Consultant – Counter-Trafficking in Persons

IOM Introduction

Established in 1951, IOM is a Related Organization of the United Nations, and as the leading UN agency in the field of migration, works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants.

Context

In the People's Republic of China (PRC), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) began its operations in 2007, when the IOM Liaison Office in China officially opened in Beijing. After having held observer status since 2001, on 30 June 2016, China officially became IOM’s 165th member state, opening a new chapter of cooperation. In the same year, IOM Beijing officially became Country Office assuming oversight functions over its Sub-Office in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the PRC, where IOM has been operational since 1952, as well as for its Country Office in Mongolia, overseen by the IOM Chief of Mission for China and Mongolia based in Beijing. With China becoming a prominent actor in global migration debates, IOM’s work in the country touches nearly every aspects of migration from facilitating human mobility to preventing and combating irregular migration and human trafficking. IOM has undertaken various counter-trafficking activities to assist the implementation of China’s Second National Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking for the period 2013-2020 and for the period 2021-2030. In particular, IOM supports the Government of China’s efforts to prevent and respond to human trafficking including provision of assistance to trafficked persons, both in China mainland and in Hong Kong and Macau SARs, China. IOM has also provided support for assisted voluntary return and reintegration of vulnerable migrants from and to China.

Currently, IOM China is implementing the project: ‘Operationalizing COMMIT in China: Setting the Foundation for A Transnational Referral Mechanism’, a one-year intervention funded by the IOM Development Fund (IDF) and contributing to strengthening transnational referrals in China’s border areas through updating and operationalizing two COMMIT tools: i) Victim Identification and Referral Mechanisms: Common Guidelines for the Greater Mekong Sub-region; and ii) COMMIT Common Indicators for First Responders. The project will first undertake a revision and update of the COMMIT guidelines and indicators to ensure they are fit-for-purpose within China’s context, followed by capacity building for law enforcement officials and state service providers in utilizing the adapted tools, with a view to streamlining referrals. The updated set of indicators for the identification of victims of trafficking will be particularly gender-sensitive and innovative and will be shared with the COMMIT focal points working on the development of the newly approved initiative ‘Transitional Referral Mechanism’ (TRM) to further inform the drafting process. Law enforcement officials and service providers in border areas will be trained using a new training curriculum developed based on the common guidelines. The project will collect lessons learned from this pilot initiative and further discuss and explore the potential for scaling up across the region.

Terms of Reference

1. Title of the Consultancy: International Human Trafficking Consultant 

2. Duty Station: Home-based 

3. Nature of the consultancy: Develop a training curriculum for the identification and referral of victims of trafficking between law enforcement and service providers in border areas and produce a thorough list of indicators based on the agreed COMMIT Common Indicators for First Responders.

4. IOM Project to which the Consultancy is contributing: ‘Operationalizing COMMIT in China: Setting the Foundation for A Transnational Referral Mechanism’. 

The Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative against Trafficking (COMMIT) is a high-level dialogue in the Greater-Mekong Sub-region (GMS), where six governments (Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam) combine, on the basis of a sub-regional level Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), their efforts on prevention and prosecution of trafficking, assistance and protection of victims including repatriation and reintegration. The one-year project funded by IOM Development Fund will support the operationalization of COMMIT objectives by strengthening transnational referrals in China’s border areas, based on the adaptation and implementation of agreed COMMIT tools and in line with regional and international best practices. 

5. Tasks to be performed under this contract:

Under the overall supervision of the Chief of Mission of IOM China and Mongolia, the direct supervision of the IOM Counter-Trafficking Project Manager and in coordination with the IOM Project Assistant, the incumbent will be responsible to produce a thorough list of operational indicators for first responders in border areas, based on the COMMIT Common Indicators for First Responders, and in line with the Victim Identification and Referral Mechanisms: Common Guidelines for the Greater Mekong Sub-region. The Innovative set of operational indicators will be developed through two consultations held back-to-back with the capacity building activities foreseen in the project. In addition, the incumbent will be responsible to develop a training curriculum for law enforcement and state shelter staff/service providers on the identification and referral of victims of trafficking. The training curriculum will have to be structured as a two-day joint activity involving the two main stakeholder groups (police officers and state service providers) and will have to include a consultative session for collecting inputs amid the development of the new operational indicators. 

All materials developed will have to strengthen the capacity of the duty-bearers (police and service providers) to fulfil their obligations in assisting victims of trafficking based on a non-discriminatory, rights-based and gender sensitive approach, by also promoting the application of concepts such the non-prosecution of victims of trafficking, confidentiality and personal data protection, safety and security, voluntary participation and informed consent to minimize the risk of harm for all survivors supported by the capacitated stakeholders. 

At the conclusion of the consultancy, the incumbent will deliver a final assessment report evaluating the results of the intervention, including the potential for scaling up similar initiatives to other COMMIT countries. 

6. Tangible and measurable outputs of the work assignment:

Outputs to be produced for this consultancy are:

I.

Task: Conduct preparatory work ahead of the consultations with law enforcement and service provider stakeholders to collect inputs to develop the innovative set of operational indicators. 

Timeline: by 15 December 2021

Output: initial draft report including, at minimum: 

• document review;

• human trafficking national and specific local context, including a brief but exhaustive gender analysis;

• tentative list of operational indicators. 

II.

Task: Develop a gender-sensitive training curriculum for police officers and shelter staff/service providers in border areas on the identification of cross-border victims of trafficking and comprehensive standards of care (including gender sensitive care) for victims of trafficking (English version). 

NOTE: The training will be delivered jointly between the two stakeholder groups, therefore the curriculum will have to reflect this aspect. Exercises to practice referrals between the two groups will have to be included. 

In addition, a session on the provision of gender care will also have to be included. 

Timeline: by 7 January 2022

Output: 2-day training curriculum package, with PPTs (including slide speaking notes) and practical exercises for law enforcement and shelter personnel including, at minimum the following information tailored on the local migration context: 

• Human Trafficking definition;

• Human Trafficking vs Smuggling of Migrants;

• The Chinese legislative framework to counter human trafficking; 

• Human Trafficking vs Human Smuggling (theory and exercise- case studies);

• Identification – indicators; 

• Interviewing and the use of the screening forms; 

• VOTs rights, needs assessment and risk assessment; 

• Special sessions for increasing the ability to deliver gender sensitive care; 

• Referrals (theory and exercises)

• Pre- and post-test. 

III.

Task: Present during the consultations with law enforcement and service provider stakeholders to collect inputs to develop the innovative set of operational indicators (back to back with IV)

Timeline: by 31 January 2021

Output: See below 

IV.

Task: Present (also remotely and in cooperation with the IOM project manager and assistant) at the first training for police and shelter staff/service providers in border areas on the identification of cross-border victims of trafficking and comprehensive standards of care (including gender sensitive care) for victims of trafficking.

Timeline: by 31 January 2021

Output: Training evaluation report (shared no later than 5 working days after completion of the training)

V.

Task: Conduct preparatory work to review the list of indicators produced under point I and with inputs from III.) 

Timeline: by 15 May 2022

Output: Updated Report including, at minimum: 

• document review;

• human trafficking national and specific local context, including a brief but exhaustive gender analysis (reviewed based on the first consultation outcome);

• draft list of operational indicators (reviewed based on the first consultation outcome). 

VI.

Task: Present during the review/validation exercise of the draft of the innovative set of indicators with relevant local stakeholders (to be delivered back to back with the second training at point VII.)

Timeline: by 30 June 2022

Output: Finalized Report including, at minimum: 

• document review;

• human trafficking national and specific local context, including a brief but exhaustive gender analysis (reviewed based on the first consultation outcome);

• final list of indicators (reviewed based on the first and second consultation outcome – points III and VI).

VII.

Task: Present (also remotely and in cooperation with the IOM project manager and assistant) at the second training for police and shelter staff/service providers in border areas on the identification of cross-border victims of trafficking and comprehensive standards of care (including gender sensitive care) for victims of trafficking

Timeline: by 30 June 2022

Output: Training evaluation report (shared no later than 5 working days after completion of the training) 

VIII.

Task: Produce a report presenting the intervention’s key achievements and the potential for being scaled up into a regional initiative.

Timeline: by 30 September 2022

Output: Report 

7. Performance indicators for evaluation of results (value of services rendered in relation to their cost):

The Consultant’s performance will be evaluated against the following criteria: timeliness, responsibility, initiative, communication, and quality of the products delivered. 

8. Education, Experience and/or skills required

**

• Completed a minimum master’s degree (or equivalent advanced university degree) in Communications, Law, Political Science, Social Science, Policy Studies, International Relations, Development.
• Minimum 10 years of demonstrated experience in counter-trafficking work, including developing and delivering trainings for law enforcement and non-law enforcement stakeholders and service providers, developing SOPs, guidelines and other related counter-trafficking documents. 
• Experience in working with relevant governmental institutions and senior representatives in charge of counter trafficking in persons policy and implementation, including demonstrated experience in conducting consultations/validation exercises. 
• Previous working experience in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region is desirable.
• Experience in working on IBM issues would be a distinctive advantage.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills. 

9. Competencies

Values

· Inclusion and respect for diversity: respects and promotes individual and cultural differences; encourages diversity and inclusion wherever possible.

· 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.

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 action and delegated work 

· Communication: encourages and contributes to clear and open communication; explains complex matters in an informative, inspiring and motivational way.

How to apply

Interested candidates must submit: 

a) Curriculum vitae, including a list of at least three referees to be contacted for reference check; 

b) Methodological note describing the practical approach that will be followed to deliver the outputs indicated at point 6;

c) Detailed quotation for the consultancy; 

d) Samples of previous similar work developed. 

Applications shall be submitted by e-mail to mrli@iom.int, copying vscarozza@iom.int and indicating ‘Application for International Consultancy – IDF COMMIT, as subject. 

The deadline for applications is 2 November 2021. 

NOTE: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Incomplete applications will not be considered. This vacancy is subject to confirmation of funds.