Call for Expressions of Interest: Global Fund Senior Advisors

ABOUT

The Global Fund to End Modern Slavery is an international, multi-donor fund launched in 2017 to catalyze a coherent global strategy to end forced labor and human trafficking.

Working in collaboration with governments, philanthropy, and the private sector around the world, the Global Fund is mobilizing resources, designing innovative public-private partnerships, convening and organizing actors in the field for collective action, funding new tools and methods for effective programming, and equipping partners to scale and replicate the known solutions that have demonstrated impact. We invest in solutions that have the potential to catalyze systemic change. We invite you to read more about the fund’s strategy, investments, and impact at www.gfems.org.

PURPOSE

The Fund is seeking global experts to help deepen our expertise and drive our strategic expansion into new geographies, issue areas, and interventions in the fight to end modern slavery.

Modern slavery intersects with many global issues, including as climate change, supply chains, migration, and gender and racial inequality. A systemic approach to ending modern slavery requires targeted consideration of these intersections and the ways that they amplify the prevalence of human trafficking. The Fund is looking to partner with demonstrated experts and strategic thinkers on several of these themes in order to broaden our reach and launch cutting-edge new programs.

This is a rolling opportunity and interested candidates are encouraged to apply early.

Benefits of Becoming a Global Fund Senior Advisor

• Help create innovative, high impact programs;
• Contribute to the public discourse on strategies to end forced labor and sex trafficking around the world;
• Potential to publish research on new ideas and contribute to the Global Fund’s public engagement;
• Engagement with high level stakeholders across government, the private sector, and civil society to capture insights and build relationships;
• Work with a terrific entrepreneurial team and our world-class partners.

SCOPE OF WORK

Global Fund Senior Advisors will develop, design, and advise on the implementation of new programs to end modern slavery around the world. They will play a hands-on, entrepreneurial role and work alongside a passionate team committed to combatting human trafficking.

Senior Advisors will be responsible for:

• Developing concepts, including initial research and scoping;
• Program design, taking concepts from theory into practice; 
• Provision of expert support to ongoing program implementation;
• Co-creation of intellectual capital in the field of modern slavery.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE/ QUALIFICATIONS

We are particularly interested to hear from candidates from the Global South, and from individuals with personal lived experience of modern slavery.

Global Fund Senior Advisors should have deep subject matter expertise in the intersection of modern slavery with one or more of the following areas (applicants with expertise in 2+ areas will be prioritized): 

Cross-cutting themes:

• Survivor inclusion and leadership: ensuring survivor leadership at the global and local levels in responses to modern slavery, and practicing survivor-centered design for anti-trafficking and survivor support efforts.
• Environment & climate change: e.g. climate change-induced migration, clean energy supply chains, or the intersection between deforestation and modern slavery.
• Gender & equality, with a focus on the unique ways that women and girls are affected by trafficking: e.g.,in the apparel industry, forced marriage, commercial sexual exploitation, domestic work, or the means to address vulnerability for women and girls e.g .financial empowerment, identity, education and training.
• Corruption and dark money: e.g. its role in facilitating and financing trafficking and how it can be best addressed.
• Data science and AI: e.g. using data science or other innovative uses of data to identify modern slavery in geographic hotspots, in supply chains, or through financial transactions.
• Legal systems and access to justice: e.g., strengthening justice systems to define, prevent, and detect violations; ending impunity for traffickers; imposing penalties, including fines, for wrongdoing; and supporting victims/survivors to receive justice, compensation, and recognition.

Private sector themes: 

• Sustainable supply chains: e.g. efforts that increase standards, evidence, tools, and practical results for knowledge and tracing of supply chains e.g. in business practices, trade agreements, regulation.
• Development and implementation of ESG criteria and other sustainable and ethical business standards that will impact investment, business, and regulatory decision-making.
• Ethical recruitment: e.g. opportunities for transforming the recruitment industry to eliminate abuses and fees.
• Financial empowerment: e.g. how financial inclusion and literacy, skills and livelihoods development act as protection against traffickers, risky migration, debt bondage, and sustainable freedom for survivors.

Geographic areas of interest:

• West and Central Africa; Central and Latin America; South Asia

Key sectors of focus:

• Forced labor interventions within key sectors: agriculture, manufacturing including apparel, and/or seafood.

Specialists in other aspects of anti-trafficking work are also welcome to apply, but the stated areas of interest will be prioritized.

Applicants should demonstrate a proven track record of experience and/or skills in several of the following areas: 

• Developing and scoping concepts;
• Program design, including implementation practicalities;
• Trauma-informed approaches to program design;
• Government, private sector, and/ or civil society engagement;
• Presentation of information (written and verbal, in English) in a concise, insightful, clear, structured manner;
• Entrepreneurial aptitude: able to independently identify tasks and priorities, and a willingness to roll up their sleeves and get to work.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

INSTRUCTIONS TO THE RESPONDENTS

Interested respondents should submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) following the prescribed format in the Submission Requirements section of this opportunity. Adherence to the EOI format by all respondents will help ensure a fair evaluation.

EOIs will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Respondents are encouraged to apply early. 

If you have issues submitting your EOI or questions about the webforms, please email olivia@gfems.org  with “Senior Advisors Program” in the email subject line. 

This Call in no way obligates GFEMS to award a contract nor does it commit GFEMS to pay any cost incurred in the preparation and submission of a EOI. GFEMS bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes.

SELECTION PROCESS 

An award may be made to one (1) or more responsible respondents whose EOI follows the Call instructions, meets the eligibility requirements, and meets or exceeds the minimum required technical specifications, and is judged to be the best value to GFEMS. Please note that if there are significant deficiencies regarding responsiveness to the requirements of this call, an EOI may be deemed “non-responsive” and thereby disqualified from consideration. GFEMS reserves the right to waive immaterial deficiencies at its discretion. GFEMS reserves the right to award under this call without further negotiations or cancel this call at any time. 

It is anticipated that Senior Advisors will be invited to take part in a vetting process following their submissions that will involve virtual interviews, at a minimum.

Applications will be evaluated based upon: 

1. Ability to match the qualifications set forth in this call (70%)

2. Price (30%) 

GENERAL CONDITIONS 

Submissions lacking the appropriate completed forms will not be considered. Submissions will not be accepted at any other GFEMS location other than the email address above. If changes are made to this call, notifications will be sent to the primary contact provided to GFEMS from each respondent. GFEMS takes no responsibility for effective delivery of the electronic document. 

This call does not commit GFEMS to award a contract, pay any costs incurred in preparing a EOI, or to procure or contract for services or supplies. GFEMS reserves the right to accept or reject any or all submissions received, to negotiate with all qualified sources, or to cancel in part or in its entirety the call when it is in the Fund’s best interest. 

The respondent shall disclose any indictment for any alleged felony, or any conviction for a felony within the past five years, under the laws of the United States or any state or territory of the United States, or any other Jurisdiction, and shall describe circumstances for each. If an indictment or conviction should come to the attention of GFEMS after the award of a contract, GFEMS may exercise its stop-work right pending further investigation, or terminate the agreement. 

Respondent confirms that persons having powers of representation, decision-making or control over them have not been convicted of a criminal offense concerning their professional conduct by a final judgment.

Respondent confirms that they have not been guilty of grave professional misconduct; proven by any means which can be justified.

As applicable, respondent confirms that they are not bankrupt or being wound up, are having their affairs administered by the courts, have entered into an arrangement with creditors, have suspended business activities, are subject of proceedings concerning those matters, or are in any analogous situation arising from a similar procedure provided for in national legislation or regulations.
 

Respondent confirms that they have fulfilled obligations relating to the payment of social security contributions or taxes in accordance with the legal provisions of the country in which they are established, or those of the country where the contract is to be performed.

Respondent confirms that they or persons having powers of representation, decision-making or control over them have not been convicted for fraud, corruption, involvement in a criminal organization or money laundering by a final judgment.

Respondent confirm that they do not make use of child labor or forced labor and/or practice discrimination, and/or do not respect the right to freedom of association and the right to organize and engage in collective bargaining pursuant to the core conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO).

It is the Fund’s Policy that no gifts of any kind and of any value be exchanged between respondent and GFEMS personnel. Discovery of the same will be grounds for disqualification of the respondent from participation in any of the Fund’s procurements and may result in disciplinary actions against GFEMS personnel involved in such discovered transactions. 

Respondent must disclose any financial or organizational interest – as an employee, consultant, business partner, investor, shareholder, borrower, lender, beneficiary, board member or trustee – in an actual or potential competitor, contractor, sub-contractor, customer, client, vendor, donor or recipient of GFEMS, that might produce a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest should this contract be awarded. 

Respondent warrants that it shall not discriminate because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, non-disabling physical and mental disability, political status, matriculation, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, status as a veteran, physical handicap, age, marital status or any other characteristic protected by law. United States law prohibits transactions with, and the provision of resources and support to, individuals and organizations associated with terrorism. The respondent under any award resulting from this call must ensure compliance with these laws. 

By submitting an EOI in response to this call, the respondent, if selected for award, agrees that it will comply with all federal, State, and local laws applicable to its activities and obligations under the Contract.