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VACANCY: Legal Research Assistant

Request For Expressions of Interest

General Information
Country:   Sierra Leone
Notice/Contract Number:   IRCBP-LRA-01
Publication Date:   Aug 7, 2006
Deadline:   Aug 15, 2006
Funding Agency:   World Bank
Buyer:   Institutional Reform and Capacity Building Project. Institutional Reform and Capacity Building Project
Original Language:   English

Contact Information
Address:   Peter Kaindaneh
Mr
Project Coordinator
38 Wellington Street
Freetown
Sierra Leone
Telephone:   232 22 229484
Fax:   232 22 229677
Email:   Click here
Web Site:   http://www.ircbp.sl

Assignments

 

Original Text

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DECENTRALISATION SECRETARIAT
LEGAL RESEARCH ASSISTANT

TERMS OF REFERENCE


1. BACKGROUND

The Decentralisation Secretariat is charged with the responsibility of coordinating the implementation of the National Decentralisation Policy and Law as a Directorate of the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development (MLGCD) which has the mandate to oversee the National Decentralisation Programme.

MANDATE

The Decentralisation Secretariat (DEC-SEC) has among other strategic responsibilities the following mandate:

• Further develop the decentralisation Policy
• Coordinate a comprehensive Capacity Building Programme to support Decentralisation
• Coordinate a national Monitoring and Evaluation Programme on the Decentralisation Programme

Decentralisation Secretariat has been executing this mandate since its inception in May 2004. In pursuance of its mandate, the Secretariat is staffed with a corps of National Consultants with multi disciplinary specialities as follows;

• Policy
• Legal
• Planning and Development
• Monitoring and Evaluation
• Information, Education and Communication
• Procurement management

There was full time Technical Backstopping from a DFID funded Technical Advisor with periodic fielding of Short term National and International Technical Advisors.
Since commencement of operation, DEC-SEC has been providing substantive and facilitating support for the uptake of the implementation of the decentralisation policy with the following successfully executed to date:

• Preparation of the Devolution Plan and Statutory Instrument on Devolved functions
• Establishment of all strategic organs prescribed in the LGA(04)-Local Government Service Commission, Local Government Finance Committee, Inter Ministerial Committee on decentralisation
• Orientation for all Local Councils
• Induction of Senior staff of Local Councils (CAs and Deputies; Chairpersons and Deputies; Treasurers; Procurement Officers and Planning Committee members
• Training and provision of Technical Support and facilitation funds to 19 Local Councils towards preparation of the Local Council District Development Plans
• Training in Procurement administration and management
• Project management and implementation( instituting the RRI scheme) to strengthen the ability of Local councils to implement projects in a transparent and participatory manner

INSTITUTIONAL FOCUS

The institutional focus of the Secretariat is to foster Coordination in support of implementation of the decentralisation programme. This is primarily to ensure harmony and consistency and to facilitate adequate monitoring and evaluation with a view of tracking progress or (lack of it) for and on behalf of the government of Sierra Leone.

The IRCBP is to benefit from additional funding through a Trust fund from EC and DfID to compliment the initial funding and further strengthen work of the IRCBP in delivering on its Project development Objectives principal among which is ‘supporting nineteen (19) functioning Local councils. The acquisition of additional funding comes with an expansion in programme areas at the sub component level with additional sub components such as;

• Chiefdom governance Reform
• Support to Service Providers
• Information management to support decentralisation
• Legislative review
• Support to the Local Government Service Commission

The inclusion of additional sub-components is matched with the increase in substantive activities in existing sub components. In order to take up the expanded work programme and increase the absorptive and delivery capacities of Dec-Sec, there will be additional recruitment of National Consultants (Staff) to manage new sub components as well as backstop existing Staff already on the programme.

POST JUSTIFICATION

With the Legal and Regulatory Framework now in place a lot of action points have been identified. These include the following –
• Review of existing legislation that conflict with the LGA

• To undertake chiefdom governance reform

• To support the devolution process

• To sensitize the general citizenry on the LGA and other regulations

• To simplify all laws and regulations relating to local government

• To train and assist local councils to make bye-laws

• To advice the Ministry, the Director, Dec-Sec and the local councils on policy and legal matters

This has necessitated the need for a Legal and Regulatory Unit to be established within Dec-Sec with additional staff to backstop the Legal Expert in achieving these objectives.

SPECIFIC TASKS/DUTIES

The Legal Research Assistant will be required under contract to undertake/ execute the following tasks/duties:

- to generally undertake information gathering and collation on broad based issues pertaining to policy and planning relevant to the Legal and Regulatory Unit.

- to undertake legal research i.e. look up instruments, statutes etc; administrative and management support/backstopping to the Legal and Regulatory Unit

- to assist the Legal Expert in liaising and supporting follow-up with Task Force and Technical Teams

- to gather documentation/information on relevant legal issues and prepare reports

- to liaise with and report to the Legal Expert in the performance of his duties

- to prepare monthly and quarterly reports

- to undertake any other duties that are related to legal matters connected with decentralization as the Legal Expert and Director of Dec-Sec may require.


QUALIFICATION AND EXPERIENCE

• A University Degree in Law or in the Social Sciences or any related discipline
• experience in a range of areas of Sierra Leone’s legislation will be an advantage

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

• Demonstrable research analytical and organizational skills and the ability to work under pressure

• Fair knowledge and understanding of: the laws of Sierra Leone, the legislative process, legal language and legal procedure

• Good working knowledge of basic computer packages.

• Ability to prepare concise user friendly guidelines. Strong inter-personal skills. Must be willing and capable of organizing and undertaking extensive trek duties nationwide. Ability to prepare reports to required timeliness will be essential.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE

All applications must be handed in by 1700 hours GMT of 15 August 2006, addressed to:


The Project Coordinator
Project Coordination Unit (PCU)
Institutional Reform and Capacity Building Project (IRCBP)
Top Floor
Decentralization House
38 Wellington Street
Freetown
Sierra Leone





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