TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR) FOR ENGAGING A CONSULTANT TO BUILD A MENA LEGAL ASSISTANCE NETWORK

Position: The Consultant can be a person / organization/ institution

Number: 01

Organization: Youth Without Borders – Tunisia (YWB) / Innovation for Change MENA Hub

Duty Station: Home based (Tunisia)

Duration: 2 months

Type of Contract: Freelance contract

Background:

The Innovation for Change network, is a global network of people and organizations who want to connect, partner and learn together to find positive approaches to overcome barriers to closing civic space and restrictions to our basic freedoms of assembly, association and speech. We are a

community-led network inspired by ideas, methods, and technologies from across sectors, to create solutions that drive positive social change. We work together on advocacy, research, network building, education and training, fundraising, digital literacy and technology development.

Our six connected regional hubs are growing in both physical and online spaces across Africa, Central Asia, East Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East and North Africa and South Asia. A seventh Global Innovation Hub, co-facilitated by Counterpart International and CIVICUS supports project implementation and drives innovation across the entire Network.

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Hub launched its initial activities in October 2016. More than fifty organizations from across the MENA region have been involved in the Incubation phase of Innovation for Change to date. These groups have held meetings in Tunisia, Lebanon, and Egypt to design the MENA hub, and its initial suite of services and activities.

Working closely with an expanded group of supporters and experts including social entrepreneurs and movements, the MENA Hub has developed its vision to create a free and secured civic space, and a mission to build a collaborative, innovative network of activists and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to facilitate the exchange and development of expertise and resources to face the shrinking of civic space .

Activity: Building the MENA legal assistance network

While civic activism is one of the pillars of any democratic system, where activists and NGOs are encouraged to participate in its improvement and development, some regimes continue today to undertake repressive measures against them. Therefore, the MENA hub members intend to establish a network of lawyers from all countries in the MENA region in order to ensure the protection of civil society activists in the region.

In order to build the network, the MENA Hub is recruiting a consultant to carry out a mapping:

• of international and regional mechanisms which can be put in execution to support, fund and defend activists oppressed in the MENA region;
• of international, regional and local non-governmental organizations, legal assistance networks and lawyers who can help and assist oppressed activists in the MENA Region, disappeared or in custody.

Methodology

The consultant is expected to follow the work plan and the timeline developed by YWB in undertaking the contract assignment.

1. The methodology is proposed by the consultant and will be approved after YWB’s validation;
2. The consultant will work in close collaboration with YWB;
3. The consultant will update and review the different deliverables based on YWB’s remarks.

Expected deliverables:

1. Produce (1) outline addressing the work plan including scoping meetings with YWB and timeframe;

1. Elaborate and deliver  one (1) detailed mapping report (a) identifying, enumerating and describing international and regional mechanisms which can be put in execution to support, fund and defend activists oppressed in the MENA region, and (b) a risk assessment report of the regional human rights protection mechanisms

1. Elaborate and deliver one (1) mapping report on international, regional and local non-governmental organizations, legal assistance networks and lawyers who can help and assist oppressed activists in the MENA Region, disappeared or in custody, and which organizations can provide voluntary help at no costs.