Strategic Litigation Consultant

TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR)

1. Background, Objectives and Justification

The Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR) is an independent not-for profit organisation that works with media and civil society to promote positive change in conflict zones, closed societies, and countries in transition around the world. As part of its program activities, IWPR, in partnership with the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP), is implementing its initiative Building Resilience in the Eastern Neighbourhood (BREN), which is supported by the UK Government’s Integrated Security Fund (ISF).

IWPR’s BREN program seeks to strengthen the resilience of non-state actors, including marginalised communities, and enhance their ability to deliver transformative, inclusive, and sustainable contributions to peace, stability and security in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Moldova. Civil society organisations (CSOs) in these four countries face a range of challenges and threats to their work. These CSOs, particularly those that work with marginalized communities, seek new advocacy skills and tools to pursue their constituency’s rights.

IWPR is seeking a local expert consultant in Moldova to provide a training/workshop on how to use strategic litigation to achieve systemic societal change. The training/workshop should explain this useful tool and how CSOs can develop their strategic litigation strategy taking into account capacity, risk management, funding, and legal and procedural considerations such as: selecting the right case, what the legal issues are, what your goals are, who can bring the case, when you can bring the case, where you will bring the case (available bodies at the local, national, and international level); how you will see the case through; raising public awareness; the intersection of strategic litigation and advocacy strategies, investigation, communications strategies, and campaigning; and using the outcome to influence decision makers to change laws, policy and practice.  

The consultant will deliver an in-person, half-day training/workshop for up to 16 CSO employees (representing up to 2 individuals each from up to 8 CSOs).

The CSOs work with marginalized communities involving a variety of issues, including women’s rights, disability rights, ethnic minority rights, etc. The training/workshop should be applicable regardless of the subject matter area of the CSO.

All trainers/workshop leaders must speak Romanian. 

2. Scope of Work 

The Consultant will support a strategic litigation training/workshop for BREN CSO employees as follows:

1) Provide one in-person, half-day training and workshop in Chisinau on using strategic litigation to achieve systemic societal change. (Up to 8 CSOs are eligible to participate in the training. Each CSO may send up to 2 participants, for a total number of 16 training beneficiaries). This training/workshop should be suitable for introductory level participants who are not familiar with strategic litigation. The participants should learn about strategic litigation and how their respective CSOs can use it to achieve their organisations’ unique objectives. 

3. Main Deliverables and Timeline 

4. Budget

Please submit a budget for IWPR’s review. 

• The budget should include all project-specific costs and expenses, including trainer and mentor fees, travel, etc. Consultant fees should be expressed in terms of an hourly or day rate, as applicable.
• The Consultant does notneed to include logistical costs related to providing the in-person training, e.g. venue, catering, teleconferencing set up. IWPR will directly coordinate and fund such logistics.

5. Payment Schedule

The consultant will invoice for services rendered based on the Milestones identified in the table above.

6. Work Relationships

The Consultant shall report to and work directly with the BREN Capacity Building Manager. The Consultant will also work with IWPR’s respective country coordinators in each country.

7. Application and Evaluation Process

The Consultant should submit the following to vonda@iwpr.net by no later than September 21, 2024:

• Proposed work plan, including sample training and workshop agenda and topics.
• Description of the organization or trainers/mentors and their respective experience and capabilities related to subject matter of this ToR. 
• CVs of all proposed trainers and/or mentors. 
• Itemized budget for all costs and fees based on the chart in item 3 above (detailed costs in British Pound Sterling (GBP £), with applicable Tax/Charges clearly identified, and provided against each of the categories of services described in the chart.)
• Contact name, email address, and telephone number to facilitate communication between IWPR and the Consultant.

 Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Experience – 30 points: Ability to deliver all the requirements required by IWPR 

Price – 30   points: Value for money

Technical- 40 points: Responsiveness to the ToR specifications and requirements.