Local Consultant for assessment and pilot of the integration of counter-trafficking activities into extracurricular activities at schools

1.       Background

Since 2018, IOM Viet Nam has been implementing a three-year project entitled “Tackling Modern Slavery from Viet Nam: An Interagency Programme for Behaviour Change, Access to Justice and Reintegration Support” (hereinafter referred to as TMSV project) funded by the United Kingdom’s Home Office. The project aims to tackle modern slavery from Viet Nam through harnessing the knowledge, networks and resources of IOM, British Council and World Vision International in Viet Nam to conduct a coordinated series of interventions across five source provinces of human trafficking and modern slavery (Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh).

To date the project has carried out a behaviour change communication (BCC) campaign, concentrating on the message “Think Before You Go” delivered by local community advocacy groups (CAGs) through community outreach events, including online social media and mass media coverage. The campaign, developed based on up-to-date research, aims to counteract ‘mis’ information about overseas migration, peddled by smugglers and traffickers, with accurate information about safe and regular labour migration opportunities promoted by the Vietnamese Government.

Building on established partnerships and results, the project continues with an additional one-year phase named “Tackling Modern Slavery from Viet Nam: Enhancing Behaviour Change Communications and Assistance Services” for the period 2021 - 2022 to sustain necessary preventive and protective interventions that will further contribute to tackling modern slavery from Viet Nam in general and the three hotspot provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Quang Binh in particular.

In 2019, IOM conducted a (pre) Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) survey to inform the development of the project’s BCC and Community Outreach Strategy and the design of key safe migration messaging for the aforementioned “Think Before You Go” BCC campaign which has been deployed in the target provinces subsequently.

In order to understand to how safe migration messages have been understood and what impacts the project’s communication efforts have on the migration behaviors of target populations throughout the span of the project, IOM is thus looking for a consultant to conduct a post-KAP survey that will serve to assess and evaluate impacts of the “Think Before You Go” campaign and relevant activities conducted under the framework of the project.

2.       Nature of the Consultancy

Since 2019, IOM has carried out a behaviour change communication (BCC) campaign concentrating on the message “Think Before You Go” with an aim to promote safe migration and prevent human trafficking. The campaign has been delivered by local community advocacy groups[1] (CAGs) through community outreach events and on several media platforms including social media (through Facebook page “Think Before You Go” [1]), contributing to the significant increase in the target communities’ general awareness of human trafficking and creating an environment for individuals to get information on safe migration and prevent human trafficking. Based on lessons learnt, enhancing interventions will be focused on the project’s third phase and be implemented at both central level – to advocate and lay the foundation for institutional reforms, and grassroots level – to build individual capacities and induce behavioural changes.

To heighten the effectiveness and efficiency of interventions, IOM, in partnership with the Central Women’s Union and other relevant partners, will support boards of high-schools and vocational training schools to integrate counter-trafficking awareness raising activities into extracurricular programmes to better prepare young people to make informed decisions on migration. The activity is under the project Tackling Modern Slavery in Viet Nam (TMSV) funded by the United Kingdom’s Home Office.

3.       Objectives

In the first year, the Consultant(s) are expected to support IOM and its partner - CWU to understand the current status of counter-trafficking activities integration in schools’ extra curriculums, especially through assessments of the school activities in main source provinces of Hai Phong, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, and Quang Binh. Evidence-based understanding will lead to a development of a tailored program for target schools to pilot counter trafficking awareness raising activities which are suitable for specific groups of students and their timetables.

Subject to satisfactory performance in year 1 and upon successful contract renewal, the Consultant(s) are expected to support coordinating with local stakeholders, especially school boards in developing and implementing pilot programme to test scalability of such counter- trafficking activities integration in years 2 and 3.