Consultant – Malayaiha Tamils Project

Purpose

Amnesty International South Asia Regional Office seeks a consultant for research on the rights and dignity of Malaiyaha Tamils in Sri Lanka. This will be a 3-month consultancy with possibility of an extension for one year.

Consultancy End: This is a three-month consultancy, with possibility of an extension for one year.

Background

Malayaiha Tamils (Hill Country Tamil community) in Sri Lanka is connected to the colonial history where under the British regime people from South India were shipped to work in coffee, rubber and tea plantations in Sri Lanka. The workers in these plantations in Independent Sri Lanka despite their contribution to foreign exchange earnings from tea export, continue to live in poverty and conditions described as inhumane and degrading that may amount to contemporary forms of slavery. Besides poverty, low wages, and difficulties in accessing healthcare, housing, education, the workers are trapped in cycles of bonded labour due to debt bondage and increasingly trapped in labour migration both within the country and overseas. Further, Sri Lanka’s unravelling economic crisis has widened the gnawing gap of the already existing socio-economic inequalities denying the communities from leading a fair and equitable life. Women and children continue to face differentiated and disproportionate impact from enjoying their agency to the fullest.

Objectives and deliverables

• Assist in undertaking in-depth research on the issue of Malaiyaha Tamils in Sri Lanka from the perspective of bonded labour, servitude and decent work using an intersectional approach that includes gender, caste, class, language, and race.
• Ensure the research contextualises the historical neglect and intergenerational discrimination that reinforces forced and bonded labour, inhumane and precarious labour conditions and take stock of the issues of Malaiyaha Tamils.
• Assist in legal analysis of national legal provisions and international safeguards that are violated.
• Ensure the research methodology forefronts the voices of the Malaiyaha Tamil communities and actively consult the local grass root organisations, Trade Unions, academics, activists and UN agencies.
• Assist in documenting real life case studies and testimonies of affected groups as well as through focus group discussions with key stakeholders ensuring a fair balance of gender and intersectional identities
• Assist in translating and transcribing from Tamil to English.
• Assist with any follow up calls/meetings with stakeholders as required
• Report to South Asia Regional Office Deputy Director (Research) and work in close coordination with Sri Lanka Country team
• To report on progress to Deputy Director (Research) every week and submit a monthly report of deliverables

Known Project Stages

• Upon signing the contract, in one week time, in consultation with Deputy Director (Research) Sri Lanka Country team including the Policy Advisor on Work and Descent Discrimination agree on a outline for research and timelines.
• Once the outline is agreed upon by Amnesty staff, for a period of four weeks, based on the criteria set out in the objectives and deliverables, the consultant to engage in desk-based research
• Thereafter, the consultant to produce a first draft in three weeks to be shared with Amnesty staff for their reviews.
• Amnesty staff to review the first draft with inputs and return the draft back to the consultant for amends.
• Consultant to revise the draft to final in four weeks.

Essential Requirements

• Experience working on issues of Malaiyaha Tamils
• Native speaker of Tamil
• Experience conducting research
• To be in based in Sri Lanka and be able to travel domestically for research purposes

Bidding Instructions

To bid for this work, please submit the following:

• Your CV
• A cover letter demonstrating your research skills in both qualitative and quantitative research as well as previous research experience
• Two copies of published writing samples

As standard, payments are made by Amnesty International 30 days after receipt of a valid invoice for the agreed work milestone completed.

Bids must be in PDF, Word, PowerPoint or Excel format.

The consultancy rate is a fixed sum of GBP4200 for three months. As standard, payments are made by Amnesty International 30 days after receipt of a valid invoice for the agreed work milestone completed.

Application Timeline

Deadline for application is 31st May 2023.

The Small Print

The chosen bidder will be expected to conform to our Supplier Code of Conduct and our standard Consultancy Terms and Conditions and will receive a contract containing these documents to review once this process has concluded.

Your responses will be treated as Confidential Information.

Amnesty International Limited shall not be liable for costs borne by, or any claims arising from, bidders participating in this tender process.

We reserve the right to modify this Opportunity at any time prior to the scheduled date for written responses. Additional scope and requirements can be added. Notification of such changes will be provided to all known bidders.

Amnesty International Limited also reserves the right to:

• reject any or all responses to this Opportunity
• single or multi-source
• cancel the tender at any time and for any reason

What we hope you will do next

If you are talented, passionate about human rights and want to use your skills, knowledge and experience to change the world then we would encourage you to click ‘Apply for this Role’ below.

Freedom, Justice, Equality. Let’s get to work.

N.B. We reserve the right to close a vacancy before the closing date in the event of an overwhelming response or a change in business priorities.

Amnesty International is committed to being an inclusive employer and providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process for all. If you would like to receive any information in a different way or would like us to do anything differently to help you apply for our roles, please get in touch with the team by emailingrecruitment@amnesty.org