Civil Rights Defenders and AfricanDefenders seeking consultants for needs assessment in Africa

Civil Rights Defenders and AfricanDefenders is seeking consultants, conducting needs assessments of sub-regional networks of AfricanDefenders. Please read ‘Call for consultancy’ below. (L’appel à candidature pour le recrutement d´un.e consultant.e se trouve en bas de la page.)

Background

AfricanDefenders is a network of five African sub-regional organisations, dedicated to the promotion and protection of human rights defenders (HRDs) across the African continent. AfricanDefenders coordinates activities in the field of protection, capacity-development of national and sub-regional networks for the protection of human rights defenders and online and offline civic space as well as evidence-based advocacy at the continental and international levels.

Civil Rights Defenders (CRD) is an international human rights organisation based in Stockholm, Sweden defending people’s civil and political rights. CRD partners with and supports human rights defenders who work in some of the world’s most repressive regions through advocacy, litigation, and public campaigns.

Under the Consortium to Promote Human Rights, Civic Freedoms and Media Development in Sub-Saharan Africa agreed between SIDA and CIVICUS in which AfricanDefenders and CRD are implementing partners, AfricanDefenders and CRD will be conducting in-depth assessments of AfricanDefenders’ sub-regional networks to identify existing gaps and needs and propose concrete recommendations to strengthen their capacities. The aim is to further enhance the sub-regional networks’ ability to contribute to an enabling environment for HRDs across the continent.

Upon finalisation of the sub-regional assessments, we hope to be able to organise a meeting with sub-regional networks representatives to discuss findings and come up with concrete actions to strengthen their capacities.

Objectives

• Establish a diagnosis of the gaps and opportunities of the sub-regional networks involved in the protection of HRDs in Africa and facilitate a collective reflection on the findings stemming out of the assessments
• Inform AfricanDefenders and CRD’s actions to support sub-regional networks and contribute to an enabling environment for HRDs in Africa

Call for consultancy

AfricanDefenders and CRD are hereby seeking four consultants, who are resident in the respective host countries of the networks or have proven knowledge of the countries covered by the research, to conduct in-depth assessments of: the Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network, the West Africa Human Rights Defenders Network, the Tunisian League for Human Rights and the Central Africa Human Rights Defenders Network.

AfricanDefenders and CRD are specifically seeking applications from specialists with experience in organisational structural needs analysis. The consultants will be expected to show proven records and evidence of relevant qualifications/experience and to submit a technical and financial proposal alongside their application.

The assessments will be based on desk research and interviews with staff of the sub-regional networks, board members, HRDs who have received support from the sub-regional networks and other actors working closely with the work of the sub-regional networks. The consultancies will be supervised by AfricanDefenders and CRD.

Deliverables

Four in-depth assessments will be conducted to identify existing gaps and needs and propose concrete recommendations to strengthen the capacities of the sub-regional networks. The assessments will look in particular at the following elements: structure and functioning of the network, capacity in the areas of HRD protection, advocacy, documentation and research; security management; resource mobilisation and financial management; governance and decision-making processes; coordination and communication; human resources; training needs; engagement with external stakeholders.

The assessments will also look at the external and internal constraints hampering the functioning of the networks and their capacity to ensure quality protection.

Time frame & reporting

Each consultant will submit a draft assessment of the respective sub-regional network under study by 15 March 2022. Final drafts will be submitted to AfricanDefenders and Civil Rights Defenders by 31 March 2022.

Remuneration

The consultancies will attract a reasonable remuneration. Applicants are expected to provide a budget that includes their proposed remuneration in the application. Selected consultants will be paid 30% of the agreed consultancy fees upon signing the agreement and the balance upon the receipt of the finalised deliverables.

Mode of application

Interested consultants should submit their applications electronically, including full Curricula Vitae (detailing qualifications and work experience), work-plan and budget, by email to Flora Stevens (floras@africandefenders.org) and copy to Joanna Hellström (joanna.hellstrom@civilrightsdefenders.org) by 2 February 2022.

Here you can find the Call for consultancy in pdf.

L’appel à consultance en français

Ici vous trouvez l’appel à consultance en français.