660RFI23000002 Counter-Trafficking in Persons.pdf

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

Request for Information Number: 660-RFI-23-000002 Notice Type: Request for Information (RFI)

Subject: USAID/Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Request for information from broad community concerned with Counter-Trafficking in Persons in DRC

Issuance Date: January 27, 2023 Closing Date: February 16, 2023 Closing Time: 15:00 (3:00 PM) local time Kinshasa, DRC

United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is the principal U.S. Government agency providing development assistance around the world. Since Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) independence in 1960, USAID has partnered with the government and people to improve Congolese citizens’ quality of life, increase the effectiveness of national institutions and strengthen the foundation for durable peace.

The USAID Mission in the DRC is in the process of designing a new Counter-Trafficking in Persons (C-TIP) Activity. By issuing this Request for Information (RFI), USAID/DRC aims to consult with the broad community of private sector actors, public institutions, development partners, non-governmental organizations, industry associations, civil society, think tanks, and academia concerned with C-TIP in DRC. Your comments will be used to develop a design document that is clear, maximizes long-term development impact, facilitates coordination with existing and planned USAID and other development partner programs, as well as aligns with the Government of DRC’s (GDRC) priorities.

Responses to this RFI shall not be portrayed as applications and will not be accepted by the U.S.

Government (USG) to form a binding agreement. This RFI is not to be construed as a commitment by the USG to issue any Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) or ultimately award an agreement on the basis of this RFI, or to pay for any information submitted as a result of this request.

Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. It should be noted that responding to this RFI will not give any advantage to any firm or organization in any subsequent procurement and will not lead to an organizational conflict of interest.

USAID/DRC will not provide answers to any questions submitted in response to this request. The information contained within the RFI is intended solely as a thought-piece; ideas may change significantly during the activity’s design and approval process.

Responses (i.e., comments/answers, suggestions, and enhancements) to this RFI are due no later than the date and time shown above. To expedite our review and be considerate of your time, please keep responses to no more than 3 pages in length, 12-point font. Responses may be submitted in English or French. Please number each page consecutively. While the limit on the length of submissions is 3 pages, we value concise, issue-specific comments. Information provided in response to this request for information must be received in writing; telephone calls and hand-carried documents will not be accepted.

Please do not submit Applications, proposals, or resumes as they will be discarded. Proprietary information should not be sent. USAID may use any information provided for the planning purpose.

Please note that as per 2 Code for Federal Register (CFR) 25, applicants must be registered in System for Award Management (SAM) (www.SAM.gov) prior to submitting an application for an award for USAID’s consideration. Note: SAM registration is NOT required to respond to this RFI.

Please send responses to this RFI via email to lgilpin@usaid.gov and kinshasaproposals@usaid.gov with the subject title “Request for Information (RFI): USAID/DRC Counter-Trafficking Activity”, no later than the date/time stated above. You will only receive an electronic confirmation acknowledging receipt of your response. No feedback will be provided on comments received.

USAID/DRC would like to re-emphasize that applications are not being requested at this time.

USAID/DRC reserves the right to or not to incorporate any and all of your comments provided into future project designs.

Thank you for your assistance and interest in USAID/DRC programming.

Sincerely, Michele Maximilien Contracting/Agreement Officer USAID/DRC Office of Acquisition and Assistance https://sam.gov/content/home https://sam.gov/content/home mailto:lgilpin@usaid.gov mailto:kinshasaproposals@usaid.gov

Background

The human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo remains dire. Trafficking in persons, among other issues, is undeniably large scale and multiform. NORC at the University of Chicago assessment found several forms of trafficking in persons such as forced labor, child labor, forced begging, commercial sexual exploitation (CSE), forced marriage, and forced recruitment into illegal armed groups (both internally and across the borders). To reverse this trend, the GDRC created the Agency for the Prevention and the Fight Against Trafficking in Persons (APLTP) - a national coordination body in the Office of the Presidency.1 As of 2022, DRC has been on the Trafficking In Persons (TIP) Tier 2 watch list for three consecutive years and faces an automatic downgrade to Tier 3, if significant and measurable progress is not made to remain on Tier 2.

Falling to Tier 3 in 2023, would trigger immediate restrictions on USAID non-trade and non-humanitarian assistance beginning in FY 2024. This situation remains a high priority for both the GDRC and USG.

A new anti-trafficking in persons bill was signed into law on December 26, 2022. With the adoption of this new law, DRC has a unique opportunity to transform the TIP landscape. This legal instrument will be essential for criminalizing all forms of trafficking and bringing effective prosecutions. However, the government still needs some help to adequately plan for the implementation of the law and other relevant tools. For example, the new agency to prevent trafficking lacks capacity to effectively engage with DRC civil society organizations (CSOs) and coordinate the interventions at the national and provincial levels. The Ministry of Social Affairs and the Child Protection division, the Ministry of Gender, judicial personnel, and private services providers do not have adequate social service technical skills and judicial investigation skills needed to embed good C-TIP practices, and effectively educate the population about the danger of trafficking in persons. At this time, there is no effective system in place to respond to TIP cases or to ensure that survivors have access to medical, psychosocial, legal, economic, and social resources needed to recover.

The USAID/DRC Mission remains committed to build upon past and current interventions to further address the GDRC’s weak institutional capacity to coordinate and implement counter-trafficking policies at the national and provincial levels. Your comments will inform the design of this much anticipated activity.

1 APLTP was dissolved in January 2023 and replaced with a new structure - the Agency for Youth and the Fight against Sexual Violence and Trafficking in Persons.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1hT2sG173ia_oFSYzIJqyR0t6Qinfeiw2 https://drive.google.com/open?id=1hT2sG173ia_oFSYzIJqyR0t6Qinfeiw2

Questions for Response

USAID/DRC seeks responses and feedback to any or all of the following questions related to C- TIP in DRC, in the areas of prosecution, prevention, and protection.

RFI questions

DRC context:

● What are the main GDRC and non-government institutions that should be involved in a counter-trafficking in persons program? How could USAID engage with them?

● What should be the key priority areas over the next five years to improve the capacity of government and non-government institutions in establishing systems to prevent, identify, and respond to trafficking in persons?

● How could USAID build on previous investments to secure cross-sectoral collaboration in the fight against trafficking in persons?

● What opportunities exist to expand access to services to at-risk communities and victims of trafficking at the national, provincial, and community levels?

● If you were to implement a program in DRC, where are the three provinces you would prioritize?

Prosecution:

● What is the most viable strategy to engage various sectors in a successful implementation of the newly adopted anti-trafficking law?

● What can USAID do to help reverse the general acceptance of trafficking in persons that exists in many provinces and communities across DRC?

● What could be the role of universities, law schools, students, and bar associations in disseminating information about the new anti-trafficking law, expediting prosecution of traffickers, and increasing access to justice for victims of trafficking?

● Are there good practices and/or lessons learned from international judicial cooperation against trafficking in persons that could be used in the context of DRC?

● What type of support should be provided to the judiciary and law enforcement authorities for more effective prosecution of those perpetrating the trafficking in persons?

● Given the capacities of the criminal justice system along with social conflicts in the country, what are the opportunities for quick results in the counter-trafficking area would you propose?

Prevention/Protection:

● Are there models of shelter and sustainable reintegration services for victims of trafficking programs in other countries that may be applicable to the DRC context?

● How could social media deter trafficking in persons in DRC?

● What possibilities exist in DRC to implement anti-trafficking messaging, anti-trafficking narrative and other broad-based communications programming to inform citizens of the dangers and reduce trafficking in DRC?

● How can religious communities raise awareness about the dangers of trafficking in persons?

● How would you propose to assist the GDRC in rolling out the new anti-trafficking law?

● What would be the negative externalities that could emerge from potential trafficking prevention programs in DRC?

● Are there lessons learned from previous counter-trafficking programs that can be applicable to the DRC context?

● Please briefly summarize any additional information you deem useful for the design of an anti-trafficking program in DRC?