Within the framework of this project funded by PRM, IRC aims at empowering crisis affected populations including Syrian refugees and host community caregivers to enjoy and protect their rights and those of their families/ communities. IRC will mitigate vulnerabilities with a specific focus on removing legal barriers to education for vulnerable children. Legal services will be systematically provided to those involved in ECE and Education programs and to the broader community.

IRC and its partners will attain the objective through:

Legal Information dissemination sessions to inform clients including caregivers, their broader families, and the community, about their rights, procedural intricacies, and the latest legal updates, including those relevant to education and their children’s rights.Tailored legal counselling to ensure that vulnerable populations, such as children-led households, have access to the legal support necessary to address barriers including family law, and issues related to housing, land, and property (HLP) which can impede access to education.Legal assistance, representation, and mediation

IRC is implementing preventative, responsive, and remedial legal programming. IRC’s approach to legal programming is in-line with Sphere standards. Information dissemination and individualized legal counseling will build the knowledge of affected communities on their basic rights and will be mainstreamed across the project.
The IRC will build upon the demonstrated expertise in legal service provision to ensure that clients have access to legal protection in addition to Caregivers beneficiaries of Child Protection programing. A key focus will be placed on ensuring birth and marriage registration to provide stronger legal protections for the rights of women and their children.

Scope of consultancy  

Under the supervision of the Legal Officer and the Senior Legal Manager, the consultant will identify legal needs in the field, provide counseling and assistance including representation in relevant administrative bodies and/or courts to Syrian Refugees and host communities in additional to the vulnerable cases and any other targeted group for IRC.

The consultant will be responsible for conducting legal information sessions and provide direct legal assistance to clients at various sites including the Women and Girls Safe Spaces (WGSS) and mobile safe spaces. In addition, the consultant will conduct field visits according to shared schedules to provide consistent follow-up with clients as needed and will work with community leaders to support advocacy at the community level and engage in mediation and negotiation as needed.

The legal service provider should have previous experience working in women’s rights and/or gender.

A.       Legal Case management:Provide clients with legal counselling on issues including but not limited to civil documentation, Legal stay and HLP.Provide direct legal support to assist women and girls to access civil status documentation, including but not limited to marriage and birth registration.
Assist women and girls at risk / survivors of GBV/SGBV on legal matters before administrative and judicial bodies, including religious and civil courts.
Represent women and girls at risk / survivors of GBV in different courts.Mediation with private stakeholders and authorities, including and not limited to eviction casesConduct field visit to Informal Tented Settlements and residential areas to ensure adequate follow-up on cases. Manage the hotline while present in the office as per Senior Legal Manager request.B.       Legal information sessions:Ensure provision of the most updated legal information according to IRC’s guidance notes.Develop legal content for information sessions in coordination with the Senior Legal manager.Conduct legal information sessions in coordination with the protection team / Legal team and other IRC programs C.       Reporting:Enter every case on the dedicated platform on a daily basis.Provide a progress report according to set templates to Senior Legal Manager on a weekly basis.Analyze data and highlight trends, legal protection needs and changes in legal frameworks and practices in reports.Keep records of the urgent legal needs identified and the actions taken to assist persons of concern.D.      Representation & Advocacy:Work to strengthen IRC’s relationship with refugees, refugee/host community leaders and municipal actors in order to maintain good access to POCs.Support the Protection Team Leader to conduct advocacy on behalf of the community.

Upon requests Access to Justice Consultant can be asked to conduct other duties by supervisor according to changes in context.