Result of Service

Under the supervision of the Head of the Research and Awareness Unit of UNODC-ROSEN and in close cooperation with assigned staff of the Research and Awareness Unit and Research and Trend Analysis Branch, the consultant will undertake the following activities:

• Review the existing literature and data on pick-up trafficking in order to produce a detailed research proposition (in line with the RAB Research Output Preparation Worksheet);
• Prepare and conduct research missions to gather data and testimonies;
• Collect and centralize data on pick-up trafficking in the Sahel, particularly official data from customs, etc. and produce detailed interview transcripts;
• Liaise with member states to validate the data provided;
• Produce a detailed outlined structured around the key messages of the report and highlighting the types of graphs/visualization (including maps) that will be used for the publication;
• Produce a draft report (15,000 words);
• Produce a finalized report, including by taking the draft through the UNODC quality control process and adequately integrating the feedback being provided by reviewers;
• Organize and deliver an event where there key research findings in-house and to the donor;
• Produce progress report on the implementation of the project as requested by the donor.

Work Location

Home-based with duty travels to West and Central African countries and the United Arab Emirates

Expected duration

11.09.23-31.12.23 (with the possibility of extension till 30 March 2024)

Duties and Responsibilities

This research project on trafficking of pick-up vehicles in the Sahel aims to fill a knowledge gap on the nature of the market, the routes used, the actors involved, the enablers and impact for this market and the policy implications for the region. This includes the adaptation of pick-up vehicles to transport illegal goods, to mount firearms, or to be used in trade-based money-laundering schemes. The project will explore the role of armed groups in the market, particularly, as well as to disseminate findings and promote operational recommendations to relevant national authorities of the G5 Sahel countries, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Burkina Faso.
The Sahel represents a strategic transit area for illicit markets with impacts, linkages and nexus with other regions and trans-continental flows. With special reference to the trafficking of pick-up vehicles, routes evolve rapidly in response to changes in criminal markets, as well as activities of law enforcement authorities. From a research perspective, it is essential to develop qualitative analysis on trends and relevant markets features, as well as to collect, organize and analyze data on seizures and perpetrators.
The research aims at answering to the following questions:
Markets
• What is the nature of the market (routes, scale of the flow based on seizures, estimated value of the flow, etc.)?
• What is the legal supply chain and how is it being disrupted by traffickers?
• How much of the market is organized?
• How do groups involved in this market organize themselves and what kind of MOs do they use?
• What are the state structures and existing responses to this market?
Perpetrators
• Who are the actors involved in each of the crime topics covered (e.g. age, gender, nationality, ethnicity, level of education, criminal history, relationship with transnational criminal groups etc)?
• What motivates their involvement in organized crime? How were they recruited?
• What is their connection, if any, with armed groups operating in the region?
Enablers
• How do organized criminal groups facilitate their activities through corruption, cybercrime, obstruction of justice and violence?
Policy implications
• What are the implications of pick-up trafficking on stability and development in the region, particularly in fragile/conflict areas?
• Based on evidence/good practices or lessons learnt, how can national authorities more effectively prevent and combat organized crime?
• Based on evidence/good practices or lessons learnt, how can policy efforts be further advanced in order to promote resilience and effective responses to such challenges?
Methodology wise, the research will be guided by the UNODC RAB Quality Standards, particularly the principle of relevance to the UNODC mandate, do no harm, triangulation of sources, weighing of sources (particularly official data from the UN, other international organizations and from governments), as well as the TOCTA methodology. The report should be mirror and be complementary to TOCTA Sahel Reports.
The research will focus on Mali and Niger, although other countries on the trafficking route will be considered.

Qualifications/special skills

• An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in international relations, sociology, economics, criminology, statistics, social sciences or related field is required. A first level university degree in similar fields in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• A minimum of 7 years of relevant working experience in designing and conducting research and analysis on topics related to international security is required.
• Experience working with national authorities (e.g. law enforcement) in the Sahel and West Africa is required.
• Experience in comparative research and analysis of quantitative crime-related data is required.
• Demonstrated skills in editing written materials and producing data visualization is required.
• Previous relevant experience with the United Nations, especially producing threat assessments and analytical publications according to UN standards is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this position, fluency in English and French with excellent drafting and communication skills, is required. Knowledge of another United Nations official language is an advantage.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.