[TimorLesteStudies] Extension of deadline to 31 May: Consultant: Development of women's legal aid organization in Timor-Leste
Bu Wilson
bu.wilson at anu.edu.au
Wed May 25 12:42:20 EST 2011
Consultant: Development of women’s legal aid organization in Timor-Leste
THE ASIA FOUNDATION
SCOPE OF WORK
Background
The Access to Justice (ATJ) Program of the Asia Foundation (the
Foundation) – funded by USAID – began in 2002. The largest component
of the program is the provision of legal aid for litigation and
non-litigation services in particular to those who are vulnerable
within the community. Currently the Foundation supports five legal aid
service providers which operate across the country. One of those
organisations, the Victim Support Service (VSS) of the Judicial
Systems Monitoring Program (JSMP), provides specialized services to
women and children victims of gender-based violence.
The Foundation has undertaken a number of initiatives in recent years
to assist with addressing inequalities faced by women in RDTL. These
initiatives are aimed at enhancing legal aid service delivery for
women clients and at increasing the capacity of women lawyers. The
Foundation has required that the legal aid partners meet targets of at
least 30 percent women clients and has provided specialized trainings
to legal aid lawyers on areas of law particularly relevant to female
clients. The Foundation has also encouraged the legal aid
organizations to employ women lawyers and paralegals and has
facilitated the establishment of a women lawyers’ group which meets
monthly.
In 2010, the Foundation arranged for an exchange visit by 12 women
lawyers to Indonesia for an exposure visit to legal aid service
delivery for women clients. The visit consisted of six days of
training facilitated by two women lawyers from LBH-APIK, a prominent
Indonesian women’s legal aid organization. While in Indonesia the 12
lawyers developed two plans to establish a women’s legal aid
organization in Timor-Leste. Since their return, the Foundation has
continued to support monthly meetings of the women lawyers who have
determined that they want to pursue their initiative to develop a
women’s legal aid organization.
Around 15 women lawyers have participated at different times in the
women lawyers’ group meetings. The women lawyers are now referring to
themselves as the ‘Grupo Advogada’ – Women Lawyers’ Group. The Group
consists of lawyers from different legal aid organizations and some
are currently studying full time at the Judicial Training Centre
(Centru Formasaun Juridika, CFJ). A key contributor and proponent of
the initiative is JSMP’s VSS which is currently a unit within JSMP. At
the time of the formation of VSS in 2005, JSMP intended that it would
ultimately become a separate organization but that during a
transitional period it would have the support of JSMP’s overall
management. JSMP is committed to VSS’s transition out of JSMP to
become an independent organization and is currently evaluating VSS’s
capacity in view of the possible separation.
The Women Lawyers’ Group has developed a basic outline of a vision for
the organization which they are calling LBH-Feto. They envisage that
the organization would have three units; a victims’ support unit for
gender-based violence crimes; a civil unit and a criminal unit – both
of which would serve only women clients. The organization may also
provide legal assistance to children. The Women Lawyers’ Group has
also developed some steps in the process for establishing the
organization and has started with an assessment of legal services
available for women.
Some basic principles which have been adopted by the Women Lawyers’
Group in relation to the development of LBH-Feto are:
- LBH-Feto should have a solid organizational developmental plan with
a strong focus on sustainability;
- Technical support for the development of the organization is
necessary but the women lawyers should continue to guide its
development;
- The initiative should be an inclusive process involving other
organizations providing services for women in particular those in the
Gender-based Violence Referral Network.
Activity
At the request of the Women Lawyers’ Group and JSMP, the Foundation is
seeking to engage a consultant to work with JSMP and the Women
Lawyers’ Group. The consultant would assist JSMP and the Group in
developing an organizational plan for the development of LBH-Feto.
The consultant would be based at JSMP in the VSS unit.
Duties of the consultant
The consultant will be required to undertake the following specific tasks:
• Facilitate the Women Lawyers’ Group’s initiative to develop a legal
aid organization solely for women and children clients;
• Assist the Women Lawyers’ Group to analyse the results of the
assessment of legal services for women and children (which was
conducted by the women lawyers in October 2010) and prepare a report
of the assessment;
• Conduct a capacity needs assessment of the Women Lawyers’ Group
including JSMP’s VSS unit with the aim of identifying the human
resource needs for LBH-Feto, and any knowledge and skills gaps amongst
the women lawyers and JSMP’s VSS staff to establish and manage
LBH-Feto. Prepare a brief report based on the outcome of the above
needs assessment identifying the individual and organizational
capacity of the women lawyers, including JSMP’s VSS staff to establish
and manage LBH-Feto;
• Organize a mini-workshop to address the capacity issues identified
in the above report with the aim of recommending capacity building
solutions to the Women Lawyers’ Group including JSMP’s VSS staff;
• Organise the Women Lawyers’ Group and JSMP’s VSS preparatory study
exchange to LBH-APIK in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Deliverables from the consultant
The following are the expected deliverables from the consultant:
Stage 1 (duration of 6 months):
- A report of not more than 15 pages of the assessment of legal
services for women;
- A brief report (not more than 10 pages) based on an evaluation of
the women lawyers and JSMP’s VSS staff, identifying the individual and
organizational capacity of the women lawyers and JSMP’s VSS staff to
establish and manage LBH-Feto;
- A mini-workshop (not more than 1 day) to address the capacity issues
identified in the above report with the aim of recommending capacity
building solutions for the women lawyers and JSMP’s VSS staff;
- Facilitation of a process to develop an implementation plan for
LBH-Feto and preparation of the written plan;
- Following the JSMP evaluation of VSS and the approval of JSMP
management, support VSS in developing a plan to transition into a
component of LBH-Feto;
- Completion of the Women Lawyers’ Group and JSMP’s VSS preparatory
study exchange to LBH-APIK in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Based on the Consultant’s progress in achieving the deliverables under
Stage 1, the terms of reference may be extended for an additional six
months for Stage 2. The exact terms of reference for Stage 2 will be
dependent on the decision of JSMP regarding the future of VSS but are
likely to include the following expected deliverables from the
consultant:
Stage 2 (duration of 6 months):
- With approval of JSMP management, support to VSS to transition into
a component of LBH-Feto;
- A draft constitution for LBH-Feto;
- Establishment of the LBH-Feto board;
- Recruitment of key staff;
- Development of fundraising strategy and approaches to
development partners.
Supervision
The consultant will be managed on a day to day basis by the JSMP
Director and will report monthly (with a face-to-face meeting and a
bullet point narrative report) on the implementation of deliverables
to the Law Program Advisor, The Asia Foundation Timor-Leste.
Duration of the appointment
The appointment is expected to start in the first quarter of 2011 and
is for an initial period of six months for the completion of Stage 1.
It may be extended by an additional six months for completion of Stage
2 upon agreement between the Foundation and JSMP.
Remuneration
The consultant will be paid a fee negotiated between the consultant
and the Asia Foundation not exceeding the monthly salary rate paid by
JSMP to their international advisers.
Other
TAF will provide:
- A return economy airfare to Dili from a consultant’s home city ;
- Medical insurance;
- Assistance with finding accommodation;
- A small allowance for official communication;
- Transport and per diem costs for any agreed, official travel within
Timor-Leste outside of Dili.
VSS will provide:
- All work communication costs;
- A working space.
The consultant will be expected to provide the following:
- their own laptop.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Experience
Demonstrated work experience in legal and/or human rights programs
Experience with management in a non-government organization,
preferably one working in the legal sector and/or women’s issues
Understanding of gender
Knowledge of the conditions in Timor-Leste and challenges in relation
to gender and service delivery, civil society, and sustainability for
civil society organizations.
Demonstrated commitment to legal reform and civil society strengthening
Education
Bachelor’s degree in law or social sciences.
Other
Strong verbal and written communication skills in English and Bahasa
Indonesia or Tetum
Good written and oral analytical skills
Excellent interpersonal skills
Demonstrated organizational abilities
Computer proficient in word processing (Word), spreadsheets (Excel), email
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Professional experience with a legal aid organization or an NGO
working in the legal and/or human rights fields.
Previous experience working in Timor-Leste.
TO APPLY: Any interested candidates (including East Timorese
nationals) can submit a short covering letter and CV to Aquelina
Savio, The Asia Foundation in Dili. Rua de Nu Laran No. 20. Bairro dos
Grillos, Dili, Timor-Leste. (asavio at asiafound.org). tel. + 670
7796069. To obtain further information, please contact Merita Correia,
Coordinator, VSS, JSMP, tel. + 670 7244304. The deadline for
applications is May 31, 2011. Only short listed candidates will be
contacted for interviews.
Dr Bu V.E. Wilson
T: Australia +61 0 407 087 086
T: Timor-Leste + 670 744 0011
E: buvewilson at gmail.com
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