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OHCHR Team of (up to three) Consultants to undertake the study on human rights in psychiatric and psychoneurological institutions

Vacancy Number: Pr18/01758

Location:	Chisinau, Moldova
Application Deadline:	23 Aug 2018, 23:59 (GMT+2:00)
Application Extended deadline:	27 Aug 2018, 23:59 (GMT+2:00)
Type of Contract:	Individual Contract
Starting date:	03 Sep 2018
Reference to the project:	Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Expected Duration of Assignment:	September – December 2018, with estimated joint workload of up to 45 working days (up to 15 days for each consultant)
Submission Instructions: Proposals should be submitted online only, by following the “Apply online” link, no later than 23 August 2018. The applicant, following the job application process, should receive a confirmation e-mail. Confirmation of successful application should be forwarded to the following e-mail: violeta.fetescu@one.un.org. Requests for clarification only must be sent by standard electronic communication to the following e-mail: violeta.fetescu@one.un.org. UNDP will respond by standard electronic mail and will send written copies of the response, including an explanation of the query without identifying the source of inquiry, to all applicants.
Supporting Documents: Terms of Reference Individual Consultant Procurement Notice Offeror's Letter confirming Interest and Availability Personal History Form (P11) UNDP General Conditions of Individual Contract

Background

The UN Human Rights Office (Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights – OHCHR) is a United Nations structure with a unique mandate from the international community to promote and protect human rights universally towards full implementation of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and all other international human rights standards.

UN Human Rights Office in Moldova assists the UN RC Office, UN Country Team in Moldova (UNCT), Government and civil society in strengthening human rights and human rights-based approach, working closely with the UN Country Team on capacity building and mainstreaming human rights in their work, as well as providing support in engagement with national actors on human rights, including advising national authorities upon request.

The Office’s directions of activities for 2018-2019 are oriented towards: a) strengthening the rule of law and accountability for human rights violations; b) enhancing and protecting civic space and people’s participations; c) increasing the engagement of victims of human rights violations with national and international human rights protections systems; d) enhancing equality and countering discrimination; e) integrating human rights into the sustainable development work done in Moldova; f) increasing implementation of the international human rights mechanisms` outcomes.

Within the activity direction related to the increase the implementation of the international human rights mechanisms, considering the recommendations issued for Republic of Moldova by UN treaty bodies, OHCHR is planning to undertake a study on human rights in psychoneurological and psychiatric institutions in Republic of Moldova.

The psychoneurological and psychiatric institutions in republic of Moldova have been the object of continuous monitoring activities. Starting with 2013, when the position of Ombudsman in psychiatry was established those institutions came into the view of human rights organizations. Still, despite the human rights monitoring activities implemented by various NGOs, there is no comprehensive human rights study on those institutions.

OHCHR presence in Moldova has undertaken independently several visits in 2016-2017 in the psychiatric and psychoneurological institutions. Those visits brought several critical aspects of human rights situation in those institutions, among which:

1. Social vulnerability of the beneficiaries of those institutions;
2. Discrimination of people living in those institutions:
3. Lack of human rights-based approach in the regulations ruling the activity of those institutions.

Considering that the activity priorities of OHCHR in the next strategic cycle continues to be the promotion of rights of persons with disabilities, the study will serve as a baseline for further activities on the deinstitutionalization and social protection of persons with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities.   

Scope of work

Under these Terms of References the Team of Consultants to undertake the study on human rights in psychiatric and psychoneurological institutions will work under the close supervision of the National Human Rights Officer.

Besides the guidance of the national OHCHR staff, the consultants will be guided in their activity by the WHO Quality Rights Tool Kit Assessing and improving quality and human rights in mental health and social care facilities^[1].

In line with the toolkit specified above, team of consultants will have as main tasks the following:

1. To establish the Advisory Board for the assessment of human rights in psychoneurological and psychiatric institutions.

The Advisory Board will consist of representatives of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, medical and social workers, representatives of NGOs working in the field of rights of persons with psycho-social and intellectual disabilities as well as persons with psycho-social and intellectual disabilities themselves.

The Advisory Board will approve the assessment tools developed by the team consultants. It will advise the team throughout the research activity through getting involved in the monitoring visits and the interviews undertaken for the study. The Board will also take act on the findings of the Country wide assessment report on human rights in psychoneurological and psychiatric institutions.   

1. To desk review against all human rights the documents regulating the activity of the institutions on both banks of Nistru river.

Before developing the assessment and interview tools, the consultants will undertake the desk review of the regulations on the activity of psychoneurological and psychiatric institutions. The aim of the desk review is to identify the institutional and regulatory loopholes in the field of rights of persons living in the institutions.   

1. To develop and apply the interview tool for assessing the institutions.

The interview tools will be developed by the consultants based on the WHO Toolkit specified above. The toolkit will be further approved and applied by the Advisory board in collaboration with the team of consultants. 

1. To undertake monitoring visits to at least 50% of the institutions (inclusively in at least two institutions from the left bank of Nistru river) to observe the conditions in the institutions and develop the post-visits reports assessing the observed facilities;
2. To draft the facility-based assessment reports;
3. To draft the country wide assessment report.

For detailed information, please refer to Annex 1 – Terms of Reference.

[1] The Toolkit can be found in the attachment to the present ToR

Requirements for experience

Academic Qualifications:

• University degree in law, medicine, psychology/psychiatry or sociology;

Experience and skills:

• At least 3 years of progressive professional experience in human rights monitoring and/or sociological/ human rights research;
• Participation in at least 3 human rights monitoring activities;
• Proven experience of work with people with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities;
• Proven experience of work with the state stakeholders in policy analysis will be a strong asset.

Language requirements:

• Fluency in oral and written Romanian, Russian, and English.
• Knowledge of one or more additional languages relevant for Moldova, including Bulgarian, Gagauzian, Romani, Ukrainian or sign language is an asset.

Diversity Clause: Applicants from under-represented groups (persons with disabilities, Roma and other ethnic, linguistic or religious minorities, persons living with HIV, refugees and other noncitizens) will have an advantage during the selection process. OHCHR is committed to reasonably accommodate the working environment for the persons with special needs.

Documents to be included

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

1. Proposal:

• Explaining why they are the most suitable for the work including relevant past experience;
• Provide a brief methodology on how they will approach and conduct the work.

2. Financial proposal (fee per day and total amount;

3. Personal CV including past experience in similar assignments and the contact details of at least 3 reference persons;
4. Offeror's Letter confirming Interest and Availability.

Financial proposal

The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount, and payment terms around specific and measurable (qualitative and quantitative) deliverables. Payments are made in installments and are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR. In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal will include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (including fees, taxes, mobile phone calls, etc.).

Travel

All envisaged travel costs must be included in the financial proposal. This includes all travel to join duty station/repatriation travel.  In general, UNDP should not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources.

In the case of unforeseeable travel, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed.