Consultancy on Final Evaluation for the Tackling Modern Slavery in Viet Nam Project  (TMSV)  – Phase 3

Position Title:	Consultancy on Final Evaluation for the Tackling Modern Slavery in Viet Nam Project  (TMSV)  – Phase 3
Duty Station:	Home-based, mainly based in Ha Noi office.
Type of Appointment:	Consultancy Contract
Directly Report:	M&E Officer under close supervision of Programme Manager of the Tackling Modern Slavery in Viet Nam (TMSV) project
Closing Date:	10 August 2025

 

Established in 1951, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is the UN’s leading agency on migration. It collaborates with key stakeholders – migrants and Member States – to promote safe, orderly, and regular migration. IOM provides services and advice to governments, migrants, and other stakeholders to enhance the benefits and opportunities of migration while addressing its challenges. In Viet Nam, since its establishment in 1987, IOM has been responding to evolving migration dynamics through a comprehensive approach to migration management, focusing on migration governance and policies, migrant protection and assistance, labour migration, as well as preparedness and resilience.

 

  

I. Project Background

Since August 2022, IOM launched the Tackling Modern Slavery in Viet Nam Phase 3 (TMSV3) project, aiming to safeguard vulnerable populations from modern slavery risks and enhance the Vietnamese government’s capacity to combat trafficking in persons (TIP) through innovative, evidence-based, and coordinated interventions. It focuses on empowering individuals and communities with informed migration decisions, strengthening reintegration support for victims and migrants in vulnerable situations (MiVSs), and bolstering institutional frameworks and law enforcement capacities, centred on the three pillars of Prevention, Protection and Prosecution. Key activities include social media-driven awareness campaigns, school-based TIP prevention, youth-led initiatives, vocational training, legal and policy reform advocacy, as well as reintegration support for victims of trafficking and migrants in vulnerable situations, including survivors of cyber-enabled trafficking. The project integrates gender equality, safeguarding, and monitoring mechanisms to ensure inclusive, sustainable, and impactful outcomes aligned with the UK’s Modern Slavery Fund objectives. 

The TMSV project is implemented at both national level and provincial level namely as Hai Phong, Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Quang Binh (now called Quang Tri), with designed objectives and expected outcomes as follows:

Objective: The project will contribute to a more efficient nationwide system response to human trafficking in and from Viet Nam.

Outcome 1: Individuals and communities are empowered to make informed decisions on migration.   

• Output 1.1: Robust evidence base is developed to inform the design, monitoring and evaluation of interventions.
• Output 1.2: Safe migration messaging is received and used effectively at central and community levels.
• Output 1.3: Skills training and employment opportunities are promoted and accessible for target groups.

Outcome 2: Victims of trafficking and migrants in vulnerable situations successfully reintegrate into their communities of return  

• Output 2.1: Capacities of reintegration partners and service providers are strengthened for improved outreach and referrals to support victims of trafficking and migrants in vulnerable situation aligned with international and national standards
• Output 2.2: Victims of trafficking and migrants in vulnerable situations are identified and supported for their reintegration

Outcome 3: The Government of Viet Nam proactively identifies and effectively responds to all TIP forms through strengthened capacity and cooperation.  

• Output 3.1: Cooperative mechanisms among law enforcement agencies and key stakeholders are put in place.
• Output 3.2: Interagency task force effectively facilitates the identification, investigation, and prosecution of TIP cases by all forms.

 

 II. Evaluation objectives

The final evaluation of TMSV3 is being conducted for accountability and learning. It will look at the six criteria of: relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability^[2]. To this end, it will assess the project’s achievements against its key objectives and intended outcomes, including reexamination of the relevance of the project design. It will also identify factors that have facilitated or impeded the achievement of the project objectives. The Final Evaluation will also identify actionable recommendations based on the most important results, lessons learned, and best practices to inform future programming.

The donor (UK), IOM Viet Nam, the project implementing partners (IPs), relevant Government agencies, and the project beneficiaries are the main audience for this evaluation and will use the lessons learned to improve quality of IOM response for future programmes. Best practices, lessons learned, and recommendations will be shared with involved partners, beneficiaries and other stakeholders in Viet Nam and beyond as adequate. 

To date, there have been a range of monitoring and evaluation activities implemented on the TMSV project activities. The evaluation will consolidate and build on the findings and lessons learned that have been identified where applicable.  

 

III. Evaluation scope  

The evaluation will cover all three pillars of the project, prevention, protection and prosecution. The period under review will be from August 2022 until the end of December 2025 to ensure that the final evaluation report will be submitted together with the final report.  As such, the evaluation will also cover some of the completed activities under the costed extension period to the extent possible. 

The project covers four provinces of Hai Phong, Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Quang Binh (now called as Quang Tri) and corresponding districts. It will be important to include a sample of local stakeholders in addition to those at national level in Ha Noi (IOM staff, state agencies such as Minsitry of Public Security, Ministry of Labour Invalids and Social Affairs (now merged to Ministry of Health, Central Women’s Union and Central Youth Union (now merged to Fatherland Front), and NGOs)

It also assesses the mainstreaming of cross-cutting issues such as safeguarding, Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI), innovative approach, etc in the project design, implementation and results achieved mainstreaming these principles. Importantly, it will capture lessons learned to inform future programming.

 

IV. Evaluation Criteria and Questions:

The evaluation questions below, based on the OECD/DAC criteria are provisional and indicative, and will be reviewed and refined by the Evaluator(s) and IOM’s Evaluation Advisory Group (refer to the enclosed TOR for the Evaluation Advisory Group) in the scoping and inception phase of the evaluation process. The question set includes main questions and relevant sub-questions for specific interviewees.

 

1. Relevance

a. To what extent did the project’s objectives and activities respond to beneficiaries’ needs and Viet Nam’s national priorities (e.g. the National Plan of Action on Human Trafficking Prevention and Combat 2021-2025), legal frameworks (e.g., the revised TIP Law), and the strategic goals of the Modern Slavery Fund?

• Is the project well-designed (results matrix, Theory of Change and risk analysis) to deliver the intended objective and outcomes and responsive to TIP context in Viet Nam?
• To what degree have the project’s design and implementation been informed by evidence, stakeholder consultations, and lessons learned from previous TMSV phases?
• To what degree are the project’s cross-cutting strategies (i.e. safeguarding, GESI) relevant to the diverse needs and experiences of beneficiaries, including women, youth, and returnees?

2. Coherence

a. To what extent has the project engaged relevant government entities/institutions? What are the possible opportunities/ resources to further this engagement?

b.Do synergies exist between TMSV3 and other interventions carried out by IOM Viet Nam, government agencies and development partners to tackle modern slavery and irregular migration? To what extent do these interventions support or undermine the project?

c. How well are the project’s cross-cutting themes—such as safeguarding, gender equality, and social inclusion—integrated into broader institutional policies and practices of implementing partners?

3. Effectiveness:

a. To what extent have the project’s interventions achieved the intended outcomes and outputs, particularly in reducing TIP vulnerabilities and enhancing government response capacity?

• Across all pillars, are the target beneficiaries satisfied with the services provided?
• How effective were the in-person communication campaigns (e.g., community outreach events, community meetings and school-based activities) in increasing awareness and promoting safe migration behaviours among target populations?
• Were the vocational training and job placement activities successful in improving the employability of local job seekers, including young aspirant migrants and possible returnees, in hotspot provinces?
• To what extent did the project’s social listening tools and other M&E practices inform and improve the design and delivery of interventions across different components?

b. What are the major factors influencing the achievement of the project’s desired outcomes?

• How effectively has TMSV3 leveraged existing partnerships (e.g. with MoET, MoFA, MPS, civil society organizations, etc.) and coordination mechanisms (e.g. Counter-Trafficking Network, Reintegration Subgroup, and so on) to ensure complementarity and avoid duplication of efforts?
• To what extent has the project adapted or can adapt to changing external conditions to ensure project outcomes?

4. Efficiency:

a. How well are the project resources (funds, expertise and time) used in a cost-effective manner to convert into the intended results within the planned timeframe? How did the project tap into existing resources available by other actors?

b. How efficient were the coordination mechanisms among the project IPs, government stakeholders, and community actors in delivering project activities?

• Were there any delays or bottlenecks in implementation, and how were they addressed to minimize impact on project outcomes?
• How did the project’s management and reporting structures support timely decision-making and adaptive implementation across its various components?

5. Impact:

a. To what extent has the TMSV3 project contributed to reducing vulnerabilities to TIP of targeted individuals and communities in Viet Nam?

b. How has the project influenced the capacity of government actors and civil society to apply innovative and coordinated responses to modern slavery and TIP?

c. To what degree does enhanced awareness of the knowledge gained from participating in at least one form of training or activities (either on-site or online) of the project lead to concrete actions against TIP?

6. Sustainability:

a. To what extent are the project’s key interventions likely to be sustained by partners and institutions after the project ends?

• What evidence exists that the project’s policy engagement and capacity-building activities have led to sustained institutional or legislative changes in Viet Nam’s counter-trafficking framework?
• What mechanisms have been established to ensure the continued use and institutionalization of tools and platforms introduced by the project?
• How have partnerships with key ministries (e.g., MoH, MPS, MoET) and local authorities contributed to the long-term integration of TIP prevention and victim support into national and provincial systems?

b. To what degree have reintegration efforts under TMSV3 incorporated the Integrated Approach to Reintegration and improved the long-term economic, social and psychosocial outcomes for victims of trafficking and migrants in vulnerable situations?

c. What evidence exists that the project’s gender equality, safeguarding, and monitoring approaches will be maintained or scaled by stakeholders beyond the project’s lifecycle?

 

V. Evaluation Methodology

The Evaluator(s) will, to the extent possible, consult the following stakeholders:

• TIP survivors
• Aspiring migrants and returnees
• Community members
• Project IPs and other relevant actors (e.g., NGOs, UN agencies, private sectors, etc.)
• Government partners and departments
• British Embassy in Ha Noi
• UK Home Office
• IOM staff including project staff

The Evaluator(s) will employ mixed methods to triangulate qualitative and quantitative data and reach findings and conclusions in each phase, as outlined below.

Phase 1: Scoping and Inception Phase – The first phase involves rapid desk review of key documents provided by the IOM Project team. IOM will provide the Evaluator(s) with all relevant documentation and information, including project data and documents, internal and external reports, research outputs, and survey reports as well as other documents that will be considered relevant.

IOM will also discuss and agree with the evaluation team on the timelines of key milestones and provide a list of key informants from IOM, beneficiaries, and other partner organizations and stakeholders to be interviewed. In the first phase, the Evaluator(s) will also develop the data collection tools that will be used in the second phase.

Quantitative field data collected during previous monitoring conducted will be made available to the evaluation team. The main output of the scoping and inception phase will be an Inception Report, to be reviewed by the EAG and approved by IOM.

Phase 2: Structured Field Work Phase – In the second phase, the evaluation will employ a mixed-method approach entailing data collection and triangulation of qualitative and quantitative data to put together a comprehensive and credible evidence base to assess project implementation. At the end of the data collection, a short report with preliminary findings will be presented. To the extent possible, remote phone-based or virtual data collection will be applied as a cost-effective measure. 

Phase 3: Report Preparation Phase – This stage of the evaluation involves drafting and finalizing the final report, derived from the data and information collected during Phases 1 and 2. The report will deliver a thorough assessment of the TMSV 3. Members of the EAG will be invited to review and provide comments on the draft of the final report.

Phase 4: Dissemination – The evaluation team will deliver a final debrief to communicate the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the evaluation, and to facilitate strategic reflection and uptake of useful lessons and recommendations. 

The evaluation must follow the IOM Data Protection Principles, United Nations Evaluation Group norms and standards for evaluations, as well as relevant ethical guidelines. 

Bidders are invited to elaborate in their Technical Proposals on the intended approach(es) to data collection and the targeted amount of data to be collected: e.g., for qualitative data collection, the minimum number of Key Informants Interviews (KIIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) to be conducted; for quantitative data collection, the targeted sample size and the sampling methodology should be elaborated along with the analysis techniques to be employed. 

Respondents, Informants and FGD participants will be selected in close coordination with IOM, based on relevance and other methodological or protection-related considerations. The Service Provider is also responsible for the definition of appropriate data collection tools, which will be reviewed by IOM before their deployment.

 

VI. Ethics  

This assignment will entail data collection which may include vulnerable individuals and households. It is essential that data collection is conducted in full compliance with recognized ethical standards. This includes the need to obtain and record the informed consent of the respondents/participants to prevent or avoid situations where they may (directly or indirectly) be subject to any harm by making themselves available to the research. Perspective Service Providers are also invited to demonstrate a clear understanding of IOM Data Protection principles in their proposals, and to elaborate on how these are incorporated in their proposed approach and plans. During the assignment, the Service Provider is required to apply the data collection guidelines, protocols and the consent formulae suggested by IOM.

 

VII. Evaluation Deliverables

The Evaluator(s) will generate the following major outputs in English, subject to review by relevant IOM staff and the Evaluation Advisory Group. These include: 

1. Inception report of maximum 15 pages (excluding annexes), outlining the evaluation team’s understanding of the TMSV Phase3 and the purpose of the evaluation. It will include an evaluation matrix with the proposed methodology and workplan as well as data collection tools (i.e., interview guide for KIIs, FDG guides, questionnaires for consultations with beneficiaries, etc.) to be used.
2. Preliminary findings report of maximum 10 pages at the end of the data collection phase.
3. Draft Evaluation Report, outlining clear evidence-based findings, conclusions, and specific recommendations.
4. Final Evaluation Report, including a clear Executive Summary of no more than 20 pages.
5. PowerPoint Presentation to present the findings at the final debriefing.
6. Learning brief of no more than five pages outlining key methodology, findings, and conclusions as well as recommendations to be used for dissemination.

 

VIII. Specifications of roles 

Based on the ToR, the Evaluator(s) will carry out a review of documents provided by the Evaluation Manager and draft the Inception Report for review by the Evaluation Manager. To ensure a common understanding of the evaluation process and confirmation of working modalities, the Evaluation Manager, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, will arrange relevant meetings to agree on the working plan as outlined in the Inception Report.

The Evaluation Manager will be responsible for arranging interviews with project stakeholders and engaging in the Evaluation Advisory Group (EAG) throughout the process. The presentation on the initial findings following conclusion of the data collection and preliminary analysis will allow for any obvious oversights, misinterpretations, or information gaps to be identified and addressed before the Evaluator(s) begins drafting the full report. A draft report will then be developed and submitted to the Evaluation Manager within the timeframe indicated during the Inception process after the debrief and then finalized based on comments from the Evaluation Manager.  

Once approved by the Evaluation Manager, the report, brief, and evaluation-related documents will be shared with IOM’s regional office and specialists as needed. Once confirmed and reviewed, it will be shared with the donor and with IOM’s Office of the Inspector General.   

IOM expects the assignment to be fully completed by 28 February 2026.

In their Technical Proposals, candidates will provide a timeline for project activities and deliverables submission that is consistent with the completion timeframe indicated above.

 

Submission of Application

IOM is looking to receive proposals from individuals or consultant teams, preferably combining national and international members, to carry out the required work.

 

IX. Qualifications and Experience

Education  

Academic or professional background in Evaluation, Development Studies, Migration Studies, Social Sciences, Anthropology, or other relevant areas.   

Functional competencies  

• Demonstrated experience in carrying out similar evaluations preferably related to migrant rights and vulnerability, trafficking in persons, and return and reintegration, with particular knowledge about Viet Nam and its challenges to conducting evaluation work in this country;
• Knowledge of IOM and UK development aid standards and the local context in Viet Nam;
• Proven track record in conducting evaluations that involve sensitive populations, such as victims of trafficking and migrants in vulnerable situations;
• Proficiency in conducting qualitative research;
• Exceptional writing skills, with the ability to articulate complex findings in clear and concise English;
• Familiarity with the terminology, language, and style used by IOM and the UN;
• Ability to align communication and reporting with the standards and guidelines of IOM and the UN.

Behavioural competencies   

• Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure; 
• Ability to be flexible and respond to changes to text/layout as part of the review and feedback process; 
• Strong interpersonal skills, able to communicate and work with diverse people; 
• Participate effectively in team-based, information-sharing environment, collaborating and cooperating with others; 
• Focus on impact and results for the client. 

 

 X. Proposal submission   

 Applicants are required to submit their proposal (not exceeding 5 pages excluding resumes) with the following details:  

• A Technical Proposal which includes a breakdown of inception phase and data collection methodology and the suggested approach to be used in this assignment. A brief explanation of data collection, analysis and report writing phases should also be included, along with a draft work plan and timeline.
  • The Technical Proposal shall also include updated CVs of the expert(s) to be part of the Evaluation, and electronic copies/links of two most recent and relevant evaluations/publications/research performed by the applicant.  
• A Financial Proposal with a cost breakdown, including travel, interpretation and accommodation costs if required. Travel expenses shall be based on the most direct route and economy fare. Quotations for business class fare will not be considered.

Applicants should submit their applications via email, addressed as “Application for the Final Evaluation of the TMSV project” via email to the following address: [email protected] . All submissions with complete set of documents should reach IOM no later than midnight (GMT+7) on 10 August 2025.

 

[1] For international candidates who have already eligible to work in Viet Nam as work permit processing is not available for this assignment.

[2] In line with the revised evaluation criteria by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC), on 10 December 2019