Request for Proposal (RFP)
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is inviting interested Consultant to conduct an End term Evaluation of the Project on Addressing Trafficking and Smuggling through improved border management and Counter Trafficking Responses in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh as per below Terms of Reference (ToR):
Project background
Rohingya living in Cox’s Bazar is a population highly vulnerable to being trafficked or smuggled. Rohingya often believe they lack viable alternatives to irregular migration, and systems for addressing trafficking in persons, other associated forms of abuse and exploitation, and irregular cross-border movements are limited and critically stretched. The government of Bangladesh agencies struggle in responding to this challenge and in effectively managing the border in general.
Nearly one million Rohingya live in Cox’s Bazar District, Bangladesh in vulnerable conditions as part of a protracted humanitarian crisis taking place since the 1990s. Since August 2017, over 670,000 Rohingya have crossed into Bangladesh seeking refuge in host communities, existing makeshift settlements, and new spontaneous sites in Ukhiya and Teknaf Upazilas, Cox’s Bazar. Based on a preliminary assessment on TIP indicators conducted by IOM, the extreme levels of desperation among the Rohingya community, a general lack of awareness of the risks of human trafficking, and the perceived absence of alternative coping mechanisms have created favorable conditions for organized crime to strengthen their unlawful actions by expanding their illegal market. IOM expects traffickers to increasingly scale up its targeting of the Rohingya population. Under the proposed project, urgent protection initiatives targeting victims or potential victims of trafficking, particularly woman heads of household and unaccompanied migrant children, and the emergency capacitation of law enforcement and border management duty bearers will be prioritized.
Furthermore, GoB agencies are involved in improving the human trafficking situation and faced challenges in effectively managing the borders and law enforcement agencies to cope with risks of trafficking and smuggling. Without improving infrastructure, capacity, and technical skills it seems difficult to control irregular migration, particularly trafficking and smuggling. As part of the project, IOM has worked to address Trafficking and Smuggling through improved border management and Counter Trafficking Response in Bangladesh, IOM has worked with the Government of Bangladesh, Border management authorities and Rohingya people to prevent trafficking in persons and its associated abuses, protecting victims, and facilitating investigations with more effective border management and law enforcement capacity and practices. IOM has also focused on improving the capacity of agencies, local communities and religious leaders on issues related to counter-trafficking and border management.
In response to the COVID 19 pandemic, IOM Bangladesh has brought necessary changes in the middle of the project interventions. Number of emergency responses have been brought in place with exception of several capacity-building activities. In coordination with GoB agencies, IOM Bangladesh has conducted assessment and relevant capacity building activities at ten Point of Entries (PoE) in Bangladesh. Along with this, IOM Bangladesh has developed the Standard Operating Procedures for sea and land borders including (suspected COVID 19 cases and Screening) for communicable disease identification and notification of ill travelers, establish PoE Health Border Mobility Management (HBMM) taskforces at POEs and provided logistical and technical support to POEs.
To this end, to gain a better understanding of the impact of the project implementation and evidence base on the knowledge and awareness of trafficking and smuggling amongst Rohingya people, IOM is planning to conduct a comprehensive end evaluation. Findings from the assessment will provide insight of the impacts of the project on the needs, decision making process and (mis)perception of Rohingya and law enforcement agencies and to measure the humanitarian counter-trafficking response and long-term development approaches to creating sustainable and effective border management mechanisms.
Click here to download the detail TOR |
