Deadline: 2-Aug-23
The United Nations Development Programme invites competent and reputable registered Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) working across the greater Tonj – Warrap State to submit proposals for a three (12) months grant aimed at supporting communities’ access to justice and rule of law in greater Tonj counties of Warrap State through the establishment of Paralegal and legal aid centers, contributing to awareness-raising on rule of law, and communities’ general awareness about their legal rights.
To further support rule of law and access to justice, the stabilization pillar under Kong Koc project intends to Identify and engage three (3) civil society organizations working in greater Tonj to establish and support initiatives for providing legal assistance such as legal aid centers and community-based paralegals/mobilizers to advise victims, detainees, survivors of gender-based violence, and their families; with particular focus on mainstreaming gender, respect for human rights and support to vulnerable groups into reform priorities of and service delivery by rule of law institutions.
Objectives
- The main objective of the grant is to identify competent and reputable registered Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), non-governmental organizations, or community-based organizations to strengthen Community dispute resolution mechanisms and linkages are built between the formal and informal justice system in greater Tonj – to:
- Establish and operationalize paralegal networks that can help and provide pro bono legal assistance to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of clients’ cases to develop effective legal strategies.
- Participate in negotiations with counsel to reach an out of court favorable settlements for clients. This includes offering advice, and creating awareness on human rights, legal rights, and the right to litigate one’s case before a competent court of jurisdiction.
- Carry out awareness creation and sensitization programs for communities in the project location on human rights, general knowledge about the legislations; and stay up to date on changes in laws and regulations.
- Organize various and tailored training and workshops to members of the communities on pertinent issues of rule of law and access to justice in the community; offer legal assistance to members of the community to resolve less legally complicated issues through negotiations and mediations.
Funding Information
- The budget should be detailed, complete, rational, and realistic and must not exceed the equivalent of USD$ 60,000.00 per location.
- The Project duration is 12 months: Starting October 2023 – September 2024.
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:
- Three (3) paralegal centers established and operationalized in the three (3) counties of the Greater Tonj (each CSO establishes one paralegal center in the assigned County) empowers and sensitize community members on crucial aspects of legal aid, human rights, and access to justice.
- 3,000 community members in Greater Tonj (1,000 from each County) benefited from the legal aid services and awareness; including survivors of communal violence, SGBV/CRSV survivors, and internally displaced people on pro-bono basis.
- 150 cases including SGBV/CRSV cases in Greater Tonj referred to formal and informal dispute resolution mechanisms by each CSO/paralegal center disaggregated by gender
- 120 community members in Greater Tonj (40 from each County) trained as paralegals to sensitize community members on crucial aspects of legal aid, human rights, and access to justice and provide legal aid services to survivors of communal violence, SGBV/CRSV survivors, and internally displaced people on pro-bono basis.
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 CSO/NGO/CBO must not have an ongoing UNDP grant.
For more information, visit UNDP.