Call for Expressions of Interest – Hosting of CSO Network on Anti-Human Trafficking in the Horn of Africa

Terms of References
1. Project context
The objective of the Better Migration Management III (BMM III) Programme is to improve the human rights-based management of safe, orderly and regular migration and to support national authorities addressing the trafficking in human beings and the smuggling of migrants within and from the Horn of Africa. The BMM III Programme has three components: 1) Migration Governance, 2) Effective institutions to address Trafficking and Smuggling, and 3) Protection.
The Programme is commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and co-financed by the European Commission and is implemented from October 2022 to September 2025. The implementation is facilitated through an Implementing Partnership consisting of IOM, UNODC, CIVIPOL, British Council, and the lead agency GIZ. The Programme’s intervention partner countries in the Horn of Africa region are Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan and Uganda.
2. Regional CSO context
In its Protection component, BMM III aims to improve the protection of victims of trafficking (VoTs) and vulnerable migrants at local, national and regional level. BMM III therefore supports civil society organisations (CSOs) to strengthen their capacity in various areas of management and knowledge to improve the protection of and assistance to vulnerable migrants and VoTs. Over the past seven years, BMM III has facilitated the formation and supported an informal regional network of CSOs, the East and Horn and Africa Anti-Trafficking (EHAAT) Network. The network consists of around 100 CSOs based in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda. Organisations from Tanzania occasionally join network activities. All member CSOs are grassroot CSOs working in the field of protecting migrants and victims of human trafficking or promoting migrants’ rights. The goal of the network is to enhance regional cooperation in the area of protecting migrants and victims of trafficking, to share best practices and to promote mutual learning. BMM supports the network through training, coordination and logistical support and organisation of regular exchanges.
The EHAAT Network implements a series of regular activities. They meet in an annual hybrid-format Forum, they hold monthly learning calls for exchanges on good practices and they participate in regional CSO trainings on topics such as organisational development, gender-based violence and survivor’s voices. They also have produced one-off outputs such as a regional mapping of routes of VoTs and vulnerable migrants, social media guidelines, study tours and principles of practice. At country level, each national CSO coalition elects annually a volunteer coalition coordinator. The CSO coalition coordinators meet on a quarterly basis to update each other and take decisions on matters concerning the network. At regional level, CSOs stay in touch with each other through a mailing list. Currently, BMM
provides the link for the online meetings, funds in-person meetings, updates the mailing list and makes documents such as meeting minutes available.
Support through the BMM III Programme finishes in June 2025. As part of the regional CSO sustainability roadmap, developed at the Regional CSO Forum 2022, the EHAAT Network aims to be organisationally sustainable by 2025. Regional CSOs will take over several tasks, such as writing and sending their own minutes (starting 2024) and searching for their own funding for in-person meetings (starting after the end of BMM). Some minor external support will still be needed to facilitate the coordination of the network.
For this purpose, the network is seeking an established organisation that can serve as the hosting organisation for the EHAAT network beyond BMM. To facilitate the transition of the network to the hosting organisation, BMM is seeking Expressions of Interest (EOI) for interested and suitably qualified organisations.
3. Aim
The aim of the hosting organisation is to ensure the regional CSOs can continue to function as a regional network beyond the programme duration of BMM. This EOI serves to identify a suitably qualified organisation to be contracted by GIZ to facilitate the transition until the programme end in June 2025.
4. Tasks
BMM requests interested organisations to submit innovative proposals indicating the organisation’s plan to host, support and further strengthen the network beyond BMM. From mid-2025 the hosting organisation is expected to provide the following services without BMM support:
a. Provide an online platform to facilitate and host regular meetings, trainings and other knowledge exchanges.
b. Provide and maintain an online space for EHAAT documents, such as training material, minutes, presentations, while maintaining data security
c. Maintain an up-to-date contact list of and for network members
d. Coordinate fundraising efforts and activities for the network.
e. Support in preparation of EHAAT meetings where needed.
To support the transition from BMM to the hosting organisation, GIZ can provide the following support under a grant agreement or local subsidy:
• Facilitate participation of 1-2 staff of the hosting organisation at the 2024 Regional CSO Forum in June expected to be held in Kenya. The staff are expected to facilitate the Forum to discuss modalities of cooperation between the hosting organisation and the EHAAT network.
• Facilitate participation of 1-2 staff of the hosting organisation at the 2025 Regional CSO Forum in June 2025 expected to be held in Ethiopia to receive and discuss feedback on the ongoing cooperation and transition.
• Small scale support to upgrade IT infrastructure or staff or organisational capacity to enable the hosting of the network sustainably. GIZ cannot fund software licenses as these would not be sustainable beyond the end of the BMM programme.
• Other small scale support based on the proposal from the successful hosting organisation.
For sustainability, GIZ cannot support staff or administrative costs during the transition.
After the end of the contract with GIZ, the hosting organisation is expected to maintain their cooperation with the EHAAT Network and provide continuous support where needed.
5. Timeline
The contract will cover the period April 2024 – June 2025 (end of implementation of BMM III).
6. Inputs by GIZ
GIZ will provide the following:
• Supporting documents such as documents providing context about the regional CSO network in English;
• Facilitating contact with regional CSOs;
• Organisation of the Regional CSO Forum in 2024 and 2025 and related reporting;
• Regional CSO documents to be uploaded on the CSO online space and links to related websites;
• EHAAT network mailing list;
• Feedback on the online space and cooperation between CSOs and the hosting organisation;
• Logistical tasks, including organising meetings and supporting CSO participation.
The above-mentioned items should therefore not be included in the budget accompanying the proposal.
GIZ is the owner of all provided material and documents. The hosting organisation is therefore not allowed to use or sell it to third parties.
7. Requirements
Organisations expressing their interest to function as a hosting organisation for the EHAAT network are expected to have the following qualifications and minimum structures:
• Be a legally registered entity in the country of operation;
• Have been operating in the field of migration or trafficking in human beings for a minimum of 5 years;
• Have core funding for at least two full-time employed staff until 2027;
• Have the organisation and administrative capacity to receive funding from substantial donors such as UN, EU, GIZ, GFEMS, USAID, etc demonstrated by proof of at least two successful funding contracts (min. 50,000 USD each) in the past 5 years;
• Experience steering networks, consortia, etc. demonstrated by at least 2 examples of projects or similar
• Track-record of successful advocacy, regionally or internationally, in the field of migration, trafficking of human beings, human rights or a related field, demonstrated by at least 2 examples of projects or similar;
• Capacity to safeguard sensitive information online (absence of data protection infringements in the last 5 years);
• No political or religious affiliation;
• Experience working in the East Africa or Horn of Africa region.
In addition, organisations expressing their interest to function as a hosting organisation will be subject to a commercial suitability assessment.
8. Expression of Interest
The EOI should include a motivational letter addressed to GIZ, documents verifying the organisational suitability as required under section 7 and a proposal on how the organisation envisages to host the EHAAT network. The proposal should address the following points in details:
• How does the organisation fulfil the requirements under section 7?
• How will the organisation execute the tasks a-d under section 4 beyond 2025?
• How will the organisation facilitate the transition of the EHAAT network to the new hosting organisation?
• What support is required from GIZ to facilitate the transition under the contract proposed under section 4?