Deadline: 21-Apr-25
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Somaliland invites registered Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to submit their Expression of Interest (EOI) for the provision of legal aid and representation services in Somaliland.
Objectives
- The main objectives of this initiative are:
- To provide free legal aid services to economically and politically marginalized individuals, ensuring their right to fair justice.
- To strengthen the capacity of community-based legal aid providers to deliver quality legal assistance.
- To enhance legal awareness and empowerment through community outreach and rights-based education programs.
- To improve coordination among justice actors, government institutions, and civil society in supporting access to justice.
- To contribute to the overall objectives of the UNDP Joint Rule of Law Programme, particularly in increasing equitable access to justice.
Duration
- The NGO/CSO will implement the legal aid project over an 8-month period, with the potential for extension based on performance and funding availability
Scope of Work
- The selected NGO/CSO will be responsible for implementing the following activities:
- Provision of Legal Aid Services
- Offer legal counselling, representation, and mediation for indigent individuals.
- Assist in drafting legal documents such as petitions and complaints.
- Support victims of gender-based violence (GBV), human rights violations, and family disputes in accessing legal remedies.
- Strengthen alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms.
- Capacity Development
- Train paralegals and community justice facilitators to extend legal aid services in remote areas.
- Build the capacity of traditional and community justice actors on human rights principles, particularly regarding SGBV cases.
- Organize training workshops for legal practitioners on human rights-based approaches to justice.
- Awareness Raising and Advocacy
- Conduct legal awareness campaigns targeting marginalized communities.
- Organize community dialogues and outreach sessions on rights, laws, and legal processes.
- Coordination and Reporting
- Collaborate with government justice institutions, including the Ministry of Justice and National Human Rights Institutions.
- Establish a referral mechanism between legal aid providers and formal justice institutions, particularly for SGBV cases.
- Submit monthly and final progress reports to UNDP on the implementation of activities.
- Provision of Legal Aid Services
Deliverables
- The CSO is expected to deliver the following outputs:
- Inception Report (including detailed work plan and methodology) within 2 weeks of contract signing.
- Monthly Progress Reports on legal aid provision to vulnerable groups, targeting at least 250 cases within an 8-month timeframe (30% women, 50% IDPs, 20% prisoners).
- Training sessions for paralegals, justice facilitators, and legal practitioners throughout the project duration.
- Community legal awareness campaigns (including materials and outreach sessions) every 2 months (4 times).
- Final Report (including impact assessment and recommendations) at project completion.
Eligibility Criteria
- The applying NGO/CSO must meet the following criteria:
- Be a registered organization operating in Somaliland.
- Have a minimum of 5 years of experience in legal aid, human rights advocacy, or justice sector support.
- Demonstrate capacity for community-based legal awareness and outreach.
- Proven experience working with government justice institutions and international organizations.
- Availability of qualified legal professionals, including lawyers and paralegals.
- Strong financial and administrative management capacity with a track record of managing donor funds.
For more information, visit UNDP.