Antecedentes

The United Nations Action for Cooperation against Trafficking in Persons (UN-ACT) is a regional, UNDP-managed project on human trafficking in Southeast Asia, supporting a more coordinated response to trafficking in persons and prioritizing capacity building amongst key stakeholders. It builds on its predecessor, the United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking (UNIAP), and will run for 5-years, from 2014 until 2018.

A key role of UN-ACT will be support to the Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative Against Trafficking (the COMMIT Process), taking on this role from UNIAP. Established in 2004, COMMIT brings together the six Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) countries, i.e. Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, in a concerted effort to combat human trafficking in the sub-region. 2014 is an important year for COMMIT as it designs a new Sub-Regional Plan of Action (SPA IV), guiding its work for the years to come.  

One key output of UN-ACT’s work is research, data systems and knowledge sharing on human trafficking, with a view to ensuring that key anti-trafficking actors including governments have access to the information required for informed programming and policy decisions. Further, it is important that the research produced is positioned and promoted in a way that governments use it in making such decisions, which requires strategic advocacy. The Regional Research and Advocacy Consultant is expected to play an instrumental role for UN-ACT in this context.

Deberes y responsabilidades

Scope of Work

The consultant is expected to:

  • Coordinate and finalise data collection and analysis on UN-ACT research priorities, with data collectors and partner agencies;
  • Produce final draft research reports, including through coordinating feedback from partners;
  • Develop and implement advocacy and dissemination strategy of research findings;
  • Consult and coordinate with research and academic partners on research plans and curricula for furthering research in the anti-trafficking sector;
  • Increase awareness of UN-ACT’s research and collaborations with the international organisations working on human trafficking and related issues;
  • Input into developments in human trafficking research at an international and regional level.

Expected Outputs and Deliverables:

Deliverable 1: Implement targeted advocacy on research related to:

  • Trafficking of women from Cambodia to China for forced marriage : expected duration to complete is 3 months, the target due date is Mar 2016;
  • Trafficking of men from Cambodia and Myanmar onto fishing boats : expected duration to complete is 10 months, the target due date is Oct 2016;
  • The experience of Lao migrant workers and using formal recruitment agencies: expected duration to complete is 7 months, the target due date is Jul 2016.

Deliverable 2: Report on engagement of academic institutes in Anti-Trafficking research: expected duration to complete is 7 months, the target due date is Jul 2016.

Deliverable 3: Development and report on standardized instruments for human trafficking research, agreed with the inter-agency partners internationally :expected duration to complete is 11 months, the target due date is Nov 2016.

Deliverable 4: Develop, analyze and draft multi-country research, study on trafficking in the fisheries industry in the GMS: 30% of total contract amount :expected duration to complete is 12 months, the target due date is Jan 2017.

Review and approvals of all deliverables are required by Regional Project Manager.

Institutional Arrangement:

The consultant will report and work under the direct supervision of the Regional Project Manager. The consultant will also attend the weekly meeting with staffs to update the working progress. The consultant will also coordinate with UN-ACT Country offices as well as regional partners (i.e. UNODC, ILO, IOM, etc.…) to successfully implements all outputs expected.

Competencias

  • High level of analytical skills;
  • Excellent writing and editing proficiencies;
  • Proficiency to handle sensitive information with discretion and professionalism ;
  • Cultural, gender, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
  • Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines;
  • High level of integrity towards the Project and the UN’s broader mission, values and ethical standards.

Habilidades y experiencia requeridas

Education:

  • Master’s Degree or equivalent in development studies, social sciences or related field.

Experience:

  • At least five years of professional experience working in research, including designing methods and tools; conducting data collection; analyzing and report writing; as well as delivering trainings and supervising teams of data collectors;
  • Demonstrated familiarity in dealing with GMS governments and international organizations, including in a research context;
  • Proven background in migration and human trafficking, especially in the GMS and Southeast Asia;
  • Excellent skills in Windows-based computer applications;
  • Knowledge of SPSS statistical analysis software and experience in gender-related work.

Language:

  • Fluency in English, both oral and written.

Contract Duration:  01 February 2016 - 31 January 2017.

Duty Station: Bangkok, Thailand.

Travel: Travel is expected in coordination with UN-ACT project office activities, which will be determined together with the consultant.

Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments.

Consultant must send a financial proposal based on Lump Sum Amount.

The total amount quoted shall be all-inclusive and include all costs components required to perform the deliverables identified in the TOR, including professional fee and any other applicable cost to be incurred by the IC in completing the assignment. Travel will be arranged by the consultant and reimbursed by UNDP. The contract price will be fixed output-based price regardless of extension of the herein specified duration. Payments will be done upon completion of the deliverables/outputs and as per below percentages:

Deliverable 1: Implement targeted advocacy on research related to :

  • Trafficking of women from Cambodia to China for forced marriage - 10% of the total contract;
  • Trafficking of men from Cambodia and Myanmar onto fishing boats - 10% of the total contract;
  • The experience of Lao migrant workers and using formal recruitment agencies - 10% of the total contract.

Deliverable 2: Report on engagement of academic institutes in Anti-Trafficking research: 20% of total contract amount.

Deliverable 3: Development and report on standardized instruments for human trafficking research, agreed with the inter-agency partners internationally :20% of total contract amount.

Deliverable 4: Develop, analyze and draft multi-country research, study on trafficking in the fisheries industry in the GMS: 30% of total contract amount.

The amount proposed should include professional fee and other applicable cost to be incurred by the IC in completing the assignment only. Travel will be reimbursed by UN-ACT at actual but will not  exceed the amount quoted by UNDP travel agent.

In general, UNDP shall not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources.

In the event of unforeseeable travel not anticipated in this TOR, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and the Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed.

Evaluation Method and Criteria

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology

Cumulative analysis

 The award of the contract will be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

  • Responsive/compliant/acceptable, and
  • Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical (70%) and financial criteria (30%) specific to the solicitation.

Financial score shall be computed as a ratio of the proposal being evaluated and the lowest priced proposal received by UNDP for the assignment. Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 350 technical points would be considered for the Financial Evaluatio

Technical Criteria for Evaluation (Maximum 500 points):

  • Criteria 1: Education - max 50 points;
  • Criteria 2: Relevant projects and research context with international organization - max 150 pointsl;
  • Criteria 3: Experiences in similar or relevant skills in researches methodology and data collection - max 100 points;
  • Criteria 4: Experiences in GMS region - max 100 points;
  • Criteria 5: Computer skills and software familiarity  max 50 points;
  • Criterai 6: Proficiency in English and Availability - max 50 points.

Total Points: 500 points.

Shortlisted candidates shall be called for an interview which will be used to confirm and/or adjust the technical scores awarded based on documentation submitted.

Documentation required

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications. Please group them into one (1) single PDF document as the application only allows to upload maximum one document:

  • Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided in Annex 2;
  • Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references;
  • Financial Proposal that indicates the fixed total contract price which includes professional fee and any other applicable cost to be incurred by the IC in completing the assignment only. Travels will be arranged by the consultant and reimbursed by UN-ACT separately. If an Offeror is employed by an organization/company/institution, and he/she expects his/her employer to charge a management fee in the process of releasing him/her to UNDP under Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA), the Offeror must indicate at this point, and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNDP.as per template provided in Annex;
  • Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment, and a methodology, if applicable, on how they will approach and complete the assignment.

Incomplete proposals may not be considered.

Annexes:

For any clarification regarding this assignment please write to brh.gef.procurement@undp.org