SGBV Criminal Defence Expert (Consultancy)

BACKGROUND

With funds from the Somalia Joint Justice Programme through UNDP Somalia, IDLO is participating in the implementation of the “Somalia Joint Justice Programme” along with UNSOM, UNDP, UN Women and UNICEF. The programme is a 30-month programme supporting the National Development Plan goal to ‘Establish independent, accountable and efficient justice institutions capable of addressing the justice needs of the people of Somalia’. 

Recognizing the challenges facing the Somalia justice sector, the programme aims to contribute to sustainable security, peace and development by strengthening the capacity of justice actors to increasingly deliver justice services to users and communities in a human rights compliant manner.

THE CONSULTANCY

The consultancy falls within the framework of IDLO Somalia’s engagement in the “Joint Justice Programme”. The SGBV Criminal Defense Expert will work in collaboration with IDLO Somalia’s Country Office staff, the Attorney General’s Office, the Somali Bar Association, and other justice sector stakeholders. 

IDLO is supporting the Attorney General’s Office and the Somali Bar Association to develop trial advocacy manuals for Somali prosecutors and criminal defense lawyers, and to conduct joint-training, including a mock-trial, for Somali prosecutors and criminal defense lawyers. Mock exercises/trials create a rich training environment in which prosecutors and criminal defense lawyers can experience, in real-time, the issues that would arise during the prosecution and defense of serious crimes, exposing participants to a wide array of scenarios which they faced or may face in the upcoming years. Exposing Somali criminal defense lawyers and prosecutors, on the frontline, to practical exercises and other professionals working on similar issues will enhance their awareness of legal processes, improve their technical skills, and allow for the development of stronger professional networks & collaboration between Somali justice sector actors. 

The incumbent will report to the IDLO Country Director and work closely with the Field Program Manager and Program Coordinator. The Consultancy will be provided over a period of 4.5 months from March 1, 2020 to July 15, 2020. The incumbent will be responsible for the implementation of the following activities and deliverables:

1. Undertake the IDLO online Training of Trainers (TOT) to familiarize with IDLO Training methodology and send the certificate of completion to IDLO (capacitydevelopment@idlo.int): to be submitted no later than March 2, 2020;

2. Review and support the development of a training manuals on trial advocacy skills for criminal defense lawyers, building their capacity in handling SGBV cases. The expert shall: 

a. Review needs assessment questionnaires and pre-and-post test developed by the Trial Advocacy Expert, providing context-sensitive input no later than March 4, 2020;

b. Conduct training needs assessments and pre-tests for criminal defense lawyers and for prosecutors in two locations (to be decided between Benadir, Garowe, Kismayo and Baidoa) for the manuals, submitting collected data no later than March 11, 2020;

c.Review, adapt and finalize the needs assessment report, submitted the final report no later than March 17, 2020; 

Remuneration upon deliverable: USD 2,000

d. Review the draft Criminal Defense Trial Advocacy manual, incorporating Somali criminal defense legal practice and expertise: to be submitted no later than April 4, 2020;

e. Review and provide feedback for the draft Prosecution Trial Advocacy Manual: to be submitted no later than April 4, 2020;

f. Review the final Criminal Defense Trial Advocacy manual, updating and finalizing it, and submitting both the final manual and a report providing an overview of the changes made to the manual: to be submitted no later than April 15, 2020;

Remuneration upon deliverable: USD 2,400

3. Co-Design and implement training on trial advocacy skills, including a mock trial, for Somali prosecutors and criminal defense lawyers:

a. Co-design trial advocacy skills training, developing training agenda and materials (including presentations) for four 5-day trainings in Benadir, Garowe, Kismayo and Baidoa (to be submitted no later than April 20, 2020), which will include: 

• Three days of trial advocacy learning & practice, wherein criminal defense lawyers are coached by the SGBV Criminal Defense Expert on trial advocacy skills, including witness interviews, preparing opening statements, and others;
• A two-day of mock trial, participated in jointly by prosecutors and criminal defense lawyers;
• A training agenda;
• Defined roles for the participants in the mock trial;
• A case report for the participants, scenarios, witness statements, evidence charts and samples, which will include:
• The incident, the actors in play, a description of the scene, what the investigations reveal, etc.
• Instructions for homework for the participants to do before the training starts, (i.e. draft the charges to be submitted before training, decide which evidence to serve in court depending on the evidence chart, assign opening and closing arguments)

Remuneration upon deliverable: USD 1,200

b. With the SGBV Prosecution Expert, conduct briefing sessions with training facilitator(s), providing guidance on training schedule and implementation: to be conducted before each training; and

c. With the SGBV Prosecution Expert, conduct four 5-day trainings (mentoring criminal defense lawyers), including administering the pre-and-post tests and other evaluation tools, on trial advocacy skills for Somali prosecutors and criminal defense lawyers in Benadir, Garowe, Kismayo and Baidoa, submitting a separate training report (including an analysis of the lawyers’ training needs, the delivery of the training and recommendations for subsequent capacity building) upon completion: to be conducted and report submitted no later than May 20, 2020.

Remuneration upon deliverable: USD 8,000

4. Provide technical advice to IDLO staff during the delivery period, if requested.

• Delivery period: March – July 2020 

Total Remuneration upon deliverable: USD 13,600

If needed, the consultant may support the design & delivery of another 5-day training session (of the same set-up as the above training), and provide specialized guidance and mentoring to criminal defense lawyers in Mogadishu during the training. The consultant will also be required to submit a training report, including an analysis of the lawyers’ training needs, the delivery of the training & knowledge transfer and recommendations.

Remuneration for the additional training: USD 3,000

IDEAL CANDIDATE PROFILES

Education and Work Experience 

• Advanced University degree in Law, with expertise on Criminal Justice;
• Ten (or more) years’ work experience in criminal defense litigation, in a civil law jurisdiction;
• Proven experience in training and mentoring criminal justice actors; 
• Proven experience in reviewing training products for prosecutors and criminal defense lawyers; 
• Proven experience working with criminal justice actors in Somalia;
• Advanced research experience is highly desirable. 

Language skills

• Fluency in written and spoken English;
• Fluency in written and spoken Somali. 

Specific Technical skills and competencies

• Highly organized, with a problem-solving attitude; 
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, and the ability to work in a multi-cultural environment;
• Ability to work under pressure with tight deadlines, flexibility and an entrepreneurial spirit; 
• Keen sense of ethics, integrity and commitment to IDLO's mandate;
• Good understanding of the Somali context is an asset. 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Candidates should prove their ability to work and travel in Somalia.

DISCLAIMER 

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by the Contractor assigned to this work. This may not be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities.