Diaspora Engagement Strategy Review Consultant

Project Context and Scope

The Gambia has demonstrated a strong commitment to engaging its diaspora for national development, aligning its efforts with the principles of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) as well as other continental frameworks and initiatives on the topic. This strategic focus is driven by the significant role Gambians abroad play in the nation's economy; approximately 10% of the population resides overseas, and their financial remittances constitute a remarkable 20% of the country's Gross Domestic Product by the end of 2024 (WB, 2024). 

In pursuit of this strategic goal, The Gambia has undertaken a comprehensive array of practical measures aimed at harnessing the full potential of its diaspora for national development. The government has diligently worked across all ten action points outlined in the Global Compact for Migration (GCM) Objective 19, establishing various frameworks and initiatives to facilitate, enhance, and optimise diaspora contributions, and alignment with the AU Migration Policy Framework for Africa and its action Plan 2018-203O and the indicators included under the pillar on Diaspora engagement. A landmark in this effort is the development of the Gambia Diaspora Strategy (GDS) in 2017. This marked the country's first formal approach to engaging its diaspora and was incorporated into the 2018-2021 National Development Plan. Launched in January 2018 by the President, the strategy was informed by extensive research, consultations, and case studies. Its implementation, spanning from 2018 to 2022, outlined 14 commitments across four key policy areas, many of which saw significant progress, including the establishment of the Gambian Diaspora and Migration Directorate, capacity-building initiatives, reductions in remittance transfer costs, and active participation in global migration dialogues. Nonetheless, several initiatives faced obstacles such as delayed cooperation among government agencies, resource limitations, and disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. These challenges hindered the full realisation of projects like diaspora investments, the issuance of Diaspora Bonds, the establishment of a Diaspora Development Fund, and increased diaspora participation in local governance. Recognizing these setbacks, the government extended the National Development Plan into 2022 and began reviewing and updating the GDS to align with the new recovery-oriented NDP 2023-2027.  Acknowledging the critical importance of diaspora contributions to socio-economic development, The Gambia has embedded diaspora engagement as a core component of its broader development strategies. Beyond the standalone GDS, diaspora engagement has been mainstreamed into several key policy documents, including the Recovery Focused National Development Plan (RF-NDP), the National Migration Policy (NMP) for 2020–2030, the National Employment Policy and Action Plan, and the Labour Migration Strategy and Plan of Action (2022–2026). The RF-NDP explicitly recognizes diaspora engagement as a ‘critical enabler’ of development, emphasizing priorities such as developing diaspora bonds, creating conducive conditions for diaspora investments, enhancing consular and protection services, conducting diaspora skills mapping exercises, and establishing a Diaspora Development Fund. The NMP further integrates diaspora engagement and remittances within its Pillar IV: Human Capital Development, setting broad objectives to facilitate the transfer of knowledge, skills, and resources from the diaspora to support national progress. These comprehensive policies collectively reflect The Gambia’s strategic commitment to leveraging its diaspora’s potential as a vital driver of sustainable development.    However, the current Gambia's Diaspora Strategy is yet to be validated and has been noted to have various gaps in its scope and implementation, particularly in its inclusivity and representation of diverse diaspora groups. While the strategy aims to leverage the Gambia’s global diaspora for national development, it often emphasizes certain segments, such as professionals and investors, overlooking other groups like youth, women, and marginalized communities. This selective focus limits the potential for broad-based engagement and fails to harness the full spectrum of skills, ideas, and resources that different diaspora segments can offer.    Additionally, there are gaps related to institutional coordination and policy consistency. The strategy lacks a cohesive framework that clearly delineates roles and responsibilities among government agencies, diaspora organizations, and private sector actors. This fragmentation hampers effective communication, resource mobilization, and the implementation of diaspora initiatives. Without a centralized coordinating body or clear policies, efforts tend to be disjointed, resulting in underutilized opportunities for meaningful engagement and sustainable development projects.    Furthermore, the strategy falls short in establishing robust mechanisms for implementation, feedback, monitoring, and evaluation. There is limited emphasis on creating channels for the diaspora to participate actively in decision-making processes, share their experiences, or provide input on strategic priorities. This gap undermines the adaptability and responsiveness of the engagement strategy, risking stagnation and reduced diaspora trust. Strengthening these mechanisms is essential to foster accountability, measure impact, and continuously refine approaches to effectively integrate diaspora contributions into national development plans. 

To ensure coherence of the Strategy with the national commitments as outlined in the RF-NDP and to have clear actionable commitments, IOM is closely working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad (MOFA) to update the Diaspora Strategy and draft a comprehensive Plan of Action for effective implementation. This revised Strategy will aim to strengthen mechanisms for effectively and efficiently harnessing the human and professional capital of the diaspora, focusing on the potential of the diaspora for transferring knowledge and skills.  

The activity will be conducted within the framework of the tripartite project between IOM, African Development Bank (AfDB) and the African Union Commission (AUC) titled “Streamlining Diaspora Engagement to Catalyse Private Investments and Entrepreneurship for Enhanced Resilience’ (SDE4R) project.” 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 diaspora’s social, human and economic capitals. 

Key Objectives of the assignment: 

The overall objective of this consultancy is to support the update of a Diaspora Strategy (now referred to as the “Diaspora Engagement Strategy”) and an Action Plan that aligns with national and local development strategic plans, programmes, and other relevant initiatives in The Gambia.  The specific objectives of the assignment are as follows: 

The assignment will be managed by Migration Management Unit (MMU) of IOM The Gambia in close coordination with IOM’s Regional Office in West and Central Africa (RO WCA) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad. 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. 
    Tasks to be performed under this contract

In line with the above objectives of the assignment, the consultant will conduct the following activities:  

The specific tasks of this assignment are to: 

Tangible and measurable outputs of the work assignment:  

Key Activities and Deliverables  

The Consultancy will submit the following reports within the designated timeframe. The receipt and approval of each deliverable are subject to approval by the Government of The Gambia and IOM:    

Deliverables 

Timeline 

Submit inception report in preparation for The Gambia Diaspora Policy and/or strategy 

within 7 days of signing the contract 

Conduct consultations with NCM TWGs, relevant stakeholders and IOM The Gambia in preparations for Gambia’s Diaspora Policy. 

Within 30 days after signing the contract 

Interview with key stakeholders based in The Gambia (IOM The Gambia will support in making an appointment for the consultant) 

Within 40 days after signing the contract 

Interview with diaspora identified by IOM / MoFA (either email, telephone, visit) 

Within 50 days after signing the contract 

Present the first draft of the Updated Diaspora Strategy and its Plan of Action to the Migration and Development Technical Working Group.  

Within 65 days after signing the contract   

Revised the draft Updated Diaspora Strategy and its Plan of Action based on the inputs of the Migration and Development Technical Working Group and other relevant stakeholders 

Within 70 days after signing the contract 

Present the final draft to high level officials, mainly those from the NCM.  

Within 90 days after signing the contract 

Submit the final The Gambia Diaspora Policy and slides deck presenting its summary to IOM 

Within 100 days after signing the contract 

 Performance indicators for the evaluation of results

Satisfactory completion of tasks indicated. 

Quality of elaborate analysis. 

Timely delivery of outlines and the final draft. 

Compliance with IOM/MoFA House style Guidelines. 

Delivery of any other charges shown above    Education