Consultant to develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for use by the NCAJ Agencies in Undertaking Service Weeks

Organizational Background

The NCAJ is established under Section 34 of the Judicial Service Act (No.1 of 2011). The Council is a high-level policymaking, implementation, and oversight coordinating body that comprises State and Non-State Actors from the Justice Sector. The main purpose of the Council is to ensure a coordinated, efficient, effective, and consultative approach to the administration of justice and reform of the justice system. Specific functions of NCAJ include: formulating laws and policies relating to the administration of justice; implementing, monitoring, evaluating and reviewing strategies for the administration of justice; facilitating the grassroots administration of justice through Court Users Committees; and ensuring a coordinated justice sector. In fulfilling its mandate, the NCAJ conducts and organizes service weeks on diverse cross-cutting justice sector phenomena each year, which require partnership and collaboration of actors. One such program is Decongestions Service week exercises which involve the interplay of several actors to decongest prisons. Another example is case backlog reduction which entails the clearance of cases that have overstayed in the system through interlinkages between CUC actors at the court level. Clearance or effecting pending warrants of arrests may also require partnership and collaboration to ensure future warrants are executed on time. These programs involve the interplay of more than one justice sector agency.

The service week has also been used as a forum for awareness raising of various justice needs by bringing together stakeholders to identify and fill the available gaps within the justice sector. The service week is a multi-agency collaboration where all justice players work together to achieve the desired results. Service week has been used successfully as a strategy to reduce case backlog. Under the banner of the NCAJ, all the agencies in the justice chain have committed to working together. During Judicial Service Week, the Judiciary prioritizes cases based on the direction of the Chief Justice to look into pending cases. This informs which cases are to be dealt with to reduce case backlog. The NCAJ intends to create a standardized way of conducting Justice Service for Weeks or Months. The same can also be construed to have the same aim as the rapid results initiatives, focusing on service delivery, especially where inefficiencies or huge challenges exist. Ultimately, the service weeks transform society by quickening the service delivery process and addressing systemic bottlenecks.

Consultancy Objectives

The objective of the consultancy is to develop NCAJ Service Week Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to guide justice sector agencies in undertaking service weeks aimed at addressing sectoral challenges affecting the efficient administration of justice. The SOPs shall contain detailed prior activities and preparations necessary to conduct the Service Week, background information on why the service week, especially the problem to be addressed and how. The SOPs will provide various aspects of planning (before, during, and after) the Service Week, including resource mobilization, lessons learnt, reporting, stakeholder consultations, training of justice sector personnel, public awareness strategy, data collection, and reporting.

Scope of Work and Deliverables

In drafting the SOPs, the Consultant is expected to consult NCAJ Secretariat, key justice sector actors and existing service week reports to extract best practices and obtain relevant documentation from previous service weeks. Ensure the SOPs adheres to and uphold the Constitution of Kenya 2010 (notably the Bill of Rights) and all applicable laws affecting the efficient administration of justice in Kenya. The other specific details are;

1. Provide Service week directions, including the required operations and scheduling of events.
2. Provide guidelines on the involvement and coordination of Justice agencies for the effective undertaking of service weeks
3. Provide guidelines on involvement and coordination at the grassroots with the Court Users Committees (CUC) if necessary.
4. Provide details on engagements required before the service week and preparatory activities thereof.
5. Provide a generic tool for undertaking the service week.
6. Provide a guide on relevant stakeholders' training or engagement
7. Develop guidelines and protocols for pre-service week's visits and piloting of service weeks as necessary.
8. Provide an Awareness Strategy in line with the NCAJ Communication strategy.
9. Provide a sample procedure for at least two common service weeks undertaken by any two justice sector institutions
10. Outline the Programme of the Service Week and the roles of key players
11. Provide guidelines on Data Collection, processing, analysis, and reporting.
12. Provide the reporting structure of a service week.

Job Requirements

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is required to have the following qualifications:

• A Bachelor’s Degree in law, strategic planning, public policy, organizational development, or any other relevant field.
• A minimum of 10 years of professional development.
• Demonstrable experience developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Monitoring and Results based Tools, and guidelines will be an added advantage.
• Familiarity with results-based management concepts
• Demonstrated experience leading assignments of similar nature for high-level government agencies, focusing on access to justice/administration of justice/the rule of law, etc.
• Exposure to the workings and operations of the Kenyan justice sector institutions

Technical competencies

• Demonstrated competencies in public policy development, including experience in developing guidelines or monitoring tools.
• Excellent analytical, writing, and editing skills.
• Excellent work ethic founded on integrity, impartiality, and confidentiality principles.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office programs and other relevant computer applications.

Terms & Conditions

IDLO is an Equal Opportunity Employer and values diversity in all areas of its operations. We welcome applications of qualified and diverse candidates.

IDLO is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance at all levels within its workforce. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for IDLO vacancies.

IDLO does not tolerate sexual exploitation or abuse, any kind of harassment, including harassment of a sexual nature, or discrimination. As such, IDLO will conduct careful reference and background checks of all selected candidates as part of its selection process.

The application deadline is 22nd March 2023 (23.59 Hrs. Rome time)

How to apply

Please make sure your application is completed online on the following link to be considered for the role:

Consultant to develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for use by the NCAJ Agencies in Undertaking Service Weeks (icims.com)