Terms of Reference (TOR) for engaging a consultant to develop a comprehensive Sexual Violence Response Framework for the Government of Balochistan to prevent, respond to, and rehabilitate victims of sexual violence.

A.    Background

The Legal Aid Society (LAS) is a not-for-profit organization working on its mission to connect vulnerable & disempowered end users of justice with effective and expedient services for justice delivery. LAS’s interventions have been aimed at increasing access to justice for poor & marginalized communities, particularly women, across the province of Sindh and at the Federal level.

In line with the mission of expediting justice delivery, LAS is implementing a project to strengthen the State’s response to sexual violence.

LAS initiated the project to provide technical assistance to the provincial governments in improving Criminal Justice Actors’ response to sexual violence and to enhance coordination between stakeholders.

This consultancy aims to develop a comprehensive Sexual Violence Response Framework for the Government of Baluchistan to prevent, respond to, and rehabilitate victims of sexual violence. The framework will be divided into prevention (primary interventions), response (secondary interventions), and rehabilitation (tertiary interventions) and will be developed in consultation with the respective provincial government.

B.     Scope of Consultancy Scope and Expected Outputs

The scope of work and corresponding outputs/deliverables will be as follows:

• Development of the 01 draft of the sexual violence response framework for Balochistan through research, focus group discussions, and consultations with key government stakeholders.

Project Timeline & Payment Schedule

 D.    Required expertise and qualifications

• Background in gender expertise with excellent knowledge of the justice system in Pakistan and its mechanisms.

• Postgraduate qualification in the field of expertise, supported by extensive experience in the justice sector as a practitioner or trainer

• Prior experience in working on the rule of law and developing roadmaps for the government to streamline and coordinate processes and challenges

• Experience with developing training curricula/modules

• Experience in conducting focus group discussions with the criminal justice system.

E.     Protection Against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse:

• Legal Aid Society (LAS) is committed to the prevention and protection from all forms of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA). LAS explicitly prohibits its
  staff, associates, partners, consultants, or any other representatives associated with the delivery of its work from:

• Engaging in any form of sexual exploitation or abuse;

• Sexual activity with children (persons below the age of 18), irrespective of a mistaken belief of the age of the child, which shall not amount to a defense.;

• Exchange of money, employment, goods or services for sex, including sexual favors or other forms of humiliating, degrading or exploitative behavior, is prohibited. This includes any exchange of assistance that is due to beneficiaries of assistance.

• Sexual relationships between LAS staff and beneficiaries of assistance, since they are based on inherently unequal power dynamics, undermine the credibility and integrity of the work of LAS and are strongly discouraged.