Request for Proposal (RFP)
Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV) Documentation and Transitional Justice Expert- Ukraine
Background / Introduction
Vital Voices Global Partnership is a leading international non-governmental organization committed to working with women throughout the world to provide them with the support and tools they need to have a positive impact in their communities. Through mentoring programs, leadership training, and individualized support, Vital Voices provides credibility, builds capacity, and enhances connections for emerging and established women leaders internationally.
Description and Objective of the consultancy
Vital Voices is looking for an experienced Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV), War Crimes Documentation, and Transitional Justice consultant with contextually-specific expertise on survivor-centered, trauma-informed approaches to transitional justice, across the five pillars (truth, justice, reparation, memorialization and guarantees of non-recurrence) and consistent with the Murad Code, for Vital Voices and partners in Ukraine.
The consultant should have a strong legal background, experience supporting grassroots work with local civil society organizations, and demonstrated understanding of how to successfully incorporate survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and intersectional approaches into transitional justice programs, as well as broader gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response and women, peace, and security (WPS) efforts. This may include practical experience in documenting human rights violations and abuses in compliance with international protocols and best practices, with a special focus on GBV and CRSV, and with other forms of transitional justice (e.g., truth-telling, memorialization, restorative methods including individual and collective reparations, reintegration support, etc.). The consultant must have strong regional Eastern Europe expertise, and knowledge of past documentation and transitional justice efforts in the region. The consultant will take the lead in identifying and evaluating any relevant training material and adapting or developing new training material for Vital Voices’ local CSO partners on these efforts and will also help Vital Voices build its own internal capacity and expertise on this topic by organizing trainings for Vital Voices’ staff.
The consultant must have experience working in the Eastern Europe region, and ideally within Ukraine specifically. The consultant must also have direct experience with and/or exposure to mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) mechanisms for survivors, and a deep familiarity with Do No Harm approaches in conducting their work.
This consultancy position is a remote part-time position, with expected travel to Ukraine to two in-person site visits. The salary range for this position is based on an hourly rate of $70/hour and is based on applicant experience.
Responsibilities
- Assess the existing capacity of Vital Voices and its implementing partners regarding their implementation of survivor-centered, trauma-informed approaches to transitional justice.
- Identify and evaluate any existing training materials and adapt/draft, review and disseminate new training materials on Documentation and Transitional Justice to Vital Voices and partners in the region. Materials should include recommendations to Vital Voices’ local implementing partners to improve survivor-centered approaches and guidance on documentation processes and pathways for justice and accountability via the Ukrainian legal system or other non-judicial, survivor-determined pathways.
- Include intersectional and other relevant analysis in the course of documentation and legal analysis work.
- Create and oversee implementation of processes for Vital Voices and local partners that ensure survivors are not pressured into working through the legal system, but are supported in their choices and definitions of justice according to a survivor-centered, trauma-informed approach and in compliance with international protocols and best practices
- Provide recommendations on the partner organizations’ current survivor-centered, trauma-informed approaches, policies, and standard operating procedures to identify their strengths, weaknesses, and alignment with Do No Harm principles.
- Develop these approaches into methodologies that amplify survivor determined forms of transitional justice.
- Perform interviews with partner organizations’ leaders and staff in small groups to analyze the systems in place related to documentation, other forms of transitional justice, and survivor-centered, trauma-informed approaches.
- Provide strategic guidance on survivor-centered documentation and transitional justice in relation to Ukraine.
- Conduct interviews with other stakeholders, such as local political authorities, law enforcement both virtually and in person during site visits to understand the level of collaboration and protection that partner organization benefits from authorities.
- Generate situation analysis reports around the current status of the Ukrainian legal system as it relates to documentation of conflict-related human rights violations and identify areas of progress as well as gaps in the current legal framework.
- Utilize remote capabilities and other secure documentation technologies where appropriate, particularly to mitigate re-traumatization of victims and survivors.
Deliverables
- Based on capacity assessment(s), adapt and/or create a training manual on survivor-centered, trauma-informed documentation for Vital Voices and local Ukrainian CSOs.
- Adapt and/or create training material on best practices for survivor-centered, trauma-informed documentation, including the Murad Code, for human rights accountability and transitional justice efforts.
- Create, facilitate, and potentially participate in periodic trainings and meetings with local partners and meetings with local government officials.
- During the trainings with local CSO partners, lead some of the sessions on human rights accountability mechanisms and transitional justice with a focus on addressing CRSV and GBV.
- Produce a report with recommendations for how to ensure that accountability mechanisms and human rights documentation efforts use a survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and intersectional lens to help guide our local CSO partners as well as serve as recommendations for key policy makers working in Ukraine.
The anticipated hours needed to provide services are 10 – 14 hours per week, but this may increase during certain time periods (including during trainings and site visits etc). The expected contract duration is through December 31, 2025, and will include cost of 2 site visit trips to Ukraine.
Elements of Proposal
- The Applicant’s profile focuses on what makes the applicant the right person for the consultancy – experience working on human rights abuses documentation and a brief overview of his/her methodologies. The proposal should address how he/she will carry out the deliverables and the specific timeline, along with resources needed.
- CV and Relevant experience
- Three references should be included in the application
Evaluation Criteria
A successful respondent will:
- Demonstrate expertise, skills and capabilities to successfully provide the requested services;
- Offer a competitive cost for services;
- Work independently with the flexibility to adapt to the needs of the team;
- Have excellent interpersonal, written and oral communication skills (required);
- Demonstrate proficiency with Microsoft Office (strongly preferred);
- Have a deep understanding of the cultural and political context in Eastern Europe, with direct experience in Ukraine strongly preferred; and
- Have some level of Ukrainian language fluency (beneficial and strongly preferred but not required).
Anticipated Selection Schedule
Request for proposal timeline as follows:
Request for proposal issuance: October 10, 2023
Proposal Deadline: November 15, 2023
Contract Award: January 31, 2024-December 31, 2025
Questions, Time and Place of Submission of Proposals
To apply, follow the link below: https://jobso.id/gq9y