Background

In South Asia, especially India about 70 per cent of the drugs are transported over land, making land borders crucial corridors, through which drugs are trafficked in and out of the country. The easy availability of drugs in the border areas makes their use easy among the local population as is evident from drug consumption trends and patterns in the border states of Manipur, Mizoram, West Bengal and in countries along its eastern borders like Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar due to their proximity to the “Golden Triangle” region. Consequently, this is continuing to create huge demands to be met with drug supplies through these routes.

In India, heroin use spread rapidly in Manipur and other parts of Northeast India that borders with Myanmar. More recently, methamphetamine use has emerged and escalated in the north-eastern states bordering Myanmar. Nepal and Bhutan’s open borders with India facilitates considerable traffic across borders including drug traffickers and drug users. There is also trafficking of pharmaceutical drugs across the border of India and Bangladesh.  Although systems have been put in place to combat drug transition and associated crimes in the bordering areas but the drug scenario- including the types of drugs and how they are packaged for transition is fast changing. The capacities of the security personnel engaged in the effort is not matching the fast changing scenario.

The international conventions on drugs and subsequent documents have clearly mentioned the need for a ‘balanced approach’ that includes- production, supply, demand and harm reduction.  UNODC advocates a human rights approach for addressing issues of drug use prevention across borders.  Drug treatment services for drug users can be completely different across borders.  Access to scientifically based drug treatment services [1]may often not be available for a significant proportion of people who use drugs in the border areas, especially in light of the new and emerging substances[2].

Paradoxically, although the illicit drug use issue has long been recognized as a global concern, policy and programme responses have to a large extent been conceived and implemented within the framework of national borders. However, action within national borders has its limitations and requires action beyond the national level. Cross border studies are therefore important to understand the issues involved and to formulate appropriate intervention strategies at the regional level.

[1] http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/publications/guidelines_opioid_dependence_2009/en/

[2] http://www.unodc.org/wdr2013/en/nps.html

Duties and Responsibilities

The UNODC Regional Office for South Asia as a part of its overall response to drug control in South Asia, is implementing a new project on “Strengthening Cross Border and Community Responses to Illicit Drugs in South Asia”. The project will be implemented in close coordination with the government counterparts of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Myanmar.

The project aims to foster and facilitate symbiotic engagement of the security agencies with the community of people who use drugs in the key Indian states in the east and northeast part of the country and in countries along its borders and will strive to create systems for strengthening and sustaining such engagements. The project will also build requisite capacities of both the law enforcement agencies engaged at these bordering areas as well as the community networks (of people who use drugs) in these areas. The mutually beneficial engagement of the community and 

the law enforcement agencies will also help in better understanding of problems faced by them and improved social engagement, reducing stigma and criminalization.

Under this new initiative, UNODC will work  closely with border control/law enforcement officers of  five countries  to address drug use and illicit trafficking at key border crossing points between India and four countries: Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh  and Myanmar. UNODC country office will be implementing the activities on side of Myanmar. This will be achieved through various interventions which will bring together law enforcement/ border security agencies and marginalized communities of people who use drugs.  In doing so, UNODC will generate necessary evidence base for informing cross border responses in four key border points. In addition, UNODC, will strengthen engagements between community networks and enforcement agencies to mainstream health and human rights as part of comprehensive drug control approach.

Geographical location of the study

Objectives of Study

UNODC proposes to conduct a exploratory situational analysis study in the four cross border locations outlined above . This situational analysis is fundamental to designing and updating national policies, strategies and plans and to guide the project to design and plan meaningful and relevant interventions:

1. Identify extent, trends and patterns of drug movement including source and destination, establishment of illicit supply chain mechanisms, and linked cross border issues;
2. Identify extent, trends and patterns of drug use by people who use drugs;
3. Identify perceived knowledge, attitude and practice barriers as perceived by the drug user community which impede access to drug treatment services;
4. Assess the availability, accessibility and uptake of scientific drug treatment by people who use drugs ie the drug using community;
5. Assess current level of engagement of drug user community based organisations  and people who use drugs with law enforcement agencies;
6. Map out the current drug user community organisations/drug using community leaders;
7. Map out the drug treatment services operated by government, non-governmental organisations, private health care providers and institutions and the referral pathways[1];
8. Assessment the availability of scientific based treatment in the mapped out drug facilities.

         The study objectives will be met by contracting a consultant research organisation and a drug treatment consultant. UNODC will contract an agency to conduct a qualitative and quantitative study to meet objectives 1 to 7 outlined above.

It is envisaged that the consultant will work in close collaboration with the contracted research agency on mapping out the drug treatment centres in geographical locations outlined above.

[1] The mapping exclude GPS mapping. 

1.   Scope of Work

The services of a drug treatment expert are required to meet the objective 8 of the study. In addition, the consultant is expected to collaborate with the research agency on a number of tasks as specified below:

Estimated Number of Days – A total number of 60 days are estimated for this consultancy with the following breakup.  

The consultant is expected to closely coordinate with the research agency on tasks 7,8, 9 and 10 be available for remote consultation  

Competencies

• Good  clinical  assessment skills;
• Knowledge regarding UN/UNODC/ WHO guidelines on  scientific treatment for drugs;  
• Knowledge of the country treatment protocols in India, Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh;
• Good interpersonal skills and ability to work in a team and a multi-cultural environment;
• Proficiency in MS word

Languages:

• Good communication skills and the ability to write clear analytical reports

Required Skills and Experience

Educational Qualification:

• Advanced university degree in medical sciences.

Experience:

• At least 10  years of professional clinical work experience in drug treatment  
• At least 3 years experience for conducting clinical assessments on drug treatment facilities in any two of the four countries- Nepal, Bhutan, India and Bangladesh ;
• Prior experience of working with the drug treatment facilities operated by government, non -governmental organizations and private health practitioners and hospitals managed privately.
• Previous experience in design of drug and health related research questionnaires and data triangulation will be an added advantage.

Payment Terms:

Documents to be submitted: 

• Updated CV / P-11 form with contact details of 3 references;
• Technical proposal outlining clinical assessment methodology
• Financial proposal including per day rate, travel expenses for clinical assessment field visits, local travel expenses at cross border location sites.  

Guidelines for uploading the file

 Technical and financial proposals documents should be clubbed in one file for uploading as the system has provision for uploading one file only.

Above documents can be found in ‘Forms and Documentation for Individual Contractor’ column in career section. Please find link below:

http://www.in.undp.org/content/india/en/home/operations/careers/

11. Evaluation Criteria:

Technical Criteria weight - 70 marks

• Educational Qualification - 10 points;
• Experience in the drug treatment field - 25 points;
• Experience in the development of drug related research tools and triangulation of data - 15 points;
• Experience of conducting clinical assessment for drug treatment facilities - 20 points;

Financial Criteria weight - 30 marks

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Note:

• Any kind of miscellaneous charges i.e. internet, phone etc. would not be reimbursed;
• Please note proposals without financial proposal will not be considered;
• Individuals working with institutions may also apply, contract would be issued in the name of institution for the specific services of individual;
• The consultant should include an estimated cost for travel(inclusive of  air fare, daily subsistence expenses, local transportation cost and accommodation) to the cross border locations in the financial proposal. UNODC will not be responsible for making travel arrangements.
• All the requested documents should be clubbed in one file for uploading as the system has provision for uploading one file only.

Cumulative analysis:

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

• Responsive;
• Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

Note: Please ensure to submit all the documents requested in a single PDF file for uploading as the system has provision for uploading only one attachment.

Contact information for queries related to Request for Proposals

For any clarification, please contact: 

jyotiee.mehraa@unodc.org

seema.arya@unodc.org