Antecedentes

Over the past two years the Independent Media Commission, supported by UNDP and UNESCO, took the initiative to outline a national strategy for media development in Sierra Leone. Ahead of this initiative, a study was carried out to map the capacity needs of the media sector and particularly of the professional media associations through a number of stakeholder workshops. The key problems for the media sector were identified through interviews with managers and editors from more than 30 public, community and commercial media houses. The strategy was subsequently launched in May 2014.

The Media Development Strategy demands strong commitments and active participation from all partners and is being implemented by the Media Reform Coordinating Group. The group members are senior representatives from the most important media actors in Sierra Leone which are the Independent Media Commission (IMC); the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC); Guild of Editors (GoE); Women in Media in Sierra Leone (WIMSAL); Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ); Sierra Leone Reporters Union (SLRU); Independent Radio Network (IRN); Cotton Tree News (CTN); Mass Communications/Fourah Bay College. 

Key Priority 1 of the strategy is:

Under this priority the strategy identified numerous issues facing the media in Sierra Leone. The sensationalism and sub-standard ethics characteristic of a number of media in Sierra Leone are highly detrimental in a post-conflict and transitional society. This practice is caused by unsustainable media economy and in some cases claimed to derive from agendas by those interests that fund these media institutions.

Over the last 50 years, the Criminal and Seditious Libel Laws in Part 5 of the Public Order Act No. 46 of 1965 have been invoked on many occasions against editors and journalists, threatening them with prison sentences as criminals. This has been criticized internationally; it is against international practice and seems not to have had an impact on improved ethical standards. Before the last general elections, the two major political parties declared that they would review and/or repeal this legislation.

The Civil Libel Law – Defamation Act No. 32 of 1961 is still in function, but it is rarely used. It seems to take one or more years before media cases are finally decided. If punitive measures are taken by IMC towards the media and are appealed to court, the measures are suspended until the Court has made its verdict which has resulted in unfinished cases before the commission.

With the Independent Media Commission Act No. 12 of 2000, the IMC started as a hybrid regulatory body charged with the handling of complaints and with ensuring ethics and professionalism of the media based on its statutory Code of Practice developed with inputs from SLAJ. However, the IMC has been challenged by particular media institutions and practitioners refusing to obey its decisions. Government representatives are said to have interfered in decisions on allocation or suspending of licenses or to have bypassed IMC by taking journalists and media institutions to court in cases of defamation or libel. To provide an effective regulation of media ethics, the IMC needs to strengthen its independence, integrity and powers to implement its decisions.

Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), founded in 1971, organizes, protects and defends journalists across the country. It aims to strengthen media’s role through accurate information and by upholding the independence and ideals of professional journalism. SLAJ developed its last Code of Conduct in 2001 which was to be upheld by its Disciplinary Committee. However, the Committee did not deal with all cases, and after some years it’s in reality ceased to function. Consequently, there is a real need for SLAJ as a respected professional association to become an effective self-regulatory body able to process and solve most cases even before they reach IMC or eventually the Courts.

Based on the above analysis it is clear there are numerous shortcoming in media law in Sierra Leone. In order to amend media laws in this country and to bring them up to international standards it was first essential to identify the laws relating to media in Sierra Leone. This identification process was carried out in 2013. It will be the responsibility of the new consultant to codify these laws and popularize them. It is expected that this public debate will lead to amendments to media law which can be tabled in the Sierra Leone Parliament.

As the country is moving from peace building and consolidation phase to a development phase, new laws to improve ethics and conduct in the media in Sierra Leone are required. This is another step in the reform process and it is hoped that from this point amendments can be brought to the parliament of Sierra Leone. Also consistent with the ongoing constitutional review, there is no more ideal time such activity can be undertaken than now.

Deberes y responsabilidades

Functions / Key Results Expected

The consultant will work on both the codification and popularizing of media laws in Sierra Leone. The consultant will produce a codified booklet of Sierra Leone’s media laws which will be used to popularize them and will develop a plan for this popularization.

• Position on Media to be presented at the Constitutional Review Committee;
• Codified draft media laws for Sierra Leone;
• Communications strategy for popularization of media laws;
• Trained MRCG members as Media law advocates and lobbyist;
• SLAJ Code of Ethics.

Competencias

Media law and legal framework

• Skills and knowledge to codify media laws;
• Campaign programme targeting Parliamentarians/law-makers.

Management and Leadership

• Focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to critical feedback;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills;
• Builds strong relationships with clients, work mates and stakeholders.

• Ability to produce communications strategies, specifically around laws/regulations;
• Ability to coordinate lobbying activities for parliamentarians and other agencies responsible for law making; including but not limited to ongoing constitutional review processes in the country.

Habilidades y experiencia requeridas

• At least an advanced university degree in a relevant field. 
  

• Should have a general work experience of at least five (5) years;
• The suitable candidate for this consultancy shall be a legal/legislative researcher, advocacy and lobby expert and facilitator of legal review and formulation process;
• S/he will also have a track record in legal (media) reforms and communications strategy development;
• The expert needs to demonstrate a proven track record in the fields of media laws and legal framework in post-conflict African countries, advocacy and lobby programme planning and implementation and executive management coaching and mentoring;
  Experience in legal landscape of a developing country and demonstrated ability to lead advocacy and lobby;
• Work /consultancy experience in the fields mentioned above is desired;
• Good knowledge of information systems software such as MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PP, etc.).

Language Requirements:

• Excellent ability to communicate in English and local languages.

• The consultant will be supervised by the MRCG and UNDP..

• The task is expected to 60 working days spread over 4 calendar months in 2014. The assignment will start from the signing of the contract and payments will be based on deliverables defined under section IV above.

Payment to the consultant will be made in three installments upon satisfactory completion of the following deliverables:

• 1st installment-15% upon signing of the contract;
• 2nd installment-35% upon submission of draft report showing progress against agreed outputs;
• 3rd installment-50% upon submission of the final report with all deliverables signed off by the Co-ordinator of MRCG.

The consultant will be evaluated against a combination of technical and financial criteria. Maximum score is 100% out of a total score for technical criteria equals 70% and 30% for financial criteria. The technical evaluation will take into account the following as per the weightings provided:

• Background and minimum educational qualification as defined in the ToR (10%);
• Practical experience in developing and executing training programmes (20%);
• Experience in similar consultancies especially in Sierra Leone (30%);
• English language fluency in both oral and written, proficiency in IT and evidence of good communication and writing skills (10%).

Application Procedure

Qualified and interested candidates are hereby requested to apply (not later than 10th July 2014) by writing to: The Deputy Country Director/Programmes, UNDP, 55 Wilkinson Road, Freetown, Sierra Leone, West Africa. The application should contain the following:

• Brief proposal addressing the requirement (Methodology);
• Detailed achievement based CV;
• Financial proposal.