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A call for Proposals from Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), including NGOs for small grants to disseminate and provide civic awareness on the constitution making process in the following regions of the Republic of South Sudan: Greater Equatoria, Greater
Procurement Process :CP-QB-FBS - Call for Proposal – Quality Based Fixed Budget
Office :UNDP SSD CO - SOUTH SUDAN
Deadline :30-Jan-23
Posted on :10-Jan-23
Development Area :OTHER  OTHER
Reference Number :97428
Link to Atlas Project :
00127551 - Support to Access to Justice, Security and Human Rights
Documents :
CFP_Civic Awareness CMP Greater Equatoria, Bahr El Ghazal and upper Nile
Overview :
  1. There have been strong calls for reforms in South Sudan since the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). Following the 2013 and 2016 conflicts, the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (2018 Agreement), emphasizes the writing of a permanent Constitution for South Sudan, which will “lay a foundation for a united, peaceful and prosperous society based on justice, equality, respect for human rights and the rule of law”. There is strong emphasis that the Constitution making process (CMP) must remain a people-driven and people owned process given that the authority and legitimacy of a constitution is derived from the people seeking to ensure a new constitutional order. 

 

  1. The 2018 Agreement places a responsibility on the government to “oversee that the permanent Constitution making process is successfully carried out and completed before the end of the transitional period”. The Agreement brings on board a range of stakeholders who are expected to play various roles in the process. These are (i) the Parties, (ii) Other Political Parties of South Sudan, (iii) stakeholders, (iv) the Guarantors, (v)Faith-based leaders; (vi) Women’s Bloc; (vii) Women’s coalition; (viii) Civil Society Alliance; (ix) Civil Society Coalition; (x) Eminent Personalities; (xi) Business Groups; (xii) Academia; and (xii) Youth. 

 

  1. To date, the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs (MoJCA) has drafted the Constitution Making Process Bill which was enacted in 2022. The Constitution Making Process Act, 2022 will kick-start the process to establish the national Constitution Review Commission (R-NCRC) and the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) that will lead the writing of the Permanent Constitution for South Sudan based on public views. Different partners have previously engaged various stakeholders in preparing them to engage in the process. Other efforts have involved civil society and media in creating awareness that is crucial in empowering people to provide their views and participate in consensus building activities on contentious matters. 
  2. The people who are responsible for making the multiple choices about issues of great complexity in a constitution need sufficient levels of information about the issues beforehand. These issues include the numerous stages, institutions and tasks involved. Without access to information about the process or knowledge about constitutional choices being considered, as well as basic civic knowledge, most members of the public especially those who are often left behind in peacebuilding process will have little opportunity to participate meaningfully in the process.

 

  1. Against this backdrop, UNDP through its Access to Justice, Security and Human Rights Strengthening programme is seeking competent and reputable CSOs, NGOs and CBOs to send proposals to provide civic awareness and education on the Constitution Making Process Act, 2022 with the aim of increasing access to information in it to the state government and key stakeholders in regions of the Republic of South Sudan: Greater Equatoria, Greater Bahr el Ghazel & Greater Upper Nile. The sensitization should convey the general phases of the Constitution making process and increase public awareness on how the public can prepare to participate meaningfully, including being a member in any of the three constitutional bodies to be established throughout the process Each proposal should cover one of the three regions and demonstrate how these activities will be tackled in each state and administrative area within that region. Only one CSO will be considered for each region. 

 

  1. OBJECTIVES

 

  1. UNDP seeks to support partners to disseminate the Constitution Making Act, 2022 and carry out civic awareness and education on it  through a neutral and technically based driven approach so that South Sudanese in the three regions  of the country: 

 

  • Understand the existence, purpose and general provisions of the Constitution Making Process Act, 2022; 
  • Understand the process that will be used to make the permanent constitution as well as the mechanisms of reviewing the constitutional drafts, as stipulated in the Act;
  • Appreciate the role of the people, what is expected of them, and all other stakeholders and how they can participate meaningfully and exercise their civic responsibility to contribute;
  • Are encouraged and commit to engage in the constitution making process at the state and community level. 

 

  1. CSOs, NNGOs and CBOs are requested to submit their proposals as potential grant implementers. Applications must include the states/counties/payams/bomas they operate in. The main objective of the grant is to identify a CSO/NNGOs/CBOs with operational presence and capacities in their specific locations of operation to provide the herein stated objectives and outputs/deliverables. 

 

II.EXPECTED OUTPUT/DELIVERABLES  

 

  1. Some key outputs are expected: 
  2. 250 copies of the Constitution Making Act, 2022 are disseminated to state governments, county commissioners, traditional leaders, religious leaders, community leaders, CSOs and the media in each of the states and administrative areas in each region 
  3. 20 representatives of state governments, 10 county commissioners, 25 traditional leaders, 10 religious’ leaders, 15 CSOs, 5 community-based radios, 40 leaders drawn from women, youth and displaced groups in each of the states and administrative area under each region are informed and aware of the Constitution Making Process Act and the role of the public to engage and participate; 
  4. 3 radio programmes and talk shows with a reach of at least 500,000 people in each of the states and administrative areas in each region;
  5. An analytical and results oriented report summarizing key points and issues, recommendations and commitments from the discussions carried out at the different meetings that will inform further planning of constitution making support in the state.