Request for Proposals for a Follow-On Assessment of Business Responses to Forced Labour/Human Trafficking in Seafood Supply Chains in Thailand

Transcription

1 Request for Proposals for a Follow-On Assessment of Business Responses to Forced Labour/Human Trafficking in Seafood Supply Chains in Thailand JULY 2018 Summary Humanity United and the Freedom Fund are seeking a researcher or research institution to conduct a follow-on to the Assessing Government and Business Responses to the Thai Seafood Crisis report released in The original report may be found online at the footnoted link. 1 The purpose of this project is to provide a comprehensive, impartial, and easily-accessible overview and assessment of the various initiatives that the private sector has implemented to address illegal fishing and human rights abuses in the Thai seafood industry. The project s final output will be a report designed to provide a reference point for actors engaged in a range of activities around fisheries sustainability and human rights issues in the Thai seafood industry, as well as a series of well-informed recommendations for improvement on the part of the private sector. The evaluation should commence soon after a contract is signed, which is estimated to be in September. The budget available for the evaluation is $75,000 USD. Background to Humanity United, the Freedom Fund, and the assessment Humanity United is a foundation dedicated to bringing new approaches to global problems that have long been considered intractable. We build, lead, and support efforts to change the systems that contribute to problems like human trafficking, mass atrocities, and violent conflict. The Freedom Fund identifies and invests in the most effective frontline efforts to end modern slavery. It selects key geographic areas hotspot projects known to have high rates of trafficking and/or forced labour, and where interventions are most likely to be impactful. Since 2015, Humanity United and the Freedom Fund have been jointly supporting a portfolio of grants aimed at preventing and responding to forced labour in the Thai seafood industry. Together, our aim is to create a robust enabling environment to allow corporations, government officials, and migrant workers themselves to work in parallel to eradicate forced labour from the Thai seafood industry OF 5 HUMANITY UNITED + THE FREEDOM FUND

2 Research for the original report was conducted in late 2015/early 2016, on the heels of reporting by the Guardian, the New York Times, and the Associated Press that revealed grave abuses in the seafood sector in Thailand. Both government and the private sector were organising a response to those revelations at that time, with the private sector taking the lead by forming the Seafood Task Force, an industry-led coalition working to stand up a framework of reforms for businesses based in or sourcing from Thailand. Purpose and key evaluation questions Objective The purpose of this follow-on assessment is to conduct a look-back, two years later, to evaluate where businesses, in particular, have fallen short, lived up to, or even surpassed their original commitments to clean up the industry. Whilst the original assessment evaluated both government and business initiatives, the focus for this assessment should be on the private sector. Recent analysis and recommendations for government outlined in publications by Human Rights Watch 2 and the ILO 3 have provided an in-depth focus on government efforts we d like to see a similar, more in-depth and specific analysis of private sector efforts. The final report should aim to combine an objective overview of current initiatives and processes with independent and impartial analysis based on information gathered through fieldwork and interviews with relevant private sector/corporate stakeholders. The primary aims of the report would be to: Provide an accessible and straightforward overview of private sector initiatives to address labour abuses linked to illegal fishing or seafood processing; Build on the original report s assessment of awareness, implementation, and effectiveness to provide an update on progress made and an overview of where gaps/issues remain unaddressed; Gather input and opinions from stakeholders across a range of segments of the supply chain; and Produce a series of well-informed recommendations for improvement aimed at the private sector, while also taking into consideration the wider landscape and range of actors involved. Target audience Primary: Private sector seafood businesses based in or sourcing from Thailand; major brands/retailers in the US/UK/EU; and the Seafood Task Force. Findings will be used to identify leaders, promote best practice, and provide practical guidance for wider implementation; and to identify laggards, barriers to reform, and recommendations for improvement. Secondary: NGOs, Royal Thai Government (particularly those departments involved in regulating the seafood industry), US and EU governments (particularly TIP office and DG MARE), consumers, and other stakeholders invested in Thailand s seafood sector OF 5 THE FREEDOM FUND/HUMANITY UNITED

3 Key assessment questions (please note that these will not need to be addressed in order) 1 What private sector initiatives are currently in operation to improve supply chain management practices, increase transparency, and reduce labour abuse? What are the objectives of these initiatives, and what progress has been made to achieve them? What gaps still exist? What is good practice? 2 What progress has the Seafood Task Force 4 made against its commitments? Have they fulfilled the promise of a powerful industry-led initiative that provided cause for optimism in the first report? Is the framework of reforms represented in the 8 subgroups and the KPIs detailed in the Task Force s progress report from November 2017 sufficient to address issues in Thailand s seafood sector? Where does it excel and where does it need improvement? 3 Within the private sector, who are seafood industry leaders and why? Laggards, and why? What are the biggest remaining barriers to reform? 4 Are there differences in levels of accountability and pace of reforms by Thai based companies vs. global brands and retailers? Between first miles (e.g. vessel owners, farms, pre-processors) and last miles (distributors/suppliers and retailers) of the supply chain? If so, what might be contributing to these differences? 5 How well has the private sector (including vessel owners) demonstrated understanding of the issues, good knowledge of workers rights, and ownership of remediation? Is that ownership durable or only in place for as long as the industry is under global scrutiny? 6 How are companies evaluating the impact of their initiatives and adapting approaches? For example, companies in other sectors have engaged outside consultation to help them build an impact measurement framework, apply that to a range of issues to understand how workers have or haven't benefitted, and adapted their objectives and approaches as a result. 7 Is there a business case for reform that can be used to encourage change? How are costs being borne and shared (or not) and/or how are businesses being rewarded (or not) for better practices? 8 How joined up are government and private sector initiatives? What are the key areas where government and the private sector could work more closely? What key actions should the government take in order to better support the private sector activities? 9 How can foreign governments play a role (regulation of supply chains; trade policies, etc)? Research methodology and budget Humanity United and the Freedom Fund invite researchers to propose methods that are fit for purpose to achieve the objectives of the assessment. Mixed methods are preferred and should include, at the very least, a document review and key informant interviews (private sector, workers, NGOs, experts, government officials) in Thailand. Interviews with international brands and retailers with a vested interest in Thailand and international NGOs should also be a part of the assessment. Scrutiny of company policies and commitments vs. actions and outcomes should be a central part of the report. Humanity United and the Freedom Fund will cover all costs associated with the completion of this external evaluation, estimated at $75,000, to be determined on the basis of the methodology adopted. Additional costs related to report translation, design and printing, and dissemination events will be borne by Humanity United and the Freedom Fund OF 5 THE FREEDOM FUND/HUMANITY UNITED

4 Project deliverables and high-level timeline The main output of this research will be an externally facing report of no more than 40 pages with an executive summary, main body, and a set of recommendations. Other documents to be provided to Humanity United and Freedom Fund (which may/may not be annexed to the main report) include: An assessment plan including a full, costed methodology and detailed work plan. The assessment plan will include a detailed research methodology; outline of data collection tools; plan for training and quality checks (if more than one interviewer/data collector will be used); ethics, data security and privacy protocols; and a data analysis plan. Research instruments in English and relevant local languages (e.g., Thai, Burmese) List of proposed stakeholders to be interviewed, recruitment letters/scripts, and strategy for selecting NGO workers and migrant workers (where relevant). The timing of the research will be dependent on Humanity United s and the Freedom Fund s ability to identify the right research partners and develop an appropriate methodology, but we anticipate a contract to be signed by September 2018 and the research to be completed by December Working backwards from the above dates, the anticipated schedule of major deliverables are: Main deliverables Proposed timeline Full evaluation design, including methodology, data collection, and draft interview guides Sept Mapping of private sector and other stakeholders who should be consulted on this research Sept Training of interviewers and field work Oct.-Nov Presentation of key findings for internal review and discussion Dec Draft technical report (~40 pages or less) and summary report ( 4 pages) ready for internal review Dec Final technical report and summary report ( 4 pages) ready for external dissemination Jan Participation in dissemination workshops organised by Humanity United/Freedom Fund (travel costs will be reimbursed separately, where relevant) Jan-Mar 2018 Proposal format and timeline Interested parties should prepare a proposal of no more than 5 pages (excluding annexes). Proposals should contain the following sections: 1 Profile of organisation(s) and principal investigator(s). 2 A description of how the work will be executed, including suggested methodological approaches and: (i) selection strategy for key informant interviews, (ii) approach for developing interview guides, qualitative data collection and analysis, and (iii) trade-offs and limitations. 3 Operational and ethical considerations, especially considering the challenges in accessing and soliciting candid responses from vulnerable workers as well as business operators and government officials. 4 Team structure, defined roles and time commitment of key project team members. 5 High-level workplan for completing milestones and deliverables. 6 Proposed budget in USD. 7 CVs of proposed evaluation team member(s) (to be included in the annex). 4 OF 5 THE FREEDOM FUND/HUMANITY UNITED

5 8 Contact information for three client references. 9 Up to three examples of reports from previous evaluations that demonstrate qualifications or relevant subject matter expertise. The final Evaluation Plan will be developed by the evaluator, in consultation with Humanity United and the Freedom Fund. The evaluator is expected to facilitate this process. The proposal must be written in English and submitted electronically in Microsoft Office or PDF format. 12 July 2018 Release of RFP. 23 July 2018 Request for clarification sent to Ame Sagiv (asagiv@humanityunited.org) and Sarah Mount (smount@freedomfund.org) By 10 August 2018 (by 10am UK time) Final proposals due. Please submit all documents to Ame Sagiv and Sarah Mount at the addresses above. By 29 August 2018 Follow up discussions with shortlisted candidates have taken place. By 5 Sept By 14 Sept Research team is selected. Contract is signed. Requirements/Qualifications Demonstrated experience engaging businesses and an advanced understanding of challenges best and practices in supply chain management Experience in mixed method research Experience with migrant labour issues, preferably in Southeast Asia Ability to work in Thailand in local languages, or capacity to subcontract and manage an experienced team who can Experience working in sensitive contexts and conducting trauma-sensitive interviews. Expertise conducting cost benefit analysis, cost effectiveness analysis, and similar analyses is preferred 5 OF 5 THE FREEDOM FUND/HUMANITY UNITED