Terms of Reference (TOR)

For engaging a Consultant to undertake the development of an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) curriculum and subsequent training of ADR Paralegals

Title: ADR Curriculum Development and Training Consultant

Project Title: Alternative Dispute Resolution

Organization: Legal Aid Society

Location(s): Sindh (8 districts)

Duration: (1st May, 2022 – February 2023)

TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR)

Project Title: Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

     Background

The Legal Aid Society (LAS) is a not-for-profit organization working on its mission to connect vulnerable & disempowered end users of justice with effective and expedient services for the delivery of justice. LAS’s interventions have been aimed at increasing access to justice for poor & marginalized communities, particularly women, across the province of Sindh as well as the Federal level.

In line with the mission of expediting the delivery of justice, LAS is implementing a project on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in 8 districts of Sindh.

The justice system in Pakistan is burdened with extended delays in the delivery of justice owing to the huge number of cases being held up due to limited resources. ADR instruments could therefore be incorporated as an assistive mechanism for courts, leading to improvements in the overall delivery of justice, particularly in the realm of civil law.

However, the overall incorporation of ADR has been met with resistance from key stakeholders such as judges, bar associations and lawyers; this, coupled with a lack of appropriate training mechanisms for the provision of ADR and a general lack of public awareness has led to an overall low demand for the mechanism itself.

Understanding the importance of ADR and the potential benefits it could offer the justice system, LAS aims to enhance the demand and supply of ADR in Sindh through creation of community ADR paralegals and networks; provision of extensive training, increasing public awareness for ADR through community interactions to increase the demand for ADR and utilization of ADR tools for resolving of community problems.

 Scope of Consultancy Scope and Expected Outputs

The scope of work and corresponding outputs/deliverables will be as follows:

1. Development of an ADR-centric training curriculum, aimed at educating paralegals on the following:
   1. Background of ADR
   2. Legal regime of ADR in Sindh and referral pathways
   3. Office and Jurisdiction  of the  Ombudsperson
   4. Tools utilized under the ambit of ADR
   5. Trade unions, with a focus on labor laws
   6. Community engagement and teaching methodologies
   7. Identifying potential ADR cases from within communities
   8. Understanding steps for the processing/forwarding of ADR cases through relevant authorities (provincial and federal ombudspersons, private mediators, etc.)
   9. Deliver in person 02 days ADR Paralegal trainings to a total of 192 ADR paralegals across 8 districts (24 paralegals per district)
   10. Deliver in person 1 day ADR Paralegal refresher trainings to a total of 192 ADR paralegals across 8 districts (24 paralegals per district)

 Project Timeline & Payment schedule

 Required expertise and qualifications

• Legal background with adequate knowledge of the justice system in Pakistan and it’s mechanisms
• Postgraduate qualification in Law; supported by extensive experience in the justice sector as a practitioner or trainer
• Strong grip over Alternative Dispute Resolution; particularly its mechanisms and utilization
• Prior experience in carrying out community-centric trainings (preferably paralegal trainings)
• Experience with developing training curriculum/modules

 Required documents for application

• Consultant profile (1 pager) outlining suitability for the aforementioned consultancy
• Updated CV & Cover Letter
• Technical Proposal based on TORs (should adequately cover all deliverables)
• Financial Proposal

How to apply?

• Applicants are required to submit the hard copies of the above mentioned documents in a sealed envelope by April 25th, 2022 to the HR department Legal Aid Society on the address given below:

Legal Aid Society, A-13, Spanish Homes Apartment, Mezzanine floor, DHA Phase I, Karachi.

 For further information please visit www.las.org.pk or email us at [email protected]