Develop Standard Operating Procedure for Special Protection Unit, South Sudan National Police Service

Sexual and Gender-based violence (SGBV) is widespread in South Sudan mainly as a result of 2013 and 2016 violent conflict, and cultural practices by some communities resulting in marginalization, neglect and high levels of poverty. One in five women in South Sudan is affected by SGBV, posing a severe health and developmental challenge. Protracted years of civil wars and devastating conflict created widespread insecurity with serious implications for the delivery of quality justice and human rights to the population.  Moreover, survivors of SGBV face significant challenges in accessing justice due to inadequate resources and weak capacity of the criminal justice system to carry out investigations and prosecution of SGBV cases.

In  response, South Sudan National Police Service and the Ministry of Gender with support from UNDP, UNPOL, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF and UN-Women established Special Protection Unit under the Police Service Act 2009, to extend professional service to the vulnerable groups, especially women and children to ensure effective investigation and management of SGBV cases and protection of juveniles. From 2015 to date, 16 SPU offices have been opened in South Sudan. The SSNPS plans to extend them to all states and divisions in South Sudan by 2024. The SSNPS also launched the national coordination centre for the SPU in 2020 which serves to provide advisory and monitory role to the states SPU, coordinate GBV crime data, analysis and interpretation of results for policy direction on prevention of GBV.

There is statistical validation that the SPU’s have been partially successfully performed, especially those in the state’s capitals. The social need for the Police Unit’s interventions and its successful completion of those programmes of activity in parts of Juba provide evidence for its continued existence. Further, evidence from the common operation areas for the SSNPS and SPU points to the Unit’s functions that are closely aligned to those of the other core areas of SSNPS , therefore, the two are complementary and interdependent in the fulfilment of their missions to the South Sudanese. The SPU is however constrained by limited resources and weak of capacity to carry out investigations of cases. Moreover, frequent rotation of personnel, including trained police officers from SPUs to other departments further weakens the effectiveness of the SPU operations.

Also, the Government of South Sudan has taken action to strengthen the legal protection of women and girls against all forms of gender-based violence, with attention to sexual violence. The Code of Criminal Procedure Act, 2008, the Child Act, 2008 and the Penal Code Act, 2008 contain several provisions that deal with cases of SGBV. Additionally, South Sudan has acceded to the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, 1979 (CEDAW) and developed a National Action Plan 2015-2020 on UNSCR 1325. GBV Standard Operating Procedures for the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Welfare have been drafted, and an Anti-GBV Bill is in its final drafting stages. These documents, once adopted, are intended to strengthen the functioning of SPUs to investigate SGBV cases effectively.

In 2019, UNDP provided support to the Government of South Sudan to develop a GBV Training Manual, which was intended to support the capacity strengthening of the SSNPS and the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs to investigate and prosecute GBV cases and to support other relevant institutions involved in the referral pathway. Thus, to complement ongoing institutional capacity building efforts a more robust legal response incidents of GBV will be useful in the adjudication of cases in the established special GBV Court. In this regard, the SPU will tailor practical guide that span from opening of case initiation to closure of a GBV case.

The project consultancy seeks to support the police in the development of standard operating procedure (SOP), strengthening capacity of police service in carrying out the investigation, prosecution of cases of sexual violence and juvenile’s protection by the judiciary of South Sudan.

The overall objective of the consultancy is to develop an SOP for SPUs on the operations and support investigations of SGBV cases, protection of juvenile survivors and those in conflict with the law; provide technical guidance to SSNPS personnel related to the protection of victims, witness, survivors of SGBV; investigation and collection of quality evidence to bring SGBV cases to trial and ensure adequate support to the prosecution of the SGBV.

Expected outputs and deliverables:

Under the supervision of the UNDP Access to Justice and Rule of Law Chief Technical Adviser and Project Manager, the consultant will accomplish the following deliverables following the stipulated timelines covering a total period of four (4) months which is 84 working days.

• Develop work plan and methodology for the SOP preparation Engage with national stakeholders on SPU Operations – 21 days
• Draft SOPs with inputs from stakeholders and joint consultative meetings – 21days
• Finalize the document with consultation with SPU working group for validation by Global Programme Team and Compile relevant concerns and comments and ensure subsequent incorporation into the final SOPs – 21 days
• Organise National Special Protection Unit Conference and a detailed end of consultancy report prepared and submitted – 21days

Scope of work

In collaboration with relevant staff of UNDP and UNMISS (including UNPOL, Rule of Law, and Human Rights Division), the South Sudan National Police Service, Directorate of Social Welfare of the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare, the Women and Children’s Unit of the Ministry of Justice and the Judicial Service, the consultant will conduct the relevant consultations in-country partners prior to the development of the SOP. He/she will conduct thorough research of existing SPU operations and SGBV-related legal framework in South Sudan, and other literature resources relevant to the management of SGBV cases and Juvenile Justice, and on the primarily national and international laws and conventions.

The SOP will cover various chapters, amongst others, which include,

• A general overview of the relevant provisions of the national legal framework and procedures.  Including the South Sudan National Police Service Act 2009, and other criminal justice legislation (including draft versions) that impact SGBV cases.
• The role and responsibilities of SPU investigators, including respect for the rights of victims and defendants.
• Operations, coordination and referral mechanisms for protection, legal, psycho-social support, and medical needs of survivors 
• Measures to provide immediate and long-term protection of victims/survivors and reduce incidences of SGBV offences in communities;
• Procedures related to the treatment or dealing with survivors including children in the judicial process
• Case Management, handling and custody of evidence/exhibits
• Procedure to establish and operationalize Special Protection Units in all police stations

Corporate Competencies

• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality, and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Demonstrates diplomacy and tact in dealing with sensitive and complex situations;
• Strong communication, team building, interpersonal, analysis, and planning skills.

Professionalism

• Effective communication
• Problem Solving skills
• Demonstrated ability to negotiate and apply good judgment;
• Shows pride in work and achievements;
• Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results.

Planning & Organising

• Organises and accurately completes multiple tasks by establishing priorities while taking into consideration individual assignments, frequent interruptions, deadlines, available resources and multiple reporting relationships;
• Plans, coordinates and organises workload while remaining aware of changing priorities and competing deadlines;
• Establishes, builds and maintains effective working relationships with staff, partners and beneficiaries to achieve the planned results.

Ethics & Values:

• Demonstrates commitment to the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Demonstrates and promotes the highest standard of integrity, impartiality, fairness and incorruptibility in all matters affecting his/her work and status.

Organizational Awareness:

• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of the United Nations Country Team in South Sudan
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism;
• Fulfils all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

Ethics & Values:

• Demonstrates commitment to the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Demonstrates and promotes the highest standard of integrity, impartiality, fairness and incorruptibility in all matters affecting his/her work and status.

Organizational Awareness

• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of the United Nations Country Team in South Sudan
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability

Education:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Law, Political Science, Gender Peace and Security or Development studies.

Experience:

• Minimum five years of relevant experience of working with the rule of law institutions or the criminal justice system.
• Experience in working with specialised law enforcement units/departments on SGBV
• Demonstrate practical experience in the development of policies, standards and guidelines for institutional capacity building or operations in relevant areas.
• Demonstrated experience in working with a variety of stakeholders from all key stakeholders;
• Basic gender understanding, skills, experience and commitment;
• Persuasive writing and oral communications skills;
• Strong analytical skills, including in the identification of critical issues and how they relate;

Language:

• Ability to communicate clearly in written and spoken English.
• Knowledge of Arabic, both spoken and written, will be a distinct advantage.

Application Procedure:

The application package containing the following (to be uploaded as one file):

• A cover letter with a brief description of why the Offer considers her/himself the most suitable for the assignment;
• Personal CV, indicating all experience from similar projects and specifying the relevant assignment period (from/to), as well as the email and telephone contacts of at least three (3) professional references;

Note: The above documents need to be scanned in one file and uploaded to the online application as one document.

Shortlisted candidates (ONLY) will be requested to submit a Financial Proposal.

• The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount breaking down the professional fee, travel expenses, living allowance etc.
• The Financial Proposal is to be emailed as per the instruction in the separate email that will be sent to shortlisted candidates.
• Interested applicants are required to submit technical proposals and should clearly state in the Letter of Interest.

Technical proposal comprising of the following:

• Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP;
• Personal CV or P11, indicating all experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and three (3) professional references;
• Brief description (max. 1 page) of why you consider yourself as the most suitable for the assignment, and a methodology (max. 1 page) for how you will approach and complete the assignment;
• Proposal containing a summary description of proposed strategy and how the strategy will ensure the achievement of the objectives, proposed methodology.

Offers received will be evaluated using a Combined Scoring method, where the qualifications and proposed methodology will be weighted 70%.

Criteria to be used for rating the qualifications and methodology

Technical evaluation criteria (total 70 points)

• Experience in working with and supporting capacity building programmes of criminal justice system especially in areas of responding to and management of SGBV cases [25 marks].
• Experience in developing policies, guidelines, and conducting training of trainers in relation to capacity building on management of SGBV cases [35 marks].
• Proposed methodology [10 marks].

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70 points in the Technical Evaluation will be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Financial evaluation (total 30 points)

All technically qualified proposals will be scored out 30 based on the formula provided below. The maximum points (30) will be assigned to the lowest financial proposal. All other proposals receive points according to the following formula: p y (/z)

Where:

• p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated
• y = maximum number of points for the financial proposal price of the lowest-priced proposal
• z = price of the proposal being evaluated.