British Embassy Panama City Call for Bids 2018: Conflict, Stability and Security Fund

Deadline: 24 September 2018

British Embassy Panama City is seeking applications for its Conflict, Stability and Security Fund.

As part of the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) bid for FY 2018-2019, the British Embassy (BE) in Panama is looking for a suitable implementer to carry out a scoping study on Serious Organised Crime in Panama, including financial crime, with a particular focus on money laundering, corruption and narcotics.

Objectives

Provide a current overview of the situation relating to Serious and Organised Crime (SOC) in Panama, with a particular focus on corruption and financial crime and its links to narcotics trafficking;
Identify relevant baselines in relation to the subjects under study;
Identify threats in place and weaknesses in Panama’s institutions and approach;
Identify strengths in work being done so far. Map relevant actors and their interactions Including other donors, civil society and Panamanian institutions;
Identify the gaps where specific and targeted interventions from the British Government (including through locally implemented projects) could have biggest impact in tackling SOC, in line with the British government ‘4 P’s’ approach;
Make recommendations, to include a roadmap and identify priority action points;
Propose a theory of change for future programme activities, based on tangible beneficial outcomes to the UK and Panama;
Provide an analysis on the likelihood of the possible benefits arising from the proposed programme to be sustained beyond the end of the programme and any challenges to sustainability.

Funding Information & Duration

The project bid should range in value up to GBP 60,000. The project must have completed 85% of spend by the 31st December 2018, and completed all activity by the 31st March 2019.

Output Features

A scoping study on:

Theme: SOC in Panama, to include corruption, financial crime and narcotics, and the links between them.
Length: up to fifty (50) pages, including an executive summary of no more than two (2) pages. The report shall be presented in English.
Structure: for the implementer to decide, as long as it responds to the items identified in the specific objectives section of this document.
Format: digital (PDF document).
Deadline: final submission by 15 February 2019, with an initial draft presented to BE Panama by 30 November with early findings.
Confidentiality: the scoping study is not for publication, nor to be shared without consent. It will be for the internal use of the UK Government only.

Essential skills

The independent implementer will have:
- Experience working on the relevant issues identified in this document;
- Network of SOC contacts in Panama and the neighbouring region;
- Familiarity with the British Government SOC Strategy and the 4 P’s approach:
  - Pursue: Prosecute and disrupt people engaged in serious organised crime
  - Prevent: Prevent people from engaging in serious and organised
  - Protect: Increase protection against serious organised crime
  - Prepare: Reduce the impact of criminality where it takes place
- Project and budget management experience;
- Fluent Spanish is essential for field visits;
- Fluent English is essential for drafting and communications;
- Policy or Programme experience in Latin America.