Background

Launched in February 2019, the USAID funded Feteh (Justice) Activity in Ethiopia provides flexible, rapid technical assistance response to its Ethiopian partners in the process of legal and judicial reform. Feteh’s partners include the Federal and Regional Attorney General’s Offices; the Federal and Regional Supreme Courts; the House of Peoples’ Representatives; constitutionally mandated democratic and human rights institutions such as the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, the Ethiopian Institution of the Ombudsman and the Public Defender’s Office; civil society organizations, legal and academic institutions, and the media.

The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (the EHRC) is mandated to promote and protect human rights in Ethiopia as provided under Proclamation No. 210/2000 as amended by Proclamation No. 1224/2020 on the Establishment of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission. EHRC is mandated to monitor, investigate, and provide recommendations on human rights violations. EHRC can carry out investigations upon receipt of complaints or of its own initiation.

Over the last several months, parts of the country have been experiencing a wave of conflict, violence, disturbances, and unrest which resulted in deaths, bodily injury, destruction of property and significant amount of displacement. In light of these emerging situations, EHRC recently set up an Emergency Response Unit (‘ERU’ or ‘the Unit’) to monitor, document, and respond to emerging human rights situations in the country. While the Unit is fleshing out the exact scope of emergency situations, the current understanding of human rights emergency situations includes incidents of conflict, unrest, disturbances, protests, state of emergency declarations, natural disasters, health emergencies and the like that result in human rights concerns/violations.

In carrying out its work, ERU has enhanced coordination within the EHRC Head Office and between the Head Office and Branch Offices to ensure the steady flow of information on emerging human rights issues; developed standardized templates to simplify the reporting process for Departments in the Head Office and for Branch Offices; identified key events in the year that could lead to unrest and violence; monitored events that have in the past turned violent and produced situation reports identifying areas of concern and proposing recommendations.

Considering the surge in emerging human rights incidents in Ethiopia and ERU’s broad range of responsibilities it was found important to reinforce the Unit’s capacity by engaging additional experts (one (1) International Expert and one (1) Local Consultant) to support EHRC’s responsiveness to human rights emergency situations.

The following provide details of the scope of work for the engagement a Local Consultant as indicated above.  

Assignment

The general objective of the assignment is to enhance EHRC’s role and institutional capacity in monitoring, documenting, reporting, and responding to emergency human rights situations. The assignment further aims to enhance EHRC’s technical and human resource capacity to effectively respond to emergency human rights situations.

Based on specific request from the EHRC Feteh intends to engage the services of a Local Consultant to provide support to the International Expert in developing an emergency response strategy for EHRC, develop a database, standardized templates and procedures, a staff development programme, and build the capacity of EHRC to effectively respond to emergency human rights incidents under the overall guidance of EHRC’s Senior Advisor. 

Tasks

• The Local Consultant under the overall guidance of EHRC’s Senior Advisor, and supporting the International Expert will perform the following activitiesDevelop a central database to track and document emergency human rights incidents as well as actions taken;
• Develop appropriate templates that would assist in monitoring, documenting, reporting, and responding to urgent human rights issues with the support of the International Expert,
• Produce a report on the required technical and human resource inputs to promptly and appropriately respond to emergency human rights incidents;
• Develop sustainable staff development and training plan on emergency response for staff in the Head Office and Branch Offices;
• Identify the key stakeholders, institutions, and networks in the country relevant for information collection and verification, as well as responding to urgent human rights incidents; and
• Develop strategy to enhance coordination and collaboration between the EHRC’s ERU and the identified stakeholders, institutions, and networks.
• Ensure alignment of planned activities with EHRC’s mandate and overall strategic directions;
• Build capacity of relevant EHRC staff and ensure sustainability and ownership;
• Consider the changing context of the country and socio-political dynamics; and
• Engage with key stakeholders, including civil society organizations, and ensure coordination to avoid duplication and enhance impact.

Deliverables

The Local Consultant together with the International Expert shall produce the following deliverables.

• Inception report outlining the methodology and timeline to conduct the assignment;
• Report on the required technical and human resource inputs to promptly and appropriately respond to emergency human rights incidents;
• Central database to track and document emergency human rights incidents, as well as actions/interventions taken;
• Templates to assist in monitoring, documenting, reporting and responding to emergency human rights situations;
• Roster of key stakeholders, institutions, and networks relevant for information collection and verification, as well as responding to urgent human rights incidents;
• Strategy to enhance coordination and collaboration between EHRC’s ERU and the identified stakeholders, institutions and networks;
• Staff development and training program on emergency response for staff in the Head and branch offices;
• Training of trainers of Head Office and branch offices on the staff development and training program;
• Training for relevant staff in line with the staff development and training program;
• Coordination of EHRC Emergency Response and provision of continuous technical support to enhance EHRC’s capacity to respond to emergency human rights situation;
• A brief completion report.

Supervision

The Local Consultant will be under the direct supervision of EHRC’s Senior Advisor while carrying out the assignment, and will contractually report to Feteh’s Chief of Party and Deputy Chief of Party during this assignment.

Level of Effort

The proposed Level of Effort for this assignment is up to a maximum of 130 (one hundred and thirty) work days. The authorized work week is five (5) days per week and eight (8) hours day.

Location and Period of Assignment

The Local Consultant will work with the EHRC in Addis Ababa with extensive travelling to the regions.

The estimated period of assignment is from 15 December, 2020 to 15 June, 2020

Job Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

• Advanced university degree in human rights and/or humanitarian work, or other related fields;
• Experience working in conflict and post-conflict environments, preferably in Ethiopia and/or East Africa;
• A minimum of eight (8) years practical experience in human rights and/or humanitarian work;
• A minimum of four (4) years of extensive experience in research and analytical work in protecting human rights in the context of emergencies and/or conflict;
• Proven experience in actively engaging in preparedness and response programming to protect human rights in emergencies;
• Excellent analytical, communication, and writing skills including experience in drafting strategy documents, as well as technical guidelines such as SOPs;
• Experience in liaising with different counterparts, facilitating consultations, meetings and workshops;
• Excellent Computer skills: MS Word, Excel, Power Point, and database software;
• Proven training experience including design of training programs;
• Excellent Amharic and English communications skills; and
• Knowledge in other local languages is desirable. 

How to Apply

Interested and qualified applicants can apply through : 

  ehrcjobs@gmail.com