Home-based: Request for Proposal - Informal Tourism Sector Global Review

September 2023- November 2023 (apprx 20 working days)

Organisational Context: 

ECPAT International is a global network of organisations working together for the elimination of the sexual exploitation of children 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 126 members working at national and local levels in 104 countries. The ECPAT Secretariat coordinates the global work of ECPAT and is based in Bangkok, Thailand.

Background: 

ECPAT International, is embarking on a 3-year programme together with the Down to Zero Alliance (DtZ), to enrich global advocacy for empowering and mobilising informal economy actors in the fight against the sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism and online context.

ECPAT International has a long history of engaging with the formal tourism sector. Beyond engaging with the traditional business partners through The Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism (The Code), ECPAT International will document, develop, test on the ground and promote promising models and practices that allow engaging informal actors in preventive and responsive actions.

This literature review, combined with the experiences and models that will be additionally analysed for two countries in Latin America (Brazil and Bolivia), and further tested and adapted by other project partners are intended to inform the development of a guidance for civil society organisations, governments, and tourism authorities on how to work together on the creation of protective environments for children, with the participation of the informal economy, including shared economy, as a critical actors of change, beyond transnational and big companies.

Informality is a constant characteristic of the market in Latin America, and globally. The International Labor Organization defines the informal economy as “all economic activities by workers or economic units that are – in law or practice – not covered or sufficiently covered by formal arrangements”[1]. It estimates that the informal economy accounts for over half of all jobs in Latin America. The informal economy does not include the social benefits and protections that are part of the formal economy, including monitoring by governments through, for example, labour inspections. The pandemic has further aggravated the socio-economic crisis in the region, increasing the vulnerability of the communities, youth, and children to exploitation. Additionally, digital technology continues to transform all work sectors in particular through the sharing economy. This includes the raise of informal or not fully regulated accommodation through online platforms such as Airbnb, allowing private persons to rent out their premises outside of the government regulatory child protection measures if such exist.

In terms of the potential of involving informal economy partners, is that as community members they know local realities, and can be activated to become positive actors of change in creating protective environments for children.

Though the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights apply to a universe of tens of thousands of transnational corporations, and millions of other businesses, as well as the informal sectors, these to a large extent, remain out of reach.2 The Down to Zero approach would be to activate informal actors and help translate the principles into local work. Also, the efforts for the engagement of the informal or not fully regulated sector through voluntary measures, such as The Code have been limited, although recently Airbnb committed to creating safe environments for the communities by combating the sexual exploitation and trafficking of children.3

The 2018 International Summit on Child Protection in Travel and Tourism emphasised the importance of involving the informal sector in the protection of children in travel in tourism, considering that actors in this sector are typically close to both communities and tourists and have first-hand knowledge about what happens on the ground.

Importantly, to overcome barriers in engaging the informal sector, practical solutions and approaches need to be developed, reflecting local experiences that can be applied in practice on the ground.

Objective of the Consultancy: 

ECPAT International is seeking to contract experienced consultant(s) to conduct this literature review with the objective to:

1. Analyse existing literature and evidence on the role played by the informal sector in the travel and tourism industry, on the prevention, facilitation or response to child exploitation and in particular the sexual exploitation of children.
2. Analyse existing evidence on the impact of the shared economies in the travel and tourism industry on child exploitation and the sexual exploitation of children.
3. Collect and document existing approaches, models and practices of engaging with the informal sector, including the shared economy, in the travel and tourism industry to prevent (and respond to) child exploitation with a specific focus on sexual exploitation of children.

Geographical focus – while the literature review should capture global literature, a specific focus should be placed on Latin America and Asia – in particular countries of implementation of the project, ie Philippines, Thailand, Laos, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Guatemala, Dominican Republic.

Key Tasks: 

1. Conduct literature review of existing strategies and policies attempting to regulate the negative externalities of the informal sector, and the shared economy, within the travel and tourism sector supply chain, in relation to child exploitation and child sexual exploitation.
2. Document existing promising practices and models, and evidence of impact for engaging with the informal sector, and with businesses from the shared economy, in the travel and tourism sector , on topics related to child exploitation and child sexual exploitation.
   • In priority the literature review will focus on existing models, and practices of engagement of the informal sector and businesses within the shared economy in the supply chain of the travel and tourism sector
     • to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation of children;
     • to prevent and respond to various forms of child exploitation, including the worst forms of child labour;
   • The literature review will extend to reviewing existing models, and practices of engagement of the informal sector or businesses within the shared economy in other selected supply chains
     • to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation of children;
     • to prevent and respond to various forms of child labour, including the worst forms of child labour;
3. Analyse the existing practices and the current gaps and challenges to provide overall recommendations for engagement of the informal sector and the shared economy in the supply chain of the travel and tourism industry.

Key Deliverables: 

1. Global report of existing strategies, policies, practices and models of engagement of the informal sector and the businesses within the shared economy in preventing and addressing issues of child exploitation, in particular child sexual exploitation, globally and with a specific focus on the Latin America and Asia - Maximum 30 pages
2. General overview and summary of main findings, including an analysis of strengths and challenges or gaps identified with key recommendations - 10 pages

Parameters of the Desk based Research: 

Overall, the literature review is expected to include:

1. Desk review of open-source information
2. Academic papers / journals/ evaluations
3. Grey literature from selected sources (to be defined at the beginning)
4. Published literature from 2015 to 2023
5. Literature published in English, Spanish and French

Timeframe: This work would take place between September and November 2023.

Consultant Profile: 

• Demonstrated research and analytical skills
• Similar consultancies on child rights in the supply chain particularly in the informal economy
• Experience in researching social impacts in the informal economy
• Understanding of the shared economy
• Understanding of children’s rights principles in the business
• Knowledge of the travel and tourism sector
• Ability to work autonomously
• Excellent English (writing and speaking); Spanish is highly desirable – French a plus

Management and Reporting Arrangements: 

The consultant will report to the Director of Research, Learning and Communication and will work in close collaboration with the Head of Programme on the Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism and other members of the ECPAT team, including local researchers in Latin America.

Additional Information: 

• This is a home-based position; the consultant(s) will work from home or own office but should be available online for pre-arranged meetings with the ECPAT’s team in Bangkok, and colleagues in Latin America.
• The contracted entity 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 Staff Code of Conduct.
• This Requests for Proposals is open to individual consultants as well as agencies.

[1] The informal sector includes a wide range of jobs and activities with no work-based social protection, such as street or beach vending, seasonal workers, guides, home-based workers, taxi drivers or short-term contracts particularly common in the travel and tourism sector. International statistical standards distinguish between employment in the informal sector and informal employment. Employment in the informal sector is an enterprise-based concept and is defined by the characteristics of the enterprise in which workers are engaged.

How to Apply

Please send your expression of interest to vacancy@ecpat.org:

• CV
• Daily fee in USD

Deadline: please submit your expression of interest no later than13 September 2023.