Terms of Reference: Workstream Lead – Countering Narcotics

Technical context

UK-Pakistan Serious Crime and Law Enforcement (UPSCALE)-2 programme is an UK Government- funded programme designed to help tackle cross-border crime that undermine the security and prosperity of the UK and Pakistan. This phase of the UK-Pakistan Cooperation on Serious Crime and Law Enforcement will run for 12 months from April 2025 to March 2026. This programme continues our critical mission of enhancing protection for vulnerable communities through improved systems and reduced threats, building upon the remarkable achievements of our previous project phase.  

The programme is intended to address cross-border crime across the following thematic areas:

Criminal Justice Cooperation – MLA and Extradition

• Mutual Legal Assistance and Extradition: To make the process in Pakistan more effective, efficient, expeditious, and accountable.
  

Irregular Migration and Organised Immigration Crime

• Strengthen detection and targeting of irregular migration via Pakistan airports.
  

Strengthen community protection and mitigate against diaspora high harm offenders

• Sex Offender Management: Fully operationalise an effective and legally compliant sex offender register following Nov 2024 launch.

• Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (OCSEA): Deliver Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven capability to better target OCSEA.

Criminal Record Sharing

• The quality of criminal records data transmitted from Pakistan to the UK is prompt, reliable, consistent, and adequate. Pakistan is tracking relevant information.

Countering Narcotics

• An enhanced and strengthened system capacity improving the potential to tackle shared narcotics-related threats.

Improved law enforcement cooperation on Illicit Finance

• Pakistan systems deliver against FATF commitments and better use illicit finance capacity to disrupt criminal activity, including with UK nexus. The aim of the project is to deliver meaningfulandmeasurableresultsinthetacklingofcrossbordercrime,buildingsystems and institutional capability that provide a sustainable foundation for the operational effectiveness of relevant UK and Pakistan agencies.

WAYS OF WORKING

Project approach

ASI is implementing a problem-driven iterative adaptation (PDIA) approach to system reform. This places a priority on the delivery of results, in line with the project’s theory of change, logical framework and with the agreement of project leadership.

ASI way of working

All associates are required to work in accordance with ASI’s best practice of:

• Results-focused problem solving.

• Collaborative working to building and maintain great relationships.

• Developing and sharing insights, technical knowledge and thought leadership within the project and across ASI.
  

Contractual and policy compliance

All associates are expected to read and understand the obligations detailed in their contract, including adherence to ASI policies. This includes use of ASI systems for communication and for storage of ongoing and completed project work. Associates should note that over the course of the project they are accountable to ASI and act as ‘ambassadors’ of the company.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

Internal:

• Team leadership and management: Team Leader, Programme Director

• Team management: Programme Management Unit

• Regional ASI leadership: Head of Pakistan, Head of Pakistan Finance, People & Talent Manager, Operations Manager, Head of Duty of Care.

• Other ASI programmes: Pakistan programmes, international programmes working in the same sector.
  

External:

• Clients: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office representatives in the British High Commission.

• Counterparts: Pakistan and UK agencies operating in the project’s technical space - Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) and Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF)

• Project consortium partners and suppliers.

• Other project stakeholders from government, bilateral agencies, multilateral agencies and non-government organisations.

KEY TASKS

Part A: Technical Skills

Results-focused problem solving

• Work with the Team lead to lead a problem-driven, iterative adaptation approach to project design and delivery.

• Undertake the below activities a