FINAL EVALUATION OF THE PROGRAM “COMBATING TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS IN PERU”

1. Program Background

Human trafficking, recognized as a contemporary form of slavery and a crime against humanity, thrives in Peru, particularly in regions near illegal mining operations such as Madre de Dios and Puno, due to their remote locations and lack of government presence. Despite governmental initiatives like a National Action Plan and a Multi-Sector Commission Against Trafficking in Persons, enforcement remains inadequate. The country’s Tier 2 Classification in the U.S. Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report in 2020 was attributed to budget cuts for anti-trafficking efforts, failure to submit mandated reports, lack of prosecutions, and inadequate services for victims, including adult and male victims.

Illicit gold mining exacerbates the issue by fostering human trafficking through forced labor and sexual exploitation. Although the Peruvian Government, as part of its efforts to combat illegal gold mining in the Amazon, disrupted a human trafficking network in Madre de Dios under ‘Operation Mercury’, challenges in criminal law enforcement continue to permeate the system, including a lack of sufficient financial resources for criminal enforcement agencies and a need for increased capacity building efforts for justice system officials to effectively investigate, prosecute and adjudicate cases in the Amazonian regions of Madre de Dios and Puno.

ABA ROLI has implemented a program to combat human trafficking in Madre de Dios and Puno since October 1st, 2020; the program will conclude on November 30th, 2024. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of State J-TIP Office. Its goal is to strengthen regional capacity in Madre de Dios and Puno for justice sector officials to effectively investigate, prosecute, and adjudicate human trafficking cases through a victim-centered and trauma-informed approach. The program has five objectives:

• Objective 1: Increase the number of systematized, victim-centered human trafficking investigations and prosecutions by members of law enforcement and prosecutors.
• Objective 2: Train security forces to improve proactive human trafficking victim identification, screening, and referral procedures in areas of illegal mining in the region of Madre de Dios and Puno, particularly in the course of broader, long-term security operations.
• Objective 3: Improve methods for ensuring victim-centered, trafficking-informed approaches in investigations (including illegal mining and related investigations) and prosecutions in Madre de Dios and Puno.
• Objective 4: Strengthen methods for victim-centered, criminal justice proceedings and effective investigation, prosecution, conviction, and sentencing of human trafficking cases.
• Objective 5: Strengthen investigations and prosecution of child and adolescent trafficking crimes in the regions of Puno and Madre de Dios.

2. Purpose of the Evaluation

The evaluation is commissioned by ABA ROLI’s Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Division. The purpose of the evaluation is to measure the effectiveness, relevance, coherence, sustainability, impact and generation of knowledge of the processes, activities and results obtained during the program. In addition, to assess the incorporation of victim-centered and trauma-informed approach throughout the program.

The audience for this evaluation is the Department of State’s J-TIP Office, the Government of Peru (Central Government and Regional Governments in Madre de Dios and Puno), ABA ROLI and other development partners.

3. Evaluation Scope

The evaluation will be a final program evaluation and shall cover the implementing period starting on October 1st, 2020, up to date.

The geographical coverage of the evaluation is the regions of Puno y Madre de Dios, as the target regions of the program. In consequence, field visits in these regions must be arranged as part of the evaluation.

4. Evaluation criteria and questions

The evaluation should address the following questions:

Evaluation criteria/ topics

Evaluation questions

Effectiveness

• Has the program achieved its objectives and results, as per the program’s technical narrative, and what is the evidence? If not, has some progress been made towards the achievement of results or have other results, which are not explicit in the technical narrative, been achieved?
• Were there external challenges that impacted progress towards the objectives? How were these challenges mitigated?

Relevance

• Was the program consistent with relevant Peruvian Government’s strategic priorities and policies (Central Government and Regional Governments in Madre de Dios and Puno)?

Coherence

• How are the program strategies compatible with other interventions in the country?

Impact and sustainability

• What are the intended or unintended (positive and negative) effects of the program?
• How long-lasting will the benefits derived from the program endure beyond its scheduled duration? Are there social or political risks that could jeopardize the sustainability of the program results?

Lessons learned and good practices

• What lessons can be learned from the planning and implementation of the program (reflecting on the workplan, logic model, and indicators set for the program)?
• What good practices in victim-centered and trauma informed approach have emerged from program implementation?

Victim-centered and trauma-informed approach

• To what extent has victim-centered and trauma-informed approach been incorporated throughout the program?

5. Proposed Evaluation Methodology

The evaluation methodology must arise from agreements and consultations between the evaluation team and implementer staff on what is feasible to meet the purpose and objectives of the evaluation, based on a first technical proposal prepared by the evaluation team and presented during the call phase of the consultancy’s service.

Relevant secondary information sources will be reviewed and analyzed, such as the documents prepared during the design of the program and the management documents completed during the implementation of the program. Primary information will come from interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs) conducted with direct program stakeholders (donor, implementer partners, governmental representatives, strategic allies, justice system operators and other relevant stakeholders). The evaluation team’s work plan should include an interview list and proposed field visits to the regions of Madre de Dios and Puno. The evaluation team is encouraged to suggest alternative methodological approaches during the planning stage. For example, given the sensitive nature of trafficking issues, the evaluation team could suggest alternative or additional approaches that can maximize data collection and analysis.

The evaluation team will enhance the proposed approach and offer more precise insights into the evaluation process within the Evaluation Inception Report. The evaluation will involve active participation in both its design and execution, with the methodology being refined through further collaboration between implementer staff and the evaluation team, without compromising evaluator team’s independence and impartiality. A detailed evaluation design matrix and data collection tools must be presented to ABA ROLI as a part of the inception report and prior to the field visits. The methodology description should address both the strengths and limitations of the finalized evaluation approach.

The collected data will undergo analysis by the evaluation team to yield credible insights into the evaluation questions and highlight significant trends and issues. The data collected must be analyzed through triangulation between the information collected in the interviews, the documentary review or other information collection tools. In this way, the findings, conclusions, lessons learned and recommendations obtained from the analysis of this information must have a solid basis in evidence and maintain the same logic with each other.

In conducting the evaluation, the evaluation team needs to consider relevant international standards, such as the assessment criteria and principles from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Ethical aspects such as confidentiality, informed consent, etc., must be considered during the evaluation. ABA ROLI will provide the evaluator with an evaluation quality review rubric, which will be used to assess the quality of deliverables in advance of the engagement.

6. Deliverables

The main deliverables of the assignment include the following, written in English and Spanish:

1. Inception report: It will include a comprehensive workplan with a task timeline, evaluation approach, methodology outlining the approach to address each evaluation question, detailed descriptions of team responsibilities, a data analysis plan, and an outline of report structure.
2. Draft and Final Evaluation Reports: 20- 30 page report (excluding appendices), electronically in both Word and PDF formats. The evaluation report must adhere to the following criteria to ensure its quality:
   • The evaluation report should reflect a thorough, well-researched, and well-structured effort to impartially assess program successes, failures, and underlying reasons.
   • All evaluation questions specified in the scope of work must be addressed.
   • The report should incorporate the scope of work as an annex, and any alterations to it, whether in technical specifications, evaluation questions, team composition, methodology, or timeline, need to be agreed upon in writing by ABA ROLI.
   • Detailed explanations of the evaluation methodology, tools used (e.g., questionnaires, checklists, discussion guides) and raw data collected from primary data sources should be provided in an annex within the final report.
   • Evaluation findings should assess outcomes and impacts on both males and females. Whenever appropriate, the report will include graphics and charts summarizing program data.
   • Limitations inherent in the evaluation, especially those related to methodology, must be disclosed in the report.
   • Evaluation findings should be based on analyzed facts, evidence, and data rather than anecdotes, hearsay, or aggregated opinions. They should be precise, concise, and supported by robust quantitative or qualitative evidence.
   • Proper identification and listing of information sources (e.g. list of individuals interviewed/ FGD’s participants) are required in an annex.
   • Recommendations must be substantiated by specific findings and should be action-oriented, practical, and precise, assigning clear responsibility for implementation.
3. Findings and recommendations presentation, and brief paper: Presentation of findings and recommendations to relevant ABA ROLI Staff will be accomplished; a copy of the presentation material along with a brief (1-3 pager) will be provided.

7. Technical Qualifications and Experience Requirements for the Evaluation team

The team leader will oversee the elaboration of the final evaluation and manage overall team coordination. The technical proposal to be delivered during the call must include a brief description of the roles and responsibilities of each member of the evaluation team. The profile of the lead evaluator is as follows:

• At least 7-10 years of experience in program/ project evaluation; experience conducting evaluation in human rights issues is required (at least 2 evaluations); TIP experience is preferred.
• Masters degree in social sciences, political sciences, or another related field. Specialization in gender issues, human trafficking, human rights, and similar topics is highly desirable.
• Extensive experience in designing and implementing evaluation methodologies, including quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques, surveys, interviews, focus groups, and data analysis.
• Comprehensive understanding of the dynamics, trends, and manifestations of human trafficking in Peru, including legal frameworks, victim identification, and support services.
• Experience in evaluating programs in Peru;
• Native proficiency in spoken and written Spanish;
• Proficiency in both oral and written English;
• Sensitivity to diverse cultural contexts and experiences of trafficking victims, including their vulnerabilities, needs, and barriers to accessing assistance.
• Strong interpersonal, presentation, writing and communication skills to interact with program stakeholders, communicate evaluation findings effectively, and facilitate constructive dialogue for continuous improvement.

The lead evaluator will form an evaluation team whose members must possess a university degree in social sciences, law, economics, political science, or similar fields. Team members should possess extensive knowledge of Peru’s political, social, and economic landscape, and have expertise in human trafficking with a broader understanding of human rights issues. Proficiency in employing “best practices” methods and programming within the social sciences is essential. Moreover, team members should have experience in participating in evaluations or assessments. Ability to conduct interviews and discussions effectively and to write proficiently in English, is crucial. Ideal candidates should be Peruvian nationals residing in Peru.

8. Budget and logistics

The evaluation is anticipated to be undertaken between June and October 2024. The estimated level of effort for the lead evaluator is around 40 days. The budget for the assignment is USD 20,000, which covers all the expenses incurred as part of the consultancy, including consultants’ fees, travel expenses, and local taxes.

The evaluation team should be able to make all logistic arrangements to travel within Puno and Madre de Dios to conduct the activities as part of the consultancy and should not expect any logistic support from ABA ROLI.