Location: Harare
Closing date: 13 Jun 2016
Request for Proposals
Lead Researcher
Zimbabwe Country Monitoring Report on CSEC
Organisational Background Information
ECPAT International is a global network of civil society organisations dedicated to ending the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) which includes the exploitation of children through prostitution, child sexual abuse materials, trafficking of children for sexual purposes and the sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism. It seeks to ensure that children everywhere enjoy their fundamental rights free and secure from all forms of commercial sexual exploitation.
The ECPAT International network currently has 90 member organisations in 82 countries.[1] ECPAT Member Groups are involved in the implementation of various initiatives to protect children at local and national levels, while the ECPAT Secretariat (based in Bangkok, Thailand) provides technical support, research and information. It also represents and advocates on key issues at the international and regional level on behalf of the network.
Background Information and Rationale
For more than a decade, the ECPAT International Secretariat has prepared and published Country Monitoring Reports (CMRs) to follow-up the implementation of the Stockholm Agenda for Action (1996) which was an outcome of the first World Congress against the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children. These reports are intended to foster evidence-based advocacy in a specific country to promote legislative and policy improvements against CSEC.
The Agenda for Action against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children provides a detailed framework and categories of actions to be taken by governments in partnership with civil society organisations and other relevant actors for combating CSEC. Broadly, these actions have been focused on: 1) Coordination and Cooperation; 2) Prevention; 3) Protection; 4) Recovery and Reintegration; and 5) Child Participation. The Agenda for Action has thus been the formal and guiding structure used by governments that have adopted it and committed to work against CSEC. It has also been used in the past to structure and guide the research, analysis and preparation of information presented in CMRs on the status of implementation of the Agenda in individual countries.
In October 2015, ECPAT International submitted a Network Development Project Proposal to the Human Dignity Foundation,[3] which was approved in December of that year.
Within the project, an ECPAT International Strategic Framework for Africa (2015-2018) was proposed, linked to priorities under ECPAT International’s own Strategic Framework Goals that will guide the work of the organisation and its network in Africa from 2015-2018. The Framework for Africa was developed through a series of consultations in 2013 and 2014, which gathered input on priorities and strategies to combat CSEC in the continent from the ECPAT Africa network and key stakeholders including the African Union, UN agencies and various other international, pan-African, national and local organisations.
These Africa consultations emphasised the need to apply concerted efforts towards bridging gaps in the general areas of protection, prevention, policy and legal frameworks, and enforcement. They also highlighted prevailing vulnerabilities to CSEC in need of urgent attention such as sexual exploitation of children online, sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism, children in mixed migration flows and those caught in armed conflict. Consequently, the Strategic Framework addresses these identified issues as well as sets a core aim of building the capacity of the ECPAT network in Africa to enable members to conduct effective advocacy work at the national, continental and international levels. In the Africa Region, the project will support the implementation of key elements of the ECPAT Regional Strategy for Africa, already developed by ECPAT’s members in this region for the period 2015-2018 and the assessment of its implementation and results.
One of the specific objectives of the Africa Framework was to “convene, broker and lead cutting-edge research, knowledge creation, and dissemination.” One of its sub-objectives was to “increase knowledge on the commercial sexual exploitation of children in Africa in order to better protect children from commercial sexual exploitation and provide comprehensive, reliable and up-to-date information on CSEC in 10 countries in Africa.”
In order to meet these objectives, it was decided that two CMRs on CSEC would be produced for countries that will be reviewed by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, the Universal Periodic Review of the UN Human Rights Council or the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. Based on these criteria, and the above objectives, Zimbabwe was chosen as the second country in which to carry out research.
Purpose of the CMR
To increase knowledge of the commercial sexual exploitation of children in Zimbabwe in order to better protect children from commercial sexual exploitation and contribute comprehensive, reliable and up-to-date information on CSEC at the national and regional levels.
Specific Objective
To produce a comprehensive and up-to-date Country Monitoring Report (CMR) on CSEC in Zimbabwe as part of ECPAT’s Strategic Framework for Africa (2015-2018).
Scope of the Report
This report should provide a comprehensive baseline of information on CSEC in the country; assess achievements, challenges and priority actions to combat CSEC; and serve as an advocacy instrument among various stakeholders and duty-bearers within the country as well as internationally, including the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.
The CMR will, at a minimum, address the following elements/issues related to CSEC:
· National Plans of Action
· Coordination and Cooperation at local, national, regional and international levels
· Prevention Mechanisms
· Protection Measures (law and policy) for each manifestation of CSEC
· Access to Justice for Victims and Survivors
· Child and Youth Participation
· Recommendations for Action
Methodology
The primary responsibility for preparing the CMR will be the Lead Researcher within Zimbabwe, with feedback and technical advice from the ECPAT Secretariat, ensuring that the CMR meets an agreed upon common standard. The standard is based on ECPAT’s CMR Guidelines, which describe the structure and content of the Report. The Lead Researcher should construct the CMR based on these Guidelines.
Preparatory work for the CMR will involve a review of the literature available, including law and policy, on sexual exploitation. Secondary sources will provide the basis of the information for the report, including CRC country and alternative reports as well as the UNCRC’s Concluding Observations and Recommendations, OPSC country and alternative reports, the reports of the UN Special Rapporteurs, as well as research and field studies of ECPAT, governmental and non-governmental organisations, regional bodies and UN agencies.
This information will be processed and analysed and then formatted into a draft report by the Lead Researcher in the country. A number of tools have been prepared to assist the researcher in his or her work and to ensure consistency in the gathering, interpreting and analysing of information from different sources. These tools include a detailed glossary of CSEC terms, guides to determine reliable/unreliable sources as well as relevant CSEC-related research tools, and guidelines on the type of information to be collected and how to organise it. The ECPAT Secretariat will review and provide feedback on the draft report. The Report should be in English and ideally between 50-100 pages in length.
Professional Qualifications
Essential
· Advanced degree in human rights, law, international relations, social sciences or equivalent.
· At least three years of professional experience, specific proven experience in research of at last one year.
· Proven excellent research and analytical skills; experience in drafting and commissioning research papers.
· Proven knowledge of children’s rights and international legal frameworks.
· Experience in working with human rights and social development issues specifically as they relate to the rights of children.
· Excellent English language capability.
Desirable
· Previous experience working in Zimbabwe
· Specific knowledge on Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children
Requirements for entities/organisations
· Project lead must comply with the eligibility requirements for individuals
· Entity must be legally registered in the country where it is located.
· Must provide a description of the team.
Final Outcome
The CMR will conclude with final recommendations for action which reflect the most important CSEC themes/concerns in the country. Once finalised, the report and recommendations will be used by ECPAT staff, as well as local, national, regional and international organisations, in advocacy within Zimbabwe as well as the region. There is the possibility for a launch or roundtable validation upon completion of the report.
Time Frame and further information: see http://www.ecpat.org/about-ecpat/employment/
Closing date: 13 Jun 2016
Request for Proposals
Lead Researcher
Zimbabwe Country Monitoring Report on CSEC
Organisational Background Information
ECPAT International is a global network of civil society organisations dedicated to ending the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) which includes the exploitation of children through prostitution, child sexual abuse materials, trafficking of children for sexual purposes and the sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism. It seeks to ensure that children everywhere enjoy their fundamental rights free and secure from all forms of commercial sexual exploitation.
The ECPAT International network currently has 90 member organisations in 82 countries.[1] ECPAT Member Groups are involved in the implementation of various initiatives to protect children at local and national levels, while the ECPAT Secretariat (based in Bangkok, Thailand) provides technical support, research and information. It also represents and advocates on key issues at the international and regional level on behalf of the network.
Background Information and Rationale
For more than a decade, the ECPAT International Secretariat has prepared and published Country Monitoring Reports (CMRs) to follow-up the implementation of the Stockholm Agenda for Action (1996) which was an outcome of the first World Congress against the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children. These reports are intended to foster evidence-based advocacy in a specific country to promote legislative and policy improvements against CSEC.
The Agenda for Action against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children provides a detailed framework and categories of actions to be taken by governments in partnership with civil society organisations and other relevant actors for combating CSEC. Broadly, these actions have been focused on: 1) Coordination and Cooperation; 2) Prevention; 3) Protection; 4) Recovery and Reintegration; and 5) Child Participation. The Agenda for Action has thus been the formal and guiding structure used by governments that have adopted it and committed to work against CSEC. It has also been used in the past to structure and guide the research, analysis and preparation of information presented in CMRs on the status of implementation of the Agenda in individual countries.
In October 2015, ECPAT International submitted a Network Development Project Proposal to the Human Dignity Foundation,[3] which was approved in December of that year.
Within the project, an ECPAT International Strategic Framework for Africa (2015-2018) was proposed, linked to priorities under ECPAT International’s own Strategic Framework Goals that will guide the work of the organisation and its network in Africa from 2015-2018. The Framework for Africa was developed through a series of consultations in 2013 and 2014, which gathered input on priorities and strategies to combat CSEC in the continent from the ECPAT Africa network and key stakeholders including the African Union, UN agencies and various other international, pan-African, national and local organisations.
These Africa consultations emphasised the need to apply concerted efforts towards bridging gaps in the general areas of protection, prevention, policy and legal frameworks, and enforcement. They also highlighted prevailing vulnerabilities to CSEC in need of urgent attention such as sexual exploitation of children online, sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism, children in mixed migration flows and those caught in armed conflict. Consequently, the Strategic Framework addresses these identified issues as well as sets a core aim of building the capacity of the ECPAT network in Africa to enable members to conduct effective advocacy work at the national, continental and international levels. In the Africa Region, the project will support the implementation of key elements of the ECPAT Regional Strategy for Africa, already developed by ECPAT’s members in this region for the period 2015-2018 and the assessment of its implementation and results.
One of the specific objectives of the Africa Framework was to “convene, broker and lead cutting-edge research, knowledge creation, and dissemination.” One of its sub-objectives was to “increase knowledge on the commercial sexual exploitation of children in Africa in order to better protect children from commercial sexual exploitation and provide comprehensive, reliable and up-to-date information on CSEC in 10 countries in Africa.”
In order to meet these objectives, it was decided that two CMRs on CSEC would be produced for countries that will be reviewed by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, the Universal Periodic Review of the UN Human Rights Council or the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. Based on these criteria, and the above objectives, Zimbabwe was chosen as the second country in which to carry out research.
Purpose of the CMR
To increase knowledge of the commercial sexual exploitation of children in Zimbabwe in order to better protect children from commercial sexual exploitation and contribute comprehensive, reliable and up-to-date information on CSEC at the national and regional levels.
Specific Objective
To produce a comprehensive and up-to-date Country Monitoring Report (CMR) on CSEC in Zimbabwe as part of ECPAT’s Strategic Framework for Africa (2015-2018).
Scope of the Report
This report should provide a comprehensive baseline of information on CSEC in the country; assess achievements, challenges and priority actions to combat CSEC; and serve as an advocacy instrument among various stakeholders and duty-bearers within the country as well as internationally, including the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.
The CMR will, at a minimum, address the following elements/issues related to CSEC:
· National Plans of Action
· Coordination and Cooperation at local, national, regional and international levels
· Prevention Mechanisms
· Protection Measures (law and policy) for each manifestation of CSEC
· Access to Justice for Victims and Survivors
· Child and Youth Participation
· Recommendations for Action
Methodology
The primary responsibility for preparing the CMR will be the Lead Researcher within Zimbabwe, with feedback and technical advice from the ECPAT Secretariat, ensuring that the CMR meets an agreed upon common standard. The standard is based on ECPAT’s CMR Guidelines, which describe the structure and content of the Report. The Lead Researcher should construct the CMR based on these Guidelines.
Preparatory work for the CMR will involve a review of the literature available, including law and policy, on sexual exploitation. Secondary sources will provide the basis of the information for the report, including CRC country and alternative reports as well as the UNCRC’s Concluding Observations and Recommendations, OPSC country and alternative reports, the reports of the UN Special Rapporteurs, as well as research and field studies of ECPAT, governmental and non-governmental organisations, regional bodies and UN agencies.
This information will be processed and analysed and then formatted into a draft report by the Lead Researcher in the country. A number of tools have been prepared to assist the researcher in his or her work and to ensure consistency in the gathering, interpreting and analysing of information from different sources. These tools include a detailed glossary of CSEC terms, guides to determine reliable/unreliable sources as well as relevant CSEC-related research tools, and guidelines on the type of information to be collected and how to organise it. The ECPAT Secretariat will review and provide feedback on the draft report. The Report should be in English and ideally between 50-100 pages in length.
Professional Qualifications
Essential
· Advanced degree in human rights, law, international relations, social sciences or equivalent.
· At least three years of professional experience, specific proven experience in research of at last one year.
· Proven excellent research and analytical skills; experience in drafting and commissioning research papers.
· Proven knowledge of children’s rights and international legal frameworks.
· Experience in working with human rights and social development issues specifically as they relate to the rights of children.
· Excellent English language capability.
Desirable
· Previous experience working in Zimbabwe
· Specific knowledge on Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children
Requirements for entities/organisations
· Project lead must comply with the eligibility requirements for individuals
· Entity must be legally registered in the country where it is located.
· Must provide a description of the team.
Final Outcome
The CMR will conclude with final recommendations for action which reflect the most important CSEC themes/concerns in the country. Once finalised, the report and recommendations will be used by ECPAT staff, as well as local, national, regional and international organisations, in advocacy within Zimbabwe as well as the region. There is the possibility for a launch or roundtable validation upon completion of the report.
Time Frame and further information: see http://www.ecpat.org/about-ecpat/employment/
HOW TO APPLY:
Terms and Conditions
· Supervisor: Catherine Mbengue, ECPAT Regional Coordinator for Africa
· Interested candidates are requested to send an expression of interest, including a CV, demonstration of research expertise, and cover letter indicating requested honorarium. ECPAT accepts proposals from a consortium to deliver the research project; proposals from specialised Academic Centres are thus welcome.
· Submission of expression of interest: vacancy@ecpat.net, please mention in the subject line: Lead Researcher, Zimbabwe CMR
