The CLA Way for Partnerships to Combat Human Trafficking

The Strength CTIP (SCTIP) activity’s overall  goal is to “strengthen local systems and partnerships for more effective and sustainable counter trafficking in persons (CTIP) in the Philippines”. The statement of the activity’s goal itself reflects the 2 CLA sub-components in this case – External Collaboration and Relationships & Networks. SCTIP provided sub-grants and technical assistance to 13 NGO-subgrantees in 9 regions of the Philippines (more than half of the country) that encompass human trafficking hotspots.
 
The launch of SCTIP coincided with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. This brought major challenges in the operational and developmental aspects of the activity. It also brought opportunities for innovation and adaptation. 
 
In a way, CLA was the only way for SCTIP to achieve its goal while facing the COVID-19 challenge. Its government partner is an inter-agency council composed of 23 government agencies and 3 NGOs replicated in the country’s 17 regions. Dealing with a structure of such size, breadth, and levels of operation definitely requires a collaborating, learning, and adapting approach.
 
The activity built a consortium/coalition of NGOs that in turn nurtured local coalitions and partnerships of civil society, local governments, and the private sector. These local coalitions harnessed the already existing enabling conditions of local culture, processes, and resources to collaborate, learn, and adapt in developing and implementing concrete programs towards the activity goal of “strengthen(ing) local systems and partnerships for more effective and sustainable counter trafficking in persons (CTIP) in the Philippines”.