USAID Laos Counter Trafficking in Persons Annual Report, Fiscal Year 2018

The program, implemented by Winrock International, began in October 2017 and is expected to run for five years. The program's overarching purpose is to reduce the vulnerability to human trafficking among targeted populations in the Lao PDR by supporting vocational training and employment opportunities of targeted vulnerable populations. The efforts will showcase a "model of prevention and protection" for the Government of Lao PDR to learn from, support, and sustain as it builds its response to counter human trafficking through the implementation of related national laws, policies, and programs. In the first project year, Winrock International hired a Chief of Party to lead the project in Vientiane, applied for and received an Operations Permit (OP) approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), initiated the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) development and application process with the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (MLSW), worked to develop relationships with the government and implementing organizations in Lao PDR, and began limited program implementation. Highlights from the last quarter of the project year include the selection of an office site, the review and approval of a Vulnerability and Economic Opportunity Study Request for Proposal (RFP) by MLSW, the recruitment efforts for a Program Assistant and Accountant, and the attendance of a consultation meeting on the role of lawyers in the prosecution of trafficking and the criminal justice system organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The program's objectives are to strengthen the Government of Lao PDR's response to lead anti-human trafficking efforts, improve access to economic opportunities and employment among target vulnerable populations, and increase access to support and services among trafficked persons. The program will achieve these objectives through improved coordination among government agencies, improved cooperation between government agencies and CTIP stakeholders, skills training based on labor market needs, enhanced private sector partnership, improved identification of trafficked persons, and improved availability and quality of services provided to trafficked persons. The program's approach will be purposeful and based on consultations with the Government of Lao PDR and CTIP stakeholders, operating within the context of what the Government of Lao PDR and their partners are currently supporting, as well as what they are identifying as needs in the response to human trafficking. The program will also operate within the context of the USAID Asia CTIP approach to monitoring and evaluation. In Year 2, the program will select a firm to conduct a Vulnerability and Economic Opportunity Study of four areas, Vientiane Capital, Savannakhet, Champasak, and Salavane. The Chief of Party intends to conduct provincial visits with officials from the MLSW and the selected firm to introduce the USAID Laos CTIP program, familiarize district-level officials with the study, and begin data collection. After these visits are concluded, the program will revise the MOU with any information collected and submit the first draft to MLSW, beginning the MOU negotiation process. The program's progress was hindered by limitations on project implementation caused by the Operations Permit and MOU processes. Despite these challenges, the program was able to establish a plan for the MOU application process, create a first draft of the MOU, and begin sharing office space with the CLEAN project. The program also released advertisements for a Project Assistant and an Accountant position, conducted phone interviews, and selected final candidates for in-person interviews.