Consultant for the National Human Rights Commission of Burkina Faso on Institutional Advocacy Techniques AT American Bar Association

American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) – Project “Human Rights and Access to Justice in Burkina Faso (HRAJ)”

NOTICE OF EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FOR THE RECRUITMENT OF AN INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT TO TRAIN MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION (CNDH) OF BURKINA FASO ON TECHNIQUES FOR CONDUCTING INSTITUTIONAL ADVOCACY

TERMS OF REFERENCE

1. GENERAL INFORMATION
2. Reference: 01/11/ABA-ROLI/BKF/2023
3. Location of the consultation: Burkina Faso (Ouagadougou, with the possibility of holding the training session in Koudougou). The work will be done in collaboration with the ABA ROLI Program team based in Ouagadougou.
4. Title: “Consultation mission for the training of members and staff of the CNDH of Burkina Faso on institutional advocacy techniques for the consideration of the recommendations and opinions of the Commission by the authorities”.
5. Execution period: 30 days including working days in Burkina Faso. The period of the consultancy may be reviewed by mutual agreement with the Consultant to be recruited.
6. ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION AND THE HRAJ PROJECT

The American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI)

The Rule of Law Initiative is a public service project of the American Bar Association that aims to promote legal reform efforts in more than 40 countries around the world. ABA ROLI believes that promoting the rule of law is the most effective long-term response to the most pressing problems facing the global community today, including poverty, economic stagnation and high levels of corruption. ABA ROLI focuses its technical legal assistance efforts in the following areas: 1) Anti-corruption and public integrity; 2) Criminal law and the fight against trafficking in persons; 3) Gender issues; 4) Human rights and conflict mitigation; 5) Judicial reform; 6) Reform of legal education; and (7) Reform of the legal profession. ABA ROLI calls on people with the necessary skills and commitment to effectively promote the rule of law in host countries. We are regularly looking for experienced lawyers, judges, and law professors who are willing to lend their expertise to our programs for long-term and short-term pro bono assignments abroad. For more information, please visit our website at www.americanbar.org .

b. The “Human Rights and Access to Justice in Burkina Faso (HRAJ)” Program

The HRAJ Program is an intervention funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by a consortium of organizations including ABA ROLI, Freedom House, Search For Common Ground, and Pact. Initially planned for a period of three (03) years (May 1, 2020 to April 30, 2023), the program has been extended until December 2024.

The aim of the program is to “strengthen the capacity of the state to prevent and punish human rights violations, as well as to increase awareness and access to remedies leading to reparations”. To achieve this goal, the program is structured around three specific objectives:

Objective 1 aims to contribute to strengthening the capacity of the CNDH to implement its mandate and respond to human rights violations.

Objective 2 aims to support CSOs in defending human rights and addressing violations in target areas.

Objective 3 aims to support greater coordination among key human rights actors to build a sustainable movement around reducing human rights violations and preventing atrocities.

This consultation is part of the implementation of the training activities for members and staff of the CNDH provided for in Objective 1 of the Program.

c. The CNDH and the context of this training

The CNDH is an independent public authority established as the national institution for the promotion, protection and defense of human rights in Burkina Faso. Initially created by Decree No. 628-2001/PRES/MJPDH of 20 November 2001, reformed by Law No. 062-2009/AN of 21 December 2009, its creation is now based on Law No. 001-2016/AN of 24 March 2016 in accordance with the Paris Principles, the reference framework for national human rights institutions (NHRIs). 2021 The CNDH was mandated, by Law No. 002-2021/AN of March 30, 2021 amending Law No. 001-2016/AN of March 24, 2016, to serve as a national mechanism for the prevention of torture in Burkina Faso. In May 2023, a new team of Commissioners was appointed and installed, and in October 2023 the institution’s strategic plan for the period 2023-2027 was validated. The CNDH is currently working to boost its institutional work.

During the first phase of the implementation of the HRAJ Program, the Program’s support enabled the CNDH to assert its status as a national human rights institution, including by substantively improving its visibility and interaction with other stakeholders and by conducting credible investigations and documentation of human rights violations. However, the CNDH is still struggling to follow up on the results of its monitoring and investigation actions. As a result, the commission’s ability to act on its findings is a challenge to be addressed in order to be more effective in providing services to victims. The CNDH therefore needs to strengthen its internal capacity to effectively advocate/lobby political decision-makers and administrative authorities for the implementation of its findings and recommendations. With this in mind, it is important that the members of the CNDH, and particularly the Commissioners and the leadership of the technical staff, have access to knowledge and tools that enable them to influence the vision and responses of decision-makers to human rights violations, and that the latter ultimately become sensitive vectors of human rights.

The present service therefore responds to the concern to better equip the main actors of the CNDH in their approach and interactions with the various decision-makers, so that the latter can understand the importance of acting on the cases of violations reported to them, and can in the long run be safe channels for the protection of victims’ rights.

1. OBJECTIVES OF THE CONSULTATION

The overall objective of the consultation is to strengthen the capacities of the members and staff of the CNDH in the conduct of advocacy/lobbying actions with a view to facilitating the consideration and implementation of the recommendations and opinions that the institution formulates in the context of the implementation of its mandate. It is expected that the acquisition of advocacy/lobbying skills will enable the Commission to mobilize and benefit from the support of institutions and resource persons in the implementation of its missions.

The specific objectives of the consultation include building the capacity of beneficiaries through training to be organized covering the following:

• Familiarize the members of the CNDH with the different techniques of advocacy by a National Human Rights Institution;
• Provide the Commission with tools that can help the institution effectively implement its human rights advocacy initiatives, including in times of security crisis.

1. BENEFICIARY PROFILE

The training session that the Consultant is called upon to provide will benefit the members (commissioners) and staff of the CNDH.

1. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CONSULTANT
2. Prepare the necessary documents for the execution of the training;
3. Design and develop training modules covering the specific objectives defined above and adapted to the profile of the beneficiaries;
4. Propose the terms of reference, including the methodology to be used and an agenda for the training session;
5. Facilitate the face-to-face training session;
6. Write a mission report including observations and recommendations on the mission carried out, including the methodology applied and the evaluation of the results obtained.
7. TRAINING MODULES: ARTICULATION AND CONTENT

Each module should be structured to emphasize the following:

1. Module Title: It should be designed and delivered in such a way that it is both concise and as representative as possible of the content.
2. Pedagogical objectives of the module: They should be clearly defined to:

• allow an objective reference during the evaluation by the consultant himself and by ABA-ROLI of their achievement;
• guide the division of training into sessions and activities;
• Inform (know) and engage (know-how) the beneficiaries of the training in an informed manner.

In particular, the consultant can classify these objectives into categories, according to whether they are (i) cognitive (knowledge or knowledge – field of thought); (ii) psychomotor (know-how or technical aptitude) or (iii) affective (interpersonal skills or behaviour). The consultant will indicate, among other things, the competencies targeted in each module.

1. General overview of content: For the purposes of this consultation, an overview is defined as an indicative and explanatory overview of the main theoretical knowledge and ongoing school debates on training topics. An overview extends beyond a bulleted list or a simple statement of these topics. It briefly introduces the subject matter and highlights the most essential points of knowledge and debate.
2. Content of the module: It includes the development of the points retained for each module, with indication of the sources.
3. Teaching materials: The consultant inventories and classifies the recommended materials for learners (including the legal instruments referred to in each module), including the case studies that he/she proposes as an appendix to each module. He/she will provide a brief statement of the list of equipment to be provided and describe the sequence or sequence of the proposed activities.
4. Type of assessment: For each module, the consultant proposes and justifies a form or process of assessing the learners’ progress towards the learning objectives.
5. EXPECTED DELIVERABLES
6. The terms of reference for the training session, to be developed with the HRAJ project team, including the methodology to be used and an agenda.
7. A participant’s manual or workbook containing the modules designed for the training and the set of useful tools for reference by the participants after the training.
8. CONSULTANT PROFILE
9. Qualifications and work experience

• Holder of an advanced university degree in law or communication, with a minimum of 10 years of experience in the subject matter addressed by the training to be provided.
• Very good written and oral knowledge of French.
• Reading and understanding English in addition would be an advantage.
• Good knowledge and handling of computer tools (Microsoft Office, Internet).
• Proven experience as a trainer or facilitator of adult education with participatory methods.
• Experience as a trainer in conducting institutional human rights advocacy.
• Proven experience in contextual analysis, design/writing, and synthesis.
• Good knowledge of the current context in the Sahel.
• Knowledge of the issues at stake in the human rights situation in Burkina Faso.
• Any additional relevant expertise will be valued.

1. Skills and qualities:

• Autonomy, integrity, sense of responsibility, sense of priorities, ability to work in a multicultural team, proactivity, spirit of initiative, attitude of listening.