Terms of Reference for a Consultant for mapping services of social protection and local referral pathways 

Project “From Harm to Safety: Improving the Protection of Victims of Trafficking (VoTs) in Serbia” is carried out by NGO Atina and International Rescue Committee (IRC) with the support of the Government of the United States

Targeted Municipalities: Vranje, Subotica, Novi Sad, Niš, Sremska Mitrovica, Kragujevac, and Kraljevo

Published on December 13, 2019

INTRODUCTION

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Atina – Citizens Association for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and All Forms of Gender-Based Violence proposed a 30-month project “From Harm to Safety: Improving the Protection of Victims of Trafficking (VoTs) in Serbia” to combat modern slavery in a context where trafficking networks target not only traditional VoTs, but also particularly vulnerable individuals within the population of refugees and migrants. Project got its approval and funding by the Government of the United States. 

The IRC and Atina are, through a two-pronged approach, to protect and support both conventional and refugee VoTs to recover from the consequences of violence and exploitation. The project is bringing the IRC’s expertise working with refugees and migrants, and Atina’s role as a Serbian NGO working with survivors of human trafficking. This is building upon the IRC's and Atina’s ongoing partnership and collaborations with the Government of Serbia (GoS), local authorities, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and existing relationships with the Center for Human Trafficking Victims Protection and Centers for Social Work. In partnership with Atina, the GoS, and other relevant stakeholders, the IRC seeks to achieve the following strategic objectives: 1) VoTs receive effective, client-centered care through proactive victim identification and direct support; 2) local authorities and NGOs provide specialized assistance to child VoTs, including unaccompanied and separated children (UASC); and 3) the GoS develops national SOPs for first responders and takes concrete steps to revise the national anti-trafficking strategy and action plan.

RATIONALE

Since July 2016, the IRC’s program has embraced a regional approach, expanding beyond Serbia to strengthen coordination and service provision across countries along the Balkan corridor. Globally, the IRC received J/TIP funding in 2012 to complement the Government of Haiti’s efforts to combat child trafficking and provide protection to children in institutional care and situations of domestic servitude. In this project, the IRC successfully supported 3,746 children at risk of trafficking, including successfully completing family reunifications for 174 separated children, of whom 43 were child victims of trafficking and domestic servitude. The project further supported the closure of nine residential care centers due to unsafe conditions, abuse, and/or suspected trafficking. The IRC has extensive experience in trafficking prevention and protection services through U.S. programs in Miami, Phoenix, and Seattle.

Since 2004, Atina has been the anti-trafficking NGO in Serbia providing shelter, psychosocial support, legal, medical services, and employment opportunities to survivors, with the goal of facilitating sustainable systems for the survivor’s social inclusion and reintegration. Atina is a strategic member of the Women against Violence Network and coordinates closely with stakeholders and service providers involved in anti-trafficking measures. Atina has established mobile teams throughout Serbia, providing specialized assistance for the most vulnerable refugees and migrants seven days a week, at the borders of Macedonia, Hungary and Croatia, as well as in Belgrade. Atina participated in the development of national anti-trafficking guidelines, including the official identification and assessment tool, the human trafficking referral pathway, and the national anti-trafficking strategy and action plan, which has yet to be adopted. Atina works with the media, authorities, and other NGOs to improve legislation and services available for survivors of human trafficking.

In the seven municipalities targeted by this project (Vranje, Subotica, Novi Sad, Niš, Sremska Mitrovica, Kragujevac, and Kraljevo), Atina will engage local stakeholders to develop mappings of relevant protection services and referral pathways to strengthen coordination and access to services for VoTs at municipal level, and work with stakeholders to include specific actions for the identification and protection of VoTs in local action plans. This will result in strengthened national procedures through the development of national SOPs for first responders and the action plan to enhance proactive victim identification and referrals to protection services, with respect to the current context. In seven municipalities, local authorities and NGOs will benefit from protection service mappings and referral pathways to enhance local coordination and service provision, and drive progress toward the development and adoption of SOPs at the municipal level. Atina has existing MOUs in support of their work to develop anti-trafficking networks and build the capacity of local stakeholders and service providers to support VoTs in their care.

SCOPE OF WORK

The chosen Consultant will have the responsibility to map services of local protection and referral pathways in 7 targeted municipalities: Vranje, Subotica, Novi Sad, Niš, Sremska Mitrovica, Kragujevac, and Kraljevo. The work will be done through desk research, focus group interviews with local service providers, as well as in-depth interviews with local city counselors.

Activities conducted by the Consultant will further enable development of up-to-date service mappings, including services available for refugees; defining referral pathways at the local level; and involve work with municipal stakeholders to include actions for the identification and protection of VoTs in local action plans. It will also allow relevant local authorities and NGOs to deliver age- and gender-appropriate support to victims of trafficking. In particular, local authorities and NGOs will provide specialized assistance to child victims, including unaccompanied children, through early identification, child-centered responses, and support to child victims placed in alternative care.

Obligations and responsibilities of the Consultant are to:

A.        get to know the project

B.         get to know all developed documents of the project;

C.         participate in regular project team meetings;

D.        develop a research on relevant policies and existing action plans at the local level;

E.        develop a comprehensive report on the information obtained from the local, and their findings.

Specific responsibilities of the Consultant are to:

1. prepare and conduct desk research for the specific task (it is necessary to get to know more about the local context of the targeted municipalities)
2. conduct 7 focus-group interviews with service providers in 7 targeted municipalities
3. conduct 7 in-depth interviews with city councilors on policies at the local level in 7 targeted municipalities
4. to prepare a report of the findings and conclusions

Implementation should last from January 1 until June 30, 2020.

BUDGET:

NGO Atina will negotiate the number of days of engagement with the selected consultant on the basis of the financial offer (gross amount) that will classify the following:

*Add columns as needed depending on the number of activities needed to perform the assignment

            Subtotal                                               USD__________

            Other costs (specify)                           USD__________

            TOTAL                                               USD__________

The total cost should cover all preparatory work regarding the job description, communication costs between Project team, consultant and organizations (e-mail, telephone, fax, mail).

BIDDING PROCEDURE

Interested consultant should develop and submit the bidding proposal in English language to respond to above mentioned specific tasks no later than December 20, 2019. The bidding proposal should include:

1. Description and contact details of the consultant applying;

2. A detailed Budget Proposal (in the required form);

3. CV of consultant involved emphasizing only relevant experience;

4. Past performance in similar areas of a consultant applying, with reference of previous contracting agencies.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Project team will make a decision on the selection of the most successful bidder, subject to the available budget, on the following four criteria:

• University degree in the relevant field;
• A minimum of 5 years of relevant experience;
• Experience of the candidate in performing similar projects or programs;
• An example of previous work as a reference of previous experience is desirable.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF BID

All bids need to be submitted no later than December 20, 2019 at 5PM in electronic version, to the email marija.pantelic@atina.org.rs. A selection will be made no later than December 25, 2019 and the selected consultant will be contracted no later than December 30, 2019.

Only the selected candidate will be informed.