Position Title:ย Consultant - Internal Evaluation on the Application of IOMโs LOCALISE Toolkit
Duty Station: Homebased
Classification: Consultant, Grade Other
Type of Appointment:ย Consultant, two months
Estimated Start Date: As soon as possible
Closing Date: 16 September 2025
Project Context and Scope:ย
Under the overall supervision of the Shelter & Settlements Specialist and direct supervision of the Settlements Officer, and in close coordination with the Senior Advisor (Community Stabilization), the Consultant will assess the application of the LOCALISE Toolkit in locations where it has been implemented and, where relevant, its use alongside IOMโs Community-Based Planning (CBP) approach. The consultant will evaluate how effectively the toolkit has supported settlement profiling and planning processes, including comparative analysis of contexts where LOCALISE and CBP were used independently and in combination, with a particular focus on the quality and outcomes of community engagement and participatory methods. The Consultant will work closely with field teams, local stakeholders, and technical staff to review documentation, conduct consultations, and gather evidence on how the toolkit and/or CBP influenced decision-making, prioritization of interventions, and alignment with broader planning frameworks. Findings will inform the refinement of the toolkit, identify synergies with CBP, and support learning.
The Settlements Approach is a participatory spatial and territorial planning method designed to support IOM and its partners, including national and local governments, in making informed decisions on where and how to prioritise interventions.
Based on the principles outlined in theย Settlement Approach Guidance Noteย developed in 2020 by the Global Shelter Cluster, IOM in 2024 launched the LOCALISE toolkit to ย operationalise ย the Settlement Approach.
In the context of protracted displacement, this approach supports the development of a coherent set of initiatives and investments aimed at advancing solutions. It enables the identification of challenges, the formulation of context-specific responses, and scenarios for how the territory can evolve over time to facilitate local integration, return, and resettlement.
A core feature of the approach is its participatory process, which ensures that communities, alongside authorities and other stakeholders, are meaningfully engaged throughout the profiling and planning phases. This inclusive engagement enhances local ownership, fosters trust, and ensures that priorities and solutions reflect the needs and aspirations of affected populations.
Theย LOCALISE Toolkitย provides practical steps, methods, and tools for structured, community-informed analysis of displacement impacts and settlement dynamics. It has been piloted in diverse contexts, demonstrating adaptability and potential for scale.
An outcome of this process is a document called a Settlement Profile and Action Plan which serves a dual purpose of understanding the territory through a cross-sectoral spatial analysis, and providing recommendations on immediate, intermediate and longer-term actions to be taken.
The evaluation will assess the application of LOCALISE in multiple contexts, with emphasis on the quality and outcomes of participatory methods, and will also examine its relationship to IOMโs Community-Based Planning (CBP) approach. This includes contexts where CBP was implemented independently (or guided by urban planning principles), contexts where LOCALISE was applied without CBP, and, most importantly, contexts where both approaches were implemented together (e.g. Ecuador), to identify complementarities, overlaps, and added value.
In addition to executing the evaluation of LOCALISE, the consultant ย will support a parallel evaluation process into IOM's humanitarian settlement (camps) planning. Collaboration between the two evaluations will ensure cross-learning, with each consultant providing inputs from their respective technical strengths (M&E and spatial planning).
Organizational Department / Unit to which the Consultant is contributing:
The consultant will contribute to the projectย โReforming the United Nations System โ Humanitarianโ (DP5624) implemented by the Department of Humanitarian Response and Recovery in HQ particularly to its OUTCOME 1 Humanitarian actors have robust systems in place to effectively support operations and cope with operational needs through the evaluation of humanitarian action.
For this assignment, the consultant will work under the supervision of the Shelter and Settlement Specialist from the IOM Shelter and Settlements Unit in HQ.ย
Category B Consultants: Tangible and measurable outputs of the work assignmentย
Category B Consultant hired to :
Deliverable 1: Evaluation Design and Methodology
Develop a comprehensive evaluation framework tailored to the objectives and structure of the LOCALISE Toolkit. Define evaluation criteria including but not limited toย Relevance, Coherence, Effectiveness, Efficiency, Impact, Sustainability.ย Define evaluation questions, indicators, and data collection tools to assess: The inclusiveness and effectiveness of participatory planning approaches;The usability, adaptability, and contextual relevance of the toolkit in urban and displacement-affected settings;The contribution of LOCALISE to integrated, area-based planning and pathways toward durable solutions.Comparative effectiveness of LOCALISE, CBP, and combined approaches in influencing settlement planning outcomesEstimated number of working days: 10
Deliverable 2: Review Documentation and Technical Analysisย
Estimated number of days: 10
Deliverable 3: Participatory Evaluation and Stakeholder Engagement
Where possible, conduct key informant interviews (KIIs) with IOM staff, government counterparts, partners, and community representatives, to reflect on the enablers and barriers to inclusive participation.Review the participatory tools used during implementation (community mapping, visioning exercises, and prioritisation matrices) and assess how effectively they engaged communities in a way that was adapted to the local context and capacities, as well as the extent to which this participation influenced key outputs (e.g. settlement action plans, spatial prioritizations).Explore perspectives on how CBP and LOCALISE interacted in practice, including sequencing, integration, and perceived benefits or challenges.If possible, organize focus group discussions (FGDs) with community members or community leaders engaged in LOCALISE and/or CBP processesยEstimated number of days: 15
Deliverable 4: Learning and Recommendations
Synthesize key findings into actionable insights and lessons learned.Formulate clear recommendations for: Adapting and improving the LOCALISE toolkit content and process, to strenghted the integration with CBP and viceversa.;Enhancing stakeholder ownership and institutional uptake;Include specific recommendations on when and how CBP and LOCALISE should be applied independently or in combination.Present findings in a learning-oriented format, including graphics or visual summaries as appropriate.Provide technical support for the evaluation which will be carried out simultaneously particularly in the area of Monitoring and Evaluation for: Design of the evaluation methodologyย Definition of questions andย Data collection and analysis.Estimated number of days: 15
Deliverable 5: Support the evaluation of the impact of settlement planning in temporary settlements in IOM operations
Estimatedย working days: 10
Key Deliverables to be produced:ย
An evaluation framework with defined questions, indicators, & data collection tools.A Comprehensive Evaluation Report assessing the toolkitโs implementation, impact and feedback on participatory processes.Learning brief summarizing key findings and actionable recommendations.ย Support the evaluation of settlement planning in IOM operations (co-design of evaluation methodology and data collection and analysis tools). ยPayment Terms and Condition
Payments will be made monthly for a daily fee of USD for a maximum of 60 working days over a period of three months, after submission of progress reports indicating number of days worked per deliverable and/ or fully approved deliverables.
Performance indicators for the evaluation of results
% of tasks listed in the ToRs that are on-track/completedComplete formulation of an Evaluation report.Documented comparative analysis of LOCALISE, CBP, and combined approaches, with clear identification of lessons and good practices from each.Education
Masterโs degree in Monitoring and Evaluation, International Development, Urban or Regional Planning, Social Sciences, or a related field.Experience
At least 5 years of professional experience in monitoring and evaluation, programme performance assessment, or applied research within humanitarian, development, or post-crisis recovery contexts; and,Proven experience in designing and conducting evaluations using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, preferably within multi-sectoral or area-based programmes.Skills
Demonstrated ability to evaluate participatory processes, community engagement approaches, and accountability mechanisms in field-based or displacement-affected settings.Strong analytical, reporting, and communication skills, with a track record of translating evidence into actionable recommendations.Proficiency in M&E tools and platforms, including Excel, Kobo/ODK, Power BI, and data visualization tools is an advantage.Familiarity with spatial analysis and area-based planning approaches is considered an asset.LanguagesIOMโs official languages are English, French, and Spanish. All staff members are required to be fluent in one of the three languages.
For this position, fluency in English is required (oral and written). Working knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish) is an advantage.
Proficiency of language(s) required will be specifically evaluated during the selection process,
which may include written and/or oral assessments.ย
Subject to approval by the relevant IOM approving authority, the selected candidate is expected to work remotely/homebased.
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