About UNICEF: Employment

Call for an institutional or individual contractor on informal justice systems

UNDP, UNIFEM and UNICEF are seeking an institutional or individual contractor to conduct a study on informal justice systems worldwide. The study will inform future collaboration with partner countries and the possible crafting of knowledge products, programming guidance notes, and development policies with respects to informal justice systems. Studies estimate that in many developing countries, traditional or customary justice systems handle 80% of the total caseload.

The specific aims and expected outcomes of the study are to obtain clarity on:
• The nature and characteristics of informal justice systems in different regions of the world
• The systemic aspects and issues with regard to international normative frameworks and informal justice processes and systems.
• The human rights implications of these informal justice processes, particularly as related to the rights of women, and the rights of children, and the rights of vulnerable and marginalized groups
• The scope for improving respect for human rights principles and practices in informal justice systems, including the possible control and accountability mechanisms that need to be established for such improvement
• Key programming opportunities and challenges for supporting greater alignment of informal justice processes with formal justice systems and with the requirements of human rights standards, including possible opportunities for UN joint programming.

The methodology will include a desk review and the documentation of a selected number of case studies in countries where the UN is already engaged in informal justice systems. Case studies will include a survey on the views of users of such systems and affected groups on the issues and the impact existing efforts have had on them and these systems. The assignment will begin on 1 June and end on 31 December 2008 (7 months), when the final draft of the report will need to be submitted.

Interested persons/institutions are invited to submit a short concept paper (maximum 5 pages) for the study by May 15 2008, at the following address: IJSstudy@undp.org. Concept papers are to include substantial and methodological aspects, an estimated budget and information on the qualifications and background of the proposed personnel.

Eligible persons/entities should have experience in:
- Conducting applied research in developing countries mindful of the potential applicability of the findings and recommendations of the research from a programming point of view;
- Explicit experience with conducting studies in local communities and societies where legal pluralisms is a characteristic feature of the social fabric;  
- Be knowledgeable in international human rights law including women’s rights and children’s rights;
- Be familiar with justice system reform processes in developing countries.

For more information please contact: IJSstudy@undp.org