Request for Expression of Interest

Consultant: Economist - Project: Disrupting Harm “evidence to understand online child sexual exploitation and abuse”

ORGANISATIONAL CONTEXT

ECPAT International is a global network of organisations working together for the elimination of the sexual exploitation of children (SEC) in all its manifestations i.e. exploitation of children in prostitution, online child sexual exploitation, sale and trafficking of children for sexual purposes, sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism and some forms of child, early and forced marriage. The ECPAT Network currently consists of 109 members working as independent organisations or coalitions at national and local levels in 96 countries.

The ECPAT International Secretariat coordinates the global work of the organisation and is based in Bangkok, Thailand. The Secretariat designs and implements global and regional level programmes, and undertakes programming, advocacy and research to facilitate a range of network initiatives.

PROJECT BACKGROUND

ECPAT International recently secured funding for the implementation of the project Disrupting Harm: evidence to understand online child sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA), a collaborative project along with Interpol and UNICEF office of Research – Innocenti supported by the Fund to End Violence Against Children. The project will assess the scale, nature and context of the abovementioned issue in 14 countries across Southern and Eastern Africa and Southeast Asia, starting in early 2019 and ending in early 2021.

The three organisations will leverage existing research, conduct primary research and rally key partners and multi-sectoral stakeholders to:

• Establish context by conducting extensive research to map the policy and legal landscapes;
• Analyse the threat via the collection and analysis of crime data as well as other types of data;
• Ensure children’s voices are heard via cross-sectional, nationally-representative household surveys.

The research framework and outputs are envisioned as an important step towards in-depth analysis of online child sexual exploitation and abuse, to produce key findings and identify priority areas for adequate interventions. The project will also pilot new methodologies to determine the context, scale and manifestations of these crimes in 14 countries, with recommendations expected to have relevance for a broader audience.

The six countries of focus in the Southeast Asian region are Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. The eight countries of focus in the Southern and Eastern Africa region are Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Mozambique, South Africa and Namibia.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Within this collaborative partnership, ECPAT is responsible for a “contextual research” component of the project. ECPAT will undertake this research in two distinct phases: phase one of the project involves comprehensive exploration of the existing secondary data on legislation and systems addressing OCSEA at country level, and in phase two ECPAT will directly undertake primary research activities to fill gaps in the data that were identified in the first phase. This research will be tailored to the country contexts.

Fourteen national level reports and two regional level reports will be generated as well as data reports for the six major primary research activities. ECPAT’s role in the project includes the consolidation of findings of all three project partners in country and regional level reports.

With the technical advice and support from experts within ECPAT’s Secretariat, a project-team has been established, including a Project Manager, Regional Specialists and Research Officers, and a pool of about 12 specialised research consultants for country level research and regional consolidation.

ONLINE CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE NATIONAL ASSESSMENTS

ECPAT International is seeking an Economist with a strong background in financial analysis of public spending and donor funding.

KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

• Research and financial analysis of national level spending by 14 target countries on prevention and responses to OCSEA and where possible differentiate the spending in different categories, e.g. social services, the education sector, law enforcement, etc. As well as differentiate between government spending and donor funding.
• Report on analysis and findings, including findings on cost-effective strategies as well as validate the findings with donors and with national governments (in collaboration with the DH field team).
• Provide data for each country in spreadsheet

DELIVERABLES & DUE DATE

• Develop a methodology for data collection and analysis in consultation with DH team - 24 Dec 2019
• Data collected from all the 14 target countries on expenditure to respond to OCSEA in the years 2017-2019 as well as validation by governments and donors - 30 April 2020
• First draft of report - 15 May 2020
• Final report - 1 June 2020

PROFILE

Core Competencies

• Significant experience financial analysis in similar areas;
• Fluency in English;
• Excellent time management and multi-tasking skills;
• Ability to work autonomously;
• Strong interpersonal and negotiation skills;
• Accountability.

Qualifications & Experience

• Qualifications in economics and/or finance;
• At least five years of professional work experience in financial analysis.

TIMEFRAME

It is expected that the consultancy will require 50 working days over a period of 8 months. Detailed planning and work plans will be established in the induction phase of the consultancy. In principle it is envisaged that the work will commence on 15 November 2019.

MANAGEMENT AND REPORTING ARRANGEMENTS

The collection of data will be the responsibility of the Consultant. Throughout the project, the Consultant will report to the Disrupting Harm Project Manager. ECPAT International, Disrupting Harm Regional Specialists and ECPAT members will provide support to ensure cooperation from various national level government and civil society actors.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• The consultant is expected to be home-based, using own computer and communication equipment and facilities
• Interest from a consortium or agency can be considered
• All discussions and documents relating to this Terms of Reference will be treated as confidential by the parties
• It is not envisaged that the Consultant will need to travel. However, if travel is needed, it will be carried out according to ECPAT International’s Travel Policies and Procedures and related costs will be compensated in addition to the consultancy fees
• The Consultant is expected to act at all times in a manner consistent with the values of ECPAT

International and in compliance with the organisation’s policies and procedures including Child Safeguarding Policy and the Code of Conduct

Application process

• Download ECPAT’s Personal History Form here (https://www.ecpat.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/ECPAT-International-Personal-History-Form-Recruitment.doc).
• Submit a completed Personal History Form and your cover letter to vacancy@ecpat.org
• Mention your name and the title of the position in the email subject line

ECPAT International is committed to keeping children safe. The selection process reflects our commitment to the safeguarding of children.

Note that only short listed candidates will be contacted*

Deadline :15 November 2019

Candidates based in one of the research target countries are considered before any other candidates.

ECPAT International is committed to keeping children safe. The selection process reflects our commitment to the safeguarding of children. The process may include requests for criminal/ police records.

Job Email id: vacancy(at)ecpat.net