USAID Asia Counter Trafficking in Persons Quarterly Progress Report, FY17 Q2

The five-year activity aims to combat trafficking in persons by strengthening learning around TIP, improving coordination and cooperation between source, transit, and destination countries, and reducing incentives for trafficking in persons through private sector engagement. During the first project reporting period from January 1 to March 31, 2017, Winrock leveraged its presence and experience on the ground to quickly launch project operations. Key personnel signed employment agreements, mobilized, and took up their assignments, while recruitment for additional staff was initiated. A temporary office was established in Bangkok, and permanent space was secured for occupancy early next quarter. Winrock also introduced project partners and stakeholders to the project through a joint USAID-Winrock press release, a webinar for core partners and collaborating organizations, and a series of introductory meetings with key CTIP actors representing the USG, UN agencies, civil society, the private sector, and research organizations. In early March, Winrock held a Partner Workshop bringing together the Winrock home and field office USAID Asia CTIP teams with its five project implementing partners: SSG Advisors, NEXUS Institute, The Mekong Club, Global Alliance Against Trafficking in Women, and Liberty Asia. The Workshop provided a forum for partners to learn about each other's work, discuss and clarify program design and interventions, and develop the Year I Work Plan and Monitoring and Evaluation Plan submitted to USAID/RDMA on March 22, 2017. Winrock worked closely with partners and RDMA to develop approaches and define details for the systematic review to be conducted by NEXUS, the private sector landscape assessment to be led by SSG, GAATW's research institute assessment, and an M&E Working Group. Meetings were held with USAID and other stakeholders, including UNACT, IOM, IOM X Project, ILO, PROGRESS, AAPTIP, and USAID OCEANS, to initiate coordination and discuss collaboration. The report includes further detail on these activities, as well as a full summary of Leader and Associate Award activities, an update on the M&E Plan, contributions to the RDMA development screens, challenges and problems encountered, and future direction and activities. Key accomplishments this quarter included the immediate initiation of start-up in Bangkok upon notification of the award, key personnel signing employment agreements and mobilizing, recruitment for additional staff initiated, a temporary office established in Bangkok, and permanent space secured for occupancy early next quarter. The Winrock home office and field project team and implementing partners participated in an orientation and work planning session, and the Year One Work Plan and M&E plan were completed after extensive consultation with USAID/RDMA, partners, and other key stakeholders. The program mobilization efforts were successful, with key personnel hired, on-boarded, and mobilized in Bangkok. Recruitment for other positions was initiated, and the start-up process was significantly aided by Winrock's existing presence and staff in the country. This coordination among Winrock USAID projects will continue throughout the project as office space and select operational functions and positions are shared.