Support to the strengthening of the strategic thinking capacities of RCN J&D and its partners & Support to’ development of the strategic plan At NCR Justice and Democracy

Presentation of the’ONG and the context :

Presentation of RCN Justice & Democracy

RCN Justice & Democracy (RCN J&D) is a Belgian NGO created in 1994, active in supporting justice and conflict prevention. RCN J&D defends the’ idea that justice is a pillar of living together, a lever for social transformation and that’there are a plurality of models of justice. To serve society and people, justice must adapt to the social, economic and cultural contexts in which it is deployed, it must be accessible to all and establish positive norms and practices guaranteeing freedoms and’ equality before the law.

This vision of justice pushes us to value, beyond the judicial response, the’ set of mechanisms able to resolve conflicts in a sustainable way and to respond to the needs of reparation of victims (mediation-conciliation, restorative justice, transitional justice..). In the context of African societies,’ONG pays particular attention to legal pluralism (law/custom), including, to a constructive link between customary justice and judicial justice and to the development of’a justice more integral and respectful of human rights. RCN J&D also conducts work on the memory of international crimes and more broadly on conflict prevention awareness.

Our levers of’action :

• Acting in the direction of the actors of justice to improve their capacities and their sense of responsibility
• Support the’empowerment of citizens and civil society actors to know, defend and claim their rights, duties and responsibilities
• Create meeting spaces between justice professionals, civil society, etc, administrative and customary authorities and the population to collaborate and exchange their expectations with a view to improving their respective justice practices
• Conduct analyses, studies and advocacy for the improvement of normative frameworks and justice policies

History and evolution of interventions

L’ONG is currently active in 6 countries: Belgium, Burundi, Burkina Faso, Morocco, Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.

RCN J&D’s expertise in the justice sector is based on 29 years of’ experience, mainly in Africa, especially in the Great Lakes countries. During these years, the’organisation has undergone several significant evolutions, summarized below :

D’an emergency justice to a justice of development. Since its creation in 1994, the’ expertise of RCN J&D S’ has been enriched and evolved. While initially activities were strongly linked to the post-conflict situation (restoration of justice, prosecution support and other transitional justice activities), ’organisation has added more and more’activities related to local justice, with the aim of contributing to sustainable development (access to land, gender equality, access to justice, etc, peaceful resolution of conflicts, respect for fundamental rights, etc.).

From formal justice to plural justice. Originally, the activities were strongly oriented towards the strengthening of the formal judicial system. The’s societal approach and the taking into account of the context have never been absent from the’s approach of RCN J&D. The interventions of the’organization start from’a observation : there are a multitude of mechanisms for prevention and resolution of conflicts, complementary: thus, justice S’ means in the broad sense – of the institutions of justice (judicial system, magistrates etc.) the local and community mechanisms available to litigants to regulate their conflicts and problems on a daily basis.

From civil and political rights to socio-economic rights. While the activities were initially very strongly focused on respect for the fundamental freedoms of citizens, the socio-economic dimension is imposed as a factor to be taken into account, also for the prevention of violent conflicts and development. For the past decade or so, RCN J&D has been focusing on land security, especially for women.

From’access to justice to citizen participation. By working on the’ offer (support to institutions) and the demand for justice (support to civil society and litigants), RCN J&D aims to improve’access justice. In recent years, it has proved necessary to further strengthen the’interaction between the’supply and demand, to strengthen citizen participation in the development and implementation of justice policies to strengthen the legitimacy,’ effectiveness and accountability of justice.

From South activities to the development of’North-South activities. Initially, RCN J&D’s activities took place only in post-conflict countries. During the first trial Rwanda in Belgium (see below), RCN J&D S’has realized the importance of making the link between the conflicts taking place in the South and the development of’a consciousness of these conflicts, is, their causes and consequences with the public in Belgium, as well as the’ impact of these conflicts on the diaspora originating from these countries.

It’ is through very diverse’activities that RCN J&D has been able to accumulate these 29 years of’ experience in justice in Africa and Belgium :

Au Rwanda, RCN J&D has been present and active with its partners since October 1994, where the’organisation has intervened in support of the Rwandan judicial system in the resolution of genocide litigation: training, training, etc, support to procedures d’aveu, project « speech release », etc. For ten years RCN J&D also supports justice under common law, such as the reduction of judicial arrears, the’ accompaniment of land reform, the formation of Abunzi (mediators), etc.

RCN J&D has been active since 2000 in Democratic Republic of Congo. The’association currently supports and works with several civil society organizations in the field of justice in order to contribute to a plural justice, more integrated and respectful of fundamental rights. RCN J&D supports alternative modes of conflict resolution as well as traditional leaders in their role as conciliators, and, while promoting a more egalitarian place for women in custom and recognition of their land rights. In order to promote access to justice for all, support is provided to free consultation offices. Awareness-raising and’ information systems for litigants on the procedures for bringing legal proceedings and on the functioning of justice are also being developed. RCN J&D also carries out actions to combat torture and cruel treatment, including the following,inhuman and degrading in different places of detention. The fight against corruption at the level of the judicial system is also one of our priority interventions. With regard to conflict situations in the DRC and the international crimes committed there, RCN J&D and its partners are also interested in transitional justice mechanisms and the fight against impunity in order to contribute to the return to social cohesion and the construction of a lasting peace. The actions currently focus on 5 provinces: Kinshasa, North Kivu (Masisi),’Ituri (Burnia),’Ecuador (Mbandaka) and Kasai (Tshikapa).With regard to conflict situations in the DRC and the international crimes committed there, RCN J&D and its partners are also interested in transitional justice mechanisms and the fight against impunity in order to contribute to the return to social cohesion and the construction of a lasting peace. The actions currently focus on 5 provinces: Kinshasa, North Kivu (Masisi),’Ituri (Burnia),’Ecuador (Mbandaka) and Kasai (Tshikapa).With regard to conflict situations in the DRC and the international crimes committed there, RCN J&D and its partners are also interested in transitional justice mechanisms and the fight against impunity in order to contribute to the return to social cohesion and the construction of a lasting peace. The actions currently focus on 5 provinces: Kinshasa, North Kivu (Masisi),’Ituri (Burnia),’Ecuador (Mbandaka) and Kasai (Tshikapa).L’Ituri (Burnia), L’Ecuador (Mbandaka) and Kasai (Tshikapa).L’Ituri (Burnia), L’Ecuador (Mbandaka) and Kasai (Tshikapa).

Au Burundi, RCN J&D has developed its activities following the signing of the’Arusha Agreements in 2001 and has since intervened on the’entity of the national territory. The programs developed were in support of the justice of proximity (training of magistrates and judicial police officers, support for mediation, communal consultations with justice actors, police-prosecutor workshops, fight against discrimination of albinos, etc, awareness-raising.) and the process of transitional justice (speech group based on’a play, radio series, civil society coalition, consultative forums etc.). Since 2017, RCN J&Supports its partners in the development of gender-based violence programmes that aim to improve access to justice for women and girls who are victims of violence by working on the strengthening of magistrates in the courts of residence, on the strengthening of community mechanisms for conflict resolution, on, on the’ accompaniment of FFVV and on the transformation of discriminatory norms within communities, in an approach of transformative justice. RCN J&D closed its office in Bujumbura in January 2019 and now supports its Burundian partners remotely through a technical and organizational support system’.

In connection with the activities in Rwanda, RCN J&D has developed its first activities in Belgium, 2001, around the first trial of the four Rwandan accused of international crimes before the court of’Assises in Brussels (recording of the trial, promotion of the law on universal jurisdiction, etc, dialogue with the Rwandan diaspora). Following the realization of two series of’audio interviews with witnesses and actors of mass crimes, a’education program for global citizenship has been set up, with activities that are occasionally organized abroad.

Through its program in Belgium, RCN J&D wants to contribute to the prevention of conflicts and the maintenance of the rule of law. Violence and wars are among the main threats to human development. In this context, it seems essential for RCN J&D shed light on the dynamics of conflicts and mass crimes and the mechanisms that lead to them to better understand their global consequences and get involved in Belgium and abroad for a fairer world and in peace. RCN J&D and its partners therefore want to contribute to a better understanding of the global dynamics of violence and ultimately to their prevention by combating discrimination, exclusion, radicalization and polarization.

Au Morocco, RCN J&D has been supporting since 2017l’Association Oujda Ain Ghazal, in the implementation of programmes to combat gender-based violence in a logic of transformative justice. The approaches developed aim at both transformation of discriminatory social and judicial attitudes towards women and the strengthening of actors to care for victims of gender-based violence, in a region, the Oriental, which is among the poorest in the country. RCN J&D has no operational office in Morocco and supports the partner from the Brussels headquarters.

Au Burkina Faso, RCN J&D intervenes in the Boucle du Mouhoun and supports since 2020 the International Centre for Sociological Studies and Applied Law (CINESDA) in a conflict prevention program through promotion and strengthening d’ justice of proximity accessible and egalitarian. Through this program RCN J&D and CINESDA work both on l’offre de justice (support to the Tribunal de Grande Instance of Dedougou, strengthening of MARC by the accompaniment and strengthening of Village Land Commissions and Village Land Conciliation Commissions but also by the creation of CENTERS of’Access to the law within Rural Communities) and on la demand justice(through raising awareness among rural populations, community dialogues, raising awareness among prisoners about their rights, etc.). RCN J&D has no operational office in Burkina Faso and supports the partner from the headquarters in Brussels.

D’a single management mode towards diversified management modes :

• Originally, RCN J&D worked in the countries of’intervention according to a unique management mode in « mission » format with a national registration of’ONGI, a, a head of mission and expatriate and/or national employees implementing activities and/or supervising partnership relations with actors of national civil societies.
• From 2017, thanks to’a new partnership in Morocco, RCN J&D has developed a new management mode in « » remote partnership supervision format, <TAG1>, that is to say without a team in the countries of’ intervention and in supervision from the headquarters in Brussels.
• To these two management modes, has come S’added a hybrid management mode from 2020 in the form of the « national relays» of RCN J&D via long-term consultants to support partner civil society organisations (CSOs) and to play a programme supervision role in the countries of intervention.
  1. The challenges in terms of strategic capacity building for RCN J&D and its civil society partners
• To strengthen the knowledge of RCN J&D teams (headquarters and field) on the tools and methodologies for conducting’a strategic reflection in order to be fully involved in the current strategic reflection, but also to be able to’ accompany the CSO partners of RCN J&D who wish it in the’actualization or renewal of their strategic plan ;
• Empower RCN J&D CSO partners in Burundi, DRC and Rwanda in strategic thinking to enable them to update their strategic plans ;
• Strengthen strategic convergences between RCN J&D and partner CSOs to project, in a more assertive egalitarian partnership logic, into a future five-year programme 2027-2031 with RCN J&D.

The challenges of RCN J&D in terms of strategic orientation

Consensual elements :

• Expressed need to update the associative RCN J&D project: the formulation of the vision, the mission and the axes of intervention deserves to evolve ( a vision expressed in a negative way, « backward terminologies » to change – such as developing countries, countries in transition, give more room to the decolonial stake. ) ;
• The desire to stimulate in-depth decolonial reflection in order to question the modes of intervention and the practices of the organization, as well as power relations with partners of civil society abroad ;
• Support the decolonization of law and justice in the countries of the African continent, create alliances and influence strategies to achieve this strategic objective ;
• RCN J&D’s desire to strengthen its action in Belgium, and in particular to EXPLORE the’ idea of becoming an actor of justice, here in Belgium.

The strategic nodes :

• The question of the limits of’ intervention, the specific added value of RCN J&D and the general coherence of the mandate : tendency to the’ extension of the field of the themes and to trajectories very differentiated countries, generating questions from the teams on the core of the’organisation’s mandate and the coherence of its action ;
• RCN J&D’s ability to continue its’ justice support programs in the Great Lakes region is weakened for different contextual reasons, including, in Rwanda (the TFPs favouring direct support to institutional actors or national civil society), the, and in Burundi (withdrawal of the country due to the political and legal context for ONGI), without the’organisation having fully managed to find the key to its future development in new areas (Morocco, Burkina Faso) ;
• To equip’ with a relevant and objective framework of’analysis allowing to answer the question of the maintenance or the departure of RCN J&D from certain countries of intervention, but also of the’involvement in new countries ;
• Moving from’a diversification of reactive management modes to more rationalized management choices ;
• To better identify trends in the justice,’aide au development and ONGI sectors in order to enrich the partnership policy of RCN J&D (logic of’alliance with ONGI) and adopt a more strategic positioning with regard to national and international actors involved in the justice sector.

Objectives of the consultancy

The’ support sought by RCN J&D aims to :

• Strengthen them strategic thinking skills by RCN J&D and its partners in civil society in Burundi, the DRC and Rwanda ;
• Accompanying the collective reflection for update the fundamentals of RCN J&D (Vision, missions) and for develop the new strategic plan of RCN J&D medium (5 years) and long (10 years) terms.

Expected deliverables

• Define, in consultation with the steering committee, an inclusive process of strategic reflection, specifying the modalities of’involvement of field teams and consultation of CSO partners ;
• Produce a framing note at the end of the knowledge period including a description of the process and a work plan ;
• Conduct several workshops in Brussels, as well as’a workshop in Kigali bringing together teams of RCN J&D and representatives of partner CSOs from Burundi, Rwanda and DRC ; these workshops are to include training sessions on techniques and tools for strategic thinking.
• Accompany RCN J&D in the final drafting of the strategic plan including a theory of institutional change, as well as broad strategic directions by country[1];
• A succinct final note describing the global support achieved’.

Profile of the/of the/of the consultants

– Graduate of higher education (at Master/Licensee/Engineer level)

– Professional experience :

• At least 5 years of’ experience in the field of international cooperation
• At least 5 years of experience in’animation and’ supporting strategic thinking as well as the formalization of strategic plans
• A good command of participatory approaches and therefore good facilitation-moderation capacities of group working sessions
• An excellent mastery of strategic thinking techniques oriented to change
• Rigor and capacity of’organisation
• Mastery of French both at’oral and’ at’

Are a plus :

• A geographical experience of various terrains, especially in the countries of intervention of RCN J&D
• Knowledge of the Belgian ONGI sector
• Knowledge of international donors who support the justice and human rights sectors

Indicative steps and schedule

February : Publication of TDRs and submission of tenders

Early March : Selection of the’offre by RCN J&D and contractualization

March : Framing meeting and proposal of’a framing note

April – June: Workshops

June-July: Formalization of the strategic plan

Budget

Financial offers should specify :

• The number of people/days planned detailed by phase/stage
• The daily cost requested from the consultants
• The details of the mission expenses : travel, accommodation, stay…

Modality of the’appel d’offers, selection procedure and deadline

Content of offers

The’offre remise must consist of the following elements :

• l’technical offer including :
  • a note of understanding of the terms of reference and presentation of the methodology used (3 pages maximum)
  • the profile of the/consultant or the’ team selected, the distribution of responsibilities between its members and the CVs proposed highlighting the experiences related to the’ object of the service ;
  • the forecast calendar of’ intervention, as well as’an estimate of loads in number of days of consultation
• l’financial offer comprising the overall budget (HT and TTC) in euros and detailed prices (fees, daily allowances, transport) presented by type of costs, each cost to be detailed per unit, and, number of’unity and total.
• A statement on’honneur signed by a person authorised to engage the’candidate undertaking and indicating that it is not in any of the following situations :
  • 1 – Is in condition or is the subject of bankruptcy proceedings, liquidation, judicial settlement or preventive concordat, cessation of activity, etc, or is in any similar situation resulting from a procedure of the same nature existing in national laws and regulations.
  • 2 – Has been the subject of a sentence pronounced by a judgment having the authority of res judicata for any offence affecting their professional morality.
    1. Has been the subject of a judgment having the authority of res judicata for fraud, within the meaning of article 1 of the convention on the protection of the financial interests of the European Communities ; corruption as defined in article 3 of the Council act of 26 May 1997; participation in a criminal organisation as defined in article 2 of joint action 98/733/JHA; or any other illegal activity that would harm the financial interests of the European Union.
  • 4 – Is in conflict of interest.

Selection of the/of the/consultants

Bids will be evaluated on the basis of 3 criteria :

• the quality of the’methodological offer (35% of points) : understanding of the terms of reference, chronogram ;
• the qualification,’experience and complementarity (if any) of the (the) consultant proposed.e(s)) (35%) ;
• the proposed budget : it is requested to provide a price per day of consultancy for the services offered as well as’an estimated number of days (30%).
  1. Ethical principles

Any tenderer undertakes NOT to have a conflict of interest’ relating to the service to be performed.

The provision of consultancy must be carried out according to the following ethical principles

• Anonymity and confidentiality
• Responsibility
• Integrity
• Independence

Incidents. If problems arise during work, they should be reported immediately to RCN J&D, failing this, the existence of such problems can in no case be used to justify the impossibility of obtaining the results provided by RCN J&D in the

[ 1 ] This does not include the development of country strategic plans.

How to apply

Deadline for submission of tenders by email no later than March 8, 2024 at the following address : job@rcn-ong.be