ThaiNGO

Consultant to Research Response Center Practices

Type of Contract: Fixed price contract

Duration of Contract: October 2021 – February 2022 (part-time capacity)

Date of Issuance: September 17, 2021

Closing Date: September 30, 2021, 11.59 hrs. Bangkok time

Winrock International is currently seeking proposals from qualified firms and/or individual consultants to develop and write a 15-20-page research paper that identifies best practices and learnings in operating response centers in the fishery industry in Thailand.

Background

With the shared intention to drive positive change and support sustainable and ethical practices within the seafood and fishing industry, USAID Asia CTIP and Thailand CTIP projects (USAID CTIP projects), led by Winrock International, developed a shared-value partnership with Mars Petcare to reduce vulnerability to trafficking in persons (TIP).

One of the primary partnership activities includes establishing a response center in Phuket – called the “Migrant Development Center” – to receive labor-related complaints, provide legal advice and organize rights training for workers, and assist them in submitting complaints through state-based grievance mechanisms. As migrants often are not aware of state-based complaint channels, or find them intimidating or inaccessible, the response center serves to provide a safe space for them to voice their complaints.

Objectives

The research will primarily focus on non-state response centers that serve migrant workers in the fishery industry (e.g., LPN Center, Stella Maris, Issara Golden Dreams Hotline). The target audience is NGO and private sector partners running response centers. The research aims to answer the following questions:

1. How are the practices of different migrant worker response centers similar or different in areas (e.g., response protocol, data privacy practices)

2. What barriers do response center staff face in achieving their objectives

3. What are best response center practices that enable performance improvement in the following areas (ILO, 2019):

   1. Relevance: The extent to which the center’s interventions met beneficiary requirements and needs

   2. Effectiveness: The extent to which the center’s objectives and intended results were achieved

   3. Resource efficiency: The extent to which the center’s resources were utilized in cost-effective ways

   4. Impact: Positive and negative, intended and unintended long-term effects

   5. Sustainability: the immediate benefits and probability of the continued long-term benefits and sustainability of the centers

Responsibilities

1. Develop research proposal and workplan.

The research consultant will conduct the research based on a combination of primary and secondary research.

Desk research: The consultant will conduct a literature review on response center practices including primary data from the project’s Migrant Development Center.

Interviews: The consultant will conduct approximately 10-12 key informant interviews (KIIs) with response center staff, legal units (e.g., IJM), migrant worker beneficiaries and government stakeholders.

2. Develop interview plans and questions.

3. Draft and edit learning brief.

The consultant will provide a written report (in English) which includes the following content:

1. Brief overview of response centers (1 page)

2. Methodology and Criteria (1 page)

3. Non-state Response Centers Practices (5-6 pages)

4. Key practices that enable high performance in the criteria (5-6 pages)

5. Conclusion and recommendations

Deliverables

Payment and Payment Schedule

Payment will be made upon timely submission of satisfactory deliverables per agreed work plan, and approval of the contractor’s supervisor. The payment will be made in 4 tranches after all the deliverables have been met.

The payment schedule is subject to negotiation between Winrock and selected Consultant.

The proposed payment schedule for the review is as follows:

• 20 % upon approval of workplan and interview plans and questions

• 20 % upon Winrock’s approval of interview notes and learning brief outline

• 20% upon approval of draft report

• 40% upon final approval of the submitted final report

Qualifications

The consultant should meet the following minimum requirements:

• Demonstrated experience conducting assessment and/or evaluation of projects related to community development or human rights;

• Strong research and analytical skills with a proven ability to produce concise, focused, and clear reports;

• Proven ability to work independently to produce high-quality deliverables under tight deadlines;

• Advanced degree in a relevant field or a combination of bachelor’s degree with minimum 2 years of work experience;

• Excellent interpersonal communication skills in Thai. Respectful and professional, particularly when working with diverse cultures and populations, and on sensitive topics; and

• Proficiency in written English.

Proposal Submission

Interested firms and individual consultants should submit their CV or resume, 1-3 examples of English reports or similar research, quotation, and schedule of deliverables. All documents should be in English and submitted in .PDF format.

Note: The CV or resume should include the following details:

• Company/individual profile;

• Organizational/individual capacity to conduct the scope of work, as well as relevant experience;

• CVs for all proposed team members (included as an annex); and

• Names and contact information for three references who can provide evidence of the candidate’s experience performing similar tasks on related assignments.

To Apply

• Contact: Please submit your proposal and/or relevant questions to: info.th@winrock.org

• Transmittal email subject must state: “Response Center Learning Brief Consultant for Winrock International”

• Closing date for applications: 11:59 pm Bangkok time, on September 30, 2021