UNDP Jobs - 74547- Evaluation of Mobile Court Initiative

Evaluation of Mobile Court Initiative - International Consultant

Location :

Dili, Timor Leste

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

02-Oct-2017

Application Deadline :

21-Sep-17 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

65 days

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

65 days

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

Justice System Programme (JSP) has been supporting the justice sector in Timor-Leste in collaboration with the government, civil society and development partners for more than a decade. Building on the JSP’s concerted efforts to date, JSP Phase IV (2014-2018) aims to consolidate further the rule of law in Timor-Leste by strengthening the institutional capacity and the improving access to justice of the vulnerable. The capacity development support focuses on quality legal education for professionals through the Legal & Judicial Training Centre and technical assistance to justice institutions. Continuing Mobile Justice and the new establishment of legal aid clinics are expected to reinforce access to justice for women and disadvantaged people in rural areas of Timor-Leste.

Mobile Justice, in particular, has been regarded as one of the most effective projects of JSP, aligned with both the demands from the justice sector and the people in the post-conflict context of Timor-Leste. The Government of Timor-Leste has endorsed the initiative by identifying the mobile courts as one of the core activities in the Justice Sector Strategic Plan for Timor-Leste 2011-2030. The initiative was launched in Suai, the pilot judicial district, in 2010, and scaled-up nationwide in July 2014. Since then, the mobile court hearings have been regularly convened in nine municipalities where fixed courts have not yet been established, complementing the functions of the fixed district courts in four municipalities. The initiative has brought justice closer to the people, and increased the accessibility of justice for vulnerable groups. In addition, witnessing and hearing about the mobile court itself helped raise awareness of the formal justice system in remote areas.

OBJECTIVE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The overall objective of this assignment is to assess the progress, achievements, and lessons learned, including challenges faced of the mobile court initiative within the context of the technical and financial assistance provided by JSP in collaboration with justice institutions. The evaluation will be conducted based on three main purposes of the mobile court initiative: i) strengthening the rule of law in the post-conflict and newly independent country, ii) increasing access to justice of vulnerable groups, and iii) improving justice service delivery and institutional capacity of the judicial system in Timor-Leste.

Firstly, the evaluation will review the impact of the initiative at the sub-regional and national levels on the institutionalization of the formal justice system in the country where traditional justice is more accessible and prevalent. Secondly, the evaluation will assess the impact of the initiative on the grass-roots level by redressing grievances of the disadvantaged, including the victims of Gender-Based Violence and the people living in remote areas. Finally, the evaluation will measure the impacts that the facilitation of the mobile court hearings has brought about on the efficiency and productivity of the courts.

The evaluation will also generate recommendations for refining and streamlining the operation system and implementation modalities, and the exit strategy for JSP’s support to the mobile courts.

Duties and Responsibilities

To assess the extent to which the mobile courts’ assistance interventions met their intended objectives and contributed to the achievement of outcomes/outputs;
To systematically review the implementation modalities, capacity development efforts, knowledge management and considerations for access to justice for vulnerable groups including women and in particular survivors of gender-based violence;
To determine the extent to which support to mobile courts has contributed to awareness-raising of the formal justice system, increasing access to or decentralizing provision of justice services;
The extent to which mobile courts contribute towards developing and strengthening short- and long-term national capacities and strategies;
Assess the exit strategy for UNDP’s support to the mobile courts given their temporary nature; and
To present key findings, generate lessons learned, and provide a set of clear and forward-looking recommendations for enhancing the quality of future engagement by UNDP and its partners in supporting mobile courts’ arrangements.

Competencies

Strategic management skills with an excellent understanding of international development issues and knowledge of the UN system;
Strong written and verbal communication skills, in a multi-cultural setting; ability to conduct results-based management and reporting, objectivity and ability to collate and analyze data sets in short period; and
Experience working collaboratively in small teams with tight deadlines.

Required Skills and Experience

I. Academic Qualifications:

Masters or PhD in law or other relevant fields.

II. Years of experience:

At least 7 years of international development experience or well established and well-functioning organization with at least 5 years of experience in project/programme design, implementation, and assessments;
Relevant professional experience in evaluation of rule of law or other relevant programmes – at national, regional, and global levels;
Strong monitoring and evaluation background, sound methodological skills and knowledge of evaluation methods and techniques;
Extensive experience in working with the UN/multilateral development agencies, UNDP country offices and/or regional centres is an asset; and
Background knowledge about the rule of law and access to justice in Timor-Leste would be an asset.

III. Language skills:

Fluency in English with good verbal and written skills;
Knowledge about Tetun and/or Portuguese would be an asset.

TOR, P11 and Financial Proposal template are available for download from this link http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=40774 Please note that all application documents composed of a Cover Letter, P11 and Financial Proposal must be submitted as one set document via the online application. The system allows only one document uploading.

Late and incomplete applications will not be considered.