Consultant for Regional Preparedness Simulation Exercise for North Africa Job Description Responsibilities Qualifications Required Skills Job info

Consultant for Regional Preparedness Simulation Exercise for North Africa IOM - International Organization for Migration Remote | Cairo, Remote - Based Both national and international UG - Ungraded level Speaks Arabic, English, French Closed Apply Summary by Impactpool The IOM is seeking a consultant to develop and execute a Regional Preparedness Simulation Exercise (SiMEX) for North Africa. This consultancy will involve creating a comprehensive SiMEX package, facilitating the exercise, and drafting a final report. The consultant will work remotely with the IOM Regional Office for MENA in Cairo, Egypt, and will be responsible for coordinating with various stakeholders across the region. The role requires extensive experience in migration and human rights, as well as skills in adult learning and research methodologies. Candidate Requirements: University Degree in International Relations or related field At least 10 years of relevant professional experience Quantitative and qualitative research experience in migration crises Experience in adult learning and conducting similar exercises Fluent in English and French; Arabic is an advantage Job Description Duty Station of the Consultancy: Remote and working with the IOM Regional Office for MENA- Cairo, Egypt. Duration of Consultancy: 6 months Nature of the consultancy: Consultancy on the development and Execution of a Regional Preparedness Simulation Exercise for North Africa- Category B consultant Project Context and Scope: The MENA region is a major crossroads of global migration, serving simultaneously as a point of origin, transit, and destination for people on the move. The Central Mediterranean Route (CMR) remains one of the most perilous corridors, with Libya, Tunisia, and Egypt acting as key transit points for migrants attempting to reach Europe. Algeria and Morocco also continue to experience mixed migration flows, primarily along the Western Mediterranean and Atlantic routes. Across these routes, migrants face severe protection risks, including gender-based violence, arbitrary detention, forced returns, family separation, trafficking, and the threat of death or disappearance. According to IOM’s 2024 data, more than 3,400 migrants lost their lives or went missing along migration routes in the Middle East and North Africa. While this represents a 33% decrease compared to previous years, the region remains the deadliest migration corridor. These numbers are widely acknowledged to be a substantial undercount, as many fatalities go unreported, particularly in remote desert areas, conflict zones, and at sea, where shipwrecks often leave no trace. The Central Mediterranean Route (CMR) remains over 86 per cent of all incidents reported as of September 2025. This also marks the highest monthly total of incidents on the CMR since the start of 2024. Libya recorded the highest number of incidents this month (621), followed by Tunisia (520) and Morocco (155). The rising frequency of these tragedies underscores the urgent need for immediate action to save lives and protect people on the move. The complex and dynamic nature of migration in the region requires an urgent, more coordinated response to enhance protection efforts. This is particularly evident across North Africa, where migrants’ access to essential services is constrained by overlapping, systemic challenges, including political constraints, security dynamics, and regulatory barriers. The proposed intervention will respond to priorities of the Pact for the Mediterranean 1 and contribute to the operationalization of its upcoming Action Plan. In particular, the proposed intervention will support pillar III of the Pact, on Security, preparedness and migration management, and the implementation of a whole-of-route approach to migration management, and support capacities to prevent and respond to migration crises, through the development of early warning systems, risk monitoring tools, and multi-stakeholder contingency plans. It will also come in support of the Africa-led responses to humanitarian crises, disaster preparedness and response, as identified in the Joint Declaration issued on the occasion of the 7 th African Union – European Union Summit of December 2025 2 . The proposed interventions will bring together stakeholders from relevant line ministries in Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia, civil society organizations, UN agencies, and national partners, to promote inclusive and coordinated preparedness planning. Building on the ongoing countries’ initiatives to strengthen preparedness and crisis management, IOM proposes to adopt an inclusive, multi-stakeholder approach aimed at strengthening national capabilities to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to migration crises. The proposed action will be integrated into the Regional Development and Protection Programme (RDPP) in North Africa project interventions that, based on ongoing efforts and lessons learned, and good practices, will aim to strengthen regional protection capacities, enhance cross-border cooperation, and the emulation of good practices on protection-sensitive migration management across North Africa. In particular, the overall objective of the RDPP Phase 7: Strengthening National and Regional Protection Systems, Local Integration and Service Provision Mechanisms for Migrants, including Victims of Trafficking and Children on the move across North African migratory Routes, Mauritania, Niger. Organizational Department / Unit to which the Consultant is contributing: Regional Development and Protection Programme for North Africa (RDPP-NA). Responsibilities RO MENA is looking for a consultant to facilitate the development of a Simulation Exercise (SiMEX) for countries in North Africa. The SiMEX will use a mixed-methods approach, combining adult learning, tabletop, and mock exercises. This is a type B consultancy hired on a 3-installment payment basis: First deliverable: Draft and submit an Inception Report : The in