Deadline: 23-Jan-23
UNDP has announced a Call for Proposals from Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), including NGOs for small grants to provide legal aid including legal representation, legal awareness and legal advice, and psychosocial support to vulnerable groups including women, girls, and SGBV survivors in one of the following states: Central Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria, Western Equatoria, Northern Bahr El Ghazal, Western Bahr El Ghazal, Upper Nile, Warrap, Unity, Lakes, Jonglei as well as Greater Pibor Administrative area, Ruweng Administrative Area and Abyei Administrative Area.
UNDP’s Access to Justice, Security and Human Rights Programme works to enable all members of society to experience peace and security, enjoy their human rights and actively fulfil their societal roles through the realisation of access to justice, rule of law, human rights, and security. This work prioritises people and states most impacted by the conflict, with a key focus on the most vulnerable members of society, such as women and girls, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) survivors, youth and the elderly, as well as internally displaced people (IDPs) and returnees. Equally importantly, engagement includes both national and state levels, supporting national stakeholders in addressing drivers of conflict and building resilient communities.
Accordingly, UNDP, through the Access to Justice, Security and Human Rights Programme, and with support from the Government of the Netherlands, is engaging in supporting the provision of legal aid to vulnerable groups and establish referral paths.
Objectives
The main objective of the grant is to identify national organizations – whether civil society organizations (CSO), national non-governmental organizations (NNGO) community-based organizations (CBO), or the like – with operational presence and capacities in one of the states and Administrative Areas– Central Equatoria, Northern Bahr El Ghazal, Western Bahr El Ghazal, Eastern Equatoria, Western Equatoria, Upper Nile, Warrap, Unity, Lakes Jonglei, Greater Pibor Administrative area, Ruweng Administrative Area and Abyei Administrative Area. – to:
- Establish and operationalize time bound JCCs, that are capable of fully disposing or concluding cases undertaken within the six-months operational period in a timely, trauma informed, gender and victim sensitive manner;
- Provide legal advice and representation in both civil and criminal cases, as well as administrative matters for the most vulnerable groups such as women and girls, SGBV survivors, elderly, persons with disabilities as well as IDPs and returnees;
- Action legal awareness-raising, including on key justice issues, relevant civil and criminal proceedings, human rights, as well as referral pathways and their navigation;
- Undertake regular visitation to police and prison facilities and detention centers to identify persons who are on long periods of pretrial detention and their respective legal needs with a view to ensure their early release on bail or bond, support with legal representation, monitor legal procedures for fairness, as relevant.
- Provide counseling and psychosocial support to victims, prisoners and people with prolonged legal problems to protect or promote their mental health and psychosocial
- Provide advice on and refer the individuals to the hospital for medical help as well as to other appropriate mechanisms or other mental health services if they do not provide it.
Funding Information
- The budget should be detailed, complete, rational, and realistic, and must not exceed the equivalent of USD$ 30,000 per location.
- Administrative costs must not exceed 10% of the total proposed amount.
Expected Outputs/Deliverables
The organizations are encouraged to develop their own expected results based on their respective assessment of needs, issues, and challenges of vulnerable groups during the period of implementation. Expected results will include the following:
- JCCs are established and operationalized in a manner accessible for vulnerable groups. This includes the ability to provide legal services to at least 300 women, girls, SGBV survivors, elderly, IDPs and returnees, psychosocial support and counselling to 100 people, and referral services to 50 others in each location.
- JCCs provide legal awareness on law, legal rights and redress mechanisms to at least 250,000 people in each location. This may be conducted through, mixed mediums for transmitting information including trainings, public meetings, drama, community outreach awareness sessions, radio and other media engagement.
- JCCs will have an impact by registering a 5% increase rate in registration of cases for legal services each month following awareness creation programmes and aid ensuring that at least 55 percent of the people reached with legal aid services are women and girls.
- Undertake regular visitation to police and prison facilities and detention centers to support at least 100 prisoners and detainees in the police stations on pretrial detention and identify their respective legal needs with a view to ensure early release on bail or bond for 70% of them, support them with legal representation and monitor legal procedures for fairness where relevant.
- Submit reports monthly, or more frequently if needed, with accurately documented information on implemented activities and specifically on the results achieved.
Eligibility Criteria
The CSO/NNGO/CBO must meet the following criteria to be eligible for selection:
- Be legally registered as CSO/NNGO/CBO with the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and in possession of a valid registration certificate.
- Mandate and founding document should be in line with the activities for which the fund is being sought.
- Have an established office in the proposed location of implementation, as well as experience in implementing similar/related activities.
- The technical, operational and financial ability to effectively implement in proposed locations.
For more information, visit UNDP.