UNICEF Zimbabwe Individual Consultancy - for the Revision of Investigations Guidelines on Handling Victims of Sexual Offences and Aspects of the Investigation

The purpose of the consultancy is to assess the shortcomings of the current Zimbabwean Guidelines on Handling Victims of Sexual Offences and aspects of the investigation, and to draft a revised, strengthened investigation framework.

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Spotlight Initiative vision in Zimbabwe

The overall vision of the Spotlight Initiative in Zimbabwe is that women and girls realize their full potential in a violence-free, gender-responsive and inclusive Zimbabwe. The Spotlight Initiative will directly contribute to Zimbabwe’s achievement of three of the country’s prioritized Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Goal 5 on Gender Equality, Goal 3 on good health and well-being and Goal 16 on inclusive and peaceful societies. The programme will contribute to the elimination of SGBV and HPs through the creation of a broad partnership with Civil Society, Government, Private Sector, Media, among others; and, build a social movement of women, men, girls and boys as champions and agents of change at the national, sub-national and community levels. A specific focus in the programme will be on reaching and including women and girls who are often isolated and most vulnerable to SGBV and HPs due to intersecting forms of discrimination. The programme will also seek to address the SRHR needs of all women and girls using a life-cycle approach.

The SI Zimbabwe Country Programme will use a multi-sectoral, multi-layered, interlinked community-centered approach to the implementation of the interventions on the following six Outcome Areas based on the socio-ecological model for addressing SGBV and HPs;

1. Legislative and Policy Frameworks
2. Strengthening Institutions
3. Prevention and Social Norms
4. Delivery of Quality, Essential Services
5. Data Availability and Capacities
6. Supporting the Women’s Movement

Revision of Investigation Guidelines

Under pillar 2 (strengthening institutions), the Spotlight Initiative aims to strengthen the institutional response to SGBV in Zimbabwe, with a strong focus on the justice sector. The Zimbabwean Republic Police (ZRP) is the government entity entrusted with the investigation of cases of SGBV. In order to ensure the standardization of procedures during investigation and for bench-marking a victim-centered approach, ZRP has developed Guidelines on Handling Victims of Sexual Offences and Aspects of the Investigation in 2002. These guidelines are progressive in themselves, as they recognize the sensitivities around investigating sexual offences, stress the importance of emphatic interaction with victims and pay special attention to children as victims of sexual offences.

However, given considerable developments in investigation techniques, forensics and technology over the past 15 years, the guidelines could benefit from review and expansion. Internationally, other investigation guidelines have expanded their scope to be as comprehensive as possible for every step of the investigation - from the moment of report until the moment of conviction. Against this background, potential areas of improvement for the current Guidelines include, but are not limited to, crime scene management, evidence collection and chain of custody, prosecution-led investigation, suspect management, risk identification and safety plans for victims, specific aspects of investigations in online violence and transborder crime cases, reduction of secondary victimization and many other important aspects of the investigation process.

Against this background, UNICEF seeks a qualified consultant to revise the current Guidelines on Handling Victims of Sexual Offences and Aspects of the Investigation in line with international best practices and following a human rights based approach, paying special attention to women and girls facing intersectional forms of discrimination, such as women and girls with disabilities, women and girls living in the rural areas, adolescent girls in impoverished urban settlements, and women and girls living with HIV.

Purpose and Objectives

Overall purpose

The overall purpose of this consultancy is to review the existing investigation guidelines and draft a revised version in a manner that puts the rights of victims/ survivors first.

Specific Objectives

The specific objectives of the assessment are:

• To conduct a desk review of relevant investigation guidelines from other jurisdictions and international best practice, which can assist in strengthening the existing investigation guidelines;
•  In light of the above objective, provide a thorough review of the existing investigation guidelines, outlining areas of strength and weaknesses, including a contextual analysis of the investigation guidelines in the broader ZRP crime response;
• To strengthen and update the existing investigation guidelines, applying a human rights and gender-sensitive approach, based on international and regional best practices and tailored towards the Zimbabwean context, produce a revised version of the Investigation Guidelines, paying special attention to women and girls facing intersectional forms of discrimination, such as women and girls with disabilities, women and girls living in the rural areas, adolescent girls in impoverished urban settlements, and women and girls living with HIV;

Scope of Work and Methodology

This assignment aims to strengthen the Guidelines on Handling Victims of Sexual Offences and Aspects of the Investigation based on a thorough research of international best practice at every stage of the investigation process. The consultant will make concrete recommendations for improvement that take into account human rights and gender-sensitive approaches. These will culminate in the production of revised Guidelines on Handling Victims of Sexual Offences and Aspects of the Investigation.

In order to achieve this, the Consultant will analyse the existing Investigation Guidelines and identify strengths and weaknesses. Further, there is a need to engage in desk research on investigation best practices from an international and regional comparative analysis. This analysis should keep in mind the unique realities of the Zimbabwean context and ensure that it takes into consideration the cultural, religious, economic, and sociological factors of the country. It should pay particular attention to the vulnerabilities of children and women, specifically women and girls facing intersectional forms of discrimination, such as women and girls with disabilities, women and girls living in the rural areas, adolescent girls in impoverished urban settlements, and women and girls living with HIV; as well as anyone that identifies as a sexual, ethnic, racial, or religious minority.

The review will include, but is not limited to, the below areas:

• Legal framework on sexual offences in Zimbabwe
• Online sexual offences, transborder crime and relevant investigation strategies
• Victim rights in cases of sexual violence
• Interacting with vulnerable witnesses, including children
• In-depth crime scene management, including basic forensic aspects of physical and digital evidence collection, preservation and chain of custody
• Victim safety: risk identification/risk management
• Prosecution-led investigation
• Evidential opportunities in sexual offences
• Suspect management and suspect interviews
• Bail and bail procedures
• Minors as sex offenders
• Policy and procedure in relation to inter agency cooperation and collaboration

In order to ensure that the Investigation Guidelines speak to the situation on the ground, a first draft of the revised Guidelines will be tested in selected Spotlight districts, aiming at exposing the Guidelines to the varying realities of policing in Zimbabwe. The draft revised Guidelines will further be consulted with key stakeholders from Government, CSOs, and academia.

Ultimately, the consultant will submit final revised investigation guidelines.

Roles and Responsibilities

• UNICEF will oversee and guide the consultant. The assessment will be directly managed by the UNICEF Child Justice and Legal Reform Officer with support from the Zimbabwe Republic Police and the UN Spotlight Initiative inter-agency technical team. UNICEF will be responsible for convening, coordinating and technically supporting the assessment in close collaboration with the SI Technical Coordination Unit.
• Consultant must comply with global and local PSEA (Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse) guidelines and standards. The consultant is expected to complete UNICEF mandatory training courses[1].

Expected Deliverables

The time frame for the entire consultancy should not exceed 45 working days over a period of 11 weeks.   

Note that all payments to the consultant will be dependent on the satisfactory completion of above referenced deliverables. The consultant will meet frequently with the Spotlight Initiative Technical Coordination Unit, members of the programmes team, and UNICEF to discuss progress updates. Ad hoc meetings may be convened as per need.

The consultant will submit the following reports:

1. An inception report: within one week after signing of contract, inception report submitted (Overview of investigation guidelines and its shortcomings and a detailed list of key issues to be addressed. Mapping of relevant stakeholders; Tentative meeting/ workshop schedules; Detailed list of key research questions to be addressed; Details on Methodology to be followed; Details on international best practices used to strengthen the Investigation Guidelines; Quality assurance and risk management strategies)
2. Draft investigation guidelines: within 10 weeks after signing of contract, submission of first draft of investigation guidelines, including lessons learnt from the field testing;
3. Submission of final draft investigation guidelines: within 11 weeks after signing of contract, complete amended investigation guidelines submitted.

 Evaluation Criteria

Expected background and Experience

The Consultant should have the following qualifications and skills:

• Master’s degree in relevant fields (law, international law, criminology or other related field).
• At least ten years of proven experience in policing, and/or criminal procedure, including investigations of sexual offences, required.
• Professional experience in drafting of internal guidance documents for the justice and law enforcement sector required;
• Previous experience on drafting of investigation guidelines, including aspects of forensics, considered an asset;
• Fluency in English is required.
• Ability to write clearly and concisely in English.

Consultancy costs

Competitive market rates will apply.  The consultant should submit a technical proposal and an ALL-inclusive financial proposal (including travel, per-diem, car rentals/taxis, internet cost, communication cost, incidentals, etc as necessary).

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.  View our competency framework at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.