidance documents related to migration governance, asylum, protection, inclusion, monitoring and evaluation, and institutional capacity development.
• Baseline information, needs assessments, data collection products, training reports, surveys and research studies produced under the project.
• Any other documentation made available by IOM, UNHCR and project partners during the inception phase.

2. Primary data from key stakeholders, key informant interviews and, where appropriate, focus group discussions or group consultations. The in-depth interviews should include:
• Interviews conducted with Ministry of Interior and relevant migration and asylum authorities
• Interviews with Local authorities and municipalities supported by the project
• Representatives of IOM and UNHCR involved in project implementation
• Civil society organizations and service providers engaged under the project

IOM will share relevant background documents and project records as needed by the evaluator. The evaluator will take a gender-sensitive and human-rights-based approach.
The evaluator(s) might require interpreters for the necessary interviews. Interviews will be scheduled in advance by the evaluator, and phone interviews will be conducted if necessary.

Ethics, norms and standards for evaluation

IOM abides by the Norms and Standards of the UN Evaluation Group (UNEG) and expects all evaluation stakeholders to be familiar with the Ethical Conduct Guidelines of UNEG and the consultant(s) with the UNEG Codes of Conduct. This evaluation will be guided by IOM's Evaluation Policy, M&E Guidelines, and Guidance on Quality Management of IOM Evaluations, including the quality checking tool for inception reports and final reports. Each UN agency will raise pertinent considerations per their respective institutional policies during the evaluation process. The evaluation must also consider the IOM Data Protection Principles, as laid out in the IOM Data Protection Manual.
The consultant shall ensure informed consent, confidentiality, do-no-harm approaches, safe referral considerations where relevant, and protection-sensitive engagement with stakeholders and beneficiaries. No personal or sensitive data shall be collected, processed, stored or shared beyond what is strictly necessary for the evaluation and agreed with IOM.

Organizational Department / Unit to which the Consultant is contributing

EU4Migration in Albania, PX0611

Tasks to be performed under this contract

The consultant will be responsible for producing the deliverables listed below in English. The consultant will ensure that all deliverables meet professional quality standards and are submitted within the agreed timeframe.

The evaluator will be responsible for providing the following:
a) The evaluators should develop an inception report that illustrates the approach to the evaluation. The inception report should comprise the evaluation matrix, refined evaluation questions, workplan, stakeholder mapping, sampling approach and evaluation data collection instruments to describe their understanding of the TOR. This should be submitted to the IOM Albania following the document review phase for comments and discussion with the evaluator to finalize plans before the interview phase.
b) Following completion of desk review, interviews/focus group discussions with relevant stakeholder, the consultant shall prepare and deliver a concise preliminary finding brief and presentation outline.
c) Based on the analysis of all collected evidence and feedback received during the validation process, the consultant shall submit a Draft Mid-Term Evaluation Report. The draft report should provide:
• Evidence-based findings against all evaluation criteria;
• Analysis of achievements, challenges and lessons learned;
• Assessment of progress against project outputs and outcomes;
• Conclusions and actionable recommendations for the remaining implementation period.
The draft report will be reviewed by IOM and UNHCR, and consolidated comments will be shared with the consultant.
d) The final deliverables will comprise the final evaluation report, a two-page evaluation brief, a final presentation and a preliminary management response matrix prepared using the IOM template. The matrix will reproduce each recommendation and propose an indicative implementation time frame; IOM, in coordination with UNHCR and relevant stakeholders, will determine the management response, responsible entity and follow-up action. The final report will be written in English, professionally edited and structured in accordance with the IOM evaluation report template. It will include an executive summary, list of acronyms, project and evaluation background, purpose and scope, evaluation approach and methodology, limitations, findings organized by evaluation criterion, conclusions, recommendations, lessons learned and good practices. Annexes will include the ToR, evaluation matrix, list of documents reviewed, anonymized list of persons or stakeholder groups consulted, data collection instruments and other relevant supporting material.
All deliverables are to be written in English and meet good language standards. IOM Albania will not cover any cost related to interpretation during data collection or translation of the reports; all related expenses should be factored into the budget proposal. The final report should meet the UNEG Quality Checklist for Evaluation Reports standards.

Upon final approval of the deliverables, IOM Albania will coordinate the necessary steps to make the evaluation findings accessible to all the concerned stakeholders, including posting to IOM's global Evaluation Repository.

Specifications of roles

The roles of the IOM project team, evaluator, and stakeholders are identified below:
External evaluator:
• Carry out the evaluation as per the ToR.
• Implement the data collection, analysis, and reporting activities of the mid-term evaluation.
• Conduct bilateral meetings with the IOM project team.
• Provide regular updates and flag any challenges or emerging issues with the IOM project team.
• Prepare and deliver the inception report, final report, two-page evaluation brief, and the visual presentation (MS PowerPoint) of the evaluation of the findings and recommendations.

Project Team:
• Lead the coordination with the evaluator at every phase of the evaluation process
• Agree on the work plan with the evaluator
• Provide a Stakeholder list and support setting up interviews with stakeholders as needed
• Facilitate organizing evaluation documents (information and documents related to the project and M&E reports).
• Review the inception report and related evaluation deliverables.
• Coordinate the review of the evaluation deliverables with the project team, IOM and UNHCR staff, and other key stakeholders.
• Review and ensure the final report incorporates and accepts input related to factual corrections.
• Provide general information on IOM and UNHCR and the project, resources, including strategy documents and guidelines, general information, and documents related to the project.
• Review the inception report, final report, and related evaluation deliverables.
• Support in-person and virtual meeting scheduling and send meeting request correspondence to identified key stakeholders.
• Support logistical and travel arrangements as appropriate.
• Coordinate with relevant stakeholders, including government counterparts.

IOM Regional Office Vienna (Regional M&E Officer, Thematic Specialists):
• Review and provide inputs/guidance as needed to the evaluation deliverables.

Government stakeholders/beneficiaries:
• Coordinate with IOM to schedule meetings.
• Provide feedback on the evaluation findings and brief.

Schedule

The mid-term evaluation will require 30 working days of evaluator input, including preparation, data collection, analysis and reporting. The assignment is expected to commence in November 2026, with submission of the final report and delivery of the final presentation tentatively by 15 February 2027. The detailed calendar and submission dates will be agreed with the selected evaluator and reflected consistently in the contract and approved workplan.
The mid-term evaluation will comprise four phases: inception and desk review; data collection and preliminary findings; preparation of the draft evaluation report and validation presentation; and finalization of the evaluation report, evaluation brief, presentation and preliminary management response matrix.

Phase 1 – Desk Review Phase - Inception

Proposed timing: 5 DAYS

• Kick-off meeting minutes

Stakeholder mapping

• Workplan and schedule of meetings

• Inception report and presentation (understanding of assignment, work plan, methodology and approach)

• Interview guidelines/questionnaire developed (as required)

• Kick-off meeting held

• Project document review conducted

• Presentation (if required)

Location:

Albania, online if needed

Phase 1 will comprise five working days of evaluator input. The draft inception report, including the evaluation matrix, will be submitted within 10 calendar days of the start of the assignment, allowing time for document review, the kick-off meeting and coordination with IOM and UNHCR. The inception phase will be conducted in close coordination with the Project Team, which will provide the documentation and stakeholder contact information required to organize consultations as early as possible.
The Inception Report should include, at a minimum:
• A refined understanding of the evaluation purpose, scope and intended use of the evaluation;
• A detailed evaluation matrix linking evaluation criteria, evaluation questions, indicators, data sources and data collection methods;
• The proposed evaluation methodology, including data collection and analysis methods, triangulation approach and rationale for methodological choices;
• A stakeholder mapping and sampling strategy for key informant interviews, focus group discussions and other consultations, where applicable;
• Draft data collection instruments, including interview guides, questionnaires and discussion guides;
• Identification of potential limitations, risks and mitigation measures;
• A detailed workplan outlining key evaluation activities, timelines and deliverable
The Inception Report should be prepared in accordance with IOM evaluation guidance and templates and submitted to IOM for review and approval. IOM will share with UNHCR and collect their views. Any methodological adjustments requested by IOM and/or UNHCR following the review process shall be incorporated into the final version prior to the commencement of the fieldwork and stakeholder consultation phase.

Phase 2 – Data Collection and Preliminary Findings Brief

Proposed timing:

15 days

Outputs:

• Results of documentation review/consultations/interviews

• Submission of a concise preliminary findings brief and presentation outline

Areas to be covered:

• Interviews and/or surveys and focus group discussions conducted

• Development of concise preliminary findings brief and presentation outline

Location:

Albania, online if needed

The main goal of the Stakeholder Engagement and Analysis Phase is to conduct consultations and collect data from key stakeholders (using interviews and/or surveys), including:
1. Project team in IOM and UNHCR
2. Senior Management team of IOM and UNHCR
3. Regional Office thematic specialists in IOM's Regional Office in Vienna
4. Other key staff and project focal points in support units (MEAL, Public Information, Project Development and Support Unit, Resource Management and Supply Chain Units) in IOM Albania UNHCR Albania and UNHCR’s Representation for Central and South-East Europe in Budapest
5. Ministry of Internal Affairs (General Directorate, Albanian State Police), other institutions as relevant
6. Refugees, asylum-seeker and migrants who benefited from project assistance as applicable and relevant.
The Field Phase should start upon the evaluation manager's approval of the Inception report. The main tasks of the field phase are:
• Submit a detailed data collection work plan with an indicative list of people to be interviewed, surveys to be undertaken, dates of visit, itinerary, and name of team members in charge. This plan must be applied in a flexible way to accommodate any last-minute changes in the field. If any significant deviation from the agreed work plan or schedule is perceived as creating a risk for the quality or timeline of the evaluation, these should be immediately discussed with the IOM.
• Ensure adequate contact and consultation with IOM, UNHCR and different stakeholders; work closely with the IOM teams during their entire assignment; use the most reliable and appropriate sources of information and harmonize data from various sources to allow ready interpretation. At the end of the field phase, summarize the field work, discuss the reliability and coverage of data collection, and present the preliminary findings in a meeting with the IOM and UNHCR teams.
A precise timeline for the preparation and implementation of data collection and field visits will be established with the selected evaluator.

Phase 3 – Draft Evaluation Report and Validation Presentation

Proposed timing:

5 days

Outputs:

• Draft Evaluation Report, conclusion lessons learned and recommendations

• Presentation of preliminary findings to IOM UNHCR, and relevant stakeholders for feedback

• Validation presentation

Areas to be covered:

• Evaluation Report and Lessons Learned

• Evaluation findings and recommendations should be presented to the relevant IOM and UNHCR colleague, and key stakeholders.

Location:

Albania, online if needed

Based on research and evaluation activities conducted under deliverable 1 and 2, the evaluator must prepare a draft Evaluation report, including lessons learned and recommendations to be shared with IOM, UNHCR and relevant stakeholders.
Upon completion of the draft evaluation report, a validation presentation meeting will be organized in Tirana, with the participation of IOM, UNHCR and relevant project partners and stakeholders.