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Invitation for consultancy services for developing a procedural handbook and/or an electronic database for the complaint handling system of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission

RFP/035/2009

UNDP Ethiopia on behalf of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), East Africa Regional Office (EARO), is inviting applications for consultancy projects to assist the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to develop a procedural handbook and an integrated case handling database and improve its case management processes and systems.

 1.      Introduction and background

 The Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia guarantees respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission was established as the principal organ taking the lead in promoting and protecting human rights in Ethiopia, in conformity with the provisions of the Constitution.  The EHRC was established by Proclamation No. 210/2000, in accordance with paragraphs (1) and (14) of Article 55 of the Constitution as an autonomous organ of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia having its own legal personality.

 Proclamation No. 210/2000 provides that the objective of the EHRC shall be to educate the public about human rights and to ensure that human rights are protected, respected and enforced, as well as to take the necessary measures whenever those rights are found to have been violated.

 The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission is one of the six major democratic governance institutions supported under the Democratic Institutions Programme (DIP), a five-year multi-donor funded Programme in support of the Plan for Accelerated and Sustainable Development (PASDEP) theme goal to develop “[…] A fully operational democratic, accountable, and responsive constitutional federalism, ensuring citizens’ empowerment and participation.”

 The implementation of a number of activities of the EHRC under its DIP sub-programme have been delegated to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, East Africa Regional Office, including the development of an  electronic and a manual complaint handling system for the EHRC. The complaint handling system will be based on a manual system, including internal regulations, complaint forms and other necessary tools for complaint/case management, a complaint handling manual and a code of ethics. It will also comprise an electronic complaint management system.

 The EHRC is in need of a more systematic approach to managing the complaints it receives about alleged human rights violations, comprising a formalized policy framework, systematic information and file management processes, supported by an electronic case management system.

 Relevant stakeholders concur that the improvement of the complaint handling system of the EHRC would greatly enhance the impact of this young institution. The EHRC is a forward-looking organization in the learning process; its management is committed to change.

 2.      Objectives

The development of both a complaint handling handbook and an electronic complaint management system will allow the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission to improve its complaint handling and follow-up on cases and complaints, thereby promoting and protecting human rights and reinforcing the mandate of the Commission. Through the use of these tools, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission will be able to follow-up on cases based on a systemized process.

 Tasks and responsibilities

Complaint handling handbook

 ·         Drafting a procedural handbook on complaint processing: case workflow, admissibility criteria, handling investigations, handling mediations, handling referrals, internal reporting.

 ·         The handbook should analyze and systematize information management: registration, filing, opening and management of case files, information flows.

 ·         The handbook should give support to the complaint handling system through systematizing admissibility criteria in order to give a clearer picture of the complaint handling system of the Commission.

 ·         The handbook should give appropriate guidelines on the resolution of cases and on handling investigations, mediations, referrals, as well as on internal reporting.

 ·         The handbook should refer to applicable data protection policies, including access rules, ethical principles for handling complaints, and the complaint handling workflow. These policies are a pre-requisite for the development of an electronic complaint handling system.

 ·         In addition, the necessary supporting tools for complaint/case management should be developed, such as complaint intake forms, complaint management forms, controlled vocabularies to describe violations, internal regulations and a code of ethics, etc.

 ·         The policy elements in this manual such as the data protection policy and the complaint handling process, and the admissibility criteria already exist but need to be laid down in writing.

·         Interview officers of the investigation unit of the EHRC in order to draft a document that reflects the existing policies within the EHRC.

·         Training on the use of the tools and procedures included in the handbook.

Complaint handling database

 The task is to develop an open source software application to be used by the EHRC Investigation Department that will enable the following:

 ·         Record information about complaints: complainants, victims, perpetrators, sources, circumstances. Record information about complaint handling workflow: registration, allocation to a particular investigator, decision on admissibility, tracking of steps taken to find a remedy.

·         Retrieve and browse cases in ways useful to the work of the Commission: by type of case, by right violated, by Article of Constitution violated, by gender, by vulnerable group, etc.

·         Enable analysis and reporting on the substance of complaints (by type of violation, by location of violation, by date of violation, by right affected, by gender, by ethnic group, by profession, etc.).

·         Report on the activities of the EHRC in resolving complaints: listings of cases by status, determination of duration to find a remedy, etc.

·         Incorporate existing policies on access to data and protection of sensitive information.

Other tasks/requirements:

 ·         The database should preferably be built as a web application, capable of running on an office LAN.

·         It should be built in a flexible manner, allowing modifications by the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (changing vocabularies, editing or changing fields.)

·         It should handle both Amharic and Latin characters.

·         Training and guidance shall be provided to the EHRC staff involved to integrate the new tools and methods into their working practices.

 ·         Training on recording and analyzing human rights violations; training on using and adapting the database; training on human rights documentation methods (working with the “who did what to whom” model, standard formats and controlled vocabularies); training on document management and archiving methods.

 Close coordination will be required during the development of the complaint handling handbook and that of the electronic complaint management system due to the inter-linkages between both tasks.

 Qualifications and requirements

The consultants to be assigned to the project should have a strong experience and track record in the following areas:

·         Human rights documentation methods

·         Compiling information and case flow management (for the handbook)

·         Managing software development and customizing projects (for the database)

·         Ability to systematize human rights cases in a comprehensive scheme

·         Capacity building: ability to develop sustainable solutions adapted to the needs and constraints of the beneficiary institution

·         Good knowledge of human rights and familiarity with the mandate and functioning of National Human Rights Institutions

·         Fluency in English and Amharic

 Application

Interested firms, organizations and institutions should submit their technical proposal and financial proposal for one or both of the above assignments separately. Two separate envelops (one technical and one financial) if application is for one assignment OR four separate envelops if application is for both assignments.

 Technical proposals should include the following minimum information:

 ·         Draft work schedule and suggested timeframe and milestones for the project.

·         CVs of consultants who would be assigned to the project

·         Initial description of software application (technical solution proposed) for the complaint handling database.

·         Budget (broken down to include development costs, project management costs, consultant fees, etc.)

1. Submission address and deadline

Interested bidders should send a complete application to the address stated below. Applications must be submitted before 1 November 2009, 24 hours local time.

For additional information please contact Mekdelawit Hailu: E-mail: mekdelawit.hailu@undp.org;  

UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRANMME

PROCUREMENT UNIT

ECA OLD BUILDING, 6^TH FLOOR,

ADRICA HALL

MENELIK II AVENUE

P.O.BOX 5580

ADDIS ABABA

ETHIopia