Consultant – Advocacy Plan for INOVAS Guidelines for Victim Participation in Justice Processes

Impunity Watch is an international non-profit organisation working with victims of violence to deliver redress for grave human rights violations, uproot deeply ingrained structures of impunity, and promote justice and peace.

IW advocates for the voices of affected individuals and communities to be meaningfully included in the design and implementation of policies that advance victims’ rights for truth, justice, reparations, as well as guarantees of non-recurrence. We promote local actors’ active involvement in transformation after violence and abuses, and we also support informal initiatives that complement formal transitional justice mechanisms.

IW currently works in Central America, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), the Great Lakes region of Africa, and the Western Balkans. We have presence in Guatemala and Burundi, and our headquarters are in The Hague, The Netherlands.

As part of its commitment to promoting justice and accountability, IW supports the work of the International Network of Victims and Survivors (INOVAS) in advancing victim-centred policies and practices at local, regional, and international levels. A key element of INOVAS’s efforts is the Guidelines for Victim Participation in Justice Processes, developed by the network in 2024. These Guidelines require a robust advocacy plan to ensure recognition and adoption by key stakeholders.

As part of its ongoing support for INOVAS, IW is seeking to recruit a consultant to develop an advocacy plan for the Guidelines. This consultancy will build on a foundational advocacy outline created by INOVAS members in October 2024 and produce a comprehensive plan to guide the network in achieving its short-term and long-term advocacy goals effectively.

The consultant will focus on achieving the following key objectives:

1. Develop a clear vision for advocacy at both the international and local levels, reflecting INOVAS’ goals for policy adoption and implementation of the guidelines.
2. Establish overarching advocacy goals and define potential outcomes for each level (local, regional, and international), aligning the goals with the network’s short-term and long-term priorities.
3. Develop a phased and detailed implementation plan with clear timelines, responsibilities, and milestones. Include mechanisms for monitoring progress and evaluating the success of advocacy efforts.
4. Develop and propose ideas for a targeted communication plan, including messaging frameworks, tools, and dissemination methods tailored to diverse audiences. Suggest ways to simplify and amplify the Guidelines to increase engagement and awareness.
5. Identify potential partners and alliances at the local, regional, and international levels, including victim associations and CSOs and suggest strategies for building collaborative relationships and leveraging partnerships to enhance advocacy impact.

Tasks and Responsibilities

The consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:

1. Stakeholder Mapping: With the support of INOVAS members and Impunity Watch, expand on the initial mapping exercise conducted during the INOVAS retreat in October to complete the identification of key actors at local, regional, and international levels, including victims’ associations, civil society organisations (CSOs), regional entities such as the AU, OAS, and EU, as well as relevant UN mechanisms. This mapping will serve to identify potential partners and alliances to strengthen advocacy efforts, pinpoint key entry points for engagement at various levels, and understand the roles, interests, and influence of stakeholders to tailor messaging and engagement strategies effectively.

2. Advocacy Plan Development:

• Define goals and outcomes for local, regional, and international advocacy efforts.
• Propose mechanisms to empower and mobilise INOVAS members to advocate for the Guidelines effectively. This includes capacity-building initiatives, such as training sessions, to equip them with the knowledge and resources needed to engage in advocacy at local, regional, and international levels. Recommend strategies for advocacy targeting regional and international organisations (e.g., UN, EU, AU).
• Recommend methods for INOVAS members to engage with UN mechanisms and other relevant global platforms.

Communication Plan:

• Develop a unified messaging framework adaptable for local, regional, and global contexts. Include broad communication plans for regional and local dissemination, allowing INOVAS members to customise messaging in collaboration with other survivors’ associations while ensuring alignment with the overarching framework.
• Suggest ideas for a communications package with specific materials for global dissemination, such as simplified version of the Guidelines, toolkits, infographics, and social media assets, targeting the international actors identified in the mapping exercise.

3. Implementation Plan:

• Propose a phased approach to prioritise short-term and long-term actions at the different levels.
• Suggest methods for monitoring progress and measuring advocacy outcomes.
• Partnerships and Alliances:
• Identify potential partners and propose strategies for alliance-building and joint advocacy efforts.
• Regular coordination meetings with INOVAS Advocacy Committee and IW to develop and revise the plan accordingly.

Deliverables

• Stakeholder Mapping including entry points and suggestions for partnerships.
• Comprehensive Advocacy Plan with clear objectives, strategies, and action points. Plan will incorporate feedback from INOVAS and IW, including on actionable and feasible steps, timelines, and resource requirements.
• Communication Materials such as ideas and suggestions on simplified advocacy and dissemination tools.
• Presentation of Key Findings through online meetings with INOVAS members, including a mid-term presentation for initial feedback and a final presentation to gather inputs, ensuring the final version reflects collective perspectives.

Time Frame

The consultancy will begin immediately upon contract signing, with all deliverables to be completed by 1 March 2025, with a total estimated duration of 15 working days.

Qualifications

• Advanced expertise in advocacy and strategic planning, preferably in the field of human rights and transitional justice.
• Proven experience in developing advocacy strategies targeting local, regional, and international actors in the field of human rights. Experience on implementation of advocacy strategies is an asset.
• Strong knowledge of UN mechanisms, regional bodies (e.g., AU, OAS, EU), and victim-centred approaches. Direct experience in working with victims. networks and coalition, as well as on victim participation is an asset.
• Excellent communication skills and experience in creating advocacy materials.
• Familiarity with gender-sensitive and intersectional approaches to advocacy.