Development of Standard Operating Procedures for Victims of Trafficking Trust Fund

Introduction

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Project Context and Scop

4.1 Project Context and Scope

Context

Funded by the U.S. Department of State, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is supporting the Ministry of Home Affairs and Police in combating Trafficking in Persons (TIP) under the project titled “Supporting Lesotho in the Protection of Victims of Trafficking and the Prosecution of Trafficking in Persons.

The Government of Lesotho has demonstrated its commitment to combating Trafficking in Persons (TIP) through the enactment of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, 2011 (as amended in 2021), and the establishment of institutional mechanisms aimed at preventing trafficking, protecting victims, and prosecuting offenders. The Act provides for the establishment of a Victims of Trafficking Trust Fund, intended to support assistance, protection, rehabilitation, reintegration, and recovery services for victims of trafficking. While the legal provision exists, the Trust Fund has not yet been operationalized, and there are currently no standardized procedures to guide its governance, administration, financing, accountability, disbursement, monitoring, and reporting.

IOM, in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs and Police, seeks to engage a qualified consultant to develop comprehensive Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the management of the Victims of Trafficking Trust Fund. Given that the Trust Fund provided for in the Act has not yet been operationalized, the consultancy shall not only develop SOPs but also propose a practical operationalization framework to guide the establishment and functioning of the Trust Fund. This framework should identify the institutional, governance, financial, administrative, and legal arrangements required to make the Fund fully operational and sustainable. The SOPs will serve as a practical guide for the establishment, governance, management, utilization, and accountability of the Trust Fund, in accordance with national legislation and international good practices.

4.2. Scope of Work

Overall objective 

The overall objective of the consultancy is to develop the operationalization framework and Standard Operating Procedures to guide the establishment, administration and effective functioning of the Victims of Trafficking Trust Fund.

Specific Objectives

1. Review the legislative and policy framework governing trafficking in persons and victim assistance in Lesotho.
2. Assess existing institutional capacities, gaps, and operational requirements necessary for the effective establishment and operationalization of the Trust Fund
3. Assess international and regional best practices relating to trafficking victim compensation and trust fund management.
4. Consult relevant stakeholders regarding the proposed governance and management arrangements of the Trust Fund.
5. Develop a practical operationalization framework for the Trust Fund 

6. Develop standard operating procedures for the administration and management of the Trust Fund

7. Facilitate stakeholder validation of the draft SOPs and the operationalization framework and incorporate feedback into the final documents.

8. Produce final validated operationalization framework and Standard Operating Procedures 

    

4.2.1 Scope of Work

The consultant shall undertake the following tasks, which include but are not limited to:

1. Review relevant Anti-Trafficking legislation, policies, strategies, guidelines, regulations, and victims assistance frameworks

2. Review international standards and best practices on victim trust funds, compensation mechanisms, and victim assistance programs.

3. Review examples of victim of trafficking trust funds and operationalization frameworks.

4. Review examples of standard operating procedures for the administration and management of the Trust Fund from other countries.

5. Conduct stakeholder consultations in the development of both the operationalization framework and the SOP.

The consultancy will contribute to the project titled “Supporting Lesotho in the Protection of Victims of Trafficking and the Prosecution of Trafficking in Persons.”