Back to roles
Job Purpose:
UNFPA Work Environment:
Apply Now
UNFPA
Direct from UNFPA careers
Individual Consultant on 2025 Census Thematic Report Migration and Urbanization Report, Population and Development (PD), Vientiane, Lao, P4
Vientiane·Posted today
Full job description
Job description
The Position:
Individual Consultant on 2025 Census Thematic Report Migration and Urbanization Report, P4,
You will report to the UNFPA Policy and Census Coordinator, and in consultation with the UNFPA’s P&D Team and Regional Specialists on Migration, Population and Development and the LSB.
How you can make a difference:
UNFPA is the lead United Nations agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is intended, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled. The UNFPA Strategic Plan for 2026-2029 articulates the organization’s response to a complex global environment, providing a roadmap for resilience and renewal. It is designed to accelerate the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. This mandate is pursued through a focus on four interconnected outcomes: ending the unmet need for family planning; ending preventable maternal deaths; ending gender-based violence and harmful practices; and adapting to demographic change through evidence and rights-based policies.
In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff who embody these international norms and standards and will defend them courageously and with full conviction.
UNFPA is seeking candidates who transform, inspire, and deliver high-impact sustained results, ensuring effective external relations, communications, partnership-building and resource mobilization in a rapidly changing development and funding landscape. We need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them, and who commit to delivering excellence in programme results
Job Purpose:
The UNFPA Country Office in Lao PDR is seeking an international consultant to provide advanced technical assistance and demographic expertise to the Lao Statistics Bureau (LSB) for the computation, validation, structural modelling, and narrative write-up of the official Population and Housing Census Thematic Report on Migration and Urbanization. The consultant will also be responsible to produce a high-impact Policy Brief and a package of geospatial analytical products including migration flow maps.
This work will be coordinated and overseen by the UNFPA Policy and Census Coordinator. Consultation will occur with UNFPA and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Technical Advisers as needed. The consultancy will adhere to UNFPA’s policies and procedures, in collaboration with national counterparts where required.
You would be responsible for:
The Lao People’s Democratic Republic has successfully concluded the nationwide field data collection for its 2025 Population and Housing Census (PHC), marking a historic transition as the country’s first-ever digital census. As the operation enters its critical post-enumeration analytical phase, turning this unprecedented digital dataset into strategic, socio-demographic intelligence is paramount.
Lao PDR stands at an essential development crossroads, shaped by its upcoming graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status and a time-limited demographic window of opportunity- a period characterized by a growing share of young, working-age populations relative to dependents, offering a powerful engine for accelerated economic growth. However, this potential demographic dividend is currently facing a severe disruption: a massive and accelerating wave of out-migration, particularly among the youth. Driven by the pursuit of better employment, higher income, and education, young men and women are increasingly leaving the country, often for better-paid jobs abroad.
This is generating acute labor force deficits domestically and exacerbating a mismatch between the supply and demand sides of the national labor market. To realize the demographic dividend, the government must rapidly formulate evidence-based policies to retain its young population, incentivize private sector engagement in youth training, and manage spatial distribution. Addressing these challenges requires a rigorous investigation of internal and international migration dynamics, urbanization patterns, and a robust triangulation of the new census data with existing administrative records (e.g., the national Migration Management Framework).
Given this imperative, LSB requires the technical support of a senior demographer/migration expert to apply rigorous spatial and demographic techniques, exploit the new census module on "former household members," author the definitive national monograph on Migration and Urbanization, and build analytical capacities within LSB’s technical teams.
| Scope of work |
The International Consultant will be directly embedded within the LSB analytical structure via an Expert Pairing Modality, working 1-to-1 with an LSB counterpart and mentoring a dedicated cohort of 2-3 junior LSB experts to maximize institutional knowledge transfer. The scope of analysis is bound by the information captured in the 2025 PHC questionnaires (specifically utilizing the information on Place of Birth, Previous Residence, Duration of Residence, and the new module capturing Former Members of the Household). The consultant will take full technical responsibility for guiding the validation, syntax preparation, analysis, indicator construction, and final write-up of the report. Key Indicators and Analytical Dimensions to be Modelled:
The consultant will execute the assignment across the following mandatory operational steps:
Expected Outputs/Deliverables: The successful completion of this consultancy will yield the following key outputs:
|
| Duration and working schedule, delivery and how work will be delivered |
40 working days during the period (24th August to 30th November 2026) The work will be completed in a structured, phased sequence across the calendar year 2026, aiming to close all core technical processing loops by November 2026. The following table shows a tentative timeline for the deliverables of the TOR. The proposed timeline will be agreed and finalized in discussion with the consultant.
*The 5-day on-site mission to Vientiane is strategically recommended for mid or late September 2026. The primary objective is to conduct face-to-face technical validation of the populated census tables, execute the administrative data triangulation exercise, and facilitate a Preliminary Findings Consultation Workshop with key stakeholders (e.g., IOM, Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare). Submission Requirements: All deliverables must be submitted in English, in electronic format. The exact delivery dates will be finalized through discussions with the selected consultant and partners. A detailed working schedule will also be developed in consultation with the recruited consultant, and should be part of the inception report . Workshop materials and PowerPoint presentation files must be submitted to UNFPA at least 5 working days prior to the events for review. Payment Modality: In line with UNFPA financial rules and standard Individual Consultant guidelines, payments are strictly performance-linked and will be disbursed in two equal installments upon satisfactory technical clearance and confirmation of milestones by the UNFPA Country Office in Lao PDR:
|
| Monitoring and progress control |
Milestones and timelines for the assignment will be agreed upon at the beginning of the contract. UNFPA will provide periodic follow-up and monitoring based on the working schedule to ensure timely delivery of the tasks as well as timely mitigation of any unexpected obstacles. |
|
Technical Supervision
|
The selected consultant will work under the overall supervision of the UNFPA Policy and Census Coordinator, and in consultation with the UNFPA’s P&D Team and Regional Specialists on Migration, Population and Development and the LSB. The consultant will work closely with the Population and Development Team in UNFPA Country Office in Laos as well as the senior experts from Lao Statistics Bureau (LSB), and other experts from IOM, UN-HABITAT as key partners in the area of migration and urbanization, involved in the census analysis and report writing as needed. S/he will significantly engage with the relevant stakeholders and development partners as needed. |
| Place of assignment |
The international consultant is expected to perform this work on a hybrid modality including remote working and on-site mission to Lao PDR. The consultant will provide 'over-the-shoulder' technical coaching via screen-sharing sessions to the national team during the preparation of syntaxes and other technical work. For remote working, the consultant is expected to engage with the LSB team and UNFPA via online meeting platforms at least once a week for technical guidance, progress reporting and technical discussion. For the on-site missions, it is expected that the consultant will travel to Lao PDR once during the contract period as tentatively planned above. The 5-day on-site mission to Vientiane is strategically recommended for mid or late September 2026. The primary objective of this mission is to conduct face-to-face technical validation of the populated census tables alongside LSB counterparts, resolve any data anomalies, and facilitate a stakeholder consultation session to review the preliminary findings before drafting the narrative monograph. During the mission, the consultant will be based in the Lao Statistics Bureau (LSB), in Vientiane Capital, and will work closely with the LSB Team and the UNFPA Policy and Census Coordinator, and other stakeholders to complete the deliverables as mentioned above. UNFPA will cover all travel costs related to any potential mission as per the UNFPA’s rules and regulations. |
Qualifications and Experience:
Education:
- Advanced University Degree (Ph.D. highly preferred, or Master's Degree with equivalent seniority) in Demography, Population Studies, Urban Planning, Economics, or a related discipline. .
Knowledge and Experience:
- Minimum of 7 years of progressive international experience specialized in advanced spatial and demographic analysis, with a proven track record of authoring national-level Census Thematic Monographs on Migration and Urbanization for UN agencies or National Statistical Offices (NSOs).
- Direct operational expertise in modelling internal migration matrices and evaluating international out-migration utilizing "former household member" census modules.
- Advanced mastery of statistical analysis packages (SPSS and/or R are mandatory), including syntax automation workflows.
- Demonstrated experience in triangulating census micro-data with national administrative datasets and civil registration frameworks.
- Direct experience operating within resource-constrained environments or developing states, preferably with specific knowledge of the Southeast Asian demographic context.
Languages:
- Excellent English speaking and writing skills, with high-level communication capacity for knowledge transfer.
Required Competencies:
Values:
- Exemplifying integrity,
- Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system,
- Embracing cultural diversity,
- Embracing change
Core Competencies
- Integrity/Commitment to UNFPA's Values and Guiding Principles
- Teamwork/Communication/Self-Management
- Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Learning.
Functional Competencies:
- Conceptual innovation in the provision of technical expertise;
- Job Knowledge/Technical expertise
Other relevant information or special conditions, if any:
The consultant shall complete the following on-line training courses and submit the certificates to UNFPA before signing the ICC:
- BSAFE, Link: https://training.dss.un.org/course/category/6
- Fraud and Corruption Awareness and Prevention: https://extranet.unfpa.org/Apps/Antifraud/English/story_html5.html
- PSEA (Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse): https://extranet.unfpa.org/Apps/PSEA2017/story_html5.html?lms=1
Compensation and Benefits:
This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus health insurance and other benefits as applicable.
UNFPA Work Environment:
UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.
Disclaimer:
Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements.
UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts.
Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.
Listing sourced from UNFPA careers. Applications are handled entirely by the employer.
Similar impact roles
Administrative Assistant, G.6, (Fixed-term - 1 year), Local recruitment
United Nations – Other Agencies
📍 Geneve, Switzerlandtoday
