Request for Proposal (RFP)

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is looking for Individual Consultant/Firm to conduct a Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) Baseline study on response to trafficking in persons, smuggling and migration in four districts of Bangladesh, namely Dhaka, Jeshore, Satkhira and Cox’s Bazar as per below Terms of Reference (ToR):

1. Nature of the consultancy:

Conducting Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) survey as well as conducting Focus Group Discussion (FGD), Key Informant Interview (KII) and In-depth Open-ended Interview to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of aspiring migrants at community level who are at high risk of resorting to irregular migration and becoming potential future victims of trafficking.

2. Problem and purpose of the statement  

In the past, IOM had implemented different projects on awareness campaign and identified several key gaps in addressing trafficking and smuggling from Bangladesh.     

• A lack of awareness of the threat of human trafficking at the grassroot level in the four districts.
• The proposed implementation areas, Dhaka, Jeshore, Satkhira and Cox’s Bazar are significant migrant producing communities for both regular and irregular migration. Due to lack of access to regular migration pathways, a large number of aspirant migrants are exploited by traffickers and smugglers.
• The limited information on the available services offered by government agencies for regular migration  has created favorable conditions for organized crime, and traffickers/smugglers expanding their presence.

3. Objectives of research

The objective of the overall assignment is to assist IOM in conducting data collection tools for development, data collection, analysis and finalizing a high-quality report on irregular migration, including the associated risks related to smuggling and human trafficking in the project locations. The research will be conducted through quantitative (Surveys) and qualitative methods (Focus Group Discussions, Key Informant Interviews and In-depth open-ended interviews) and desk review.

The specific objectives of the study are:

• To identify a baseline on the knowledge, attitudes and practices of communities on trafficking and smuggling, including the risks associated with irregular migration.
• To assess the extent to which people and aspiring migrants are utilizing and benefiting from government policy on counter-trafficking, including interaction with Counter Trafficking Committees, Police, Border Guard, Coast Guard, other law enforcement agencies (i.e. Special Branch, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) etc.), judiciary including assigned Anti-Trafficking Tribunals, and NGOs working on counter trafficking.  
• To assess to what extent these services offered by government agencies are effective, operational, accountable and activated for the community people.
• To identify the effective awareness-raising campaign tools on human trafficking, smuggling and safe migration.
• To measure the indicators to update the project log frame.

4. Indicators

The Baseline KAP survey will be collecting data on indicators as below (all the data has to disaggregated by age and sex):

• Number of trained stakeholders holding position in the project areas;
• % of victims in the target district receiving victim centered prevention and protection services;
• % of TIP cases monitored by National Authority;
• % of community people who are sensitized on safe migration and Human Trafficking;
•  Number of VoTs received sustainable and integrated reintegration support (50% female victims)

5. Methodology

The assessment will combine quantitative (KAP surveys) and qualitative methods (Focus Group Discussion and Key Informant Interviews). Through appropriate sampling, a structured questionnaire will be administered amongst community people (to be confirmed after final design of methodology). Survey questionnaire will be designed and supplemented by Focus Group Discussions and Key Informant Interviews amongst community people, community leaders, and government’s law enforcement agencies including border control authorities. To explore and illustrate the behaviour and experience on trafficking, in-depth open-ended interview will be applied in the community. Participants will also be asked to identify effective awareness rising materials (print, audio and visual).  Specifically, the following methodologies are proposed, and to be revised by the firm as agreed during the inception phase:

• Review of project documents (proposal, reports, log frame and so on); relevant IOM strategies and guidance; relevant national strategies and action plans (home-based, desk study);
• Individual interviews with project areas, to assess the knowledge of safe migration and human trafficking and identify effective messages development strategy and modality to raise mass awareness in community level
• Focus group discussions with potential project beneficiaries and staff, key in-depth informant interviews with the project related stakeholders.
• Collate and analyses key findings, make informed and analysis-based conclusions including develop recommendations and produce draft report.
• Follow IOM prescribed Sustainable survey tools with Victims of Trafficking (VoT), if required.
• Disseminate the preliminary findings for IOM Project team and relevant stakeholders

6. Sampling:

A representative sample size will be drawn to collect data from study area where the project will be implemented. This will be applicable to the related indicators under relevant Outcomes which can be addressed by survey and purposive sampling of Key Informants Interview (KII) and FGDs.

7. Survey Process and Expected Deliverables

IOM will work closely with the consultant/Consultancy Firm during the entire baseline survey process, beginning with the design as contained in this ToR. The following are key activities that will be accomplished:

• Inception report should include a detailed methodology, review matrix and workplan. The baseline Matrix will demonstrate the Firm’s understanding of the ToR and outline data collection and analysis plans, to be completed and reviewed by Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Team and the Project Team of IOM prior to the field visit.
• Study Protocol, to include all the data collection tools that will be used, the data collection schedule, and all areas of the assignment that the firm requires support from the Mission.
• The Draft Baseline Report, using an agreed structure, summarizing all the findings of the primary and secondary data. All the key stakeholders will provide feedback to the report.
• PowerPoint Presentation, summarizing the key findings in a systematic way, to be presented as preliminary findings to the stakeholders, and solicit their feedback.
• Final Report will be produced, incorporating feedback from the stakeholder and comments from project staff.
• Review Brief (two pager) to facilitate sharing of the key findings, conclusions and recommendations.

Target Area & Population

The study area will focus on community level in Dhaka, Jeshore, Satkhira and Cox’s Bazar district. The target population groups are:

• Communities in the four target districts;
• Community leaders and Counter Trafficking Committee (CTC) members;
• Police, Border Guard Bangladesh, Bangladesh Coast Guard, Army, government officials and NGOs working on counter trafficking;
• Victims of Trafficking.

The selection of target population and sampling frame will be done by the research team in collaboration with IOM.

8. Timeline for the study: 

The Baseline Knowledge Attitudes and Practices (KAP) study is scheduled for August 2020 (8 weeks period). Based on the TOR, the firm will have a series of inception meetings and carry out a review of documents provided by the MEAL and the Project Manager and draft the Inception Report for review by the Project team. A precise timeline will be established with the selected firm and will consist of the following stages.

Inception Phase
In the desk research Phase, the relevant project documents should be reviewed: The Project proposal, budget, the relevant guidelines, flash updates and reports with the annexes.
Deliverables: The firm will prepare (i) an Inception Report with detailed methodology, baseline  matrix, workplan, indicative list of people to be interviewed, and (ii) A Study Protocol, with the tools and field visit schedule.

Data Collection Phase
The firm will carry out the assessment in the four districts in Bangladesh including national level stakeholders. The data will be collected according to the agreed methodology and field visit schedule.
Deliverables: Complete dataset, and transcripts from the qualitative methods. 
 
Analysis and Report Writing Phase
This phase is devoted to the development and submission of the draft base line report, and two-page brief.
Deliverables: The firm will submit a Draft baseline Report. Based on comments to the draft report, the firm will submit a PowerPoint Presentation, the Final report along with a two-page summary of findings with recommendation on effective dissemination of messages on safe migration channels in brief.

9.  Research Team and Supervision:

Consultant will be responsible to collect the data. Consultant will take an active role in assigning the staff, who should be a gender mixed team, using criteria that will be shared. Consultant will lead the data collectors in coordination with IOM staff in the different Districts, implement the quality control issues and ensure adherence to the sampling frame and the survey protocol.

10. Ethical Consideration:

This survey will be conducted within the confines of benchmarked and accepted research ethics. These ethical practices include obtaining informed consent of all respondents, respecting their privacy and guaranteeing their anonymity and confidentiality in the data collection, capturing, cleaning, analysis and reporting process. Respect for persons, beneficence and justice will be maintained always. Individual respondent autonomy will be observed, harm minimized, and benefits maximized.

11. Method of Application:

Interested Organizations/individuals are invited to submit required documents by July 30, 2020, email to: faahmed@iom.int with reference code PX/CO-255/2020/008: RFP: KAP Baseline Study in subject line

For more clarification, please contact: Katrine Nkoyo Overland (E-mail: knoverland@iom.int;  cc: BangladeshMPA@iom.int; mobile +880 1847 333 990)

12. Required Documents:

Each Submission must Include the Following: (attachment size should be less than 10 MB)

1. Technical Proposal with detailed methodology, tools and work plan.
2. Consultant (Organization/Individual) Profile: A brief summary of the firm and CV of the expert including records on past experience in similar assignments and name of the references.
3. Sample of previous work (as per below mentioned format)

4. Financial Proposal listing all costs (including VAT) associated with the assignment

             FIRMS WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY TAX OR VAT ISSUES IF APPLICABLE.

13. Professional and Related Experiences:

The proposed team from the firm or the consultants should have following competence.

• Advanced university degree in social sciences, with extensive theoretical and practical experience in conducting quantitative and qualitative research in Bangladesh – preferably in the field of migration and human trafficking.
• Proven technical capacity (data collection and analysis through STATA/SPSS) in KAP survey.
• Experience of working in Rohingya issue including trafficking would be added advantage.  
• Ability to submit a concise and well written report in English based on the field information/results of the KAP surveys and Focus Group Discussions.
• Ability to gather information in an objective appropriate and sensitive way by actively listening, paying full attention to the situation and information of participants.
• Fluent in Bangla and English.
• Ability to enter, transcribe, record, maintain data/information in Excel.
• High-level of integrity. 

The Proposal should be written in English.

Any attempt for persuasion will be considered as a disqualification
ONLY SHORT-LISTED ORGANIZATIONS/INDIVIDUAL WILL BE NOTIFIED