UNDP Lao PDR:

Guided by the global UNDP Strategic Plan (2022 – 2025) and UNDP Country Programme for Lao PDR (2022 – 2026), UNDP in Lao PDR works closely with the line Ministries, mass organizations, civil society, development partners, and the private sector at both national and sub-national levels in pursuit of the national socio-economic development priorities defined in Lao PDR’s five-year National Socio-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The UNDP’s work is strongly focused on the provision of policy advice and technical support to the Government of Lao PDR in the design and implementation of national legislation and strategies across four broad Priority Pillars – (1) inclusive growth and reduced inequalities, (2) UXO clearance and risk education, (3) natural resources, climate change and disaster risk reduction, as well as (4) effective, responsive, and accountable governance.

UNDP has a long history working in Lao PDR. UNDP’s comparative advantage has been its ability to work closely with a very broad range of government and local-level institutions at all levels. The new UNDP country programme is aligned with the 9th NSEDP and is anchored in UNDP’s long-term partnership with the Government of more than three decades. The new programme builds on the achievements of the previous CPD that saw the incorporation of the SDGs into the national planning architecture. It will aim to support Lao PDR recover from the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and continue its transition from LDC status, with a particular emphasis on supporting inclusive growth and reducing inequality.

UNDP Lao PDR, Governance Unit

The UNDP’s programming on effective, responsive and accountable governance, inter alia, focuses on the provision of policy advice and technical support to the Government of Lao PDR to (1) enhance the rule of law, access to justice, and protection of human rights, (2) strengthen people’s participation in decision-making through increased access to information and political representation, (3) enhance public administration reform through institutional capacity-development and implementation of the Government’s decentralization policy (Sam Sang Directive).

Being the largest global development knowledge network with particular institutional expertise on governance, UNDP in Lao PDR co-chairs the Governance Sector Working Group (along with co-chairing the Public Sector Improvement Sub-Sector Working Group and Legal and Institutional Oversight Sub-Sector Working Group) of the Round Table Process, a national mechanism to coordinate the implementation of the NSEDPs and SDGs across the governmental institutions, development partners, CSOs and the private sector.

Thanaikhoum/Lawyer Project

The Strengthening the Role of Lawyers in Advancing Rule of Law and Access to Justice in Lao PDR (‘Thanaikoum’, or ‘Lawyer’ project) is a three-year initiative (2022-2025) that is implemented by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the National Bar Association of Lao PDR, or the Lao Bar Association (LBA). The project will be designed and implemented in accordance with the national socio-economic development priorities defined in Lao PDR’s five-year National Socio-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP) the Strategic Development Plan for the Justice Sector in Lao PDR (2021-2025,) the (Draft) National Action Plan for Legal Aid Service Provision and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The project will support LBA to strengthen the role and contribution of lawyers to the effective functioning of the legal system in Lao PDR. The project will also invest in developing the capacity and linkages of lawyers who have demonstrated a strong commitment to improving the integrity and performance of lawyers, enabling them to pass on those skills to other lawyers. A range of tools and products including a Practical Handbook for practicing lawyers that provides guidance for lawyers dealing with cases involving the poor and marginalized will be produced and a range of training and capacity building initiatives for lawyers will be implemented. These initiatives will be based on a series of initial processes designed to ensure that there is a high degree of ownership of lawyers who will be involved in the project and the vision they collectively develop for the future of their own profession.

UNDP will coordinate with the Ministry of Justice, LBA, Provincial and National Legal Aid Offices and other key stakeholders in the implementation of the project. The programme will be based on principles of inclusiveness, complementarity with other initiatives and adaptation to changing circumstances. The implementation will be guided by the following:

1. Programming that is complementary to other relevant efforts in the justice sector;
2. International good practice and common principles for strengthening the role of lawyers, fair trials and access to justice
3. Capacity development programs that are carefully planned, sustainable and inclusive;
4. In alignment with and contributing to the SDGs and ‘Leaving No One Behind’;
5. Promotion of gender equality and sensitive to the special needs of women and girls, youth, the vulnerable and marginalized in relation to their rights and interaction with the legal system;

Objective

The overall objective of the assignment is to support the development of the LBA’s strategic vision for improving the ethical and professional performance of lawyers and its members, based on consultative processes and international best practice.

SCOPE OF WORK

The International Consultant will work under the supervision of the Lawyer Project, UNDP Team Leader for Governance, and work closely with UNDP programme team and with the national consultant under the same assignment.

The tasks of the International Consultant will include: 

1. Conduct research on international principles, professional standards and ethics, international and regional experiences and good practice for lawyers' skills and knowledges development

• Develop a reasoned methodology, inception note and a detailed and timely workplan on the research conduct including draft submission deadlines;
• Conduct in depth desk-research on relevant international, regional and national frameworks related the lawyer profession and practice, experience and good practice compiled and analyzed;
• Collect all available data on Lao context for lawyer profession development;
• Research should focus on aspirations, core values, functions, management and desired ambitions of the lawyer profession in different contexts (at least two), designed with the view of facilitating the LBA Vision Document for 2023-2026;

2. Conduct interviews, meetings and focus group discussions with key stakeholders on the vision development

• Coordinate with UNDP, LBA and fellow consultant to consult with key stakeholders, based on the agreed workplan and methodology;
• Prepare summary of feedback and inputs received through consultations as basis for developing draft vision.

3. Finalize LBA strategic visioning for period 2023-2026

• Develop draft strategic evidence-based multi-year vision including managing and structural aspects respecting the principles of participation, inclusion, adaptation and anticipation and in line with the 9th NSEDP and the Government of Laos’ plan for the judicial and legal sector;
• The visioning should address gender mainstreaming, gender gap sand adopt a socio-development lens inclusive of marginalized and vulnerable group in order to ensure SDG principle of leaving no one behind is incorporated;
• Present both the draft and final vision with LBA, UNDP and other stakeholders;
• Finalize the vision and ensure the LBA deeply understands and contributes to each stage of the visioning process including problem framing, problem analysis, definition of the development challenge and cost of inaction involved, areas to be addressed, problem-solving, long-term development objectives, cost of action or budgeting, and adaptive results-based management framework.

• Strong facilitation skills
• Strong analytical and writing skills
• Ability to work as part of a team 

• Advanced University Degree (Master’s level) in Law or a related field (e.g. Rule of Law, Constitutional Law, Justice Sector, Governance, Public Administration, Political Science, International Relations, Security, Human Rights, etc.) 
• At least 8 years of professional experience in the fields of legal sector, justice sector, rule of law
• Professional experience in developing curricula and trainings for the legal sector, the judicial sector, judiciary institutions or relevant sectors
• Demonstrated experience in conducting comprehensive research studies in fields of the lawyer reform, rule of law, justice, and law, experience in country-level legal assessments would be an asset 
• Experience within the UN system, including with UNDP, would be an asset
• Experience with the legal systems in the ASEAN region, including in Lao PDR, would be an asset 

LANGUAGE :  English proficiency is required

Requirements for submission of proposals 

All interested and qualified International or National Individual Consultants should apply online using the following links: 

UNDP Lao PDR Country Office website at https://www.undp.org/laopdr/jobs

In order to make your submission, please read the relevant documents available at the links below 

1. TOR (Annex I)

2. IC General Terms and Conditions _ Annex II 

Interested Individual Consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications: 

1. Technical Proposal 

            (i)  Explaining why you are the most suitable for the work; 

            (ii)  Providing a brief methodology on how you will approach and conduct the work including the work 

                  schedule for the delivery of outputs/deliverable; 

2. P11 Form Education and work experience, including past experience in similar projects and contact references of at least 3 references for whom you have rendered preferably the similar services; 

3. Financial proposal:  Detailed financial proposal: Lump sum offer with clear cost breakdown against each deliverable. Please use this template  Offerors Letter to UNDP

Instructions for online submissions: 

• Step 1:  Please prepare all required documents electronically. 

• Step 2: Combine all documents in ONE SINGLE FILE (PDF or WORD file) and upload to the UNDP Jobs using this link  https://www.undp.org/laopdr/jobs

• Step 3: After that you will receive an auto reply from the UNDP jobs if your offer is received successfully. 

Incomplete proposals or proposals received after the deadline will be rejected

Note:  Any request for clarification must be sent in writing before the submission deadline to the following emails: surith.sengsavang@undp.org