International Consultant on Demographic Resilience in the Pacific
Salary not disclosedPosted 10 days ago
Closes in 3 days
About the company
UNFPA is the lead United Nations agency working to ensure that every pregnancy is intended, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled. Through its Asia and the Pacific Regional Office (APRO) and Pacific Sub-Regional Office (PSRO), UNFPA supports Pacific Island countries and territories on population and development issues, including the impacts of demographic change on health, gender equality and social systems.
About the role
This consultancy sits under UNFPA's 2026-2029 Strategic Plan, which introduces a new outcome area on adapting to demographic change and strengthening the resilience of societies. The Consultant will lead a structured analysis of demographic shifts across 14 Pacific Island countries and territories, examining how these trends intersect with wider socio-economic and environmental megatrends in the region. Work includes synthesizing demographic data and projections to 2050, mapping relevant national and regional policies, and developing a Pacific-specific demographic resilience assessment framework. The Consultant reports jointly to the Technical Adviser, Population Dynamics (UNFPA APRO) and the Technical Adviser for Population and Development (UNFPA PSRO), who provide guidance, consolidate feedback and approve deliverables. The assignment is up to 60 working days from the contract start date, with the detailed calendar confirmed in the inception report, and combines in-country work with remote consultations across Pacific time zones. Deliverables include a validated evidence base, an assessment framework, and prioritized strategic recommendations for regional and country-level programming.
Key responsibilities
- Review UNFPA global, regional and country documents to confirm the 14 PICTs, analytical questions, data sources, consultation plan and workplan.
- Prepare a data and document request list and identify material limitations.
- Compile and synthesize evidence from censuses, surveys, civil registration, administrative records and regional datasets.
- Document trends in fertility, mortality, migration, urbanization, age structure and geographic distribution, and summarize projections to 2050.
- Map national population, youth and gender policies, sector plans and regional commitments, and identify entry points for anticipatory governance.
- Develop a practical demographic resilience assessment framework with indicators, interpretation guidance and attention to rights and gender equality.
- Identify groups, places and sectors where demographic change may deepen inequalities, and identify related opportunities such as the demographic dividend and labour mobility.
- Conduct targeted virtual stakeholder consultations, synthesize feedback, and prepare a policy-oriented executive summary and briefing materials.
About the successful candidate
- Advanced university degree (master's or equivalent) in demography, population studies, economics, sociology, public policy, development studies, statistics, geography or a closely related field; a doctoral degree is an asset.
- At least 10 years of progressively responsible professional experience in demographic analysis, population and development, public policy or a closely related area.
- Demonstrated experience analysing fertility, mortality, migration, urbanization, population ageing, age structure and population projections, including uncertainty and data limitations.
- Strong quantitative and mixed-methods skills, with experience using census, survey, civil-registration, administrative and international demographic datasets.
- Proven record of producing high-quality analytical reports, assessment frameworks, indicator systems or policy products.