Mapping Contributions of Gambian Diaspora in Spain towards Local Economic Development and Humanitarian Response in The Gambiaย ย The purpose of this exercise is to conduct a comprehensive mapping of contributions of Gambian diaspora in Spain towards local economic development and humanitarian response in The Gambia and identify opportunities for enhanced engagement with diaspora to support The Gambiaโs Recovery-focused National Development Plan (RF-NDP) (2023 โ 2027) ย Project Context and Scope
With aย populationย of 2.42 million, Theย Gambiaย is one of the smallest countries on mainland Africa, with almost 70 percent of population under the age of 35. Diaspora population adds up to approximately 10 percent of the population, with The Gambia having one of the highest dependencies on remittances in Africa. The remittance inflows for 2024 were USD 775.6 million, being equivalent to 31.5 percent of national Gross Domestic Product, compared to USD 737.12 million in 2023 and USD 712.45 in 2022.ย The country has a large and diverse diaspora community, with the largest present in Spain and Italy (approximately over 30,000 in each country).ย
Noting the significance of diaspora contributions to The Gambiaโs socio-economic development, The Gambia has a stand-alone Diaspora Strategy as well as has mainstreamed diaspora engagement into various policy and strategic documents such as the Recovery Focused National Development Plan, National Migration Policy (NMP) (2020 โ 2030), National Employment Policy and Action Plan and Labour Migration Strategy. The RF-NDP considers diaspora engagement as a โcritical enablerโ, listing several priorities such as developing diaspora bonds, creating conditions for diasporas to contribute to development, enhancing consular and protection assistance, undertaking a diasporaย skills mapping exercises, establishing a Diaspora Development Fund, issuing diaspora bonds, and harnessing diaspora talent and skills. Similarly, the NMP includes diaspora engagement and remittances within Pillar IV on Human Capital Development. It sets broad objectives to engage the diaspora in national development, including by facilitating the transfer of their knowledge, skills, and resources.
The Gambia has also declared the months of December and January as diaspora homecoming traditions, with a Stake in the Nation Forum organised by the Presidentโs Office in collaboration with various development partners, to acknowledge diaspora contributions and provide platform for strategic discussions on diasporaโs contributions. Overall, theย Diaspora and Migration Directorate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad serves as the key custodian and responsible department to ensure implementation of the above-mentioned strategic frameworks and plans and is the main interlocutor to ensure efficient collaboration amongst diaspora organizations and national and local government.
Despite the above policy and strategic level commitments towards diaspora engagement, there is limited institutional capacity to implement some of the key priority interventions such as regularly conducting diaspora mapping exercises and initiating strategic discussions on diaspora contributions that go beyond transfer of remittances. The Gambiaโs diplomatic network with limited geographical coverage further enhances challenges of collecting diaspora data, essential to maintain a regular and strategic interface with diaspora to strengthen and streamline their contributions towards national and local development. While data on remittances is annually collected by the Central Bank of The Gambia, a thorough analysis of contributions towards local economic development and humanitarian response remains limited. In addition, diasporaโs non-monetary contributions such as skills transfer as well as in-kind transfers largely remain unaccounted for.
In view of the above, IOM is supporting the Government of The Gambia with implementation of the Diaspora Strategy within the framework of the tripartite project betweenย IOM, African Development Bank (AfDB) and the African Union Commission (AUC) titled โStreamlining Diaspora Engagement to Catalyse Private Investments and Entrepreneurship for Enhanced Resilienceโ (SDE4R) project.โ The project seeks to support socio-economic development in eight African transition states, including South Sudan, Somalia, The Gambia, Liberia, Mali, Togo, Madagascar and Zimbabwe, by reviving the domestic private sector, building climate resilience and recovery from political or humanitarian crises by leveraging the expertise and networks of diaspora groups, including identifying the best methods for effectively mobilizing the diasporaโs social, human and economic capitals.
Key Objectives of the assignment
In line with the priorities of The Gambia, IOM aims to conductย a comprehensive mapping of contributions of Gambian diaspora in Spain towards local economic development and humanitarian response in The Gambia and identify opportunities for enhanced engagement with diaspora to support The Gambiaโs Recovery-focused National Development Plan (RF-NDP) (2023 โ 2027). Known to have one of the largest Gambian diaspora community, Spain is selected as a key country of destination for this exercise, whereby IOM intends to:
Understand key characteristics of Gambian diaspora in two selected cities of Spain, including sex, age, gender, occupation, skills, intentions to contribute to country of origin, challenges, among other; Identify patterns of both monetary and non-monetary contributions, including remittance transfers, skills development support, in-kind investments etc. from 2024 till date; Map investment sectors for national and local development, including humanitarian response investments (healthcare, disaster relief etc.) with few case studies to be showcased; Outline key platforms for diaspora engagement (at individual and organizational level), including identification of challenges that prevent diaspora from meaningfully participating in national and local development; Develop a set of recommendations to strengthen and streamline diaspora engagement, including development of a policy brief to be included as part of the diaspora strategy review process.ย ย Organizational Department / Unit to which the Consultant is contributingThe assignment will be managed byย Migration Management Unit (MMU) ofย IOM The Gambia in close coordination with IOMโs Regional Office in West and Central Africa (RO WCA) and theย Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad.ย The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the Programme Coordinator (Migration Management Unit) IOM The Gambia, in coordination with the Regional Thematic Specialist based at RO WCA.ย xxx Add in details (including Project Name and Code) xxx Tasks to be performed under this contract
In line with the above objectives of the assignment, the consultant will conduct the following activities:ย ย Research and Data Collection: Conduct desk review, surveys, individual interviews, and focus group discussions to gather information relating to the key objectives of this assignmentย Draft a detailed mapping report, as per outline agreed with IOM at the inception phase Develop actionable strategies to enhance diaspora engagement and present findings in a report highlighting key trends, challenges, and opportunities for greater impact. Draft a presentation highlighting the findings of the report as well as a policy brief that will inform review of the diaspora engagement strategy
Tangible and measurable outputs of the work assignment:ย ย
Inception report and consultancy methodologyย ย Draft needs assessment report after data collection, summarizing the study's methodology and specifying any limitations/complications and changes to the initial design. Pre-validation Final Draft Validation ยKey Activities and Deliverablesย ย Activity Deliverables Timeline Introductory meeting Meeting with IOM to discuss the deliverables of the assignment within 3 days of signing the contract Inception report and methodology
Prepare a detailed roadmap explaining the understanding of the assignment, methodology, research and analysis tools, and outline of the guidelines for review and approval of the Migration and Development TWG.ย Final schedule of work and draft data collection plan and data collection tools. Within 30 days after signing the contractInterim Report
Report summarizing the initial findings of the mapping.ย Within 60 days after signing the contract One validation workshop of the assessment Presentation of the draft assessment report, ensuring comments and inputs from stakeholders are captured in the document.ย Within 80 days after signing the contract Final Report Submission of final reportย Within 90 days after signing the contract ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Performance indicators for the evaluation of results Satisfactory completion of tasks indicated. Quality of the elaborated analysis. Timely delivery of outlines and the final draft. Compliance with IOM/MoFA House style Guidelines. Delivery of any other charges shown above ย Education Advanced university masterโs degree in International Relations, Political Science, and International Development or other relevant fields. Experience and Skills Minimum of 7+ years of relevant professional experience in migration and development within West and Central African Region. Experience in provision of policy or strategic plan advisory services to government counterparts Demonstrated substantive experience in conducting research in the field of diaspora engagement, youth employment, skills development, vocational education, and/or training for sustainable development. Strong knowledge of migration dynamics in The Gambia. Existing network and engagement with The Gambian diaspora in Spain will be considered an asset Good interpersonal and communication skills. Ability to work independently after consultations. Personal commitment, efficiency, and desire to achieve results. Prior experience of working with the UN and/or international organisations will be considered as an asset. ย Languages Excellent written and spoken English; along with fluency in local languages. IOMโs official languages are English, French and Spanish. Proficiency of language(s) required will be specifically evaluated during the selection process, which may include written and/or oral assessments. ย Required Competencies ย IOMโs competency framework can be found atย this link. Competencies will be assessed during the selection process. ย Values - all IOM staff members must abide by and demonstrate these three 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 organizational 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 Competenciesย โ behavioural indicators Teamwork: Develops and promotes effective collaboration within and across units to achieve shared goals and optimize results. Delivering results: Produces and delivers quality results in a service-oriented and timely manner. Is action oriented and committed to achieving agreed outcomes. Managing and sharing knowledge: Continuously seeks to learn, share knowledge and innovate. Accountability: Takes ownership for achieving the Organizationโs priorities and assumes responsibility for 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, verification of residency, visa, and authorizations by the concerned Government, where applicable. 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 accident 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 fee). 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:ย IOM Careers and Job Vacancies