G.R.A.C.E AFRICA TOR for Training NPI Partners on Paralegal Services

Background to the Consultancy

Grassroots Alliance for Community Education (G.R.A.C.E) Africa is a 501 (c) Non Governmental Organization (NGO) that is registered in the United States of America (USA) as well as Kenya under the NGO board in 2001.

The organization’s vision is vibrant, resourceful and self sustaining grassroots communities, while its mission is to enhance the capacity of Community Based Organizations (CBOs) for self-determined, high-impact and sustainable initiatives leading to better health and development.

G.R.A.C.E works with more than 100 local organizations based in all the eight provinces in Kenya, and these include Community Based Organizations (CBOs), Faith Based Organizations (FBOs), and youth groups.

The key strategy applied by G.R.A.C.E is building the capacities of its grassroots partner organizations to enable them to provide high quality services to larger populations and groups in poor, vulnerable and marginalized communities and regions in the country.

Towards the end of 2008, G.R.A.C.E got a grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to implement a program aimed at scaling up the provision of quality essential services to Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) as well as undertake HIV Prevention activities in three provinces, namely Nyanza, Central and Eastern.

The program is implemented in collaboration with 15 CBOs which are based in the three provinces, and which have established Early Childhood Development (ECD) centers to support OVC. The role of the CBOs is to undertake HIV Prevention activities, enrol and provide essential services to Orphans and Vulnerable Children in their localities.

These services are food; education; protection; healthcare; psychosocial support; and economic empowerment support to their caregivers.

The Consultancy Scope of Work

One of the services provided to OVC caregivers by G.R.A.C.E and its partner organizations is child protection. This is aimed at addressing the need to provide children with safe and secure environment free from all forms of abuse, neglect, discrimination and exploitation.

Towards this end, G.R.A.C.E has already conducted training workshops on child protection for CBO members, teachers and children in the project sites. Subsequently, child rights clubs have been established in some of the community schools to further strengthen the child protection mechanisms.

In an effort to further strengthen the reporting and processing of cases of child rights violations, G.R.A.C.E therefore seeks a consultant or consultancy firm that will train selected CBO members as paralegals. The trainees will be expected to work with the CBOs to improve on the reporting and processing of cases of violations in the project sites.

The consultancy will entail two 5-day workshops, targeting a total of 30 representatives of the CBOs (including ToTs trained in Child Protection). The training will impart paralegal skills to the trainees to enable them intervene appropriately in cases of child rights violations.
Specific Terms of Reference for the assignment

The following specific tasks are expected to be undertaken by the consultant in regard to the mentioned assignment:

• Hold discussions with G.R.A.C.E staff (particularly the Chief Executive Officer, Director, Programs Coordinator and the OVC Project Officer) to agree on specific issues related to child protection to be addressed in the training.
• Based on the above discussion and drawing from the identified and agreed upon training materials, develop a five-day training program on paralegal to representatives of CBOs working with G.R.A.C.E in the NPI program.
• Undertake a 5-day training workshop, for a total of 30 representatives of CBOs partnering with G.R.A.C.E on paralegal to target communities in the three provinces where G.R.A.C.E is implementing the NPI project.
• Support the trainees to develop practical action plans on how they will offer paralegal services to the communities. The action plans should detail specific activities to be undertaken, timelines, number of OVC caregivers targeted, and resources required.
• Undertake one-day monitoring and support supervision visits for each of the 15 CBO partners to monitor progress and support the trainees in the sites.
• Review the chosen activities to make them more demand-driven and more applicable through participatory approaches that help ensure activities are relevant and responsive to local conditions.

Deliverables

The following are the expected deliverables from this assignment:

• A five-day workshop program on paralegal training content; respective sessions and their objectives and facilitators responsible for each session.
• Workshop report for CBO representatives on paralegal, detailing the training content, training methodology; evaluation feedback from participants; action plans for roll out ; recommendations and a list of participants.
• Field reports for each monitoring visit detailing progress made in implementation, challenges experienced, recommendations made and support provided and action points for G.R.A.C.E to follow up on.

G.R.A.C.E Africa’s responsibility

The Consultant will be responsible to the G.R.A.C.E OVC Project Officer.

In addition, the G.R.A.C.E CEO, Director and the Project Officer will be available for consultation with the consultant before and after the exercise to guide the planning and report preparation exercise.

Specifically G.R.A.C.E Africa will provide the following:

• Background information on the organization, the assignment and any other information relevant and necessary for the undertaking of the exercise.
• Transport, accommodation and meals during the training workshops and the field visits.

The successful application will have:

• The consultant should possess at least a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field;
• 3 years experience and excellent oral and written communication skills in English and Swahili.
• A proven track record in training community representatives as paralegals focusing on children’s rights.
• A proven track record in designing and delivering tailor-made training programs legal related disciplines.
• Experience in mentoring community groups as well as individuals providing paralegal services.

Expression of interest

Interested person should send a cover letter and a copy of their CV to: hr@graceafrica.com or graceafricahr@gmail.com by 18th February 2010.