Procurement Notices

UNDP Expression of Interest (EOI)

Ref. UNDPSO/EOI/2015/004/ RoL- Provision of Legal Aid Services in Mogadishu and In South-Central Regions of Somalia

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Somalia would like to invite registered Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Professional Lawyers’ Networks and Associations as well as Law Firms and Offices to submit their Expression of Interest (EOI) in the Provision of Legal Aid and Representation Services in Mogadishu and In South-Central Regions of Somalia.

In support of the Somali Compact, Peace and State Building Goal #3 Justice and as part of the projects under the new Somalia Joint Rule of Law Prorgamme, the UNDP Rule of Law Project supports the Somali people and government in creating an enabling environment for stability, rule of law and good governance.  The Project provides support to the strengthening of justice institutions and improving the functioning of the judiciary. Provision of free legal aid, support to mobile justice courts, and representation for the poor and socially disadvantages groups as well as production and dissemination of legal awareness programs represents one of the key interventions of the project aimed to ensure access to justice for all Somalis.

Under PSG3 of the Somali Compact, the overarching strategic objective is to establish independent and accountable justice institutions capable of addressing justice needs for the people of Somalia by delivering justice for all. The Somali Compact addresses the need to establish, maintain and enhance justice institutions based on a sound legal framework compliant with human rights, ensuring access to justice for the people of Somalia and increasing people’s confidence in the justice system over a three year period.

 Three key priorities have been identified under PSG 3 are as follows:

• Priority 1: Key priority laws in the legal framework, including on the reorganization of the judiciary, are aligned with the Constitution and international standards. .
• Priority 2: Justice Institutions start to address the key grievances and injustices of Somalis.
• Priority 3: More Somalis have access to fair and affordable justice

In support of priority 3 above, UNDP would like to engage capable and competent legal aid providers in Somalia to run a free legal aid scheme in Mogadishu and in South and Central Somalia including providing legal assistance, legal representation, referral, advice and mediation, for vulnerable and poor people especially IDPs, survivors of Sexual Gender-based Violence, and, individuals on remand status and in pre-trial detention.

The selected institutions will be expected to provide the following services;

1. Provide legal aid and representation services for vulnerable and poor people, in particular women, children, and survivors of SGBV, IDPs, and refugees in Mogadishu and in South-Central Regions of Somalia, including Baidoa, Kismayo and Beledweyne.   
2. Carry out prison and police custody visits and provide free legal assistance and representation for individuals on remand status and in pre-trail detention in Mogadishu and in South-Central Regions of Somalia, including Baidoa, Kismayo and Beledweyne.  
3. Produce legal awareness and outreach materials in conjunction with relevant national authorities to raise awareness among the public, key criminal justice stakeholders, traditional justice actors and civil society on agreed topics of priority in Mogadishu and in South-Central Regions of Somalia, including Baidoa, Kismayo and Beledweyne.  
4. Running a paralegal scheme in Mogadishu and in the regions establishing paralegal networks within the community especially in IDPs camps to refer legal cases to legal aid lawyers and formal justice system, raise legal awareness and contribute to settling disputes through mediation and arbitration at community level.

Interested institutions/NGOs need to fulfil the following eligibility requirements for consideration:

SUBMISSION DETAILS:

All the documents listed under the eligibility criteria are to be submitted.

Interested NGOs must provide information indicating that they are qualified to supply the services requested and possess experience in similar assignments. NGOs may establish Joint Ventures to enhance their qualifications. If this is a Joint Venture, then all eligibility criteria for both partners must be submitted.

NGOs will be selected in accordance with the procedure set out in the UNDP Procurement Guidelines and UNDP Financial Rules and Regulations.

The EOI and accompanying documents must be received in a sealed envelope no later than 17.00 hours (Kenya time) on Thursday, July 17, 2015.

FOR HAND DELIVERY:-

Please deliver three (3) copies of the proposal, one marked as “ORIGINAL” and two as “COPY” in a sealed envelope clearly marked; “REFERENCE: “Ref. UNDP/SOM/EOI/2015/004/ RoL- Provision of Legal Aid Services in Mogadishu and In South-Central Regions of Somalia” to either of the following offices:

For hand delivered submissions in Nairobi, please notify UNDP at asha.shidane@undp.org  at least 24 hours prior to delivery and include the following details in the email:  Name of the person making delivery, ID number, vehicle registration number, date and time of delivery to facilitate security clearance into the compound.

OR

FOR ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION

• Please e-mail your Expression of Interest to the mandatory official address for electronic submission: bids.so@undp.org.    Please note this address is different from the email address provided for requests for clarification indicated below.
• Mandatory subject of the email:  “Ref. UNDP/SOM/EOI/2015/004/ RoL-Provision of Legal Aid Services in Mogadishu and In South-Central Regions of Somalia”
• Format: PDF files only.  Proposers should check the attachment format prior to submissions.  The UNDP will not be responsible if attachments are in other formats that cannot be opened without additional software
• Maximum file size per transmission is 5MB per transmission.  There is no restriction on the number of files sent but each transmission must be labeled, for example, 1 of 2.
• If zip files are used, they should not include multiple lower sub-folders or directories
• Signature: signed and stamped copy
• Proposals submitted to personal UNDP email addresses will not be considered.

Notes:

1. EOI from applicants failing to provide the complete information to fulfill the basic eligibility criteria will be considered non-responsive.
2. EOI received after the above deadline will not be considered
3. NGOs will be selected in accordance with the procedure set out in the UNDP Procurement Guidelines and UNDP Financial Rules and Regulations.
4. This EOI does not entail any commitment on the part of UNDP, either financial or otherwise. UNDP reserves the right to accept or reject any or all EOI without incurring any obligation to inform the affected applicant(s) of the grounds.

Any requests for clarification on the EOI should be addressed to asha.shidane@undp.org , cc: jennifer.nielsen@undp.org 

PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT FINANCIAL OFFERS AT THIS STAGE

Sukhrob Khojimatov

Deputy Country Director (Operations)