Despite the sector-wide reforms such as the establishment of the Complaints Response Unit (CRU), the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) is still linked with cases of police impunity exacerbated by corruption. The CRU was established primarily to address cases of police misconduct internally among polices officers and externally in their engagement with the public.  However, challenges of poor competences, limited personnel and spread across Nigeria have been identified to hinder their effectiveness and ability to fulfil their mandate. This project aims to support the NPF to better address police impunity by strengthening its internal and external oversight mechanisms to improve the effectiveness of the CRU and complements its efforts to address impunity, reduce grievances and build trust in the police in FCT and Kano. Currently, the CRU is only functional in FCT and Lagos states. FCT has been selected for this project because it records the highest number of complaints processed so far. Kano state was also strategically selected as there is no CRU in the North-West region and also due to the size of its population. Successful implementation of this project would include the establishment of a CRU in Kano state that would serve the population in Kano state and the rest of the North-West geopolitical zone. This aligns with the long-term CRU expansion strategy defined in the Police Act that proposes a CRU in all 36 states.

The project addresses key conflict factors driving instability, namely police impunity and public distrust in the police. The project will address the substantive needs of the CRU in FCT and in Kano, allowing it to respond to public complaints of police misconduct more effectively and efficiently. The capacities of external oversight bodies, including the Nigeria Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the Police Service Commission (PSC), anti-corruption agencies and CSOs, will also be strengthened to enable them to vet and handle complaints against the Police and refer them to appropriate structures for processing, including the CRU.

The design of this project has benefitted immensely from the broad consultations with key stakeholders at federal, state and local community levels and is jointly implemented with the UNODC in Nigeria. To support the UNCT efforts to strengthen local peace architectures and improve the conflict situation in the North-Central and North-West, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) seeks to procure the services of consultants who will work closely with two focal states in 2023 (FCT and Kano) to support the strengthening of conflict and gender sensitive oversight mechanisms of the Nigerian Police Force for peacebuilding.

Selected consultants for project will work with other implementing partners in each of the focal states as part of a team.

I.OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the project include:

1. Enhance the capacity of the Police Complaints Response Unit (CRU) in Kano and FCT to effectively receive, investigate and respond to complaints of police misconduct using a human rights approach that is conflict and gender sensitive.
2. Develop and roll-out a CRU public outreach and engagement strategy to increase citizen’s access to police oversight mechanisms, particularly for women, girls, young men, the elderly, and persons with disabilities (PLWD) in Kano and FCT.
3. Strengthen the capacity of external police oversight bodies to handle complaints against the Police and engage in external monitoring using a human rights-based and gender sensitive M & E toolkit.
4. Strengthen the capacities of external oversight bodies to collect information and analyse data disaggregated by age, class, geographic location, sex and other human rights standards to promote transparency and strengthen accountability.
5. Foster cooperation and collaboration between the CRU and other external oversight bodies for the effective monitoring, reporting and referral of complaints of police misconduct and violations to accountability structures using a human rights-based approach.
6. Promote the use of CRU data and other related data for NPF management decisions and improve police accountability to the public through strengthened data and M & E mechanisms.

II.SCOPE OF WORK

The consultancy assignment will be undertaken at the state level and will be coordinated by OHCHR Nigeria with inputs from Project Coordination Committee (PCC) and the Project Steering Committee (PSC) at the federal and state level. During the assignment, the consultants will also work very closely with UNODC to deliver the project. This will include strategy development, development of toolkits, capacity building for key stakeholders and community members, joint advocacy and awareness.

The consultants will undertake monthly monitoring visits to the focal states to conduct joint training, consultation and validation meetings to promote trust building and cooperation between the CRU, the public and external oversight bodies as well strengthen referral pathways. The consultants shall work with the NHRC, Local Governance Peace Committees, CSOs, women led organizations and youth representatives, and other Project partners to mitigate police impunity and human rights abuses through rigorous trainings of CRU staff on gender-sensitive human rights-based investigation techniques, the monitoring of rights abuses by NHRC, CSOs and media organizations, as well as the consequences of police misconduct on livelihoods and social cohesion. campaigns on peace building and prevention responses to conflict risks in the focal states.

The consultants will draft reports, reviews and other types of communications in compliance with established standards and in particular with respect to the human rights situation in communities in the focal states. The consultants will further work with INGOs, LNGOs, CSOs, Academic Experts and other relevant stakeholders focused on human rights architectures, conflict resolution and peacebuilding to build off experience and achieve tangible peace dividends for affected states and communities.    

III.TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CONSULTANTS

The following are the key activities and deliverables expected from the consultants for the period of the assignment:

• Conduct in-depth research and analysis to identify gaps, good practices relevant to addressing police misconduct, impunity and other human rights violations as well as the referral tools being utilized by external oversight bodies.
• Also assist in the conduct of in-depth scoping missions to assess CRU capacity needs in Kano and FCT. Also support the identification and establishment of functional CRU offices in Kano and FCT, including the recruitment and training of CRU staff.
• Assist in the development and roll-out of CRU organizational tools for processing, investigating and responding to complaints. Also, support the establishment and effective functioning of mechanisms for cooperation and referral arrangements between the CRU and external oversight bodies.
• Assist in the development and roll-out of CRU public outreach and engagement strategy including the testing of key messages to strengthen public engagement on CRU platforms.
• Assists in delivery of training packages for police internal and external oversight bodies including the roll out of toolkits based on human rights and gender sensitive approaches.
• Assists in the development and dissemination of a CRU monitoring and evaluation plan, including the training and mentoring of CRU staff on data collection, analysis and report writing for the NPF management and for the public.
• Assists in integrating human rights in joint-capacity building initiatives of key stakeholders and community members, joint advocacy and awareness campaigns on peace building and prevention responses to conflict risks.
• Assists in supporting UN and humanitarian actors in mission area on protection activities and compliance with human rights, and where appropriate, relevant authorities, including on the implementation of outcomes of UN human rights mechanisms.
• Assists in drafting reports, reviews and other types of communications in compliance with established standards and in particular with respect to reporting on human rights situation.
• Support collection, analysis and publication of aggregated data by external bodies with the aim to promote transparency and strengthen accountability in the complaints handling process.
• Liaises with other UN actors present in the mission area for the collection and verification of information on the human rights situation and informs on human rights considerations that should be taken into account by other actors, including those delivering humanitarian response or coordinating emergency preparedness and response activities, as well as by the UN mission in respect of future operations.
• Assists in integration of gender perspectives/considerations and specific women/girls’ rights issues in all activities.

IV.DURATION OF THE WORK

The expected duration of this assignment is 12 Months.

V.EXPECTED OUTPUTS/DELIVERABLES

The following expected deliverables applies though the project duration:

VI.INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT

The selected consultants shall work under the overall leadership/oversight of OHCHR,aslso close working relationship with UNODC in Nigeria and other project partners. The point of contact is the Senior Human Rights Advisor/RCO Nigeria.

VII.DUTY STATION

The selected consultants will be based in Abuja (FCT) with travel to selected locations in the focal area Kano (North-West) and communities within the FCT (North-Central) as appropriate.

I.COMPETENCIES

Technical Competencies

Development Planning: proven knowledge and experience on development planning approaches, practices and tools, national development co-operation, peacebuilding and conflict prevention, programme/project evaluation, impact assessment; gender equality and social services.

Alignment and integration: proven knowledge of and experience with monitoring of abuses and violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in the context of conflict and peacebuilding.

Professionalism: familiar with HRBA to monitoring and reporting, HRBA to data collection and, strong synergy with key stakeholders to strengthen existing infrastructures for sustainable peace.

Sustainable Development: proven knowledge of sustainable development concepts, principles and issues, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the LNOB principle and the principle of integration, and the ability to develop practical solutions for their mainstreaming in monitoring to engender peace and enhance responses to conflict risks.

Results-Based Management (RBM): proven knowledge of the RBM approach, concepts and principles and ability to apply these concepts for practical solutions.

Functional Competencies

Core Competencies:

• Demonstrate analytical, communication and technical report writing skills.
• Strong working knowledge of the UN and its mandate in Nigeria, and more specifically the work of OHCHR in support of government and civil society in Nigeria.
• Adaptability and flexibility
• Planning and Organizing
• Inclusive Collaboration with all project partners.
• Stakeholder Engagement at federal and state levels.

Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity
• Integrity
• Accountability
• Professionalism

Language

• Excellent written and spoken English.

Payment Schedule:

Monthly payments will be made throughout the duration of the project.

1. Educational Experience

• Qualified consultants are expected to have a master’s degree in law, Political Science, International Relations, Social Sciences or in a related area.
• Specialization in Human Rights, conflict prevention & peacebuilding, governance, development planning, or other relevant fields.

1. Professional Experience

• Qualified consultants are expected to have 3 years’ work experience in conflict situations in the area of human rights and humanitarian response, including in the monitoring and resolution of human rights violations and programme management.
• Experience in the use of computer and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, Power Point etc.).

Selection Criteria

1. Educational Qualifications (20 Marks)
2. Professional Qualifications and Certifications (20 Marks)
3. Proven experience/satisfactorily implementation of similar assignment in the past in Nigeria and/or elsewhere (60 Marks).

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodologies:
 

Cumulative analysis

 When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract will be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:
 
a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, and

b) Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.
 
* Technical Criteria weight; (70% of weight)

* Financial Criteria weight; (30% of weight)
 
Only those candidates who obtained a total technical score of 49 and above (i.e., 70% of total score) will be considered as technically qualified.