Deadline: 14-Feb-2024
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is accepting a call for proposals from Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), including NGOs for small grants to provide legal aid including establishment of paralegal centers, legal awareness, legal advice, and psychosocial support to vulnerable groups including women, girls, SGBV survivors, elderly and returnees in; Pulbura in Yuai County and Burmath Akobo County in Jonglei State.
Objectives
- The main objective of the grant is to identify two competent and reputable civil society organizations (CSO), national non-governmental organizations (NNGO) or community-based organizations to raise legal awareness, strengthen Community dispute resolution mechanisms and build linkages between the formal and informal justice system in Pulbura in Yuai County and Burmath in Akobo County in Jonglei State:
- Establish and operationalize paralegal centers/networks to provide pro bono legal assistance to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of clients’ cases to develop effective legal strategies and linkages between the formal and informal justice systems.
- Provide legal advice in both civil and criminal cases or administrative matters for the most vulnerable group such as. women/girls, SGBV survivors, elderly and returnees.
- Provide legal awareness including key justice problems and how to address them, human rights and the services provided by the paralegal centres/networks to the vulnerable groups i.e. survivors of SGBV, elderly, returnees etc.
- Organize tailored trainings and workshops to members of the customary courts and community members on pertinent issues of accountability and access to justice in the community.
- Offer legal assistance to members of the community to resolve less legally complicated issues through alternatives to dispute resolution mechanisms.
- Conduct regular visitation to detention centers to identify survivors of SGBV and other vulnerable groups to ensure early release on bail and bond, fair hearing etc.
Funding Information
- The budget should be detailed, complete, rational, and realistic, and must not exceed the equivalent of USD$ 35,000.00 for both locations (Pulbura and Burmath).
Project Duration
- The Project duration is nine (9) months.
Expected Outputs/ Deliverables
- The CSO/NNGO/CBO are encouraged to develop their own expected results based on their analysis of the needs and particularities of the context during the period of implementation. However, expected results will include the following:
- Paralegal network/centers will be established and operationalized in Pulbura and Burmath to provide pro bono legal assistance to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of clients’ cases to develop effective legal strategies.
- 1,500 community members (750 from each location) benefited from the legal aid services and alternative dispute resolution including survivors of communal violence, SGBV/CRSV survivors, and internally displaced people.
- 100 (50 for each CSO) SGBV survivors benefiting from victim redress mechanisms, including on courts, transitional justice, and reparations.
- 150 cases including SGBV/CRSV cases referred to formal and informal dispute resolution mechanisms by each CSO/paralegal center disaggregated by gender.
- 20,000 (10,000 for each CSO) community members reached with Legal awareness on GBV, property rights, legal rights, available services at the paralegal centers through, public meetings, drama, outreach awareness sessions etc.
- 50,000 (25,000 for each CSO) people reached through radio talk shows with messages on availability of paralegal centres, legal awareness and legal advice, and psychosocial support to vulnerable groups including women, girls, SGBV survivors, elderly and returnees in the project locations.
- Monthly visits to the detention centers to identify survivors of SGBV and other vulnerable groups to ensure early release on bail and bond, get fair hearing etc.
- Submit monthly reports or as need arises with accurately documented information on activities implemented and 1 end of project report.
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.
- The 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 CSO/NGO/CBO must not have an ongoing UNDP grant.
For more information, visit UNDP.