Child Sex Trafficking Navigator, ArgentinaIndependent Contractor Services
Issuing Organization: National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)Program: U.S. Department of State–funded Child Protection Compact Partnership in ArgentinaPlace of Performance: Buenos Aires, Argentina, with travel throughout Argentina and periodic international travelEngagement Type: Independent contractor (individual consultant). This is not an employment position.Period of Performance: Base period from December 2027 through September 30, 2027, with up to four (4) one-year option periods. If all options are exercised, the engagement ends September 30, 2031.Announcement Date: November 4, 2026NCMEC Contract Point of Contact: John Shehan, Senior Vice President, jshehan@ncmec.org
1. Background
NCMEC is implementing the Child Protection Compact Partnership in Argentina, a five-year program funded by the U.S. Department of State that ends September 30, 2031. The program aims to strengthen prevention, victim protection, and the investigation, prosecution, and conviction of offenders, using trauma-informed, victim-centered practices.
NCMEC wants to engage one qualified Argentine professional as an independent contractor to serve as Child Sex Trafficking (CST) Navigator. The Contractor will focus on CST service mapping, professional training, multidisciplinary collaboration, and recovery planning. The Contractor will coordinate with NCMEC's Director, Argentina Child Protection & Strategic Engagement (the "NCMEC Program Director"), NCMEC subject-matter experts, the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Program Manager, and Argentine implementing partners.
2. Objective
The objective is to strengthen Argentina's national and provincial capacity to prevent child sex trafficking, identify and protect child victims, plan for the recovery of children missing from alternative care, and support the investigation and prosecution of offenders.
3. Scope of Work
The Contractor will perform the following tasks under work plans approved by the NCMEC Program Director. The Contractor decides how, when, and by what methods the work is done, consistent with the approved work plan, the deliverable schedule, and the contract terms.
Task 1: Prevention and Public Awareness
Identify opportunities to strengthen Argentina's capacity to prevent CST, protect vulnerable children and survivors, and support prosecution of offenders.
Work with local nongovernmental organizations to use NCMEC prevention resources to raise public awareness of the risk factors and vulnerabilities traffickers exploit, including online recruitment.
Translate, localize, and promote NCMEC's "Guide for Parents & Guardians," "Guide for Child Welfare Professionals," and other relevant NCMEC CST resources, reflecting Argentine law, trends, and referral pathways.
Liaise with provincial lead agencies and the Federal Council for Human Trafficking to improve victim identification, referrals, and sustained, child-focused prevention that addresses online recruitment.
Strengthen coordination among civil society, technology platforms, educators, frontline personnel, and at-risk communities.
Task 2: Regional Resource Review and Response Mapping
Review regional CST resources and response capabilities with authorities, civil-society organizations, and victim service providers.
Map services, shelters, referral pathways, and agency responsibilities for children affected by or at risk of CST. This includes children missing from alternative care settings and children trafficked by parents or family members.
Document service gaps, access barriers, coordination challenges, and regional differences.
Use findings to inform CST and recovery-planning curricula for child-welfare professionals, law enforcement, and prosecutors.
Task 3: Professional Training and Technical Assistance
Coordinate and oversee trauma-informed, victim-centered CST and recovery-planning training for judges, prosecutors, police, social workers, child-welfare…