Recruitment of a consultant for the Design and Operationalization of the Incident Monitoring Mechanism at the 5border points between Rwanda and the DRC as part of the Access to Justice (UHAKI BILA MIPAKA)-AtJ project.

As part of the implementation of the activities of the AtJ project, the International Alert Consortium, iPeace and Pole Institute, is launching a call for tenders for the Design and Operationalization of the Incident Monitoring Mechanism in 5 border points between the Rwanda and the DRC.

1. Context and rationale

Under the funding of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, International Alert is leading a consortium implementing AtJ which is implemented in Rwanda around five (5) border posts with the DRC;  Rubavu District ( Poids Lourds and La Corniche) and Rusizi District ( Risizi I, Rusizi II and Bugarama).

The project’s objective is to “Contribute to improving access to justice to reduce tensions and strengthen stability in the Great Lakes region”. UHAKI BILA MIPAKA Project, implemented by the AtJ Consortium (composed of the NGOs International Alert-Rwanda, iPeace and Pole Institute) provides various free legal aid services to vulnerable cross border community while providing very specific access to alternative methods of conflict resolution (disputes) such as mediation, conciliation and capacity building activities to justice actors and advocacy at different levels.

Given the number of people using the above-mentioned borders and those benefiting from cross-border activities, it cannot be ruled out that incidents arise from relationships between border users themselves, between border users and public border services or even between border services themselves due to divergent understandings of legal texts or divergent interests.

International Alert wants to set up an incident monitoring mechanism to provide real-time information on the problems encountered at the borders and support/facilitate the follow-up of difficult cases. This data will be fed into advocacy messaging and activities at local and national levels.

Hence the need to develop and implement an early warning system allowing the AtJ project to be regularly informed of all incidents at the above-mentioned borders, to collect these and to use certain peacebuilding approaches to reduce the risks of escalation of conflicts/disputes. The mechanism will therefore provide real-time information on problems (incidents) encountered at the borders and thus facilitate the monitoring of difficult cases.

As an early warning system, the incident collection mechanism must be complete, effective and capable of simultaneously collecting all incidents arriving at the above-mentioned five (5) border points between Rwanda and DRC.

To be operationalised. the tool must therefore show the process of receiving incidents in a systematic way, data which will enable the project, through its advocacy activities, to reduce challenges met by border users in terms of access to justice. User-friendly data collection tools and a database will therefore have to be developed. The data collection tools and the typology of incidents monitored will include gender specific component to track specific needs met by both genders and other vulnerable groups, reflect their perspective and feed an analysis of power relations in communities.

The information feeding the incident monitoring mechanism will come not only from border users and border service authorities but also from the legal clinics of the AtJ project and the mediation structures involved in the project (mainly the Access to justice supporting Groups).

2. Consultancy objectives

The general objective of this activity is to design and operationalise the mechanism for monitoring incidents consistent with the issues of access to justice for users of the borders between Rwanda and the DRC under the AtJ project  in order to identify priorities in terms of advocacy with local, national and regional stakeholders.

This therefore involves the design, development and implementation of the incident monitoring mechanism, an early warning system at  the afore-mentioned borders in order to better anticipate certain risks of events impacting access to justice.

The Incident Monitoring Mechanism is therefore intended to be an innovative tool, taking better advantage of new technologies to simultaneously monitor and collect incidents relating to access to justice at the 5 aforementioned border points.

3. Material and spatial boundaries of the service

3.1 Material delimitation

The incidents to be collected by the Mechanism to be operationalized are those linked directly or indirectly to the activities of the Access to Justice project. These are mainly:

• Legal and Justice-Related Issues: Incidents involving access to justice, legal disputes, and any form of legal infringement that border users might encounter. This includes cases of arbitrary detention, harassment by authorities, or legal misunderstandings.
• Gender-Specific Incidents: Incidents that particularly affect women and other vulnerable groups, including gender-based violence, discrimination, and specific challenges faced by these groups in accessing justice and border services.
• Human Rights Violations: Cases of abuse, exploitation, and violation of border users' rights. This encompasses a broad range of human rights issues, from physical abuse to the denial of basic rights.
• Security Concerns: Incidents related to security threats at the border, including smuggling, trafficking (both human and goods), and other forms of criminal activity that pose risks to peace and security.
• Conflict and Dispute Escalation: Any form of conflict or dispute among border communities or between border users and authorities that has the potential to escalate into violence or disrupt peace.
• Administrative and Bureaucratic Challenges: Issues related to border crossing procedures, customs and immigration hurdles, and other administrative obstacles that border users face, which may hinder their access to justice and equitable treatment.
• Economic and Livelihood Issues: Incidents affecting the economic well-being and livelihoods of border communities, such as unfair trade practices, confiscation of goods, or any form of economic injustice that impacts their daily lives.

3.2 Spatial delimitation

In the present case, the operationalization of the incident monitoring mechanism must therefore be limited to Rwanda, but more specifically to the areas where the AtJ project is being implemented as detailed above, while bearing in mind that the participants (beneficiaries) of the AtJ project are People in vulnerable situations living in/visiting border areas, asylum seekers, Refugees, Detainees, migrant workers and foreigners in an irregular situation. 

4. Characteristics of the incident monitoring mechanism to be operationalized

For effectiveness purposes, the main characteristics for the incident monitoring mechanism to be operationalized must be the following:

• Presents simple operating rules that are well known to potential users.
• Is easy to access and offers different incident submission channels.
• Guarantees users (natural and legal persons) without fear of intimidation or reprisals.
• Systematically and simultaneously records and controls all incidents occurring at the five (5) border points between Rwandaand DRC.
• In terms of reliable statistics on the number of disputes or problems at the cross-border and regional level, produces periodic (monthly) reports of incidents collected with the possibility of disaggregating incidents (by type, location, age and gender) between border users, incidents between users and border services, incidents between different Rwandan border services and incidents between Rwandan and Congolese border services.
• Has an appeals process to which unaddressed grievances and incidents can be referred or appealed when resolution of grievances has not been fully achieved.

5. Expected results

The expected results are:

1. A mapping of possible incident monitoring mechanisms currently existing at the Rwanda borders while including the mapping of formal and informal services at the 5 border points between Rwanda and the DRC.
2. Operationalization of the incident monitoring mechanism on the Rwandan side with facilities in the communication languages of users of the above-mentioned borders (Swahili, Kinyarwanda, French and English).
3. The action plan is established allowing the implementation of the incident monitoring mechanism in the project intervention areas and including recommendations regarding the communication of the existence of the system to beneficiaries.
4. The training module for various representations of border users and border services providers to facilitate effective use of the incident monitoring mechanism.
5. Training for the benefit of staff in charge of the Incident Monitoring Mechanism, the ACCESS TO JUSTICE Project Team, project participants and stakeholders if necessary.

6. Duration of the consultancy

The duration of the consultation is 60 working days for the design and operationalization of the incident monitoring mechanism.

7. Education

Have at least a master's degree in social sciences, law, political science, psychology and sociology or equivalent field (social surveys, statistical sciences, etc.).

8. Experience

• At least 5 years of experience in conducting studies and work devoted to cross-border activities in the Great Lakes region.
• Experience with structured survey methods, quantitative and qualitative research (Knowledge of some PRA tools, focus groups, interviews, etc.).
• Proven experience in the field of surveys, preferably within an International Organization or a research firm using new digital data collection technologies.
• Be familiar with the local, cultural and social context of the targeted communities (border users) and local NGOs, local networks and platforms.
• Perfect command of IT tools and good analytical and writing skills.
• Excellent practice of French, and local languages.
• Have excellent writing and synthesis skills.
• Have communication skills with good teamwork skills.

9. Application files

Application files must include:

• The cover letter addressed to Country Director of International Alert Rwanda.

The detailed proposal with the following elements: a technical proposal adapted to the methodology designed and timeline, and a financial proposal for the accomplishment of the aforementioned deliverables. Note that technical and financial proposals must be combined into a single PDF document.

• Curriculum Vitae of the lead consultant (maximum 5 pages)
• The copy of the two reports of an activity carried out within the framework of a previous more or less similar project.
• Three (3) references from organizations (preferably international) for which the independent consultant or his firm has recently (in the last three years) carried out similar services within the framework of projects or programs financed by international organizations/ donors in the area of access to justice.

10. Submission of applications

Interested candidates who meet the conditions set out above are requested to send their offers to Rwanda@international-alert.org before 20th March- 2024 at 5 p.m. CAT Submissions received after the deadline will not be considered.

NB: Clearly specify in the subject line of the email the following reference: “Consultant for the Design and Operationalization of the Incident Monitoring Mechanism at the 05 border points between the DRC and Rwanda under Access to Justice (UHAKI BILA MIPAKA) Project”. 

Depending on the number of applications received, we may not be able to contact all applicants. If you do not receive a response two weeks after the deadline specified above, this would mean that you have not been selected for the interview. Applications will be reviewed and selected based on qualifications only.