Research & VNR Consultation Specialist

Host entity: IOM Sri Lanka

Volunteer type: National

Areas of expertise: Communication, advocacy, public information, Community development, Knowledge management, research, reporting

Application deadline: 13/11/2026

Mission and objectives

International Organization for Migration (IOM) provides services and advice to governments and migrants. With 174 Member States, IOM continues to expand its scope of activities to address the evolving migration challenges by providing a comprehensive set of responses to complex migration issues at the operational and policy level.

IOM is part of the UN System in Sri Lanka and formally became a United Nations related Organization at the UN General Assembly in September 2016.

Assignment context

This UN Volunteer assignment is seconded by IOM to the Sustainable Development Council (SDC) as part of the United Nations Country Team's (UNCT) coordinated support to the Government of Sri Lanka in the Voluntary National Review (VNR) process. The assignment contributes to strengthening national coordination, stakeholder engagement, data collection and analysis, and reporting efforts to facilitate an inclusive and evidence-based assessment of progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).[SJ1.1]

The Sustainable Development Council, established under the Sri Lanka Sustainable Development Act No. 19 of 2017, is the Government’s lead institution responsible for coordinating and monitoring the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Sri Lanka.

The UN Volunteer will undertake consultation and evidence gathering process of the VNR 2027. The UN Volunteer will assist national and provincial consultations, document stakeholder inputs, assist desk research and organize consultation records. The assignment will also provide technical and coordination support to the Uva Province Voluntary Subnational Review (VSR) process, as well as assistance to the drafting of the Voluntary National Review Report.

Task description

Under the overall guidance of IOM, to which the UN Volunteer is assigned and seconded to the SDC, and the direct supervision of the Director General (Acting) / CEO SDC, VNR Research and Policy Analyst will undertake the below tasks.
• Support for the planning and conduct VNR thematic and provincial consultations, focus group discussions and stakeholder meetings.
• Document key discussions, findings, observations, recommendations and action points emerging from VNR consultations.
• Prepare structured notes/minutes and summaries of VNR workshops, focus group discussions and stakeholder meetings.
• Conduct desk research and compile relevant secondary data, research findings, policy documents and other evidence to support the VNR Report.
• Organize and maintain consultation records, research materials and supporting documentation for the VNR process.
• Provide documented consultation findings and research inputs to the VNR technical writing and analysis process.
• Support in preparing the zero draft of the VNR report.
• Support coordination and documentation of the Uva Province VSR process.
• Assist with stakeholder consultations, meetings, workshops and other activities related to the Uva VSR.
• Support the compilation and organization of data, evidence and stakeholder inputs required for the Uva VSR.
• Assist in preparing meeting notes, consultation summaries and other documentation related to the VSR process.
• Undertake other research, documentation and coordination tasks related to the VNR and VSR processes as required.
• Close coordination with SDC senior management in delivering above tasks.

Skills and experience

Project/Programme Coordination function; experience with project/programme implementation support function is an asset, as is experience working in the UN or other international development organization

Strong research and analytical skills; ability to conduct desk research, collect and analyse data, using supportive analytical tools and software, and synthesise findings to support the preparation of Sri Lanka’s VNR 2027 report

Previous experience conducting consultation processes with experience in SDG-related work and/or stakeholder engagement through academic work, volunteering, or community engagement will be an added advantage;

Ability to work with minimum supervision with attention to detail, self-motivated with good coordination and time management skills to work under tight deadlines;

Ability to work collaboratively in a team and engage with diverse stakeholders with excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development;

Competencies and values

• Accountability
• Adaptability and flexibility
• Creativity
• Judgement and decision-making
• Planning and organising
• Professionalism
• Self-management
• IT Skills
• Research and analytical skills
• Integrity

Living conditions

Sri Lanka is an island nation located off the south coast of India. It’s home to an estimated population of over 21 million people. It is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi- religious country. It is a tropical country with moderate temperate and high humidity all throughout the year. The climate is fairly temperate all throughout the year but humidity is usually high. From March to April the temperature averages around 32 degrees Celsius (88 degrees Fahrenheit). The only major change in the Colombo weather occurs during the monsoon seasons from May to August and October to January when heavy rainfalls occur. Colombo is situated in the Western Province of Sri Lanka and is the commercial capital of the country. The city is located on the west coast of the island, adjacent to the administrative capital, Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte. Bandaranaike International Airport is located 35km from Colombo and is served by the main international airlines. Sri Lanka currently has stable and safe living environment. Cost of living is relatively high with increased food and accommodation costs. The UN Volunteer will be based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Colombo is the administrative centre and offers a range of accommodation, transportation, medical, banking and other services. Sri Lanka is classified as a Family Duty Station. The security level in Colombo is UNDSS Level 1 (Low).

You may check the full benefits and allowances applicable to the duty station using the UVP calculator. Please see the Conditions of Service for UN Volunteers for more information and details.”

Full eligibility requirements, conditions of service and application instructions are available on the official UNV platform.