National Mapping Consultant

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 Central Asian countries face complex migration dynamics that require stronger and more coordinated protection systems for all vulnerable migrants. While all five countries have adopted anti-trafficking legislation, broader categories of migrants in vulnerable situations, such as irregular migrants, stranded individuals, and migrant workers facing trafficking, violence, exploitation and abuse, often remain insufficiently covered in policy and practice. Despite progress in legal frameworks and capacity-building, the identification and referral of vulnerable migrants remain inconsistent. Mechanisms such as National Referral Mechanisms exist across the region but are not fully operational, and implementation gaps continue to limit effective support. Institutional coordination also remains a challenge, with responsibilities spread across multiple agencies and often lacking clear procedures or accountability. This leads to fragmented responses, weak data collection, and reactive rather than strategic approaches. Similar gaps are evident in child protection systems, which are not always adequately adapted to the needs of children on the move. Service provision is uneven, with significant barriers to access for many vulnerable migrants due to legal, administrative, or geographic constraints. While some support services exist, their availability and accessibility vary, particularly in remote and border areas, limiting timely and comprehensive assistance. Given these challenges, a rapid national mapping is required to identify the most relevant gaps between policy and practice in Tajikistan’s protection system. The mapping will review existing legislation, policies, procedures, tools, service information, referral pathways, and available assessments in order to produce practical and actionable recommendations. It will examine key questions such as the adequacy of legal frameworks in covering all forms of vulnerability, the availability of clear guidance and capacity for frontline actors to identify and assist vulnerable migrants, the effectiveness of inter-agency coordination and referral processes, and the extent of geographic and thematic service coverage. By identifying bottlenecks and gaps, the mapping will generate an evidence-based foundation to strengthen protection systems and improve outcomes for vulnerable migrants at the national level. This initiative is closely aligned with a parallel regional assessment covering Central Asia, which analyzes cross-cutting trends and shared challenges across countries. The regional study provides a comparative perspective, while the national mapping offers a more in-depth analysis of country-specific contexts and institutional realities. The two efforts are mutually reinforcing: insights from the regional assessment, including common challenges and good practices, will inform the national analysis, while findings from the national mapping will contribute to a more nuanced regional understanding. Coordination mechanisms will be established to ensure complementarity, facilitate information sharing, and avoid duplication of efforts. The mapping will identify priority actions required to strengthen existing frameworks and address operational gaps, including clearer referral steps, improved coordination, and practical guidance for frontline actors. It will inform the development of draft SOPs or guidance materials tailored to the national context, without requiring formal endorsement within the consultancy period. In addition, the mapping will establish a baseline of existing capacities and gaps, enabling the measurement of progress over time. Overall, it will serve as a critical step toward translating policy commitments into effective, system-wide protection outcomes. Organizational Department / Unit to which the Consultant is contributing Migrant Protection and Assistance Unit, Enhancing Protection of Migrants from Violence, Exploitation and Abuse in Central Asia, PX0711. Objectives and Scope of Mapping The assignment will pursue the following objectives: Rapid Review of Frameworks and Tools: Review relevant legal frameworks, policies, existing SOPs, referral pathways, practical tools, and available assessments related to the protection of vulnerable migrants, children affected by migration or trafficking, and trafficking victims/survivors. Identification of Priority Gaps: Identify key legal, operational, coordination, referral, service-access, and confidentiality gaps, with emphasis on practical issues that can be addressed through improved guidance and coordination. Assessment of PSEA and Sexual Violence Sensitivity: Assess the extent to which existing services, referral pathways, coordination mechanisms, and operational tools are equipped to identify, safely receive, refer, and support individuals affected by sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) and sexual violence, including through appropriate confidentiality safeguards, survivor-centred procedures, trained personnel, and referral linkages. Targeted Stakeholder Consultations: Conduct targeted interviews or consultations with selected government counterparts, civil society organizations, international partners, and service providers who work directly with the target groups. Practical Recommendations and Draft Guidance: Develop concise recommendations and draft SOPs or guidance materials to strengthen identification, referral, assistance, coordination, and confidentiality practices. Scope of Work: This is a national-level assignment focusing on Tajikistan’s internal frameworks and practices. It will cover: Relevant national-level institutions, policies, procedures, referral mechanisms, and services related to migrant protection, child protection, and counter-trafficking in Tajikistan. Key sectors involved in identification, referral, assistance, and coordination, including migration, law enforcement, social protection, child protection, health, civil society, and relevant international partners. Available documentation and existing assessments, including anonymized case information where available and appropriate. Assessment of the capacity of identified services and referral pathways to respond to disclosures and assistance needs related to sexual exploitation, abuse, and sexual violence, including confidentiality safeguards, referral readiness, staff capacity, survivor-centred approaches, and availability of specialized support services. The assignment may include targeted consultations with beneficiaries, returned migrants, migrant community members, family members of migrants, or trafficking survivors, where feasible and ethically appropriate. Such engagement will be voluntary, based on informed consent, and organized in coordination with trusted service providers or civil society organizations. If direct beneficiary consultations are not feasible due to sensitivity, protection risks, or time constraints, beneficiary perspectives w