Southeast Asia Campaign against Child Trafficking - Evaluation of regional and national networks by Plan Nederland

SALTET &

VAN DE

PUTTE

Southeast Asia Campaign against Child Trafficking Evaluation of regional and national networks

Bert van de Putte

Deventer, January 2011

Table of Contents 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

9. 10.

Introduction The TdH Anti Child-Trafficking Program in Southeast Asia The evaluation: approach and methods The 2006 evaluation Asia ACTs: activities and achievements Cambodia: activities and achievements 6.1. Overview of TdH-NL supported activities against child trafficking 6.2. Organization and management 6.3. Activities and achievements 6.4. Appreciation of performance of member organizations 6.5. Appreciation of Cambodia ACTs value added by members 6.6. Performance of TdH-NL supported projects 6.7. Follow-up of main recommendations of the 2006 evaluation Indonesia: activities and achievements 7.1. Overview of TdH-NL supported activities against child trafficking 7.2. Organization and management 7.3. Activities and achievements 7.4. Appreciation of Indonesia ACTs by stakeholders 7.5. Performance of TdH-NL supported projects 7.6. Follow-up of main recommendations of the 2006 evaluation The Anti Child Trafficking Networks in the other countries 8.1. Philippines 8.2. The other national networks Conclusions Recommendations

Appendices I. II. III. IV. V.

Summary of Terms of reference Resource persons Evaluation reports Results of projects in Cambodia Results of projects in Indonesia

Introduction

Terre des Hommes Netherlands (TdH-NL) supports activities in the context of the Campaign Against Child Trafficking in Southeast Asia since 2001. As part of its regular evaluation programming TdHNL has initiated an evaluation of these activities. A first evaluation of was conducted in 2005/2006, and covered the period since the start of support by TdH-NL to that date. The present evaluation covers the period January 2006 to October 2010. The aim of the evaluation is to account for the resources used as well as to document lessons learned from these activities. The focus of the evaluation is on the assessment of the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of the activities. Specific attention is given to the management of interventions by the networks at the different levels, including their secretariats. In addition to their support to the regional and national networks, TdH-NL supports individual partner organizations to fight child trafficking. The work of these partners is also subject of this evaluation. Child trafficking is defined as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of children for the purpose of exploitation1. Exploitation may include prostitution, child labor, begging, as well as adoption and other purposes. Child trafficking is a worldwide phenomenon, and also prevalent in Africa and Asia. It is driven by a combination of factors: poverty, weakness of child protection systems, basic needs that are not covered and cultural values of communities, including gender discrimination. Child trafficking is not always the result of the involvement of criminal elements. In many cases trafficking is the result of interventions by family or community members. Data on the incidence of child trafficking are very difficult to obtain. The illicit character of trafficking and its diffuse definition make that most information, both about the extent of child trafficking and the factors that caused it, are very imprecise and impressionistic. Estimates of the extent of child trafficking range from 300,000 (US State Department) to 1.2 million (UNICEF) in 2005. ILO estimated the number of children trafficked at 1.2 million worldwide in 2008. In Indonesia, the number of people victims of trafficking is estimated at 700,000 to 1 million per year. This includes adults as well as children. In Mekong area, many children that are victims of trafficking. There are indications that trafficking is not decreasing with the increase of living standards in many Southeast Asian countries. The unequal economic dynamics between countries and the unequal distribution of the benefits of rapid economic growth within the countries may be one of the factors that contribute to increasing human trafficking, including children. This evaluation was executed by R.A. van de Putte. The evaluation of the Indonesia ACTs activities was done by R.A. van de Putte and J. Ceelen. The authors wish to express their sincere gratitude to all staff of TdH-NL, the regional and national networks and the members and partner organizations for their sincere and open cooperation during the evaluation. The very effective support from the TdH-NL regional office made that the intensive program of visits could be executed as planned.

UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (2000)

The TdH-NL Anti Child-Trafficking Work in Southeast Asia

To address child trafficking, the TdH Federation (Lausanne) has developed three intervention strategies2: 1. Prevention: awareness raising of specific groups on safe migration, empowerment and awareness raising of children and communities, action to reduce demand, data collection, social work with children and communities at risk and education. 2. Advocacy: for policy/regulatory changes and law enforcement, training of authorities or communities, data collection and research, media coverage and dissemination of information. 3. Assistance to victims: withdrawal from the exploitative situation, rehabilitation and social integration. Networking is an integral part of the operationalisation of these intervention strategies. TdH-NL works through partner organizations to execute activities. A specific characteristic of TdHNL in Southeast Asia is that it prefers to select partner organizations that demonstrate a high degree of commitment to the work, but that also find it difficult to access funding from large INGOs. This implies that many of the partner organizations are relatively small, with limited organizational capacity. TdH-NL sees it as one of its contributions to strengthening civil society to help these organizations to enhance their capacity. For this purpose a separate project funding is made available (jointly with TdH-Germany), for capacity building (project ID-158). This project is not part of the Anti Child Trafficking program, but some of the partner organizations active in this program have benefited of capacity building support from this project. Child trafficking is an issue that requires coordinated interventions by many different actors in order to:  Develop better referrals between the State services (such as the child protection services or police), NGOs and communities.  Develop and improve collaboration with NGOs/contacts along the trafficking continuum linking source, transit and destination areas for victims of trafficking.  Harmonize anti-trafficking initiatives.  Avoid duplication of work through pooling resources. By establishing networks, Asia ACTs intends to strengthen the coordination of activities of different actors. The Anti Child Trafficking work supported by TdH-NL includes the following components:  The regional network Asia Against Child Trafficking (Asia ACTs) and the national networks in Southeast Asia aim to stop child trafficking in the region. These networks are established in the context of the International Campaign Against Child Trafficking and include: o The regional Southeast Asia Anti Child-Trafficking network (Asia ACTs) with a secretariat in Manila, Philippines. o National Anti Child-Trafficking networks (ACTs) covering, in principle, 7 countries in the Southeast Asian region (Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam). In each of these countries a national coordinator or focal point is elected/appointed, in some countries with a small support staff. Local or national NGOs are members of the national networks, together almost 150 organizations in the 7 countries. The number of members varies per national network, from 1 (Lao PR) to

Terre des Hommes Foundation (Lausanne), Child Trafficking – thematic policy (2006), p. 11.

80 (Philippines)3. In the Philippines membership includes also several hundreds of individuals. TdH-NL funding for the regional Asia network and the National networks amounts to € 2.3 million (see table 2.1) Table 2.1: TdH-NL support to the regional and national ACTs networks Amount (€)

Network Asia ACTs Burma ACTs Cambodia ACTs Indonesia ACTs Lao ACTs (VFI) Philippine ACTs (PACT) Thailand ACTs (CTWT) Vietnam ACTs (Ho Chi Minh Child Welfare Foundation Total

697,054 113,540 915,210 417,556 38,625 167,325 0 0 2,349,310

Note: part of the funding for Asia ACTs is used for the operational costs of the networks in Lao, Thailand and Vietnam.



A number of projects funded by TdH-NL, implemented by partner organizations, are considered to be part of the TdH-NL Anti Child-Trafficking campaign in Southeast Asia. The implementing partner organizations are usually, but not always, member of one of the national ACTs. During the period of evaluation, altogether 35 projects are implemented by 25 partner organizations. Table 2.2: TdH-NL support to individual partner organizations Country Burma Cambodia Indonesia Lao Philippines Thailand Vietnam Total direct project support

Number of projects 0 12 11 3 5 4 0 35

Total budget (€) 0 1,994,792 1,053,634 596,230 478,131 578,663 0 4,701,450

Source: TdH administration

The total budget allocated to the regional and national networks and the projects of partner organizations under the umbrella of Asia ACTs is just over € 7 million. Some of these projects had already started before January 2006, and some 17 projects are still on-going by the end of 2010, some continuing until 2012. The utilization of this budget, therefore, extends over a longer period. Funding for the activities originates from different sources:  TdH-NL is the main donor, with funds raised from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands (MFS and other), the European Union, the OAK Foundation and from private donations. OAK funding was US $ 66,342 for the 3-year period 2006 – 2009.  TdH-NL funds projects implemented by partner organizations. The funding for these projects originates from different sources. The main source is the MFS funding window of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. In addition to this, other funding is obtained from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and from the Dutch Postal Lottery (NPL)4.

3 4

For a list of members per country see www.asia-acts.org NPL: Nationale Postcode Loterij (National Postal Lottery)

The regional and national Asia ACTs have also raised funds from other sources. This includes small grants for specific activities, for example Unicef (Manila office). The national networks in Cambodia and Indonesia have raised more significant funds from the EC Delegation in Cambodia and Plan International in Indonesia respectively. This support is outside the scope of this evaluation. The modalities for each of these funding categories vary widely. With the exception of the MFS funding and the funds from TdH own resources and the NPL funds, all other support is administered as separate projects and requires separate reporting to the source of funds. The support from the European Union (March 2007 to February 2010) was coordinated by one staff based successively at the TdH-NL Headquarters in the Hague and at the TdH-Foundation liaison office in Brussels. Much of the actual program management and supervision has been delegated to Asia ACTs secretariat. The support from the OAK Foundation (2006 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2009) was supervised by TdH-NL Headquarters in The Hague, but also much of the actual program management and supervision has been delegated to Asia ACTs. Some national networks receive direct support from TdH-NL, and are supervised by the TdHNL regional office in Jakarta. All TdH-NL funding for partner organizations implementing projects considered to be part of the Anti Child-Trafficking program is also supervised by the Jakarta office. Figure 2.1: Overview of TdH-NL funding flows

Planning For the different sources of funding separate plans are drafted, and from the complexity of funding flows follows a complex web of plans. This includes overall plans of TdH-NL, plans made for and by the regional and national networks and plans for the individual project support from TdH-NL to partner organizations. Overall plan of TdH-NL There is no overall planning framework that covers all TdH-NL supported Anti Child-Trafficking interventions in Southeast Asia. The Anti Child-Trafficking activities are an integral part of the TdHNL program against child exploitation as described in the MFS-I subsidy proposal. This proposal for the period 2007 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2010 presents a plan that briefly describes the three standard MFS intervention strategies (i) direct poverty alleviation, (ii) strengthening of civil society and (iii) advocacy. The overall objectives of the program are formulated as follows: 1. To prevent child labor by providing support to vulnerable children and families. 2. Freeing and protection of children from the most extreme forms of child labor. 3. Improving the work situation and lives of working children. 6

4. Informing the public at large and local communities about child labor and child rights. 5. Strengthening the capacity of civil society organizations and government officials. 6. Combating economic and sexual exploitation of children at the level of governments and promoting better legal frameworks, law enforcement and policies. Plans for and by the regional and national networks The regional network is funded by TdH-NL with funds originating from MFS/private sources. In addition the funding from the EU and from the OAK Foundation is channeled through TdH-NL. For each of these sources of funding separate plans are made. The national networks make plans for the support provided by Asia ACTs (3 separate plans for MFS/private sources, EU and OAK Foundation respectively). Networks that receive direct funding from TdH-NL make separate plans for this support. Plans for activities and projects with individual partner organizations At the level of the partner organizations two types of plans are made: ď&#x201A;ˇ Plans for the support received from the national networks. For many organizations this includes separate plans for the TdH-NL support originating from MFS, plans for the support originating from the EU and from the OAK Foundation respectively. ď&#x201A;ˇ Plans for the projects that are directly supported by TdH-NL. These projects are all considered relevant for combating child trafficking, but most are not planned on the basis of the program level log-frames. The Anti Child-Trafficking activities are simultaneously described as a campaign and as a program. It is composed of a large number of projects and sets of activities that are individually planned and administered. Each of the levels involved, the regional network and its secretariat, the national networks and the partner organizations are independent organizations. There is no overall planning framework that includes the activities of the regional network, the seven national networks and the activities of the individual partner organizations. There is a degree of coherence between the regional and national networks, in terms of objectives, approach and mutual relationships, but this is less the case between the national networks and the projects of partner organizations directly supported by TdH-NL. In that respect it is not possible to perceive the Anti Child-Trafficking activities as a coherent program. From the point of view of TdH-NL, however, all activities it supports in the Southeast Asia region that address the issue of child trafficking are considered to be a program. From the perspective of stakeholders in the region Asia ACTs and the national networks are campaign networks. The projects supported by TdH-NL are perceived as separate entities. Coherence is therefore not an a priori design feature, but it is one of the functions of the networks to make members cooperate en coordinate their activities. These different perspectives must be taken into consideration for this evaluation. In the remainder of the report the term campaign will be used to describe the networks and projects that are the subject of the present evaluation.

The evaluation approach and data collection methods

The main purpose of the present evaluation is to:  Improve the delivery of the program and its effectiveness  Improve the management framework and coordination of the program at national and regional levels. In addition the evaluation will serve to account for the use of funds by the main donors to TdH-NL. The evaluation will have a dual focus:  At the overall level the evaluation will assess coherence (strategic directions and how these are operationalised in individual projects and other activities), synergy (thematic exchange and learning between projects) and the value added of the organizational format, i.e. the country and regional network functions, including network management and such aspects as joint action, specialization and distribution of tasks between actors.  At the project level the evaluation will assess the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of the design and implementation of the individual projects. The evaluation is based on data collected from the following sources:  Analysis of available documentation  Interviews and workshops with staff of implementing organizations  Interviews with external key informants  Visits to implementing organizations Analysis of available documentation Projects funded by TdH are routinely subject to evaluation. Of the 35 completed projects 23 have been evaluated by external evaluators. A list of the evaluation reports is presented in appendix II. Child trafficking is often an illegal activity, and valid and reliable information about the incidence and factors that cause child trafficking is scarce. To get information about the context, necessary to assess the relevance of the interventions, use was made of some studies published with the support of members of the TdH Federation. These studies are also listed in appendix II. To get an overview of the projects executed under the umbrella of Asia ACTs and the national networks, internal documents of TdH-NL proved to be useful, mainly the SPPR5, that are used for TdH-NL project approval. Interviews, workshops and visits to partner organizations At the regional secretariat, information from the analysis of documents was complemented by interviews with staff of the secretariat and with some advocacy “targets”. At the national level in the Philippines an interview was also held with senior staff of the Philippine national network (PACT) and with some organizations that have joined in the advocacy activities at the national level. In Cambodia and Indonesia interviews were first held with the staff of the secretariat of the national ACTs networks. Subsequently workshops were organized with senior representatives of the member organizations, mainly to identify the value added of the networks and identify strengths and weaknesses. These workshops were followed up by visits to most member organizations and individual interviews with senior staff of the member organizations to further explore these issues in detail, and for organizations that implemented TdH-NL supported projects to discuss the current state of the projects. 5

Summary Project Proposal Review

Stakeholder assessments The activities addressing child trafficking include a large number of activities of relatively limited scope and budget, either funded through the national ACTs networks, or TdH-NL directly. The performance of the organizations implementing these activities was assessed, based on discussions with the direct supervisors (from the ACTs networks or TdH-NL staff), and using information available from evaluations. All this information is consolidated in a rating by the evaluator. Ratings are given for:  The implementation of activities: is de implementation of the activities done according to the agreed plan.  Results: are the results as envisaged in the agreed plan. This concerns mostly results at the output level. The rating scales used are:  1: none/very little (0-30%)  2: insufficient (30-60%)  3: sufficient (60-80%)  4: completely/good (80+%) Network functions There are several documents defining the networks at different levels (amongst others statutes), but a coherent description of the functions expected from the regional and national networks was not found. From different documents and discussions the following list of expected functions of networks was drafted. External functions  Advocacy and lobby aimed at regional and national organizations  Communication and sensitization (enhancing broader public awareness).  Representation of the overall network in international platforms Network internal functions  Coordination, including specialization/complementarity.  Capacity building of national networks and their member organizations  Exchange of experiences, learning and development of tools and best practices  Administrative functions (supervision and management)  Handling of individual cases of victimized children These functions are used when describing the activities and achievements of the networks. Limitations At the level of the individual projects, the present evaluation builds, among others, on available project evaluations and final reports. It was found that these reports vary substantially in approach, definition of terminology criteria used and quality. Evaluations are done by different evaluators. Despite the fact that it is visible that TdH-NL has attempted to streamline the definition of evaluation criteria and the outline of reports, external evaluators often give their own interpretation to criteria and definitions. Not infrequently evaluators do not give an explicit assessment of the basic evaluation criteria as is asked in their terms of reference, and in several evaluations the recommendations imply conclusions that are not found under the heading conclusions. The effects of some types of interventions are difficult to assess. This applies to advocacy, counseling, changing cultural attitudes, raising community awareness on trafficking and to the longer term impact of education on the incidence of trafficking and cultural attitudes on trafficking. 9

The 2006 evaluation

Child trafficking is often the outcome of complex societal processes and attitudes. Addressing child trafficking is therefore difficult. Much is still to be learned on how best to deal with it in specific situations. Learning from your own experiences and those of others is essential to design relevant projects and for effective project and program implementation. It is therefore relevant to assess the follow-up of the 2006 program evaluation and other attempts to formulate good practice for interventions addressing child trafficking. The 2006 evaluation The overall conclusion of this evaluation is that the program has to a considerable extent achieved its objectives, i.e. the capacity of the general public, communities at risk, civil society and relevant government institutions to protect children against trafficking has increased. Key lessons learned and recommendations of the evaluation relevant for the design and execution of interventions and the management of the program are: Design and execution of the interventions  Design of relevant and effective interventions requires a systematic approach. Such a systematic approach will contribute to coherence of activities at regional, national and local levels and synergy among activities at national level.  Adequate analysis of vulnerability of children for trafficking will contribute to more effective targeting of activities.  Capacity building at all level (individual children, families, communities, civil society, local and national government) is vital to combat child trafficking.  The establishment of a data base/information system is important to strengthen program design and implementation. Specific suggestions for the Cambodia program are:  Continue with support to education, especially in remote areas.  Support communities to enhance livelihood development, strengthen psychological support to vulnerable families to prevent them from being tricked by traffickers, counseling services to reduce prevalence of alcoholism, gambling, domestic violence, rape and incest and enhance access to information.  Intensify action research and develop a comprehensive data base on child trafficking in Cambodia.  Introduce a local system of alert in villages with the participation of the community, local authorities and NGOs  Continue lobby and advocacy to strengthen law enforcement. Specific suggestions for the Indonesia program are:  Develop a programmatic, more strategic approach and enhance coherence between program components.  Develop and apply an approach labeled focused prevention: define sub-groups of high risk children and focus interventions on these children and their direct social environments (family and community).  Use Indonesia ACTs to map the strengths of implementing organizations to enhance coordination and synergy.  Increase the number of child beneficiaries. 10

Management of the program ď&#x201A;ˇ Asia ACTs should strengthen its role as a regional body. Its involvement in field interventions should be limited. In its role as regional body it should focus on monitoring campaigns and legislation in the members countries, collecting and promoting good practices and focus on regional issues that cannot be handled by individual partners or country networks, for example campaigns in receiving countries and cooperation with other regional agencies ď&#x201A;ˇ Clear demarcation between Asia ACTs and the national network in the Philippines is desirable. ď&#x201A;ˇ Institutionalization of the program at sub-national levels (district, province) should be prioritized.

Asia ACTs: activities and achievements

Since 2005 TdH-NL is the main source of funds for Asia ACTs. Between 2006 and 2010 other support was obtained from the European Commission and the OAK Foundation (through TdH-NL), TdHGermany, Unicef Manila, ILO-IPEC Manila, the Japan Foundation and Colour My World (Hong Kong). In its annual reports Asia ACTs describes its own activities and results as well as the activities and results of the national networks that it supports. In this chapter the focus is on the activities and achievements of the Asia ACTs network and secretariat itself, to the extent that it was possible to separately identify these from the overall activities and achievements. The activities and achievements of Asia ACTs for the main functions of the network (see chapter 3) can be summarized as follows: Advocacy and lobby aimed at regional organizations A major achievement of the regional network has been the adoption of the guidelines for the Protection of the Rights of Trafficked Children in SE Asia by ASEAN Ministers of Social Welfare and Development in their meeting in Hanoi in December 2007. Successful lobbying with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (SWD) of the Government of the Philippines made that the representative of the Department put the guidelines on the agenda of ASEAN in 2004. It was subsequently reviewed and amended in the 2005 and 2006 meetings and finally adopted by the Ministers of Social Affairs of ASEAN in their 2007 meeting. An element of the guidelines that is specifically important is the explicit attention for the protection of the victims of child trafficking. Until that moment, trafficking was perceived from the point of view of migration, and victims of trafficking, who have generally no valid papers and legal status in the country where they are found, were considered to be in violation of migration rules, and hence punishable. Since the formal adoption of the guidelines the regional network secretariat has supported and stimulated the national networks to lobby their respective Governments for the formal adoption of the guidelines in national regulation. So far this has been successful in the Philippines, Cambodia and to a large extent in Indonesia. The process is still on-going in Thailand6. Lobby of the Philippine Government was mainly done by staff of the Asia ACTs secretariat. The Regional Coordinator of Asia ACTs is well known in the Philippines and has an extensive network relevant to address child trafficking issues. She represents the child focused NGOs in the Inter-Agency Council against Human Trafficking and is active in other forums. These activities are not strictly in the remit of the regional network secretariat, but should in principle be the responsibility of PACT. Two high level government officials from the Philippine Government were interviewed on their experiences as lobby â&#x20AC;&#x153;targetsâ&#x20AC;?. The approach by Asia ACTs was described as focused, well informed, persistent and constructive. An issue that is currently emerging concerns organ trafficking. Asia ACTs has been instrumental in putting this topic on the agenda (mainly in the Philippines, but also internationally). Initial concrete results of the advocacy work are being achieved (in the form of two Administrative Orders of the Department of Health). 6

In Thailand the lobby focuses on including the key provision of the guidelines in the national anti-trafficking law.

Communication and sensitization Asia ACTs produces a substantial amount of publications of general nature7. On some issues, Asia ACTs raises new topics that generate some interest in the press. The approach to communication is generally issue focused, for the reminder it is reactive. There is no explicit communication strategy for the work of Asia ACTs as a whole. The coverage in the press, newspapers, radio and occasionally TV is variable and often focuses on individual cases of trafficking. Asia ACTs has an informative website, but it seems that this site is mainly consulted by already interested parties. Representation of the overall network in international platforms Representing Asia ACTs in international platforms is a function that is mainly assumed by the Regional Coordinator of Asia ACTs. Over the last few years on average one regional / international conference / seminar / workshop was attended every month, and usually presentations are made of the work of Asia ACTs. Coordination and linking The main emphasis was on the coordination and promotion of the annual commemoration of 12th of December (the date of the signing of the Palermo Protocol against human trafficking8) as International Day against Human Trafficking in seven ACTs member countries. The efforts have resulted in this day being formally instituted in the Philippines and Cambodia, usually respected in Indonesia and commemorate by partners in Thailand. Partner in the other countries are active in campaign activities. Asia ACTs staff worked together with national networks in the Philippines, Cambodia and Indonesia to draft and lobby for the adoption of the Guidelines for the Protection of the Rights of Trafficked Victims. Cross-border linking between the networks in the seven countries in Southeast Asia are still rare. The existing effective networks are located in “sending” countries. The coverage and effectiveness of networks in “receiving” countries in the Southeast Asia region is limited. Capacity building of national networks and their members Capacity building of national ACTs networks and of their individual member organizations has been a major activity of the regional ACTs secretariat. For this purpose a training module was already developed prior to 2006, and in the period 2006 to present this module has been further refined. It consists of three levels: (i) basic information on child trafficking, child rights and child protection, (ii) strengthening the child protection mechanism and (iii) training on the Guidelines to Protect the Rights of Children Victims of Trafficking. The following box provides an overview of the main trainings delivered by the staff of the regional Asia ACTs secretariat. Box 5.1: Training provided by Asia ACTs   

A training of trainers was conducted for the three levels of the training module in all countries. Training on database issues was organized, delivered by external subject matter experts. Training on result based monitoring, including the use of the logical framework, was delivered in July 2010 for staff of the national network secretariats.

In addition to the training of staff of national network secretariats, staff of Asia ACTs intensively coached staff of national network secretariats and of selected network members, especially with regard 7 8

Technical publications are dealt with under the heading “development of tools”. This refers to the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, signed in Palermo, Italy, in 2000. This is one of three protocols signed together with the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.

to planning and implementation of activities, the writing of plans, as well as financial and narrative reporting. Staff of the regional secretariat was also heavily involved in training activities in the Philippines, notably for Unicef and to a lesser extent for Plan Philippines. For Unicef more than 40 trainings were conducted9, with the number of people trained estimated to be around 1,800. These were staff of PACT member organizations and local stakeholders (mainly government officials) in the areas where the PACT members work. Asia ACTs also organized and facilitated three regional and one national trainings on the establishment of databases in the Philippines. Staff of Asia ACTs also attended country level activities in other countries and acted as resource persons and speakers at trainings, meetings and other events. Management Asia ACTs as a regional network secretariat has in principle limited managerial functions in its relationships with the national networks. However, because much of the operational responsibility for planning and supervision of the EU and OAK funded projects was assigned to the secretariat, it shouldered a substantial administrative burden. Considerable support had to be provided to national networks and partners to formulate plans and draft the financial and narrative progress reports that were required for, especially, the EU funded project. The consequences of these managerial responsibilities were not only that the capacity of the secretariat was used for administrative purposes, but also that the relationship between the regional secretariat on the one hand and the national network secretariats and members organizations on the other to some extent changed from a collegial relationship to one of supervisor – project implementer. It is difficult to assess to what extent this influenced the performance of the network as a whole. A positive result of this substantial involvement, however, is that the regional secretariat gained a much better insight in the functioning and the strengths and weaknesses of the country networks. In 2006/2007, for a period of almost one year, Asia ACTs has also assumed, ad-interim, the functions of the PACT secretariat, mainly due to discontinuity of staff of PACT. After this period, the new staff that was recruited required guidance from the Asia ACTs secretariat, but finally decided to leave the organization. A new focal point and other staff were recruited and are now in position since 1-2 years. The Asia ACTs secretariat has played an important role in the recruitment and coaching of the successive new staff, resulting in a substantial workload for the secretariat. The funds allocated to Asia ACTs (see table 2.1) are used to maintain the Asia ACTs secretariat, execute activities (advocacy, capacity building, publications) and support networks in the seven countries. Table 5.1: Allocation of costs Asia ACTs for the period June 2006 to May 2009 Category of expenses Amount (€) Operational costs of Asia ACTs secretariat Funding for activities and support to national networks Total

81,273 204,006 285,279

Source: TdH-NL project approval document

Development of tools and learning The regional secretariat has developed a number of tools on the basis of the experiences gained in the Southeast Asian region. This includes the following:  A tool for the analysis of media coverage of child trafficking  A tool for situational analysis  A monitoring and reporting format

In the period 2002-2006.

During the regular network meetings (at least twice yearly, but frequently more often), explicit attention is given to the exchange of experiences between the staff of the secretariats of the national networks, and the representatives of partner organizations where present. A series of good practices has been published in 2009. These are summarized in box 5.2. Box 5.2: Good practices documented The publication describes good practices for the following themes: Policy Advocacy  Adoption of the Guidelines for the Protection of Trafficked Children by the Governments of the Philippines and Cambodia.  Adoption of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act by the Government of Indonesia.  The adoption by the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting for Social Welfare of the Guidelines for the Protection of the Rights of Children Victims of Trafficking. Alliance Building Cooperation and alliance building in Zamboanga (Philippines) and Prey Veng Province, Cambodia. Awareness Raising Approaches of Community Mobilization at the Thai-Burmese Border, for the establishment of Village Safety Nets and Raising Awareness in Cambodia, the partnership with Local Government in Awareness Raising in Camarines Norte, Philippines and developing guidelines for journalists in Indonesia. Child Protection Networks Approaches to set-up Child Protection Networks in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in Zamboanga, Philippines, Mae Sot, on the Burmese border and by individual member organizations in Indonesia Child Participation Approaches used on the Thai-Burmese border, in Vietnam and Indonesia Sources: Aspirations and Explorations, Good Practices of the Campaign Against Child Trafficking in Southeast Asia, and In pursuit of Good Practice in Response to Child Trafficking.

Case handling During the period 2006 to 2010 staff of the secretariat continued to handle a limited number of cases, especially where international trafficking was involved. Such cases not only resulted in victims being treated, but also gave secretariat staff hands-on experience in sometimes complex legal situations with an international dimension, that enhanced their understanding of the needs of partners and of the victims themselves. Review of the role and contribution of Asia ACTs Since 2001, Asia ACTs has made substantial progress to achieve its original objectives. As a consequence, it was found necessary to review its future role and contributions in the context of the regional campaign. This review was initiated in 2008 and proceeded through different meetings in 2009 and 2010. In the meeting of August 2009 it was agreed that there is a role for an organization like Asia ACTs. The following key functions for the regional network and secretariat emerged:  Child trafficking is borderless, hence there is a need for regional coordination of campaign work and cross-border linking in the future.  There is also a need for a regional body for regional advocacy, capacity building of country members and expanding the network to countries in the Southeast Asia region that are not yet covered. The Asia ACTs secretariat was requested to draft a proposal for a work plan for a period of 3-4 years. This plan was subsequently drafted. Key elements of this plan are presented in Box 5.3.

Box 5.3: Objectives, purpose and key result areas of draft work plan Asia ACTs Overall objective To contribute in ensuring that the rights and dignity of trafficked children in South East Asia are protected and upheld. Specific objectives  To be an active voice in the ASEAN bodies for the protection of trafficked children.  To promote the implementation of effective protection mechanisms to ensure access to justice, recovery and reintegration programs for trafficked children at country level.  To uphold the empowerment of trafficked children/survivors in order to protect themselves from revictimization, rebuild their own lives and protect other children. Result areas 1. Access to justice and effective and efficient referral system for the recovery and reintegration of trafficked children are improved. 2. Capacity of the Asia ACTs network and direct partners to better influence policy formulation and implementation of protection mechanisms for trafficked children is increased. 3. Participation of trafficked children/survivors in the decision making in the recovery and reintegration process as well as in other children’s programs is ensured. 4. Networks and partnerships within and among target countries forged/strengthened.

In essence this plan partly reiterates the role and functions that Asia ACTs has played during the previous years, and emphasizes the need to extend effective coverage with national networks to mainly receiving countries in the Southeast Asia region (i.e. Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand) to strengthen cross-border linkages.

6. 6.1

The Campaign in Cambodia: activities and achievements Overview of TdH supported activities

In Cambodia, TdH-NL supports the Cambodia ACTs network with three projects and 14 projects implemented by 6 partner organizations. Two of the project partners (APLE and LEASETC) are not member of the Cambodia ACTs network. Table 6.1: Overview of TdH-NL support for Anti Child-Trafficking activities in Cambodia

Note: This table includes all projects operational in the period 2006 – 2010. Some projects started before January 2006, others continue beyond December 2010.

The table below shows the timeline of TdH-NL supported projects implemented by partner organizations. During the period of the present evaluation, 8 project evaluations have taken place (indicated with an “E” in the table below), for six of the 17 projects. These six projects account for a total allocation of 1,96 million euro or 67% of the total amount allocated. The LEASETC project was evaluated by Unicef in 2010. Of the remaining projects four (excluding the LEASETC project) were started in 2009 or 2010, and are still on-going, representing a total allocation of 0,55 million euro. Evaluations of these projects are scheduled for 2011 and later. In addition to the funding provided by, or channeled through TdH-NL, Cambodia ACTs has obtained substantial funding directly from the EC Delegation in Cambodia for the period 2010 - 2011.

Table 6.2: Timeline of TdH-NL supported projects

6.2

Organization and management of Cambodia ACTs

Cambodia ACTs recently registered as a network NGO with the Government of Cambodia. This allows it to rent an office under its own name, and raise funds from donors. Cambodia ACTs has grown from a network with limited capacity into an organization with, presently, a staff of seven. This includes a National Coordinator, assistant program officer, financial officer, secretary and 3 legal staff funded separately by TdH-NL from a grant of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. The legal staff supports victims of trafficking in court proceedings. Cambodia ACTs does not employ its own training staff for capacity building of its members. Training is assured by staff of VCAO and CCASVA, occasionally by external trainers contracted on a sort term basis. The organizational capacity allows it to provide adequate services to its member organizations. The drafting of an operational manual also contributes to the growth of Cambodia ACTs into an organization in its own right. Over the last years the trend has been that Cambodia ACTs has evolved from a “pure” network into an organization in its own right functioning as a service provider to its members, and, for the funding channeled through it, as a supervisor of its members. There are some early signals that these different functions may interfere with each other. The risk that Cambodia ACTs as an organization may get into a situation of competition with its members is not yet recognized. The Cambodia ACTs network was established in 2001. It has currently 12 member organizations. Presently there is little difference in the composition of the General Assembly and the Board. The Director of one of the member organizations is elected as chairman of the Board and is presently the Focal point. With 10 of the member organizations activities are being implemented. TdH-NL supports the network since 2005. Of these organizations about half are organizations with a limited organizational capacity, consistent with the philosophy of TdH-NL as described in chapter 2. Cambodia ACTs is governed by a Board with one representative (usually the Director) of all member organizations. This Board meets twice every year. The Board discusses general issues and discusses and approves plans, policies, projects and manuals/procedures The Board has no external members. From discussions with member organizations and the secretariat it emerged that the current composition of the Board is seen as a limitation. It is likely that in the near future some external members will be invited to join the Board. In between Board meeting “semester meetings” are held with operational staff of the member organizations (usually program coordinators and one other staff). The main aim of these meetings is to reflect on the experiences of the last 6 months, conduct a 18

situational analysis and develop project ideas. Also some coaching by the Cambodia ACTs secretariat usually takes place during these meetings. The membership of Cambodia ACTs is concentrated in the eastern and western provinces of the country, and in Phnom Penh. No NGOs located in the Lao border area are members of Cambodia ACTs. TdH-NL is the main donor of Cambodia ACTs. During the period of evaluation funding has been provided in three cycles: up to February 2008, April 2008 to March 2010 and from April 2010 onwards. For the years 2010 and 2011 Cambodia ACTs has secured substantial financial support from the EC Delegation in Phnom Penh. Funding for Cambodia ACTs is partly used to maintain the network (operational costs such as salaries, office rent, office costs etc) and partly used to funds activities such as capacity building and channeled to partner organizations to implement activities. For the year 2009 the distribution of funds was approximately as follows. Table 6.3: Allocation of funds Cambodia ACTs cycle 2 (3 years) Category of expenses (budget) Amount (€) Operational costs Cambodia ACTs 79,584 Funding used for activities 208,775 Total 288,359 6.3

% 27.6% 72.4% 100%

Activities and achievements

Advocacy, communication and representation In the period 2006 – 2010 the initial thrust of activities was focused on the adoption of the guidelines by the representative of the Government of Cambodia in the ASEAN meetings, and simultaneously the adoption of the guidelines and the law on human trafficking by the Government in Cambodia. The Guidelines for the Protection of the Rights of Children Victims of Trafficking were adopted by ASEAN in 2007, and in December 2007 the Government of Cambodia officially adopted a law on human trafficking and the national version of the guidelines. At the same occasion the Government of Cambodia declared the 12th of December as the day against child trafficking, the first Government in the region to do so. After 2007 advocacy on several issues was undertaken:  The mandatory reporting on human and child trafficking required under the UN Child Rights Convention (signed in 1992) and the optional protocol on Child Trafficking and Child Soldiers (signed in 2004). In 2010 the first report for the optional protocol was submitted by the Government of Cambodia.  The Cambodian National Council for Children was established in 1995, and Cambodia ACTs is a member of that Council. It advocated for the establishment of similar Councils at the level of the provinces. With the signing of the relevant decree by the King in 2010, the establishment of provincial councils became mandatory. The national trainers working on behalf of Cambodia ACTs10 supported this establishment by providing training to stakeholders at provincial level.  Cambodia ACTs has pointed out to Government that there is a need for a Law for Juvenile Justice, and has provided relevant information. This law is currently been drafted.  The Government of Cambodia has asked Cambodia ACTs to collect information on several occasions, notably for the drafting of the Child Protection Law that is currently in process by the Government and on the establishment of a system for cooperation between Government Agencies, NGOs and Service Providers for the protection of sex workers. 10

The national trainers are staff member of respectively VCAO and CWCC

Using the approach developed by Asia ACTs, Cambodia ACTs has made an analysis of media coverage of child trafficking issues. The outcome of this analysis was shared with the media. As a follow-up, Cambodia ACTs (through its member organization PADV), has provided training to journalists (on human and child trafficking and relevant laws) and organizes round table discussions with journalists. Although much of the media coverage is still focusing on individual cases, Cambodia ACTs has now easier access to a group of journalists, and more systemic issues of child protection are also covered. The general approach with regard to communication, however, remains responsive. There is no overarching communication strategy. The Focal point of Cambodia ACTs represents the network is conferences, meetings and other events. Altogether this amounts to up to 10 events per month, including 2-3 meetings with Ministers of the Government of Cambodia. Coordination and linking Cambodia ACTs coordinates the advocacy and lobby activities of its members. This applies specifically to the December 12 campaign and to the lobby work in the Provinces. When visiting activities of member organizations in the Provinces, staff of the secretariat or the focal point usually make a courtesy call to local authorities, to inform them about the existence and work of Cambodia ACTs at the national and provincial levels. Member organizations indicated that this enhances their profile in the Provinces where they work, and facilitates access to local authorities. As the number of member organizations is limited, the secretariat has adequate information about the relative strength and capacities of its members. However, no formal mapping of strengths and weaknesses of members has been done. In some cases activities are assigned to member organizations because of their specific organizational capacity. Examples are transferring victims of trafficking to organizations that operate a safe shelter and the fact that media work is assigned to PADV. Capacity building To train staff of its member organizations and external stakeholders, Cambodia ACTs makes use of national trainers of VCAO, CCASVA and occasionally of external trainers. For these trainings, Cambodia ACTs and its members use the training modules developed by Asia ACTs, including the training modules levels I, II and III, as well as tools for media analysis, situational analysis and advocacy training. During the second project (April 2008 to March 2010) the following training was provided: Box 6.1: Training provided during cycle 2 project     

Awareness raising for communities: 22 workshops in 22 districts with in total 3,383 participants 22 ToT for 103 trainers who conducted 1,887 training sessions in villages with more than 61,000 participants 22 training to child peer educators who reached 14,481 children 2 law enforcement workshops with 120 participants 1 ToT to all member organizations

Source: Power point presentation Secretariat Cambodia ACTs

In the five months since the start of the third project (started in April 2010) the following training sessions were conducted:

Box 6.2: Training provided in cycle 3 project up to September 2010        

4 Village Safety Network Program orientation workshops (VSNP) with 235 participants 2 TOT to Adults & Child Networks with 43 participants 8 Training conducted by Child Network with 215 participants 4 Sensitization/training of child duty bearers with 87 participants 1 Roundtable discussions/meetings with media with 22 participants 1 Meeting with relevant stakeholders to enhance mechanism against child trafficking with 25 participants 1 Training on baseline data gathering/case documentation with 32 participants 1 Training of civil society and community member to improve child protection system with 32 participants

Source: Power point presentation Secretariat Cambodia ACTs

Exchange of experiences Exchange of experiences takes mainly place during the half-yearly meetings of the Members. In this meeting 2 staff per member organization are invited, usually including the coordinator responsible for the Cambodia ACTs supported activities. Apart from operational business, issues, methods and approaches are exchanged sometimes in the formal meeting, and more intensively in informal contacts at the same event. The initiative for exchange of experiences is with the individual organizations that has a question. Case handling, referral Under the Legal Support project Cambodia ACTs has recruited a lawyer, a legal assistant and an investigator. Cambodia ACTs collects the necessary information to file the case with the courts, prepares the case and acts a defendant of the victim. Since the start of the project (July 2009) Cambodia ACTs supported victims of 73 cases of rape, sexual abuse or trafficking. Of the 43 cases that are currently closed, 16 were settled out of court, and 22 court cases resulted in conviction of the perpetrator. The remaining five cases were transferred to other NGOs, or the perpetrator was not convicted. 6.4

Performance of Cambodia ACTs

Several sources provide information about the performance of Cambodia ACTs: A) The discussions with the Cambodia ACTs secretariat on the performance of member organizations. B) The evaluation reports of cycles 1 and 2. C) The appreciation of the value added of Cambodia ACTs by member organizations. A) Rating of performance of member organizations With funding from Cambodia ACTs, partner organizations implement a large number of activities of very diverse nature. These include activities for the December 12 campaign, awareness raising in communities, case handling, media training, capacity building at local levels, livelihood development and others. The Cambodia ACTs secretariat acts as supervisor of the partner organizations for the implementation of these activities. The performance of member organizations was discussed with staff of the secretariat in a plenary session. On the basis of these discussions the following performance ratings are given.

Table 6.4: Performance rating of member organizations of Cambodia ACTs

Note: the rating scales used are: 1: none/very little (0-30%), 2: insufficient (30-60%), 3: sufficient (60-80%), 4: completely/good (80+%)

B) Evaluation reports of cycles 1 and 2 External evaluation of Cycle 1 (November 2007) The evaluation assessed the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability of the activities conducted under cycle 1 of the support to Cambodia ACTs (March 05 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; February 08). Overall, the evaluation concluded that the project has been successful. With regard to the individual evaluation criteria the following was concluded: Relevance The evaluation concludes that the project was relevant. The factors leading to child trafficking have not fundamentally changed, and for children the risk of trafficking remains substantial. Key factors causing trafficking are extreme poverty especially among families of orphans, disabled and widows with bonded debts, lack of education and training, limited employment opportunities, domestic violence and other social issues still prevalent in the country. Effectiveness The evaluation rates the achievement of the main objectives as follows: Table 6.5: rating of achievement of objectives in external evaluation cycle 1 Objective Rating Remarks (scale 1- 5) Objective 1: To raise awareness and teach trafficking information to more people/ children who encounter trafficking issues Objective 2: Improve the capacity of community leaders to help their own people and develop their communities Objective 3: Strengthening the capacity of NGO partners to disseminate trafficking information effectively and crackdown on trafficking problems Objective 4: Provide direct assistance to atrisk children or victims of trafficking

Objective 5: Strengthen law enforcement

Targets achieved except for CWARS. Kampong Thom workshops is 5 short of target. Targets achieved except for CWARS. Kampong Thom workshops is 5 short of target. Only one training for NGO partners planned and implemented. Not adequate.

All children identified and who qualified were assisted. Project direct assistance very limited, hence children referred to other NGOs.

One workshop implemented as planned but very limited.

Source: External evaluation report Anti Child-Trafficking Project in Cambodia

Impact Concerning impact the evaluation concludes the following: [The] “campaign against trafficking of human persons in Cambodia has gained impact in terms of the number of NGOs, IOs and the government ministries involved and laws passed. As to whether trafficking is reduced cannot be ascertained because there is no baseline figure. Attribution is also difficult since several large parties (national government, ILO/IOM, UNICEF/NCC) are involved in the campaign. Nevertheless, based on the 7 provinces/areas visited, one can deduce that the Cambodia ACTs project contributed to the prevention of high risk children from being trafficked and to the reduction of trafficking. Villages visited (except in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh) have not been assisted by other NGOs. Prior to Cambodia ACTs, villagers had no / only some vague idea of trafficking. Village chiefs/authorities are addressing vulnerable situations in the village such as domestic violence, drunkenness, bonded debts, extreme poverty/orphans.”

Efficiency The evaluation concludes that the project has been implemented efficiently. The capacity of member organizations is used efficiently, activities are generally implemented as planned and within budget. As a matter of concern was noted that member organizations suffer from a high level of staff turnover. Sustainability The anti-trafficking work has been mainstreamed in the work of the Government. The shelters, however, will continue to need support. External mid-term evaluation of cycle 2 (December 09) The evaluation provides little useful information about the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability of the project. It concludes the following: Box 6.3: Assessment of evaluation criteria external mid-term evaluation cycle 2 Cambodia ACTs Relevance Under relevance, the evaluation describes the coverage of the project. It concludes that the number of communities and people covered are on course to achieve the envisaged numbers of people and communities. The geographical coverage is limited by the membership of Cambodia ACTs. Effectiveness The advocacy component is considered effective. Direct assistance at community level is short of target. Impact Information about impact is anecdotal. The report gives indications that some impact has occurred Efficiency Overall the efficiency is assessed to be good. As a shortcoming it is noted that “Decentralised implementation makes that efficiency depends on efficiency of implementing (member) organisation. This varies, notably reporting.” Sustainability The financial dependence on TdH-NL is noted.

C) Appreciation of Cambodia ACTs by its member organizations During the workshop the members of Cambodia ACTs listed the following issues as the main valued added of their membership of Cambodia ACTs:  Joining forces makes enhances the effectiveness of advocacy. At the national level this has resulted in the relatively rapid adoption of the Law on Human Trafficking, the guidelines and the declaration of December 12 as the national day against child trafficking. Also at the provincial and district levels the fact that organizations are member of a national network, reinforces their visibility and their access to local authorities.  Membership of the Cambodia ACTs network enhances the efficiency of some activities, notably referral of cases to organizations with specific capabilities (for example availability of a shelter and counseling capacity). 23

    

Capacity building: Partners learn a lot from each other’s experiences. Especially on how to do advocacy, handle cases and very practical things. The organizational capacity of Cambodia ACTs was appreciated. Unlike other networks it has a secretariat that can rapidly answer questions and provide documents and other support. The Cambodia ACTs network empowers its members. Members are directly involved in decision making and deciding about the use of funds. Membership of the network facilitates access to donors. The fact that Cambodia ACTs is member of a Southeast Asian regional network strengthens the position of Cambodia ACTs. It was noted that when the Minister for Social Affairs mentioned this in some provinces after a meeting with ASEAN colleagues, member organizations got easier access to senior local authorities.

During the follow-up interviews with senior staff of individual organizations these points were further explored. Almost all organizations could provide concrete examples of how their membership of Cambodia ACTs had improved their relationships with authorities at provincial and district level and strengthened their advocacy work. All organizations had benefitted from training and considered this an effective contribution to strengthen their performance, and all organizations could also give examples of referral of cases of abuse that was facilitated through network contacts. Concerning the aspect of learning from each other’s experiences, all members interviewed could give very practical examples: how to organize workshops, how to organize vocational training, and how to organize saving groups. One member organization located near the border with Vietnam, observed that the absence of an effective ACTs network in Vietnam makes the handling of cases of trafficking to Ho Chi Minh City very difficult. Thailand is frequently a destination for trafficked children from Cambodia. Also contacts with Thailand are hampered by the absence of an effective ACTs network in that country. 6.5

Performance of TdH-NL supported projects

TdH-NL directly supports 13 projects to address child trafficking in Cambodia. The performance of these projects was determined on the basis of available evaluations and other documents and discussions with TdH-NL staff directly supervising these projects and discussions with senior representatives of the organizations concerned. A summary of the information drawn from evaluation reports and other documents is presented in appendix IV. The performance was appraised with the help of a rating system (see chapter 3). The ratings for the projects are presented in the following table. Table 6.6: Summary of performance of TdH-NL supported projects

Note: the rating scales used are: 1: none/very little (0-30%), 2: insufficient (30-60%), 3: sufficient (60-80%), 4: completely/good (80+%)

6.6

Follow-up of main recommendations of 2006 evaluation

The 2006 evaluation formulated 5 main recommendations for the Cambodia program (see chapter 5). The follow-up given to those recommendations was discussed with the staff of the Cambodia ACTs secretariat. It appeared that most staff was not aware of the recommendations of the 2006 evaluation. Continue with support to education, especially in remote areas. Education is still an important component of the activities of Cambodia ACTs. Cambodia ACTs has (as yet) no member organizations in the provinces bordering Laos. It is envisaged that over the years the membership in these remote areas will be gradually expanded. Support communities to enhance livelihood development, strengthen psychological support to vulnerable families to prevent them from being tricked by traffickers, counseling services to reduce prevalence of alcoholism, gambling, domestic violence, rape and incest and enhance access to information. During the discussion about the follow-up given to this recommendation it appeared that preference was given to interventions that are more clearly focused on child trafficking and child rights issues. Not all member organizations were considered to be capable to include a meaningful livelihood development component. Intensify action research and develop a comprehensive data base on child trafficking in Cambodia. Training on database issues was conducted, and a staff member appointed to work on the database. This staff member, however, left after one year, and not much progress has been made since. No significant action research was done by member organizations. Introduce a local system of alert in villages with the participation of the community, local authorities and NGOs. This is one of the key elements of the activities of Cambodia ACTs through its members. Almost all members are active in establishing community based child protection mechanisms and enhance community awareness. Continue lobby and advocacy to strengthen law enforcement. Lobby and advocacy for law enforcement have been successfully continued, both at the national level as well as at the levels of the provinces and districts where member organizations operate.

7. 7.1

The Campaign in Indonesia: activities and achievements Overview of TdH supported activities

In Indonesia TdH-NL supported the Indonesia ACTs network (direct from TdH-NL and through Asia ACTs) and 11 projects implemented by 10 partner organizations (with the exception of GAGAS all organizations that received direct project support are member of the Indonesia ACTs network). The following table presents an overview of the anti child trafficking program in Indonesia11. Table 7.1: Overview of TdH-NL support for Anti Child-Trafficking activities in Indonesia

Source: SPPR TdH-NL

The table below shows the timeline of TdH-NL supported projects implemented by partner organizations and the evaluations that were done between 2006 and 2010 (indicated with â&#x20AC;&#x153;Eâ&#x20AC;?). Table 7.2: Timeline of TdH-NL supported projects

This overview excludes EU and OAK funding.

During the period 2006 – 2010 eight out of 10 projects were evaluated (some twice), representing over 88% of the total allocated budget. Cooperation with one partner was terminated because of inadequate transparency and one project started only in mid-2009. Indonesia ACTs has also obtained funding from Plan International for the implementation of its strategic plan 2007 – 2010. 7.2

Organization and management of Indonesia ACTs

Although the first activity organized by Indonesia ACTs dates back to 2003, Indonesia ACTs as a legal entity (“association”) was only established by notary act on 25 May 2008.12 Indonesia ACTs has currently 15 member organizations. Of its 15 members, about 6 are mostly focused on children, and 56 mostly focused on women. The remainder are organizations with a broader mandate. The majority of the member-organizations (11 out of 15) are operating on the island of Java. Many organizations want to become member of Indonesia ACTs, but it will accept only a maximum of three new members every year. In the General Assembly meeting of March 2010 ten new membership applications were discussed, but none of them were approved by the General Assembly. Selection criteria are currently: (a) focus on child rights, and (b) geographical distribution (higher priority is given to areas not yet covered and which are crucial from the point of view of child trafficking). The highest level of decision making in Indonesia ACTs is the General Assembly with representatives of all member organizations. The General Assembly meets at least once per year, more often if needed for specific purposes. In 2010 the General Assembly will meet three times. In addition to the regular annual meeting held in March 2010 two meetings are needed, first to discuss and later approve the strategic plan for the period 2010 – 2013. From its members the General Assembly elects a Presidium of 3 who are appointed for a period of 3 years, renewable once. Current members of the Presidium are Mr Jailani (KKSP-Medan, focal point), Mr. Abidin (Sari, Solo) and Mrs. Emmy (based in Jakarta, member of the Board of Kakak - Solo). The Presidium meets once every 6 months or more often as required. Until recently the focal point was fully paid by Indonesia ACTs, and did not have other responsibilities. The current focal point is at the same time Director of one of the member organizations. The Presidium is supported by a secretariat with a small, rented office in Jakarta. The secretariat currently employs one secretarial staff. In addition, financial management is the responsibility of a financial officer based in the office of member-organization Kakak (operating in the city of Solo, a distance of 500 km to Jakarta). The main tasks of the Presidium are to coordinate, supervise and assist members to maintain good quality of their work. The Presidium also consolidates reporting and monitors progress of the program by members. Indonesia ACTs works with 3-year strategic plans that are formulated on the basis of the inputs of its members. The Presidium consolidates these different inputs into a strategic plan, that is submitted to donors. For the strategic plan 2007 – 2010, the TdH-NL project ID-172 has been the main source of funds. Other funding was obtained through Asia ACTs (MFS, EU and OAK funding channeled through TdH-NL – Asia ACTs) and from Plan International directly. In 2010 an evaluation of the direct funding from TdH-NL to Asia ACTs has taken place. This evaluation did not study the EU and OAF funds channeled through Asia ACTs and the funding from Plan International. During the 3-year period 2007 – 2010, the total amount of funds approved and amounts received by Indonesia ACTs from the respective donors (as reported per March 2010), is presented in the table below 10:

This decision was made by the General Assembly VII with the consideration that there was a need for direct cooperation agreements between Indonesia ACT and other parties.

Table 7.3: Funding of Indonesia ACTs Received (IDR) No.

Source of funding

Approved budget (IDR)

2007

2008

Terre des Hommes

945.845.835

1.709.027.695

Asia ACTs - OAK

84.979.400

136.562.685

34.687.335

256.229.420

256,229,420

Asia ACTs - EU

58.692.867

200.274.938

149.438.878

408.406.683

408,406,683

Plan Indonesia

1.353.463.328

1.068.422.019

2.421.885.347

2,627,580,000

3.399.328.646

1.252.548.232

5.741.394.980

6.941.300.103

Total

1.089.518.102

2009

Total Received (IDR) 2.654.873.530

3,649,090,000

In November 2007 Indonesia ACTs and Terre des Hommes the Netherlands signed a Memorandum of Agreement 13. In October 2008 Indonesia ACTs obtained support from Plan International Indonesia, for implementing activities during a one-year period. For financing the implementation of some activities (for example Training of Trainers (ToT), community education, and community based campaign.14), a geographical distribution / division was made by between Plan International and Terre des Hommes. TdH supported 5 provinces (Sumatera Utara, Kepulauan Riau, DI Jogjakarta, Kalimantan Barat and Nusa Tenggara Timur). Plan International supported 5 provinces (DKI Jakarta, Jawa Barat, Jawa Tengah, Jawa Timur and Nusa Tenggara Timur)15. From the funding obtained from TdH-NL, the operational costs of the network, mainly for the Presidium and the supporting secretariat, are covered. The allocation of funds for operational costs and activities is as follows: Table 7.4: Allocation of costs Indonesia ACTs for the period June 2006 to May 2009 Category of expenses Amount (€) % Operational costs of Indonesia ACTs Presidium and secretariat 55,131 18.9% Funding for activities and support to national networks 236,578 81.1% Total 291,709 100% Source: TdH-NL project approval document

Indonesia ACTs, however, states in its accountability report towards the General Assembly in March 2010 that “(,,,) the operational funds for the secretariat were minim (…)”, and only counted for 11% in period 2007-200916. This percentage is apparently calculated over all funding sources together (TdHNL, Asia ACTs-EU, Asia ACTs-OAK, Plan Indonesia). 7.3

Activities and achievements

The results to be achieved in period 2007-2010 by the Indonesia ACTs, mentioned in Logframe17, are: 1) The community, NGOs and government are aware of trafficking and are mobilized in the campaign against trafficking 2) Legislations and policies in regard to protection for trafficked children are improved, based on human rights standard

See Accountability-report (“Laporan Pertanggungjawaban”) of Presidium Indonesia ACT 2007-2010, Chapter 2: Program (March 2010) See Accountability-report (“Laporan Pertanggungjawaban”) of Presidium Indonesia ACT 2007-2010, Chapter 2: Program (March 2010) See Annex 5 – section 4.0 of Wiladi Budiharga and Dini Anitasari Sabania, Final Evaluation Community Based Campaign against Child Trafficking (ID 172A), September 2010 See Accountability-report (“Laporan Pertanggungjawaban”) of Presidium Indonesia ACT 2007-2010, Chapter 2: Program (March 2010) Source: Wiladi Budiharga and Dini Anitasari Sabania, Final Evaluation Community Based Campaign against Child Trafficking (ID 172A), September 2010, Annex 5

3) The network of child protection, the referral system and the coordination/mechanism among agencies to ensure the recovery and reintegration of trafficked children are forged and maintained 4) The Indonesia ACTs becomes a stable, functioning, developed network in the local, national, SEA regional and international level 5) Trafficked children are protected (repatriated, reintegrated, have access to justice)

Advocacy During the period 2007- 2010 the advocacy of Indonesia ACTs has contributed to the realization of a number of policies and regulations. The achievements at the national level are summarized in the following box. Box 7.1: Policy and regulatory changes in Indonesia 1.

Ratification of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and Palermo Protocol. Additional Protocol to this Convention aims to prevent, eradicate and punish human traffickers, especially traffickers of Women and Children â&#x2020;&#x2019; RI (Republic of Indonesia) Law No. 5, 2009 and its Protocols through RI Law No. 14, 2009; 2. Palermo Protocol have been ratified by the House of Representatives in 2009 3. Indonesia ACTs was invited to get involve in arranging SPM (Standard Prosedur Minimum or Minimum Standard Procedure) for Violence against Women and Children by the Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protection and the Ministry of Social Affairs, especially in constructing SOP to handle trafficked women who are victims of commercial sexual exploitation; 4. Guideline for the Protection of the Rights of Trafficked Children has been used to encourage the formation of other policies, namely: a. Advocacy for PTTPO bill that was approved by the Government and becomes RI Law on PTTO No.21/2007 (consists of 6 chapters); b. References in the making of government law, president regulation, SPM, and SOP for handling child trafficking; and c. This guideline was used as a reference by members of Indonesia ACTs to develop a child protection network from village level to national level (Village: Indramayu, Semarang and Kupang; City: Semarang and Solo) Source: Wiladi Budiharga and Dini Anitasari Sabania, Final Evaluation Community Based Campaign against Child Trafficking (ID 172A), September 2010, p.19.

In addition to the advocacy for changes in policies and regulations at the national level, individual members of the Indonesia ACTs network lobby local level authorities for the introduction of regulations against child trafficking and for the strengthening of the implementation of laws and regulations. The following box presents the regulatory changes mentioned in the 2010 evaluation of Indonesia ACTs. Box 7.2: Regulatory changes at sub-national/local level 1.

At the provincial level and district/city, this project contribute to advocate at least 3 (three) local policies as follow: a. West Java Regulation No. 3, 2008 on the Prevention and Treatment of Trafficked Persons in West Java; b. East Nusa Tenggara Provincial Law No. 14, 2008 on the Prevention and Treatment of Trafficked Persons; and c. Keputusan Bupati (Regent decree) of Gunung Kidul no. 95/KPTS/2009 on the Establishment of a Task Force for the Prevention and Handling of Human Trafficking Persons 2. At village level, this project has helped promoting the formulation of village regulation plans to protect children against trafficking. They are now starting to have introductory discussions/dialogue. This effort is based on the premise that the first determinant for migrant workers to obtain documents to go abroad is village. Source: Wiladi Budiharga and Dini Anitasari Sabania, Final Evaluation Community Based Campaign against Child Trafficking (ID 172A), September 2010, p.19.

From the discussions with member organizations it appeared that more advocacy is done than the information in box 7.2 suggests. All member organizations interviewed indicated that they have regular contact with authorities, mainly at the District level. All organizations interviewed reported 29

that they are member of commissions or taskforces set-up by the respective District authorities18 to address the issue of trafficking of persons and children. Information on the effects of their involvement in these commissions and task-forces could not be obtained. The lobby work of member organizations is mainly focused at the level of the Districts, less at Provincial authorities. This is partly due to the fact that the position of the Provincial Authorities has been weakened in the process of decentralization. Members of the Presidium (mainly in person of the successive focal points) regularly visit member organizations, usually in the context of events such as seminars, trainings etc. It appears that during these visits Presidium members do not usually visit local authorities to inform them about the work of Indonesia ACTs, thus neglecting an opportunity to strengthen the position of the local member organization. Campaigns and media coverage Most organizations conduct activities in the context of the December 12 campaign, to commemorate the signing of the Palermo Protocol. Activities in this campaign include19:  The organization of public discussions: reported are 90 such discussions in 16 areas, with an average of 50 participants each.  Other events, including music performance, theater, seminars.  Distribution of posters and brochures.  A national child meeting in Jogjakarta, 21-23 December 2008, with workshops music, painting, theater, poetry-reading, dialogue attended by spouse of the Governor / Sultan of Yogyakarta, attended by 1,500 children. A Declaration was submitted by the children to the Government. 20 In addition to the Training of Trainers and Community Education (see below), promotion for child trafficking awareness and knowledge is done through dissemination of campaigning media such as pins, posters, calendars, mural paintings and stickers. These have been distributed to 99,405 persons, more than the 56,000 persons planned. These persons include the community of the target areas, the general public, NGOs, governments’ officials, and children21. Indonesia ACTs has, through its members, conducted an analysis of the media coverage of child trafficking in the press. It was found that the way the press covers cases of child trafficking does little to protect the privacy of victims and exposes them to trauma and stress, and reduces the possibilities for their reintegration. This media analysis was done with the help of the tool developed for this purpose by Asia ACTs. Several member organizations have conducted workshops with journalists to raise their awareness of the consequences of the way they cover victims in the press, and also to provide them with information on the policies and laws governing child trafficking. Publication of reports and studies Of the member organizations, IP-Bandung and YJP publish documents of a general nature about the issue of trafficking. YJP publishes a quarterly journal mainly aimed at an educated public that regularly includes articles about trafficking in persons and children. Community education Most member organizations are active in the field of community education. The 2010 evaluation report lists the following achievements as per March 2010 for the period 2007 – 2010: 18

20 21

The Taskforces are (to be) set-up at each of the administrative government levels (national, provincial, district/municipality). National Taskforce consist of representatives of Ministries of Women Empowerment & Child Protection, Law, Social Affairs, Education, Manpower, Health, and of national Police and Attorney office. See Wiladi Budiharga and Dini Anitasari Sabania, Final Evaluation Community Based Campaign against Child Trafficking (ID 172A), September 2010, p.12. Source: PowerPoint Presentation m Indonesia ACT (March 2010) Source: Wiladi Budiharga and Dini Anitasari Sabania, Final Evaluation Community Based Campaign against Child Trafficking (ID 172A), September 2010, p.12

Box 7.3: Overview of community education by Indonesia ACTs.      

Module ToT Case Handling and Module Community Education for Case Handling developed, printed (1,000 ex. each) and distributed amongst network members 50 staff of Indonesia ACTs members have attended the TOT Level 1 and 2; in this case, target is not stated in the log-frame; 440 adults (the initial plan was for 120 people) have followed the TOT Level 1 and 2; this means the level of achievement is 200%; 320 children (the original plan was for 160 children) have followed the TOT Level 1 and 2; this means the level of achievement is also 200%; 20,000 adults participated in Community education (from the initial plan of 7,000 people); level of achievement is 286%; 30,000 children (from the original plan of 16,000 children) participated in Community education; level of achievement is 187.5%.

Source: Wiladi Budiharga and Dini Anitasari Sabania, Final Evaluation Community Based Campaign against Child Trafficking (ID 172A), September 2010, p.11, and Appendix 5.

Child Protection Networks In several regions Child Protection Networks are established in the period 2007 – 2010. This includes:  Community based Child Protection Networks in the villages of Niuk Baun, Oeletsala, Oelnasi, East Penfiu in Kupang, Sumber Boto in Bitar, Idramayu, Semarang city and Solocity and surrounding Districts.  In several Districts and Provinces mixed Government – NGO Child Protection Networks are established.  At the national level Indonesia ACTs has become a member of the Task Force for Child Trafficking. Other members of the National Taskforce are representatives of the Ministries of Women Empowerment & Child Protection, Law, Social Affairs, National Education, Manpower, Health, and of national Police and Attorney office. Case handling Through its members Indonesia ACTs had planned to handle 100 cases of child trafficking victims. Till March 2010 58 cases have been handled by members of Indonesia: 6 child trafficking victims have been returned home by Setara, YKB, Sari and YAP, whilst 52 child trafficking victims have been handled in cooperation with other agencies22. Some of the members of Indonesia ACTs focus explicitly on rescuing victims, for example YAP, an organization working with trafficked children in the sex-industry in North Jakarta. Cooperation with a member organization in Batam (the Indonesia island just opposite Singapore) that intended to provide shelters for victims of sexual exploitation has been terminated because of underperformance and lack of transparency. Training on child trafficking handling has been organized for law enforcement apparatus (logframe indicator: planned: 60 law enforcers mostly from policy have knowledge and skills on rights based approach in protecting child victims of trafficking). However, the actual realized number is unclear.23 Some planned main and (crucial) activities for Component 3 ‘Child Protection Network’, which have not been implemented 24 (till March 2010) by Indonesia ACTs and it members, consist of:  Development of 16 community-based Information Centers. 22

Wiladi Budiharga and Dini Anitasari Sabania, Final Evaluation Community Based Campaign against Child Trafficking (ID 172A), September 2010, Annex 5. The accountability-report (“Laporan Pertanggungjawaban”) of Presidium Indonesia ACT 2007-2010, Chapter 2: Program (March 2010) mentions that 4 training-courses in provinces Central Java and North Sumatra for two hundred law enforcement officials/staff (from police, lawyers, attorneys, judges, immigration) have been held, so they know and understand the human rights standards in child trafficking case handling, and the referral system. However, in Annex 5 of evaluation-report by Wiladi also the figure of 48 officials/staff trained in two training-courses is provided. See Table 1 – Chapter 2 of the accountability-report (“Laporan Pertanggungjawaban”) of Presidium Indonesia ACT 2007-2010 (March 2010)

   7.4

Development of standard and online database system for monitoring child trafficking cases25. Training of 32 staff-members in operating database system. Input of data and finalization of database system. Appreciation of performance of Indonesia ACTs

There are several sources of information on the performance of Indonesia ACTs: A. The evaluation report of the project ID-172 phase 2 (2007 – 2010) B. The progress report from the Presidium, drafted for the General Assembly. This report covers the period 2007 to March 2010. C. Appreciation of performance of individual member organizations by the Presidium, in the form of summary ratings given during this evaluation. D. Appreciation of the value added of Indonesia ACTs by its member organization A) Conclusions of the evaluation of project ID-172 This report focuses on the direct support from TdH-NL to Indonesia ACTs, and excludes the funding from Plan International, EU and the OAK Foundation channeled through Asia ACTs. The evaluation report of the project ID-172A phase 2007 – 201026 concludes the following: Relevance The relevance of the project to the real needs and problems of the beneficiaries is high, specially the advocacy work and case handling. With regard to capacity building, the project has filled a gap left by the Government. Respondents (mainly the members of Indonesia ACTs but also some external stakeholders) indicated that the project has not sufficiently addressed the issue of law enforcement. Effectiveness The project has effectively contributed to raising public awareness about child trafficking. The numbers of people reached are substantially higher than envisaged. Resource persons indicated that the impact of the project was considerable: there was general agreement that the project has contributed to a positive improvement for the children in the communities reached. Efficiency The project is efficiently implemented. The numbers of people reached has exceeded expectations without increased costs. Impact The project is regarded to have significant impacts to various groups other than the direct target groups such as children and adults in the community, officials of the local government, school communities, and religious groups. The project has contributed significantly to the change of the attitude of the society related to child trafficking. The success in this regard is due to distribution of the campaign media that managed to reach 177% of the targeted number. Sustainability The achievements of the project are considered sustainable, mainly because the issue of child trafficking has been firmly embedded in the schools and local level child protection networks that have been established.

Another (Wiladi Budiharga and Dini Anitasari Sabania, Final Evaluation Community Based Campaign against Child Trafficking (ID 172A), September 2010, p.12) mentions that ”Development and training of Data Base System conducted by the Indonesian ACT, KAKAK Foundation, NGO Coalition for Monitoring the Rights of the Child”. Wiladi Budiharga and Dini Anitasari Sabania, Final Evaluation Community Based Campaign against Child Trafficking (ID 172A), September 2010

B) Report of the presidium for the General Assembly covering the period November 2007 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; March 2010 Program planning of Indonesia ACTs was conducted during the members-meeting in 2007 in Jakarta. The developed intervention logic and indicators (at least for the results), are different compared with the results (and indicators) included in Annex 5 of report under B). The envisaged results and indicators as presented by the Presidium, are: Box 7.4: Envisaged results and indicators plan period 2007 - 2010 H1: Community Mobilization Result: The activity campaign & advocacy on child trafficking increased the awareness and mobilized the communities, NGOs and government in protecting children from trafficking Indicators: 1) Campaign media tools are available, 2) Media tools are useful for community educators and stakeholders, 3) Communities understand the dangers of trafficking, 4) The community is involved/participates in campaigns, 5) Radio and TV broadcast anti-child trafficking programs. H2: Advocacy Result: Lobby and advocacy activities contribute to an improvement of laws and regulations and policies for protection of trafficked children Indicators: 1) Number of stakeholders who know the importance of HRS guidelines for the protection of victims of child trafficking, 2) Number of parties which support in lobbying for adoption of HRS guidelines, 3) Number of victims of child trafficking who obtain protection in accordance with human rights standards, 4) Enactment of Anti-Trafficking Law. H3: Children Protection Network Result: Child protection network / local coordination mechanism, including referral system is established and operational in protecting children and guarantees reintegration of children victim of trafficking Indicators: 1) 80% of the members understand the handling of victims of child trafficking, in accordance with human rights standards, 2) 80% of the members understand the referral system for handling of victims of child-trafficking, 3) 100 children obtain service, 4) The availability of data of cases of victims of child-trafficking, 5) Availability of a standard for database system. H4: Organizational Development Result: Relation between campaigning partners functions stabel at local, national, regional and international level

Program implementation started as per November 2007. This accountability report by Presidium of Indonesia ACTs includes all sources of funding, TdH-NL (ID-172), funding from the EU and OAK Foundation and funding from Plan International. It therefore has a slightly different focus from the evaluation report mentioned above under B). The report lists in detail the progress of activities against the plan. It is concluded that for the main program components the achievement as per March 2010 is as follows. Table 7.5: Overall achievement of activities and results per component Component Number of activities Level of achievement (planned vs implemented) Mobilization 25 activities 70% Advocacy 9 activities 60% Child Protection Network 9 activities 33% Organization Development 12 activities 75% Total: 4 components 55 activities 60%

Target-group reached The achieved number of beneficiaries (not including “KIE media”) is 31,042 persons (16,185 female and 14,857 male, 19.581 children and 11,461 adults), i.e. 52% females and 48% male, and 63% children and 37% adult beneficiaries. Indonesia ACTs covered 10 provinces, 12 municipalities / districts, tens of sub-districts and hundreds of villages / schools / groups. Constraints faced during program implementation, as expressed by Presidium Indonesia ACTs:  Limited time available for program implementation, especially the activities financed by Plan International.  The constraint became even larger at the moment a rather administrative process was required by Plan International.  Business of respective Presidium-members as well as member-organizations constituted a constraint.  To overcome these constraints it was decided to transfer the concerned activity to another organization or person, agreed by both parties.  Project-oriented, forgeting vision. Reporting for the project. “Whilst child-trafficking figures per year are not available, what is done by the state / government”. In General Assembly also only projects are discussed.  Regiulations from respective regions (provinces / districts) are not available with Indonesia ACTs network. Sustainability:  The sustainability of this project, at government as well as community level, at local as well as national level can be maintained because Indonesia ACTs was already succesfull in influencing the policy and program developed by the Government starting with the Law PTPPO and its instruments till local regulations and their task forces.  At community level there is already a commitment to protect children from trafficking which amongst others is realized through children protection network.  In order that this project can have impact on a reduction of child trafficking cases, monitoring of what already has been resulted by the Government has to be conducted continously. And also the sustainability of what has become the commitment of the communities has to be guarded / maintained. The Presidum notes in its “accountability-report”to the General Assembly (March 2010) that: “To achieve the general objective, namely that children in Indonesia can enjoy their right to obtain protection from trafficking, the efforts by Indonesia ACTs have to become more strategic and incessant / intensive. This reminds also that no data are available yet related to (1) number of children who were successfully preventively saved from trafficking and to (2) the number of children victim of trafficking who obtained protection in accordance with human rights standards.” (note: bold by evaluators). C) Rating of performance of individual member organizations by the Presidium With funding from Indonesia ACTs partner organizations implement various activities. The Indonesia ACTs Presidium acts as supervisor of the member organizations for the implementation of these activities. Information from discussions with members of the Presidium is consolidated in the following appreciation of the performance of member organizations.

Table 7.6: Appreciation of performance of member organizations

Note: the rating scales used are: 1: none/very little (0-30%), 2: insufficient (30-60%), 3: sufficient (60-80%), 4: completely/good (80+%)

D) Appreciation of Indonesia ACTs contribution by member organizations Members raised the following issues related to their membership of Indonesia ACTs:  For some organizations the contacts that Indonesia ACTs has with Government offices in Jakarta are useful.  Indonesia ACTs has contributed to the development of organizational capacities of their members. This applies both to skills (through training), as well as by strengthening internal procedures of the organizations (financial management and reporting, reporting of progress and introducing tools and approaches). Local level organizations find it easier to refer to national level policies in their discussions with local authorities.  Exchange of information between member organizations takes place during the meetings of the General Assembly. In practice it appears that members are not well aware of the activities of other member organizations.  Case handling of victims has become easier. It is easier to establish contacts with organizations in the region where the victim is coming from.  Indonesia ACTs is little known at the level of Districts and Provinces. In general local level authorities know about the minimum standards for dealing with victims of trafficking.

7.5

Performance of TdH-NL supported projects27

TdH-NL supports 11 projects of partner organizations. The performance of these projects is determined on the basis of available evaluations (see appendix V) and other documents and discussions with TdH representatives directly supervising these projects and discussions with senior officials of the organizations concerned. This information has been consolidated in a final rating by the evaluator. This consolidated rating is presented in the following table. Table 7.7: Appreciation of TdH-NL supported projects

Note: the rating scales used are: 1: none/very little (0-30%), 2: insufficient (30-60%), 3: sufficient (60-80%), 4: completely/good (80+%)

7.6

Follow-up of main recommendations of 2006 evaluation

During the workshop-meetings held with Presidium of Indonesia ACTs and the member-organizations on the 2006 evaluation and its recommendations, it appeared that the report itself seemed to be largely unknown amongst the (vast majority of) participants of these meetings. Develop a programmatic, more strategic approach and enhance coherence between program components. Especially during the current strategic plan formulation, members have become aware of the need to enhance coherence between program components, but this is recent, and much is still to be done. There is now some coherence in the planning of the activities of Indonesia ACTs, but much of the planning is still activity focused. There is no underlying overarching analysis of the situation. When members get project funding from TdH they inform Indonesia ACTs.

This excludes the support to Indonesia ACT (project ID 172)

Develop and apply an approach labeled focused prevention: define sub-groups of high risk children and focus interventions on these children and their direct social environments (family and community). During the last strategic planning exercise in 2010 it was decided that all members would make their own situational analysis. Members now collect data on vulnerability to set priorities before they start an intervention. This does not yet happen at the level of Indonesia ACTs. There is not enough information for that. The database is there, but it does not function very well. Use Indonesia ACTs to map the strengths of implementing organizations to enhance coordination and synergy. This happens mainly informally. The Presidium and members that happen to know each other are aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the different organizations. The presidium shares this information on request. As yet, there is no systematic approach, nor systematic sharing. Increase the number of child beneficiaries. Before 2005, work almost exclusively with adults, now it is 50-50 adults and children. Institutionalization at sub-national levels. This is started but achievements are limited so-far. In some areas (provinces or districts) Integrated Service Centers are established to help victims. The law requires that in provinces and districts Taskforces against Child Trafficking are set-up, but this has not yet happened in many provinces and districts. Where such taskforces exist their effectiveness is variable. Taskforces are also temporary structures, their sustainability is limited. Budgets are not always available.

The national networks in the other countries

Asia ACTs intends to cover seven countries in the Southeast Asian region. Apart from Cambodia and Indonesia, the establishment of networks in the Philippines as well as in Burma, Lao Peoples Republic, Thailand and Vietnam is in different stages of progress. The current situation in these networks is summarized as follows. 8.1.

Philippines Against Child Trafficking (PACT)

PACT has currently some 80 organizational members and several hundred individual members. The secretariat is staffed by a national coordinator, an information officer, a trainer and administrative/ financial staff. PACT has limited capacity to undertake all its activities. By combining activities it is possible to cover many Provinces and support partners there. For the future it would be good to strengthen the National Campaign Council. This is composed of 6 regional conveners (of organizational members), 4 members at large and a chairperson. PACT has had considerable problems that have hampered its performance since 2006. Main issues reported are that the staff that was hired in 2007 seemed not to have the required background and experience for their function. This staff has been replaced, and a new staff complement is in place since 2008/2009. The level of activities has now increased. A specific issue that plays a role for the performance of PACT is the close presence of Asia ACTs senior staff who enjoy a considerable reputation and have easy access to key actors in the Philippines. This made that PACT was not yet able to raise its own profile, but remains, at least at the national level somewhat in the shadow of Asia ACTs. In the perception of some there is barely a distinction between Asia ACTs and PACT. Advocacy Much of the advocacy at the national level is done by the Regional Coordinator of Asia ACTs, who has a considerable reputation and network on the subject in child trafficking in the Philippines. It is only since recently that PACT is separately invited to be present for example at Senate hearings. During the last year PACT has prepared a number of position papers for the Senate on Senate Bills relative to the increase of the penalties for users of trafficked persons, to lift the confidentiality provision for persons accused of human trafficking, to create a permanent secretariat for the InterAgency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), to establish temporary shelters for trafficked persons in metropolitan areas and other subjects. The Philippines has a decentralized structure of Governance. That means that National Laws must be complemented by lower level ordinances (mainly city / municipal level). PACT is focusing its advocacy on this level:  Proposing model ordinances  Lobbying for the allocation of funds to implement the ordinances  Lobby for the dissemination and use of the guidelines  Lobby for the establishment of local level IACATs. These exist in the 14 regions of the country, but not at the municipal level  Establishment of a national referral framework

During trainings or other events in one of the provinces/municipalities, PACT staff pays a courtesy call to the mayor or governor, presents him/her with relevant information material and promotes the adoption of local ordinances and the guidelines. This is considered effective, as it shows that the PACT member who will be doing the follow-up is indeed supported by a larger grouping. To communicate its messages to different audiences, PACT has prepared a number of different publications. These include technical publications (IEC material) and more general publications to reach a broader audience, especially around the Dec 12 campaign, some radio coverage (broadcasts on 4 networks), on organ trafficking. PACT has undertaken an analysis of the media coverage (using the tool developed by Asia ACTs) on child trafficking in the Philippine press, and identified some gaps. The outcome of this analysis was shared with the press, who showed considerable interest. To enhance press coverage media trainings were given for partners and other stakeholders in Zamboango and Bagiuo Provinces. Capacity building PACT conducts approx 20 trainings per year, using the modules developed by Asia ACTs, including the levels I, II and III. In addition 3 trainings were given (2009) on para-legal issues and child sensitive interventions. In a number of trainings a stress management workshop was included. To strengthen the advocacy capacity of its member organizations, PACT has included advocacy as a theme in its trainings. PACT has organized support groups for social workers, including psychiatrists, lawyers and head of government departments, and in one case also including the police, to give mental support to social workers. PACT gives substantial management support to members for planning of activities, reporting (especially for the EU project). PACT has developed and introduced a reporting format. There is continuous coaching, on a one to one basis (often by phone/e-mail) for partner organizations. Exchange between members Network meetings are organized once per 2 years. During the last meeting members from Zamboanga and Camarines Norte were asked to present their best practices included in the best practice study. Occasionally there are sub-national consultations (Luzon, Manila area). There is considerable interest among members to share their experiences. Usually workshops are held on specific themes or grouping member organizations from the same geographical regions. Usually an exchange of experiences is organized during events for other purposes (trainings, meetings etc). Case handling Since end of 2008, PACT has handled more than 30 cases directly. In more cases it has established linkages between members in different parts of the country. 8.2

The other national networks

In Burma contacts have been established with the Human Rights Education Institute of Burma, an organization based in Thailand near the Burmese border. Some activities have been implemented in Burma itself, but most activities are concentrated in the area bordering Burma, where many refugees are found. Burma ACTs works closely with 12 NGOs, partly based in the Thai border area, partly in Burma itself. Working within Burma itself and recruiting NGOs to become formal members of the network is very difficult in the current situation in Burma. In the Lao PR, VFI is the focal point and only member of the national network. The activities executed for the Asia ACTs are minimal. VFI implements a number of projects directly supported by TdH-NL. Most of these projects are funded through TdH-NL by the Dutch National Postal Lottery and the OAK Foundation.

The network in Thailand has 25 member organizations. Focal point is the organization Child Trafficking Watch Thailand. The network members operate mostly in the Northern part of Thailand. The network, however does function at a very low level, to the extent that its role in the overall setting Asia ACTs is now being questioned. Because problems related to trafficking of children now also occur in the South of Thailand a new network may be established in that part of the country. In Vietnam the number of NGOs is still very limited. Contacts have been established with the Ho Chi Minh Child Welfare Foundation in Ho Chi Minh City. Because of its location (far from the National Government in Hanoi) and the fact that it is closely linked to the Government of Vietnam this organization finds it difficult to advocate for policy and regulatory changes in Vietnam. The networks in these four countries are clearly less well established than the networks in Cambodia, Indonesia and the Philippines. In the remaining three member countries of ASEAN, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam no networks have been established as yet. These three countries are important destinations for trafficked persons, including children.

Conclusions

Conclusions will be drawn first about the work of the national networks in Cambodia and Indonesia followed by conclusions relative to the regional level (Asia ACTs). Subsequently, some more overarching conclusions will be formulated covering the overall program strategy, including organization and management and the approach of TdH-NL. 9.1

Cambodia ACTs

Relevance Child trafficking was and still remains wide spread in Cambodia. Several factors contribute to this. Cambodia, after the genocide of several decades ago is still a deeply traumatized society, what probably contributes to a relatively high incidence of domestic violence and broken family structures. Also persistent poverty and in some communities cultural attitudes towards child exploitation, especially girls, contribute to the persistence of child trafficking. The main focus of activities under the Anti Child Trafficking Program is on the prevention of trafficking. This includes the creation of an adequate legal and regulatory framework to address trafficking of children, to stimulate Government to effectively implement these laws and regulations, and to raise awareness and establish child protection networks at sub-national and community level. Direct support to victims (protection, rehabilitation and reintegration) is limited in scope, but is a necessary component of the program, as it provides opportunities to draw attention from the media and Government for issues related to child trafficking. The program does not significantly address the root causes of child trafficking as briefly described above, with the exception of cultural attitudes in communities where members and partner organizations are active. The relatively weak capacity of some organizations, and the limited financial resources allocated to the program do not allow to make a significant contribution to poverty alleviation and reducing the traumas that still persist. Because of the persistence of child trafficking, the overall objective of the program is relevant. The program addresses a real threat to children in Cambodia. In view of the limitations of resources it is concluded that the approach to focus on preventions and the legal and regulatory framework is also relevant to address the situation in Cambodia. The approach is also consistent with the strategy outlined by TdH-NL. Effectiveness To assess effectiveness of the program in Cambodia, attention is given to the performance of organizations to implement program activities, and to the overall outcomes that are generated to the extent that information is available. Performance of Cambodia ACTs Cambodia ACTs has effectively performed most of the functions that can be attributed to the network: ď&#x201A;ˇ Its contribution to advocacy for the adoption of relevant laws and guidelines has been substantial. The individual member organizations could not have achieved this on their own. 41

 

Cambodia ACTs effectively supports its members working at sub-national level to lobby for regulatory change, supporting members with skills and tools, and profiling Cambodia ACTs to local authorities when visiting member organizations in the Provinces. Cambodia ACTs has allowed members to establish mutual contacts that have facilitated referral of cases to organizations best equipped to handle the specific case. Most member organizations perform well with regard to the implementation of activities supported by Cambodia ACTs. Where performance is not satisfactory, Cambodia ACTs intervenes effectively. Supervision of the implementation of activities by Cambodia ACTs is good. Exchange of experiences takes place when members meet, but the approach is still responsive, depending on the initiative of individual members. Cambodia ACTs has not played a proactive role in this respect. With regard to the collection of information, however, the performance has been less than was expected. This concerns both the aspect of action research as recommended by the previous evaluation, as well as the establishment and maintenance of a database.

Performance of TdH-NL supported projects The performance of TdH-NL supported projects is generally satisfactory. Most project achieve all their direct results, the others realize most of their envisaged results. In the cases where performance is inadequate, TdH-NL (through its national representative and the Jakarta regional office) acts adequately, usually by providing intensive guidance to the partner concerned. An issue that emerges in several projects is the proper targeting of beneficiaries. In three out of the 13 projects targeting proved to be problematic (see table 6.5). Program outcomes Because of the general absence of information on the issue of child trafficking the outcomes of the program are difficult to assess. Some impressionistic evidence, however, suggests that changes occur:  Child prostitution in Phnom Penh and other main centers has by and large disappeared from the street.  Regular media coverage of issues related to child trafficking have raised the awareness among the general public.  In the communities where member organizations are operating the incidence of child trafficking seems to have decreased. Overall assessment of effectiveness Overall the effectiveness of the program is good. Targets are generally reached and sometimes exceeded. Where this is not the case, Cambodia ACTs and TdH-NL act adequately. Efficiency Efficiency is assessed at two levels: design efficiency (did the program do the right things) and implementation efficiency (did it do things right). Design efficiency Because of resource limitations, choices had to be made. In practice these choices led to a program that focused on advocacy work aimed at the national and local level authorities in the Eastern and Western parts of the country. The focus on advocacy is considered an efficient use of resources. With regard to the geographical coverage, (anecdotal) information suggests that child trafficking is also wide-spread in the Northern areas bordering Laos, an area not covered by members of Cambodia ACTs. The approach to train trainers and peer educators at community level has contributed to reach a vast number of villages and community members. 42

The choice to emphasize work at the level of the legal and regulatory framework and the implementation of these laws and regulations and at the community level is considered efficient. The regional coverage leaves a (probably) important area outside the scope of intervention of both Cambodia ACTs and TdH-NL supported projects. Implementation efficiency Implementation of projects and activities Projects and activities are generally implemented in time and on budget. Where problems have occurred, the supervision by TdH-NL (country office and regional office) and Cambodia ACTs has usually resulted in adequate corrective action. Management and organization of Cambodia ACTs During the period of evaluation, Cambodia ACTs has evolved from a relatively “light” network into an organization in its own right, mainly working as a service provider to its members. This role is important and appreciated by the members. As long as the provision of services concerns activities that can clearly be done only, much more effectively or much more efficiently jointly, this is beneficial to all. However, it also carries the risk that Cambodia ACTs will implement activities where it effectively competes with its own members. In such cases (for example legal support) the raison d’etre for Cambodia ACTs may be questioned. Some of the functions that can be attributed to a network have not yet been exploited sufficiently. These include the mutual learning and the division of tasks between organizations. The overhead costs of the network (approx 28% of the budget for cycle 2) are considered low. Overall assessment of efficiency Overall assessment of the efficiency of the program is adequate. Not all functions that could be expected from a network have been fully achieved. Governance of Cambodia ACTs was adequate for its role as emerging network, but less so for its growing role as service provider to its members. Sustainability The sustainability of the activities of Cambodia ACTs and its members is difficult to assess. Some profound changes, however, that will have lasting effects, can be noted:  Adoption of the Law, Guidelines and the proclamation of December 12 as a commemorative day have put the issue of Child Rights and Child Trafficking firmly on the agenda of Government.  The establishment of Cambodia ACTs has contributed to mobilize a number of NGOs to explicitly focus on Child Rights and Child Trafficking. Many NGOs that became member of Cambodia ACTs have at the same time formulated more explicit programs to address this issue.  The widespread institutionalization of protection mechanisms at the local levels (CPN and VSNP) has committed the local authorities as well as the communities themselves. 9.2

Indonesia ACTs

Relevance Trafficking of persons, including children, remains a wide spread phenomenon in Indonesia. Contributing factors are persistent poverty, especially in the rural areas and lack of opportunity for youngsters. In some communities cultural attitudes show a substantial degree of acceptance of trafficking of children, either for child labor or for commercial sexual exploitation. In Indonesia considerable numbers of people migrate temporarily to richer countries, many to the Gulf states, but also to Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong. The trafficking of under age persons is part of these migration patterns. 43

The main focus of the activities of Indonesia ACTs is on the prevention of trafficking, including strengthening of the legal and regulatory framework and maintaining the rule of law. In addition all members of Indonesia ACTs have included community education and most include the establishment of child protection networks in their programs. In addition to preventive action, direct support to victims (shelters, rehabilitation and reintegration) is included in the programs of most member organizations. Some projects include formal education / vocational training and livelihood components aimed to address the root cause of trafficking. These activities are relevant to address the problem of child trafficking. The activities are also consistent with the strategy developed by TdH-NL. Two observations can be made. First, there is no overall insight or analysis of the incidence of trafficking and its regional distribution. This prevents the formulation of a strategy and set priorities for interventions. Second, and partly as a consequence of the previous observation, the geographical coverage of the Indonesia is still limited. Indonesia is a vast country, with 33 Provinces. Member organizations are active in 9 Provinces, and within these provinces in a very limited number of Districts only. The program has focused on explaining the dangers of migration, with the underlying principle to induce people not to migrate. Migration, however, is also beneficial for many, and in any case will not be stopped. The principle now seems to shift to promoting “safe migration”, rather than stimulating people to stay “at home”. Overall it is concluded that the action at the national level is certainly relevant to address child trafficking. Action at the local (mainly District) level is locally relevant, but its coverage is so limited that its overall significance is minimal. Effectiveness To assess effectiveness of the program in Indonesia, attention is given to the performance of organizations to implement activities and to the overall outcomes that are achieved to the extent that information is available. Performance of Indonesia ACTs According to the report of the Presidium to the General Assembly, the overall level of implementation of activities is 60% as per March 201028, with 9 months of implementation remaining. The evaluation conducted in August/September 2010 concludes that the activities are effective. Overall the performance of the activities initiated and supported through Indonesia ACTs is satisfactory, although not all targets will be reached. The establishment of Child Protection Networks will most likely remain below expectations. At the national level, advocacy has by and large achieved its objectives. Although not yet formally recognized by the Government, December 12 is widely commemorated as Day against Human Trafficking. The legal and regulatory framework to address child trafficking is in place. Advocacy for implementation, i.e. law enforcement, takes place mostly at the level of the Districts and results are variable. In most Districts where members of Indonesia ACTs operate, contacts and cooperation with local authorities are good, but the results of cooperation are difficult to assess. The performance of the individual member organizations is generally good to satisfactory. The numbers of people reached exceed expectations in many cases. Where performance drops to lower levels, Indonesia ACTs intervenes adequately. Indonesia ACTs supports the strengthening of capacity of its members through training. These trainings have been conducted largely as envisaged and are appreciated by members. Turnover of staff however limited its effectiveness for capacity building. The 28

This includes all activities of Indonesia ACT, also the activities supports by Plan International, the EU and OAK Foundation. The Presidium does not report separately for each project to the General Assembly.

Presidium of Indonesia ACTs also does not systematically visit local authorities when present at events organized by members, neglecting and important opportunity to enhance the local visibility of its members. Exchange of information and distribution of tasks based on specific organizational strengths have not yet been developed to the extent possible. Performance of TdH-NL supported projects Overall the performance of the individual projects supported by TdH-NL is satisfactory, especially when taking into consideration that TdH-NL deliberately chooses to cooperate with partner organizations that are small, often with limited organizational capacity. Two partner organizations did not perform adequately, and cooperation was terminated during the period of evaluation. Program outcomes Because the interventions are small scale, and scattered, outcomes can be observed at the level of individual children that have been reached. For victims that are rescued from exploitation of any kind and that have been rehabilitated the outcomes are fundamental for their lives. Through community education the projects and activities of Indonesia ACTs achieve outcomes at the level of communities. In some communities (for example in the region of Indramayu), it is reported that profound changes in cultural perspectives on child exploitation can be observed. In the Districts where members of Indonesia ACTs and/or partners of TdH-NL are working the attitudes of local authorities are gradually changing. The effects of these changes on the lives of children, however, are difficult to assess. At the level of the National Government, the regulatory and legal framework in place will continue to have effects on the lives of many children, although continued advocacy for allocation of sufficient resources for law enforcement will be needed. Overall assessment of effectiveness Within its limitations or organizational capacity, strategic coherence and resources, the effectiveness of the campaign in Indonesia is considered to be adequate. Efficiency Design efficiency For the individual members and partner organizations the plans that are formulated are ambitious but feasible. The mix of the different strategies (advocacy, prevention and direct support to victims) emphasizes prevention and advocacy. This is considered to be efficient use of the available resources. The main concern, however, is that the interventions are scattered and show little strategic direction and interconnectedness. Information on child trafficking is still impressionistic and scattered, and does not allow the analysis that is needed for the design of a program with clear priorities and coherence. No formal mapping of strengths and weaknesses of members and partners has yet been made, and it is observed that most member organizations execute programs that are to a considerable extent similar, without much specialization based on specific organizational strengths. This prevents the occurrence of synergy, even where member organizations are not too scattered. Implementation efficiency Implementation of projects and activities Interventions are mostly implemented within the budgetary limitations. Activities may show delays. These delays are, among other, caused by frequent staff changes occurring at the level of member organizations. With their already limited organizational capacity, this absorbs considerable attention and energy of their management. Organizational capacity is clearly a constraint for the implementation of interventions. TdH-NL (directly and through Indonesia ACTs) has supported substantial capacity building, but frequent staff changes limit the progress of strengthening of organizational capacity. In the future even a bigger 45

challenge will be faced: staff with other type of skills than current staff with often a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;communitydevelopment backgroundâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; will be required, if and when Indonesia ACTs and its member organizations will move towards more advocacy-oriented activities / program. Management and organization of Indonesia ACTs Indonesia ACTs is a network organization. It has a secretariat with limited capacity. Until recently the focal point was fully employed by Indonesia ACTs, but the current focal point is at the same time Director of one of the members and can dedicate only part of his time to the functions that are required from Indonesia ACTs. Within these limitations the performance of Indonesia ACTs has been efficient. Operational costs for the Indonesia ACTs network are approx. 19% of the support provided by TdHNL. Staff costs are limited, because the secretariat includes only 2 staff, but the costs for the Presidium include a substantial cost for travel, because of the geographical dispersion of members and the need to regularly visit Jakarta for meetings. Overall assessment of efficiency Overall, the efficiency of the campaign in Indonesia is adequate. The dedication of the members and partners is great, but organizational constraints and insufficient program coherence and synergy limit efficiency. Sustainability The Indonesia campaign has contributed to put trafficking of persons, including children on the political agenda, and has embedded awareness of the issue in the communities where members and partners are working. This will contribute to the sustainability of action against child trafficking. At the different levels of Government, however, sustainability will require the allocation of sufficient resources for law enforcement. At the level of communities continued action is required to maintain the level of awareness that now exists. 9.3

Asia ACTs

Relevance Child trafficking is a persistent phenomenon in the Southeast Asia region. Addressing it through actions aimed at regional institutions such as ASEAN is a relevant approach. Another important focus of Asia ACTs has been to support national networks and coordinate their approaches and activities. This has addressed a real need of many member organizations of national networks and of the networks themselves. At the same time it can be observed that action against child trafficking requires action in both sending countries as well as transit and receiving countries. At this moment, the coverage with national networks is most effective in sending countries (Cambodia, Indonesia and the Philippines). The coverage in important receiving countries largely is ineffective (Thailand) or absent (Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam). This limits the some of the relevance of the activities of Asia ACTs as a regional network. Effectiveness The effectiveness of the work of Asia ACTs with regard to advocacy at the regional level is excellent. The adoption of the guidelines by the ASEAN Ministers for Social Affairs is a considerable achievement that has substantial effects. It has raised the awareness of the highest level authorities about the issue of child trafficking, and this cascades down to the national level of member states. Another considerable achievement of Asia ACTs is that it has developed a number of effective tools to support action at the national and sub-national levels in member countries. These tools include the tool 46

for media analysis, training in advocacy and modules for training of trainers courses. As a service provider to national networks, Asia ACTs has been effective in its relationships with networks in Cambodia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Efficiency Asia ACTs is a small organization with a highly dedicated staff. With its limited resources it has made a remarkable contribution to the campaign. The continuing intensive involvement of staff of Asia ACTs in activities that in principle belong to the mandate of Philippine ACTs (PACT), however, has diverted attention from the work at the regional level. The entire staff of Asia ACTs is composed of Philippine nationals. The Regional Coordinator of Asia ACTs is well known in the Philippines for her action against child trafficking and an influential member of many important networks in the country. Such reputation and access to senior decision makers are bound to personal qualities and histories, and as a consequence cannot be easily transferred to others, i.e. the new staff of PACT. Combined these factors make that Asia ACTs is to some extent perceived as a Philippine organization, not so much as a regional organization. The 2006 evaluation already recommended a more explicit regional profile of Asia ACTs, including a clear distinction between Asia ACTs and PACT. Since 2008 new staff was hired for PACT, and the situation seems to have improved to a certain extent, although the closeness of Asia ACTs makes that PACT still experience difficulties to create their own different identities. Sustainability Sustainability of achievements The adoption of the guidelines by the ASEAN Ministers of Social Affairs contributes to the sustainability of an important achievement of Asia ACTs. Overall, Asia ACTs, together with the national networks has contributed to putting child trafficking on the political agenda at the highest levels. It is unlikely to completely disappear from the political agendaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in the case that Asia ACTs would stop its work completely. Partners in the countries visited generally observed that they have gained access to authorities at different levels, and are respected for their contribution29. Organizational sustainability The organizational sustainability of the secretariat, however, is not assured. At the level of the national networks and especially at the level of the member organizations in Cambodia and Indonesia it appeared that the visibility of, and hence the appreciation for, the contribution of Asia ACTs was limited. Asia ACTs does not yet have a clear regional profile, with a clear function for the national level. The risk is that at this moment the TdH-NL is the main linkage between the regional network and the national level. The Regional Coordinator is a determining factor in the visibility and direction of the program. If, for whatever reason, the Regional Coordinator leaves the organization, it will be very difficult to maintain its profile and position in the SE Asian region. Financially Asia ACTs depends to a large extent on one donor. Raising funds from other sources will be possible, but will require considerable effort, at the expense of its work. Moreover, as already experienced when managing the funds from EU and the Oak Foundation, channeling funds to the national level may fundamentally change its relationships with the national networks and their members.

See also the evaluation of the OAK project.

9.4

Overall conclusions

Based on the findings and conclusion on the Cambodia, Indonesia and Asia ACTs some more strategic conclusions can be drawn. These concern specifically the approach of TdH-NL to selection of its partners, management and administrative issues and Partner selection Many of the TdH-NL partners participating in the ACTs campaign have limited organizational capacity (especially in Indonesia). Enhancing the capacity of these organizations is considered an important contribution to civil society strengthening in the respective countries. Partner organizations indicated that by participating in this program, their organizational capacity has been strengthened. Examples cited were better structured administrative processes, development of staff skills and the availability of tools and approaches to better execute their activities. At the same time, some organizations (mainly in Indonesia) indicated that they face problems because of high turnover of staff. For small organizations the efforts that must be made to introduce new staff to the activities and underlying philosophy of the organization constitutes a significant burden. This limits the grow of organizational experience and capacity. There are other consequences as well. The most important is that putting together organizations with limited capacity in a network does not result in a strong network. This shows specifically at the strategic level. In Cambodia but most clearly in Indonesia the program shows a notable absence of strategic direction and coherence. Combined with the general lack of detailed information about the incidence and causes for child trafficking, this translates in a diffuse strategic direction of program activities, as well as in an unclear definition of the roles and contributions of the different network levels. Management and administration Management and administration of the program is extremely complex. With multiple funding sources that are distributed through the networks some partner organizations have to comply with complex financial and narrative progress reporting procedures for a sometimes minimal financial contribution. This constitutes a substantial burden on the already limited organizational capacity of many member organizations30. It is policy of TdH-NL to regularly evaluate projects that it supports. Overall the evaluation coverage of the projects in Cambodia and Indonesia is high. Almost all resource persons, however, indicate that the project evaluations present no new information or insights in the projects and are of limited usefulness. At best they provide an opportunity to discuss the future of the project with all stakeholders. The rather diffuse presentation of finding and conclusions of most project evaluations makes also that they contribute little to the accountability to donors. Network functions Networks are established at the regional and national levels. The aim of the networks was not formally described, but it was expected that through networking the campaign would be more effective and efficient. In chapter 3 the functions of networks that will contribute to effective and efficient work are further specified. For advocacy the networks has fulfilled their expected function. Both at the regional and at the national levels, the joint action has contributed to results (in terms of legislation and regulation) that individual organization would not have achieved. Other functions that have been adequately 30

A similar observation is made in the evaluation of the OAK project 2006 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2009.

performed by the networks are capacity building, communication and sensitization and representation. The networks have also performed well as funder/supervisors of the activities of their members. In the case of Asia ACTs and to a lesser extent of Indonesia ACTs, however, fulfillment of these functions has strained their organizational capacity. The main challenges for the networks are in the fields of exchanging experiences and learning and enhancing overall effectiveness through specialization of activities. The Asia ACTs campaign intended to cover the most important countries in the Southeast Asia region, in order to jointly advocate for better laws and regulations at the level of ASEAN, but also to link networks in the different countries to be able to effectively address trafficking of children as a crossborder phenomenon. This latter aim requires the existence of effective networks in both sending and receiving countries. This has not yet been achieved. The three most active and effective networks have been established in the three most important sending countries. The networks in receiving countries are less effective (Thailand and Vietnam) or non-existent (Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam). The overhead costs31 of the networks are relatively limited. The structures of budgets are not fully comparable, but these overhead costs are estimated at approx. 30,000 euro per year for Asia ACTs and Cambodia ACTs and approx. 20,000 euro per year for Indonesia ACTs. These cost figures exclude all costs related to representation, the organization of events and the execution of activities. These costs should therefore be seen as the costs for providing an effective organizational structure to fulfill the assigned network functions. From this perspective the overhead costs of the networks is considered an efficient use of resources. Follow-up of the 2006 evaluation The 2006 evaluation presented detailed recommendations for each of the countries studied and for the regional Asia ACTs network. Review of the main recommendations of this evaluation with the staff of the different level networks showed that there was very limited knowledge about this evaluation. Follow-up was variable. In as far a continuation of on-going practices is concerned (this applies specifically to a number of recommendations formulated for the Cambodia ACTs) this has generally been followed. Most recommendations, however, proposed changes of existing practices. These have generally not been followed. On many issues the conclusions of the present evaluation are similar to the 2006 evaluation, and the recommended changes are therefore still relevant. The follow-up of the main recommendations of the 2006 evaluation is summarized in the following table.

Staff salaries, office costs (materials, equipment, rent) and travel/per diem for internal secretariat meetings. The amounts mentioned exclude all costs related to meetings of all members and of activities and events.

Table 9.1: Summary follow-up recommendations 2006 evaluations Main recommendation Follow-up Design and execution of the interventions Design of relevant and effective interventions requires a systematic approach. This will contribute to coherence and synergy of activities. Adequate analysis of vulnerability of children for more effective targeting. Capacity building at all level to combat child trafficking. The establishment of a data base/information system to strengthen program design and implementation.

The systematic approach has not been introduced yet. Coherence and synergy between activities and projects is still limited. At local level some analyses have been done, but no overall analysis of patterns, processes and causes has yet been made. Capacity building has been effectively pursued at different levels. A conference was held, but overall not much progress has been made in practice.

Assessment

3 4 2

Specific suggestions for the Cambodia program are: Continue with support to education, especially in remote areas. Support communities to enhance livelihood development, strengthen psychological support to vulnerable families, counseling services to reduce alcoholism, gambling, domestic violence, rape and incest and enhance access to information. Intensify action research and develop a comprehensive data base on child trafficking in Cambodia. Introduce a local system of alert in villages with the participation of the community, local authorities and NGOs Continue lobby and advocacy to strengthen law enforcement.

Support to education has continued, no expansion to remote areas. Some of these activities were executed in the period prior to 2006, and these have been continued. Expansion of these activities was beyond the scope of TdH-NL and ACTs member organizations. This recommendation is considered too ambitious. Work on a data base was started, but stalled. No significant research done. In villages/communities where member organizations work this has been done to a large extent. Followed-up

2 4

Specific suggestions for the Indonesia program are: Develop a programmatic, more strategic approach and enhance coherence between program components. Develop and apply an approach labeled focused prevention: define sub-groups of high risk children and focus interventions on these children and their direct social environments (family and community). Use Indonesia ACTs to map the strengths of implementing organizations to enhance coordination and synergy. Increase the number of child beneficiaries.

Little or no progress made 1 This recommendation has been followed to some extent 3

Informal knowledge about the strengths of members is available, but no systematic mapping of strengths and translation of this in plans. This has been followed to some extent

2 3

Management of the program Asia ACTs should strengthen its role as a regional body, limited involvement in field interventions. Clear demarcation between Asia ACTs and the national network in the Philippines is desirable. Institutionalization of the program at sub-national levels (district, province) should be prioritized.

The regional profile of Asia ACTs has not changed very much since 2006. No significant changes due to staffing problems at PACT earlier in the evaluation period. This situation, however, is now improving. In the countries visited the institutionalization at sub-national levels has progressed.

Note: The rating scales used are: 1: none/very little (0-30%), 2: insufficient (30-60%), 3: sufficient (60-80%), 4: completely/good (80+%)

2 2

10. Recommendations The recommendations following from the present evaluation are presented under three main headings: 1. Enhance the strategic focus of the campaign. 2. Strengthen the network functions. 3. Strengthen organization and management. On the basis of the findings and conclusions the following is recommended: 10.1

Enhance the strategic focus of the campaign

The campaign Against Child Trafficking in Southeast Asia faces a vast and widespread problem, with limited resources. The advocacy work in the past five years at the regional and at the national level has been to a considerable extent focused and effective, but much of the work at the sub-national level risks to be scattered and without clear prioritization and coherence. Most of the funds allocated to fight child trafficking are used for action at the local level. To deploy these resources to maximum effect a clear strategic vision and focus is required. Such a focus requires a reliable set of data and a clear analysis of the problem at different levels: local, national and international and the interrelationships between these levels. Work has been done to study child trafficking and its causes mainly at the local level, but at the national and international levels much remains unknown. To strengthen the strategic focus of the campaign the following is recommended: ď&#x201A;ˇ Re-start the initiative to establish a data-base about victims of trafficking. The need for structured data has resulted in the conference on data-base establishment, but actual progress in the different countries is uneven. The work in the Philippines is probably most advanced, but even there progress is slow. Other countries could benefit from the experiences gained in the Philippines, specifically with regard to issues such as the data-base structure, the organization of data-base management and definitions used. ď&#x201A;ˇ There is local knowledge about patterns of trafficking, causes and actors and some studies about specific aspects of trafficking have been done. This knowledge needs to be consolidated and made coherent. A study is probably the most suitable approach to provide the necessary insights. ď&#x201A;ˇ The planning of the interventions of the networks should become more strategic. o The overwhelming majority of cases of trafficking probably does not involve crossborder trafficking, but is purely national and involves mainly sexual exploitation and forced child labor. On the other hand, international cases of trafficking and specific purposes of trafficking (such as organ trafficking) tend to attract disproportionate attention, and hence are important from the point of view of publicity. It is recommended that the regional network reflects on the balance of its activities with a national or international dimension, and its role in each of these processes. o The national networks include a substantial proportion of organizations of limited size and organizational capacity. Their organizational culture is mainly action-oriented. Putting such organizations together in a network does not automatically lead to a strong network with sufficient capacity for strategic planning. External inputs are needed to enhance the strategic focus of plans, especially in Indonesia. Each of the 51



10.2

national networks will have to find its own solution to this. A more active role from the side of TdH-NL (regional office) may be required for the short to medium term. This role should be either to stimulate national networks to find their own solution, or if an autonomous solution does not seem to emerge in the short term, to take the lead in the facilitation of a clear strategic focus of the work. Especially at the level of the national campaigns, more programmatic coherence could enhance synergy between interventions and hence effectiveness. This requires a programmatic approach not only for the activities supported by the national ACTs, but it should also include the interventions of the projects with direct support from TdH-NL. Strengthen network functions

Of the functions that can be expected from networks, some have been realized. Joint advocacy at the regional and national levels has achieved more than individual organizations could have. The efforts for capacity building have been by and large effective, although frequent staff changes in some organizations limit their longer term contribution to the individual organizations. Other network function, however, have not fully developed over the past five years.  Sharing of information and experiences was done on an ad-hoc basis. Many respondents expressed their appreciation for information about child trafficking or organizational issues when that was provided. Availability of material in local language will enhance usefulness.  Specialization based on complementarity between organizations has not been fully exploited. It has happened in some cases (for example the work of IP in Indonesia and PADV in Cambodia), but overall it was found that many organizations are still executing the same type of activities without much specialization. No systematic mapping of the strengths and weaknesses of member organizations has taken place so-far. Strengthening network functions will be different for each of the national networks. In Cambodia, the networks secretariat evolves towards a service provider/fund raising role. The challenge for this network will be to promote and strengthen effective horizontal linkages between member organizations, without the secretariat becoming too dominant. In Indonesia, the network structure is much “lighter”. Geographical coverage of this vast country will be difficult to achieve. Specialization between organizations must be further developed in combination with expansion of geographical coverage. 10.3

Organization and management

Simplify the funding structure The complexity of funding (several sources, funds from each source distributed over many different implementing organizations) leads to complex administrative set-up of the program, and to a disproportionate administrative burden for implementing organizations that have often a limited capacity. Recent developments such as the termination of MFS, EU and OAK funding automatically imply a simplification of the funding structure. For future funding sources, however, a structural solution should be found. It is recommended that the following possibilities to simplify the administrative and funding structure are further explored.  Establishment of a trust fund for the campaign against child trafficking, with donors contributing to the trust fund, and accepting the narrative and financial reports of the trust fund as fulfillment of their reporting requirements. The trust fund could be supervised by the TdHNL regional office in Jakarta. Such an arrangement would be in accordance with the Paris Declaration and the Accra Agenda for Action.  A Voluntary Code of Conduct stipulating that reporting a the level of the regional campaign can be accepted by donors as fulfillment of the narrative reporting requirements.



Using funds from each donor for a limited number of activities and partners would reduce the burden of planning and reporting.

The Cambodia ACTs network is raising funds from international donors directly. The Cambodia ACTs secretariat probably has sufficient organizational capacity to fulfill the planning and reporting requirements of donors. For the Indonesia ACTs secretariat with its limited organizational capacity, however, this will pose problems. Adopt a different approach for evaluation In the period 2006 – 2010 16 project evaluations were done for projects directly supported by TdHNL, in accordance with its evaluation policy. The usefulness of these evaluations proved to be limited. Evaluations added little to the existing body of information, in most cases the analysis done had little or no value added, and the presentation of the information limited their usefulness for the purpose of accountability. It is recommended that the resources allocated to evaluation of this program be deployed in a different way. For this the following suggestions are made to TdH-NL:  Projects are often of limited financial importance, and with a duration from 1-3 years. It is recommended that towards the end of each project phase a review takes place that focuses on drawing lessons from the experiences gained. These lessons will then be incorporated in a possible next phase of the project (or, if no next phase of the project will be implemented, the review should be used for preparing an exit-strategy for the remaining project period). This review could be done in a workshop where the draft final report is presented, the presents the results of the project. Participants in this workshop are professional project staff and key external partners and the responsible program officer of the TdH-NL Jakarta office. The workshop could be facilitated by TdH-NL staff (other than the responsible program officer) of the regional office, or by an external facilitator.  Every 4-5 years an in-depth program evaluation of the entire Asia ACTs campaign should be conducted. To prepare for this evaluation it is recommended that preparatory studies are done by local consultants or academics: o In-depth studies at village level, to obtain information about the impact of the campaign on the intended beneficiaries. o Assessments of the capacity of partner organizations. This will require strengthening of the supervisory/evaluation capacity at the TdH-NL Jakarta office. On the other hand, no funds will be required for the regular project evaluations. It is estimated that the costs of employing a staff member specifically charged with supervisory/evaluation functions at the Jakarta office will be covered by the resources currently used for project evaluations.