Call for legal and research expert in the framework of the project “Monitoring the equal distribution of social rights for vulnerable groups on the national and local level (Kukes, Elbasan, Librazhd and Pogradec)”
TERMS OF REFERENCE
Title: Legal and research expert
Location: Tiranë, Kukës, Elbasan, Librazhd, Pogradec
Start of assignment: 04.01.2018
End of assignment: 30.11.2018
Duration of assignment: 55 working days
Background
Municipalities have the obligation to provide certain services to the vulnerable groups, with the aim of realizing their rights. Services provided to vulnerable groups from local government are in the form of economic assistance, residential and community social care services. This project intends to develop a needs assessment and a monitoring methodology; to increase capacities of Ombudsman and local government, as well as to develop the awareness of institutions and citizens. Actually not all citizens of vulnerable groups have access to these services or there are needed services that are not provided.
Among the issues that have been encountered over the years with local government in terms of providing services to vulnerable groups are: not timely payment of relevant economic assistance, such as disability payment and payment of economic aid; termination of economic aid; failure to resolve the housing issue; identification of needs of family in need included in the scheme of economic assistance; lack of access to public urban transport and non-reimbursement of tickets for persons with disabilities; the lack of budget estimates by the local government bodies of the funds required to provide economic aid outside of the criteria for special cases, such as families in blood feuds etc..
In this framework, the ALTRI Centre and Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit GIZ are implementing the project “Monitoring the equal distribution of social rights for vulnerable groups on the national and local level (Kukes, Elbasan, Librazhd and Pogradec)”.
Objective
The ALTRI Centre is looking for a legal and research expert, who will be responsible for the preparation of materials/documents in the framework of the project.
Duties and responsibilities
For the implementation of the project the ALTRI Centre would require the services of one legal and research expert who will be responsible for:
- Drafting the need assessment for vulnerable groups.
The needs assessment will be drafted in collaboration with the human and social rights expert and will include: (i) legal assessment, which includes the analysis of the legal framework of Ombudsman and local government, the legal base of vulnerable groups social rights, the legal tasks for social rights application, the legal procedures and responsible institutions to develop social rights; (ii) assessing the needs of the vulnerable groups, obtaining data on the access level of vulnerable groups in the services provided from local government and; (iii) identifying and evaluating the methods used by Ombudsman and its Regional Offices in monitoring the services offered from local government to vulnerable groups and evaluating its capacity in this monitoring; (iv) study and comparative work on successful experiences of other countries in this regard.
- Drafting and conducting interviews for each group.
The expert will draft the interview guidelines and develop them with Municipality, Ombudsman (including its respective Regional Office) and vulnerable group.
- Drafting the monitoring methodology of vulnerable groups’ social rights.
Experts will draft the methodology based first at the Needs Assessment Report, will study the respective materials and the best practices in monitoring methodologies of vulnerable group’s rights fulfilled from local government, will involve representatives of other institutions.
- Developing consultative meetings on monitoring methodology.
Experts will hold 4 consultative meetings with the Municipality, the regional offices of the Ombudsman and civil society. The aim is to develop a comprehensive methodology and involve the best and necessary practices.
- Development of Citizen Forums with citizens.
In these Citizen Forums experts will make aware citizens for their social rights; for the services that local government has the duty to offer; for the tools they can use to reach their social rights; their role in the monitoring methodology drafted in the previous activity.
- Development of Open Days in Municipalities.
Four Open Days will be organized in the premises of the municipalities in order to inform a large number of people. During the awareness and information campaign they will be informed on key issues important for their reintegration into society: information about their status and rights; programs and employment opportunities, courses and vocational trainings where they can participate; institutions they can direct for information and psycho-social support, education of their children, the necessary procedures to be performed for the benefit of the health service/health insurance; assistance that can be obtained from local authorities; information on the necessary legal documents they need.
- Development of a roundtable from Ombudsman.
ALTRI in cooperation with Ombudsman will organize a roundtable with representatives from central and local government, and civil society organizations which field is related with social rights of vulnerable groups. The theme of the roundtable will be the future challenges of the Ombudsman, and public institutions in the protection and respect of social rights.
Expected Outputs/Deliverables
The products that should be provided are the:
- Needs Assessment Report of vulnerable groups;
- Drafting and conducting interviews for each group;
- Drafting the monitoring methodology;
- Developing consultative meetings on monitoring methodology;
- Development trainings;
- Drafting the information materials;
- Development of open days and forums with citizens;
- Development of a roundtable;
Necessary Qualifications
- University degree in law;
- At least 5 years of professional experience;
- Excellent knowledge of Albanian and international standards of human rights, with a specific focus on vulnerable groups’ social rights;
- Very good writing skills;
- Previous experience in legal drafting;
- Ability to work with minimal supervision and under time pressure;
- Other academic qualifications in the legal area would be an asset.
Evaluation of applicants
Individual consultant will be evaluated based on a cumulative analysis taking into consideration the combination of the applicants` qualification and financial proposal.
The award of the contract should be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:
- Responsive/compliant/acceptable; and
- Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.
Only the highest ranked candidates who would be found qualified for the job will be considered for the financial evaluation.
Technical criteria – 70% of total evaluation – max points 70
Criteria A: expertise in Albanian and international standards of human rights, with a specific focus on vulnerable groups’ social rights – max points 30
Criteria B: Expertise in preparing and drafting legal documents – max points 30
Criteria C: Educational background – max points 10
Financial Criteria – 30% of total evaluation – max points 30
Application procedures
At least 3 experts will be invited by e-mail to apply for this consultancy.
Interested candidates should present their professional CV in English to qendra.altri@gmail.com; info@altri.al by 22 December 2017.
Applicants may also submit their application in hard copy to the following address:
A.L.T.R.I Center
Street “Asim Zeneli”, No. 15
Tiranë, Shqipëri