ThaiNGO

Research Consultant to Conduct Research on Seasonal Workers in the Thai Sugarcane Industry

Position: Research Consultant to Conduct Research on Seasonal Workers in the Thai Sugarcane Industry

Type of Contract: Fixed price contract

Duration of Contract: January – June 2022 (part-time capacity)

Closing Date: December 10, 2021, 11.59 hrs. Bangkok time

To strategically address the barriers to combating trafficking in persons (TIP) in Thailand, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded Winrock International the USAID Thailand Counter Trafficking in Persons (USAID Thailand CTIP) program, which aims to reduce TIP and better protect the rights of trafficked persons in Thailand in 2017. Winrock and its implementing partners work to reduce demands and incentives for trafficked labor, empower at-risk populations to safeguard their rights, and strengthen protection systems for survivors.

Objectives

Winrock International is looking for a consultant and/or firm to conduct research on worker movement in the Thai sugarcane industry. The objectives of this analysis are to:

• Gain more transparency on the working conditions, experience, and movement patterns of seasonal workers; and

• Identify factors contributing to the vulnerability of seasonal workers and potential measures to reduce that vulnerability which might be applied by private sector and CTIP actors.

Responsibilities

1. Develop a detailed research methodology, workplan, and stakeholder interview plans and questions. The consultant will be responsible for proposing the research methodology. At a minimum, the research should aim to cover the following topics. However, the consultant should contribute their expertise to the design of the research and may propose additional research topics of interest:

   1. Recruitment practices, including details on how seasonal workers are being hired and factors contributing to vulnerability in recruitment;

   2. Movement patterns, including a mapping of how workers move from one place to the other, how long they are staying in each place of work, and factors contributing to vulnerability in worker movement;

   3. Working conditions, including identification of benefits that workers can access, benefits that workers have trouble accessing, and factors contributing to vulnerability in working conditions;

   4. COVID-19 impacts; and

   5. Conclusion and Recommendations

2. Collect data through literature review and stakeholder interview. Stakeholders should include migrant workers, and the consultant should include estimated translator costs in the workplan. Other stakeholders can include local community organizations, farm owners, representatives from CTIP organizations, and/or government authorities. (The consultant should plan for onsite interviews but include contingency planning in the event that COVID-19 restrictions prohibit travel.)

3. Produce a full report in English covering the objectives and information mentioned above, including any information from the research development planning stage with the project.

Consultancy Period

The consultancy period is estimated for January to June 2022.

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 3 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:

• 25% upon approval of research methodology, workplan, and interview plans and questions

• 35% upon approval of interview notes, report outline, and draft written report

• 40% upon approval of the submitted final report

Qualifications

The consultant should meet the following minimum requirements:

• Demonstrated experience conducting human rights assessments and proposing recommendations/solutions to inform future approaches and activities for projects;

• Experience working with migrant workers and/or workers in the agriculture industry in Thailand;

• 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 such as social science, international development, and human rights;

• 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 technical proposals as separate files. All documents related to this assignment should be in English and submitted in .PDF format. Proposals must be submitted electronically, with all pieces of the proposal labeled clearly. The maximum length for the proposal, both technical and cost portions together, is 15 pages (not including annexes), single spaced, Time New Roman Font 11.

The technical proposal should include the following components:

1. Cover page.

2. CV or organizational profile & institutional capacity. The applicant must present in narrative format a description of:

• Company/individual profile (supplemental material can be placed in an annex);

• Organizational/individual capacity to conduct the scope of work, as well as relevant experience (include 1-3 examples of English reports from similar studies/assignments in the annex);

• 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.

3. Technical proposal. The applicant should describe in the technical proposal their approach and methodology for conducting the tasks listed above. A detailed workplan including activities, timeframes, staffing, and resources should be included in the technical portion of the proposal.

• In the approach and methodology section, the applicant should plan for field visits and also propose an alternative (remote) plan in case domestic travel is not possible due to COVID-19 situation.

4. Timeline: Include an illustrative Gantt (or similar) chart that outlines activities and sub-tasks, responsible parties, and a timeline for completion and submission of deliverables.

5. Quotation

To Apply

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

• Transmittal email subject must state: “Sugarcane Research Consultant for Winrock International”

• Closing date for applications: 11:59 pm Bangkok time, on December 10, 2021