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local consultant -Provision of Design for the Creation of Child Friendly Environment/Spaces in the Justice System of Georgia, Tbilisi, Georgia

Tbilisi

  • Organization: UNICEF - United Nations Children’s Fund
  • Location: Tbilisi
  • Grade: Consultancy - International Consultant - Internationally recruited Contractors Agreement
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Legal - Broad
    • Legal - International Law
    • Environment
    • Children's rights (health and protection)
    • Peace and Development
  • Closing Date: Closed

for a local consultant Provision of Design for the Creation of Child Friendly Environment/Spaces in the Justice System of Georgia

 

 

  1. Background

 

The concept of a child-friendly justice has emerged under the European human rights system but it is rooted in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).[1] The concept is based on the acknowledgement of the child as a rights holder and on the main principles of the CRC[2].

In essence, Child Friendly Justice is " justice that is accessible, age appropriate, speedy, diligent, adapted to and focused on the needs and rights of the child"[3]. The main idea behind the concept is that a child involved in the justice system, be it in the capacity of a witness, victim or the one in conflict with the law, should feel safe at any stage of judicial proceedings. Also, the environment should be contributing to the full-fledged participation of a child in the proceedings and the realization of his/her rights.

At the core of the concept is the child's right to be heard, which is closely linked with the environment and setting. As the Committee on the Rights of the Child holds: " A child cannot be heard effectively where the environment is intimidating, hostile, insensitive or inappropriate for her or his age", and that " particular attention needs to be paid ... to the design of court rooms, clothing of judges and lawyers, sight screens, and separate waiting rooms."

The European Guidelines on Child-friendly Justice hold that cases involving children should be dealt with in non-intimidating and child-sensitive settings where they can feel safe and speak freely. Specific reference is made to, inter alia, child-friendly waiting and interview rooms for children, where there are no disturbances by unwarranted interruptions; to avoiding direct contact of child victim and alleged perpetrator; to officials wearing no uniforms, but ordinary clothes; or to hearing a child in the judge's chamber, as a less formal environment.

The Guidelines do not, however, describe in detail how such separate environments shall be designed or decorated.[4] In recent years many countries created child-friendly interview rooms. The main goal is to protect child witnesses and victims of crime, especially crimes involving sexual and domestic violence, by interviewing children in child-friendly conditions and by specialized staff.[5]

In June 2015, Georgia adopted a new juvenile justice code leading to an improved compliance of the Georgian juvenile justice system with international standards. The Code sets high standards and legal guarantees for child witnesses and victims of crime. However, these guarantees are not always implemented in practice, partially due to the absence of a child-friendly environment in institutions which receive children.[6]  

The Code prescribes that a child's privacy, as well as the confidentiality of his/her communication with a lawyer should be protected at any stage of juvenile justice proceedings. The number of interrogations of a child should be decreased to a minimum whenever possible. Also, if a child is a victim or a witness of sexual exploitation of violence, it is recommended to make audio or video recordings of his/her interrogation and play the audio or video recording at the court hearing.[7] Despite the existence of these guarantees in the JJ Code, police departments do not provide for adequate space for confidential meetings of a juvenile with a lawyer. Also, the victim has to give testimony as a minimum twice, since recording of testimony and demonstration thereof at the hearing is hardly applied in practice.

To address this situation, the Juvenile Justice Strategy and Action Plan envisage the creation of a child-friendly environment within the justice system of Georgia. UNICEF supports the Government in its efforts to promote the concept of child-friendly justice and to create appropriately equipped child-friendly spaces in the Police, Prosecutor's Offices, Legal Aid service and the Courts, and to introduce child-sensitive interviewing procedures by highly specialized staff.

For this purpose, UNICEF is seeking to contract an expert designer for the provision of a design for the creation of child friendly spaces in Police, Legal Aid service and the Court Buildings in Rustavi considering the requirements set out in annex 1 of this ToR. 

 2. Overall Objective of the Consultancy

The overall objective of this consultancy is to support the Government of Georgia in its efforts to promote the concept of child-friendly justice and to support UNICEF and the Government with designing appropriately equipped child-friendly spaces in the Police, Legal Aid service and the Courts in the city of Rustavi serving as a pilot in these efforts.

  1. Tasks, Deliverables and Timelines:
  • To develop the interior design for each of the three involved offices (Police, Legal Aid Service, Courts) in Rustavi, including design of furniture and distribution of electronic devices.

Deliverables:

Drawings shall be developed taking into consideration all mandatory standards, capacities and norms of the existing buildings dictated by the specifications of the primary equipment/systems already built in the Offices of Police, Legal Aid Service and Courts and shall be agreed with each of the mentioned agencies.

A design report shall sum up all design activities and provide the rationale for the optimal designs made with references to relevant standards enlisted in annex 1.

Timeline:  

1,5 months after the start of the consultancy.

  • To prepare all relevant tender documents, including specifications and bill of quantities required for the procurement of "refurbishment works" and "furniture and other items/ equipment".

Deliverable:

Statement of Works and Technical Specifications.

The Statement of Works and Technical Specifications of equipment and materials shall comply with all relevant standards. The Technical specifications of equipment shall be compliant in capacity and size with that of the current infrastructure of the selected offices of Police, LAS and Courts.  Statement of Works and Technical Specifications shall include a list of items (in terms of type, colour, and model) for each of the three office spaces. The Statement of works and technical specifications shall give detailed explanation of each item of works. Standards should be provided for main items of works, materials and products.

Bill of Quantities for each group of works (refurbishment works, equipment; furniture & accessories) with estimated prices.

Timeline:

1,5 months after the start of the consultancy.

  • To manage and supervise the refurbishment works.

The expert will be responsible for the provision of supervision of refurbishment work and furnishing.

 

Deliverable:

 

A report on the refurbishment works.

 

Timeline:

 

4,5 months after the start of the refurbishment works.

All deliverables are subject to the review and approval of UNICEF.

  1. Duration and mode of consultancy

The contract duration for this consultancy is 6 months. The consultancy includes intensive work from home, as well as work with and in the offices of the police, LAS and courts in Rustavi.. The consultant will work in close coordination with UNICEF Georgia, as well as the aforementioned institutions in Rustavi.

  1. Supervision

 The consultant will work under the direct supervision and guidance of UNICEF Georgia's Child Protection Specialist and Child Protection Officer.

 6. Required qualifications, experience and competencies

  • University degree in interior design or related field;
  • A minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience. Experience in creating a child friendly environment in different settings will be an asset;
  • Good negotiation and persuading skills;
  • Excellent communication and inter-personal skills;
  • Fluency in English and Georgian.

 

  1. Performance indicators

 The contractor's performance will be evaluated against the following criteria: timeliness, responsibility, initiative and quality of the products delivered.

 

  1. Payment terms

The consultancy fee and possible travel costs will be negotiated between UNICEF and the contractor based on an offer from the contractor. The consultancy fee will be paid to the contractor in one or several instalments upon submission and approval of relevant reports and quality deliverables.

 

  1. Termination of contract

 The contract may be terminated by either party before its expiry date by giving a 14 days' notice in writing to the other party.  However, in the event of termination on the ground of misconduct, UNICEF will be entitled to terminate the contract immediately, without earlier notice. In case of early termination of the contract, the Contractor will be compensated on a pro-rata basis for no more than the actual amount of work completed to the satisfaction of UNICEF.

 

  1. Application deadline and documents

The deadline for the submission of applications is COB  28 March 2018. Applications should include:

  • a CV;
  • the technical and financial proposals;
  • a list of projects carried out during the last 5 years, with at least three design projects in Georgia;
  • a list of clients during the last 3 years.

 

 

Annex 1

Physical and technical standards for child-friendly interview-rooms

The child-friendly interview room shall be arranged in a studio type space (approximately 30 sq. m.) located preferably in a quite part of the building to ensure privacy;   

The studio shall have, as far as possible, a separate entrance to avoid direct contact of a child victim with an accused;

The studio space shall consist of an interview room, observation/technical room, waiting area and a toilet;

There shall be a soundproof door between an interview room and other rooms/premises;

Light/neutral colours shall be used in the interior;

The size of the furniture shall be adapted to children (two sizes of tables and chairs, a sofa or armchair) to ensure that children sit comfortably.

The interview room shall be split in two settings - lounge setting and office setting.

The room shall be equipped with materials and other items useful in gathering information from a child (coloured pencils, paper, dolls, etc.)

Communication systems between rooms, one-way mirrors and/or live broadcasting shall be arranged (microphone with good sound quality and recording option, 2 fixed cameras with zooming option (zoom in a child and the entire room to control suggestive behaviour)).

The building and facilities shall be accessible for disabled children.

 



[1] Ton Liefaard. CHILD-FRIENDLY JUSTICE: PROTECTION AND PARTICIPATION OF CHILDREN IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM

[2] CRC articles: on  child’s right to be heard and participate in proceedings affecting him/her (art. 12), non-discrimination (art.2), the best interests of a child (art.3), the right to a fair trial (art. 40) and right to privacy (art.16)

[3] Guidelines of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on Child-Friendly Justice (2010).

[4]  Despite this, one can distinguish concrete features of child friendly architecture, such as separate entrance and waiting room for children in the buildings of police, prosecutor’s office or the court; separate room for confidential meeting of a child with a lawyer or a social worker; less formal environment, e.g. a room furnished with a round table and lounge furniture for interviewing victim; no use of bars for the convicted accused juvenile in the court room, etc. See in detail: Ursina Weidkuhn, UNICEF consultant: “Concept on Child-friendly Environment in Justice System”, 2016.

[5] Guidelines of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on Child-Friendly Justice (2010).

[6] On the assessment of the status quo in Georgia see in detail Ursina Weidkuhn, UNICEF Consultant: ”Concept on Child-friendly Environment in Justice System”

[7] Juvenile Justice Code. Art.52.(3) and (5)

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