Consultant (MECR)

With almost half of the world's population being impacted, climate change is the biggest threat to human health in the twenty-first century. Globally, the detrimental effects on health are already apparent, putting between 3.3 and 3.6 billion people at risk. As a country which is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, the health impacts for Sri Lanka are imminent. Sri Lanka faces significant climate change related health challenges, including increased vector-borne diseases, heat stress, nutrition deficits, air pollution and other complexities. These challenges have profound implications for public health, such as rising incidences of dengue and heat-related illnesses, as well as worsening malnutrition among vulnerable populations. The situation underscores the urgent need for improved communication strategies to raise awareness, promote preventive measures, and enhance community resilience against health impacts brought on by climate change and to promote community engagement in climate adaptation. Taking a multi-level approach, this project will strengthen the national policy environment through data, research, policy formulation, and capacity building for public health workers and agencies, while implementing grassroots actions at the community level to reduce vulnerability to climate change-induced health impacts. This project will develop a climate health risk communication strategy including an action plan which will capture the needs of the vulnerable groups. Through this community driven approach, vulnerable population will gain knowledge, adopt practices for their wellbeing and effectively manage

their resources, reducing disease risk. The project aims to improve knowledge and behaviour, fostering resilience to climate-induced health impacts, alleviating the burden on the national health system. The comprehensive approach extends to enhancing central and provincial health systems, building stakeholder capacity, actively engaging with communities and providing resources. Contributing to universal health coverage, the project prioritizes health literacy and culturally appropriate information for marginalized communities, ultimately improving resilience of the communities and promoting equity across diverse population groups in Sri Lanka. This project will be implemented collaboratively with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Environment aligned with national programmes, strategies and commitments. This unique project will be instrumental in mainstreaming climate-health risk communication as an adaptation strategy in Sri Lanka.

Objectives of the consultancy

1. To design and validate a comprehensive National Climate-Induced Health-Risk Communication Strategy through multi-stakeholder consultations, ensuring it is evidence-based and aligned with national assessment findings.

2. To formulate a validated National Implementation Plan that provides a clear roadmap for climate-health risk communication, including the development of a standardized training curriculum for national rollout.

3. To develop, pilot, and validate a specialized Training of Trainers (ToT) Manual and deliver district-level training sessions to institutionalize climate-health risk communication skills within the Ministry of Health frontline workforce.

Expected Output: Public health officers and other relevant officials trained on skills and tools to effectively communicate climate adaptation messages at community level through climate health risk education.

Description of activities

This assignment focuses on equipping public health and relevant officials with the tools to communicate climate adaptation messages through structured risk education. The process begins with two national consultative workshops involving a multi-sectoral group of stakeholders—including the Ministries of Health and Environment, UN agencies, and academia—to develop a National Community Health Risk Communication Strategy. Following validation by the Project Steering Committee, IOM will lead the drafting of a national implementation plan and a specialized Training of Trainers (TOT) curriculum. This curriculum will be institutionalized as a digital national document and rolled out through one national and four subnational sensitization workshops. To ensure practical application, the team will conduct five field missions to pilot the strategy in selected districts, integrating findings into community-level activities. For long-term sustainability, this TOT program will be incorporated into the Ministry of Health’s annual training agenda, utilizing vulnerability mapping to empower divisional-level officers in planning risk-based community responses.

The consultant will draw guidance for his tasks through the “National assessment on Climate induced health impacts and communication mechanisms”. The "National Assessment on Climate Health Risks and Community Health-Risk Communication Mechanisms" will begin with a comprehensive review of existing national policies, strategies, and research to evaluate the climate-health nexus in Sri Lanka. This study will assess current climate-sensitive health interventions and the specific relationships between diverse climate drivers and health impacts. A core component of the assessment involves detailed risk and vulnerability mapping, which will analyze regional health risks, health facility preparedness, and the susceptibility of various community groups using relevant climate projections. Furthermore, the assessment will evaluate existing communication mechanisms and early warning systems through a nationwide field survey designed to capture community perceptions and identify communication gaps. Ultimately, this assessment will provide evidence-based policy recommendations and strategic insights to guide the development of the National Communication Strategy on Climate-Health Risks in Sri Lanka. Once the findings of the assessment are analysed, the research organization will present the preliminary findings to the project steering committee for validation and to draft key recommendations for further action. The report will be a joint publication of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Environment, and IOM, and it will be available in both print and digital formats in English. The assessment report will be officially launched as a national event, attended by higher officials of the Project Steering Committee, UN agencies, CSO partners, academia, mainstream media, and IOM.

The consultant will report directly to the Programme Manager of the MECR unit. The consultant will collaborate with the Chief Migration Health Officer, as well as other relevant staff within the Migration Health Division (MHD) and the MECR Unit of the mission.

Main deliverables

1. National Community climate induced health-risk communication strategy

   1.1. Conduct national consultative workshops to develop a National Climate Health-Risk Communication Strategy, guided by the findings and recommendations of the national assessment report. Leveraging findings from the National Assessment, the Consultant will develop a National Community Climate-Induced Health-Risk Communication Strategy. Responsibilities include executing stakeholder mapping, designing a comprehensive workshop content plan, and acting as the primary technical lead for national consultative workshop to finalize the strategy. While the Consultant will spearhead these sessions and liaise with relevant officials, IOM staff will provide necessary logistical support and aid in facilitation.

   1.2. Validate and digitally publish the National Climate Health-Risk Communication Strategy.

   The validation of the communication strategy will be conducted in close coordination with the project’s Technical Working Group and Project Steering Committee. As the primary technical facilitator, the consultant will lead the validation process, culminating in a national workshop to digitally launch the strategy and outline the implementation roadmap. IOM Sri Lanka will provide facilitative and logistical support for these events.

    

    

   2. National Implementation Plan for climate-health risk communication.

    

    

   2.1. Formulate a National Implementation Plan for climate risk communication, aligned with the published health-risk communication strategy.

   The Consultant will formulate the National Implementation Plan in strict alignment with the strategy, utilizing a national consultation workshop to gather stakeholder inputs and refine the final document.

   Concurrently, the Consultant will develop a standardized training curriculum for climate-health risk communication, to be presented for technical review during the same consultative process.

    

    

   2.2. Validate and digitally publish the National Implementation plan and a Training Curriculum for climate health-risk communication based on the established strategy.

 The validation of the National Implementation Plan and the Climate Health-Risk Communication Training Curriculum will be conducted in strict coordination with the project’s Technical Working Group (TWG) and Project Steering Committee (PSC). As the lead technical facilitator, the consultant will steer this validation process, culminating in a national workshop to digitally launch both documents and establish the strategic roadmap for future implementation. IOM staff will provide the necessary logistical support and facilitative aid for these sessions.

2.3. Conduct sensitization workshops for government officials on planned community engagement

programs, including one national session and four district-level sessions in the selected pilot areas. In coordination with IOM Sri Lanka, the Consultant will facilitate sensitization workshops for government officials regarding the community engagement strategy. This involves acting as the primary technical expert for one national session and four sub-national sessions in the pilot districts to ensure stakeholder alignment and project buy-in.

3. Training of Trainers (ToT) manual on Climate Health Risk Communication and capacity building

3.1. Develop a Training of Trainers (ToT) manual for climate health-risk communication

The consultant will develop a Training of Trainers (ToT) manual for Climate Health Risk Communication, grounded in the findings of the National Assessment, the validated Communication Strategy, and the National Implementation Plan. This manual will be a practical, participatory, and replicable resource designed to equip trainers with the essential tools and methodologies for effective community-level engagement. Key thematic areas will include:

 Vulnerability mapping for targeted community health communication. 

Identification of climate- and disaster-related health hazards.

Development of risk-informed messaging localized to specific contexts.

Inclusive communication strategies addressing the needs of women, children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, and displaced populations.

Following validation by the Project Steering Committee, the manual will be digitally published as a national resource. This process aims to institutionalize the curriculum within the Ministry of Health’s annual training agenda, ensuring long-term sustainability and systemic integration.

3.2. Deliver 12 ToT sessions across four districts (three sessions per district).

Upon validation of the Training of Trainers (ToT) manual, a pilot phase will commence in four selected districts to equip Medical Officers of Health (MOH) and relevant officials with the skills to serve as lead trainers. These newly certified trainers will then cascade this knowledge through community-level capacity-building initiatives, targeting peer educators and residents in high-risk areas. This cascading model creates a seamless transition from national strategy to localized action, ensuring that climate-health risk communication is institutionalized within existing public health systems to foster long-term community resilience.

Expected Outputs

a. National Community climate induced health-risk communication strategy (within 8 weeks)

Conduct national consultative workshop to develop a national community health-risk communication strategy based on the findings and recommendations of the national assessment report.

Develop, Validate and digitally publish the national community health-risk communication strategy.

b. National Implementation Plan for climate-health risk communication (within 14 weeks)

Develop a national implementation plan for climate risk communication based on the national health risk communication strategy published.

Develop, Validate and digitally publish a national implementation plan for climate health risk communication based on the national communication strategy published.

Conduct a sensitization workshop for government officers on the planned community training and engagement programmes at national level and in selected districts.

C. Training of Trainers (ToT) manual on Climate Health Risk Communication and capacity building

Develop Training of Trainers (ToT) curriculum for climate health risk communication.

Conduct ToT for MOH Officers on tools i.e., vulnerability mapping for community health communication with special focus on climate and disaster related health hazards.

Technical facilitation in 4 ToT sessions across four districts.

Performance indicators for the evaluation of results

The consultant’s performance will be assessed using the following SMART indicators:

• Timeliness of deliverables:
  100% of key deliverables (Strategy, Implementation Plan, ToT Manual, trainings) submitted within agreed timelines (8, 14, and 20 weeks) 
• Quality of outputs:
  At least 90% compliance with agreed technical requirements and alignment with national assessment findings, as validated by IOM and the Technical Working Group 
• Validation and approval:
  All major outputs (3/3) formally endorsed by the Project Steering Committee 
• Stakeholder engagement effectiveness:
  Minimum 2 national workshops and 4 district-level workshops successfully conducted with documented participation and feedback incorporated into final outputs 
• Training delivery and reach:
  Completion of 100% of planned sessions (minimum 12 ToT sessions + 5 sensitization workshops) with at least 80% participant satisfaction rate 
• Knowledge transfer and usability:
  At least 80% of trained participants demonstrate improved understanding (based on pre/post or feedback assessments) 
• Sustainability and institutionalization:
  Strategy, Implementation Plan and ToT Manual formally adopted or integrated into relevant Ministry systems (e.g., training agenda or policy framework)

To fulfill the requirements of this high-level consultancy for IOM Sri Lanka, the ideal candidate or firm must possess a multidisciplinary background bridging Public Health, Climate Science, and Strategic Communication.

Suitable Expertise & Eligibility

• Academic Qualifications:

  • An advanced university degree (Master’s or PhD) in Public Health, Environmental Science, Health Communication, Development Studies, or a related field.

• Technical Experience:

  • At least 15 years of professional experience in developing National Strategies or Implementation Plans, specifically within the Sri Lankan health or environmental sectors.

  • At least 15 years professional experience in health emergency management and disaster preparedness and response.

  • At least 15 years’ experience in environment management including environment health.

  • At least 10 years’ experience in public health programme implementation and management at national, district and community level.

  • Experience in Curriculum Development and conducting training programmes for healthcare staff.

  • Experience in developing risk communication strategies and health promotion.

     

     

    Desirable

  • Work experience with the Health and Environment sectors 

   

• Strategic & Facilitation Skills:

  • Extensive experience in Stakeholder Mapping and facilitating high-level consultative workshops with bodies such as the Ministry of Health and the Disaster Management Centre.

  • Ability to translate complex scientific findings (from National Assessments) into risk-informed messaging for community-level engagement.

• Soft Skills & Language:

  • Excellent report writing and presentation skills in English.

  • Fluency in Sinhala and/or Tamil is essential for conducting district-level pilot sessions and engaging with frontline Medical Officers of Health (MOH).

• Institutional Knowledge:

Prior experience working with UN agencies (IOM, WHO, UNDP) and a deep understanding of the Sri Lankan public health administrative structure is highly preferred. 

Travel required

• Work Arrangement:  While the assignment requires frequent coordination at the IOM Sri Lanka Office in Colombo, it does not necessitate a full-time physical presence. Research, drafting, and reporting may be conducted remotely; however, candidates should ideally reside within a commutable distance to Colombo to facilitate regular in-person meetings.

• On-Site Requirements: Physical presence is required as needed for high-level meetings, stakeholder consultations, and validation sessions, primarily held at the Ministry of Health or other central venues in Colombo.

• Field Travel: Significant travel is mandatory to the four selected pilot districts. This includes:

  • 12 Training of Trainers (ToT) sessions (3 sessions per district).

  • 4 District-level sensitization workshops for local government officials.

   

Logistical Note: While the consultant manages their independent work schedule, IOM will facilitate and cover the logistical costs associated with the official workshops and field missions as required.

Competencies

Values

• Inclusion and respect for diversity: respects and promotes individual and cultural differences. Encourages diversity and inclusion.

  • Integrity and transparency: maintains high ethical standards and acts in a manner consistent with organizational principles/rules and standards of conduct.

  • Professionalism: demonstrates ability to work in a composed, competent and committed manner and exercises careful judgment in meeting day-to-day challenges.

  • Courage: demonstrates willingness to take a stand on issues of importance.

  • Empathy: shows compassion for others, makes people feel safe, respected and fairly treated.

     

     

    Core Competencies – behavioural indicators

     

• Teamwork: develops and promotes effective collaboration within and across units to achieve shared goals and optimize results.

  • Delivering results: produces and delivers quality results in a service-oriented and timely manner. Is action oriented and committed to achieving agreed outcomes.

    • Managing and sharing knowledge: continuously seeks to learn, share knowledge and innovate.

    • Accountability: takes ownership for achieving the Organization’s priorities and assumes responsibility for own actions and delegated work. 

    • Communication: encourages and contributes to clear and open communication. Explains complex matters in an informative, inspiring and motivational way.