Consultant on anti-trafficking issues

Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)

H (no hardship)FamilyCONS Local2024-04-01April 8, 2024This is a home-based and task-based consultancy for a period of about six months.

1.General Background of Project or Assignment: 

Trafficking in persons infringes upon the fundamental rights of an individual and can be a form of persecution warranting the grant of international protection under relevant international, regional and national refugee and human rights law frameworks. 

Over the past several years, UNHCR has observed growing evidence of the vulnerability to trafficking in persons for displaced and stateless people as a result of conflict, generalised violence, displacement and humanitarian crises. Findings from the UNODC 2023 Global Report on trafficking in persons confirm the strong correlation between conflict and elevated risks of trafficking for displaced people. Refugees fleeing crisis or persecution may be trafficked during their journey to safety, in refugee camps as well as in urban settings. In displacement situations, people often lack family and community support networks, resources, legal documentation and livelihood opportunities. In addition, they may face discrimination, exclusion and rights restrictions (e.g., right to work, freedom of movement, access to social protection etc.). Traffickers prey on the precarity of their situations, isolation, limited access to accurate information, barriers to access services, and lack of access to legal pathways to safety and protection to exploit them at different stages of their flight.  

UNHCR, in partnership with other UN agencies and NGOs, promotes a human rights-based, multisectoral approach to address trafficking in persons; this approach needs to be survivor-centred and trauma-informed. UNHCR advocates for applying all relevant protective legal frameworks alongside and in addition to refugee law, including international human rights law, international humanitarian law and transnational criminal law. In many displacement settings, there is a need to ensure a more predictable operational response to trafficking prevention, risk mitigation and protection. There are often challenges in establishing safe spaces and other measures to foster disclosure of experiences of abuse and exploitation, assist with screening and safe referrals to assistance to address specific protection needs of trafficked persons and persons at risk of trafficking. Referral pathways, assistance, and support services may be limited or available and accessible only to some trafficked persons, especially women and girls trafficked for sexual exploitation, while men and boys, as well as other groups, may be overlooked in anti-trafficking responses and not receive the support that they require. Detection and recognition of trafficking situations is critical to the effective protection of the rights of victims/survivors of trafficking and their access to justice, as well as their practical access to support. 

Within this context, UNHCR intends to provide practical operational guidance and a set of minimum standards to support bureaus and operations in embedding anti-trafficking action in a more systematic and sustainable manner in their operational responses and protection interventions. This work will build on the experience of the Global Protection Cluster Anti-Trafficking Task Team, on relevant UNHCR and interagency guidance and tools in areas such as gender-based violence, child protection, protection from sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA), mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), age gender and diversity (AGD), accountability to affected people (AAP), and protection case management.  

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations 

To view occupational safety and health considerations for specific duty stations, please visit this link: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel 

Specific Occupational Safety and Health Considerations to this assignment (if applicable): 
      
Overall Purpose and Scope of Assignment: 

The overall goal is to develop minimum standards and guidance for UNHCR operational responses to prevent and address trafficking in persons in refugee response contexts and other humanitarian settings. The standards are intended to support UNHCR and partners in their work to prevent and mitigate protection risks, respond to trafficking-related abuses and address the specific needs of displaced and stateless persons at risk or affected by trafficking. The minimum standards should be based on relevant international legal frameworks, including international human rights law, humanitarian law, refugee law and transnational criminal law. The standards should set out common principles for interventions and provide practical guidance on minimum actions to take to ensure effective action to prevent and mitigate risks of trafficking, and respond and address protection needs of trafficked persons. The standards and guidance should build on the GPC Introductory Guide to Anti-Trafficking Action in Internal Displacement Contexts and UNHCR and inter-agency guidance and tools in related areas such as gender-based violence, child protection, protection from sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA), mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), age gender and diversity (AGD) and accountability to affected people (AAP). The guidance should secure synergies and coordination with existing approaches and responses in related areas and include examples of good practice. 

More specifically, the consultant will be required to: 

Conduct desk review and technical analysis of existing UNHCR and inter-agency resources, including standards, tools, standard operating procedures, and Apps for screening, referral, and case management. This should serve to identify/adapt/integrate existing guidance and tools to aid operational responses. 

Provide technical expertise in scoping the minimum operational responses and identifying the key elements of preparedness, prevention and responses to ensure that mitigation measures against trafficking risks are in place and that trafficking survivors benefit from access to multi-sectoral and survivor-centred support in line with their rights and specific needs. 

Map out the operational areas of UNHCR interventions – including online interactions -  in which there might be opportunities for UNHCR to detect and address trafficking-related abuse.  

Review UNHCR Screening and Referral App and provide recommendations for its adaptation and use in responding to trafficking-related abuses, ensuring a rights-based and survivor-centred approach. This includes reviewing/developing decision trees and practical tips on Do's/Don'ts, data protection considerations, sample scripts of what to say to a survivor, samples of referral pathways, etc.  

Conduct key informant interviews/consultations with UNHCR and partners to aid the development of the operational framework and minimum standards and responses on trafficking. 

Draft the document on minimum standards and guidance on operational responses, including practical tools. 

Conduct online consultations with relevant staff from UNHCR regional bureaus, operations and key partners to validate and finalise the minimum standards and guidance integrating feedback from the consultations. 

In addition, the consultant will provide technical expertise and review the ICAT issue brief on trafficking and refugee status in light of recent developments.  

Required level, qualifications and work experience:

Level of responsibilities required (mark as appropriate) for individual contractors and fellows:

Entry Level Support Mid-Level Support Senior Level Support Local Professional Level Junior Level Professional Senior Level Professional

OR

The assignment is for an Individual Consultant

Qualification and experience required (degree required, 6 years of work experience, field of expertise, language required):

University degree or advanced degree (PhD or Masters) in social sciences, anthropology, human rights, international development studies, law or a related field, with possible specialisation on displacement and trafficking in persons.   

Excellent analytical skills, including the capacity to develop analytical frameworks, collect, analyse and synthesise data and information from multiple sources.  

Excellent drafting skills: with the ability to write with clarity, a high level of analysis, and conciseness. 

Demonstrated organisational skills: the ability to work independently and productively in a fast-paced environment. 

Flexible work attitude: the ability to work productively, independently, and to handle requests or issues as they arise. 

Communicates sensitively and effectively across different constituencies.  

Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.   

Advantageous requirements  

Previous work experience in humanitarian settings and in responding to trafficking in persons. 

Languages 

 Excellent knowledge of English is required.    

Advantageous requirements  

Knowledge of other UN languages  

Monitoring and Progress Controls (report requirements, periodicity, format, deadlines): 

a. The final product (e.g. survey completed, data collected, workshop conducted, research documents produced specify):  Minimum standards and guidance for operational responses on trafficking in persons in refugee contexts and other humanitarian settings and revised issue brief on trafficking and refugee status.

Work on the basis of time employed: Yes No X 

If it is to result in a written product specify: 

Number of pages:  30-40 (5th deliverable); 5-6 (6th deliverable) 

Language(s): English 

Number of copies: 2 

 
The final product:   Minimum standards and guidance for operational responses on trafficking in persons in di refugee contexts and other humanitarian setting and revised Issues

  Delivery periodicity:   

1st deliverable: workplan, detailed outline and scoping document (mapping of thematic areas and resources) 

2nd deliverable: consultations/key informant interviews  (concept note, presentation, key issues) 

3rd deliverable: first draft of minimum standards and guidance for operational responses on trafficking  

4th deliverable: consultations/validation webinar (concept note, presentation, summary) 

5th deliverable: final document minimum standards and guidance for operational responses on trafficking in persons 

6th deliverable: reviewed and updated issue brief on trafficking and refugees. 

  
Required level, qualifications and work experience:

Level of responsibilities required (mark as appropriate) for individual contractors and fellows:

Entry Level Support Mid-Level Support Senior Level Support Local Professional Level Junior Level Professional Senior Level Professional

OR

The assignment is for an Individual Consultant

Qualification and experience required (degree required, years of work experience, field of expertise, language required):

University degree or advanced degree (PhD or Masters) in social sciences, anthropology, human rights, international development studies, law or a related field, with possible specialisation on displacement and trafficking in persons.  

Excellent analytical skills, including the capacity to develop analytical frameworks, collect, analyse and synthesize data and information from multiple sources. 

Excellent drafting skills: with the ability to write with clarity, high level of analysis, and conciseness.

Demonstrated organizational skills: the ability to work independently and productively in a fast-paced environment.

Flexible work attitude: the ability to work productively, independently, and to handle requests or issues as they arise.

Communicates sensitively and effectively across different constituencies.

Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.  

Advantageous requirements 

Previous work experience in humanitarian settings and in responding to trafficking in persons.

Languages

 Excellent knowledge of English is required.   

Advantageous requirements 

Knowledge of other UN languages 


Monitoring and Progress Controls (report requirements, periodicity, format, deadlines):

a. The final product (e.g. survey completed, data collected, workshop conducted, research documents produced specify): Minimum standards and guidance for operational responses on trafficking in persons in refugee contexts and other humanitarian settings.

Work on the basis of time employed: Yes No X


If it is to result in a written product specify:

Number of pages: 30-40 (5th deliverable); 5-6 (6th deliverable)

Language(s): English

Number of copies: 2

The final product:  


Delivery periodicity:  

1st deliverable: workplan, detailed outline and scoping document (mapping of thematic areas and resources)

2nd deliverable: consultations/key informants interviews (concept note, presentation, key issues)

3rd deliverable: first draft of minimum standards and guidance for operational responses on trafficking

4th deliverable: consultations/validation webinar (concept note, presentation, summary)

5th deliverable: final document minimum standards and guidance for operational responses on trafficking in persons

6th deliverable reviewed and updated issue brief on trafficking and refugees.

 

Standard Job Description

Required Languages

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Desired Languages

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Additional Qualifications

Skills

Education

Certifications

Other information

This is a task-based and home-based consultancy for a period of about six months.This position doesn't require a functional clearance

Home-Based

Yes