Consultant for updating the guidance note of investigating cases of CRSV at the Prosecutor`s Training Center of Ukraine

Title: Consultant for updating the guidance note of investigating cases of CRSV at the Prosecutor`s Training Center of Ukraine (a division of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine)

Assignment Location: remote work with possible in-person meetings in Kyiv (Ukraine)

Period: September-December, for a period of 21 days

Background

The Dr. Denis Mukwege Foundation is an international, survivor-centred, rights-based organisation working to change the response to conflict-related sexual violence. We support survivors’ demands for a world where sexual violence as a weapon of war is no longer tolerated, and bears consequences for individual perpetrators and states. We work for a future where survivors receive the holistic care and compensation they need to rebuild their lives. We create opportunities for survivors to speak out and be heard, and where they can organise to create change, influence policies, and demand justice and accountability. We are working towards a future where sexual violence in conflict is no longer seen as inevitable, but is recognised for what it is: a crime that should have serious consequences for both the perpetrators as well as states that tolerate or condone it. We want the international community to draw a red line against wartime sexual violence and strengthen accountability for states and perpetrators. See also www.mukwegefoundation.org. Country Programme in Ukraine In Ukraine, conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) has been a prevalent issue in the conflict in the East of Ukraine and occupied Crimea since 2014. Since 2018, the Dr. Denis Mukwege Foundation (MF) has been engaged in Ukraine, supporting the development of SEMA Ukraine, the Ukrainian Network of Women Affected by Violence. In April 2022, following the February 2022 full scale invasion by Russian Federation Forces in Ukraine, under the invitation of Ukraine’s Commissioner for Gender Equality Policy, a joint scoping mission was conducted by the Global Survivors Fund (GSF) and the Dr. Denis Mukwege Foundation to assess how best the sister organisations could support Ukraine in strengthening a holistic approach to the prevention and response to CRSV. On July 19, 2022, the Government Commissioner for Gender Equality Policy, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, the Global Survivors Fund and Dr Denis Mukwege Foundation signed a Framework Agreement on the partners’ cooperation aimed at supporting the implementation of a holistic response to conflict-related sexual violence in Ukraine, including access to justice and reparations, inspired by the Panzi model of holistic care, developed by Dr. Mukwege and his team at Panzi Hospital and Foundation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Under the Framework Agreement, in 2022 the parties agreed to 5 objectives, and in 2024 signed an Amendment, according to which the MF is focused on the following strategic objectives: - SO1: Inform, sensitise and mobilise the international community for timely, adequate and coordinated response to conflict-related sexual violence in Ukraine.

- SO2: Contribute to strengthening knowledge on, and capacities for, quality, survivor-centred, holistic care for CRSV survivors.

- SO3: Strengthen survivor’s knowledge of the availability of holistic care services and support the integration of survivor-centered approach in the roll-out of a holistic response to CRSV in Ukraine. - SO4: Contribute to strengthening the delivery of quality, holistic care for CRSV survivors, based on the Panzi OSC holistic care model in prioritised regions to be identified in collaboration with regional authorities and the Parties to the Framework Agreement and Amendment. Description of assignment Related to Strategic Objective 2, MF provides support to the Prosecutor’s Training Center of Ukraine (PTC), which is a state institution established to enhance the professional competencies of prosecutors and civil servants within the Prosecutor’s Office of Ukraine. The establishment of the Center is an integral part of the prosecution system reform, aimed at improving qualification mechanisms, introducing professional attestation, and ensuring continuous learning.

The PTC provides:

- Continuous professional trainings for prosecutors and civil servants of the prosecution system to develop and strengthen their professional skills; - Initial training for candidates for the position of prosecutor, including internship programs for individuals who have successfully passed the selection process; - Continuous professional development for civil servants of other governmental and non-governmental institutions and organisations. The Training Center applies international best practices in professional education and needs-based learning approaches. It pays particular attention to developing personal competencies and fostering a modern professional culture among prosecutors. MF collaborates with PTC to strengthen the capacity of prosecutors in effectively investigating conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), including through the development, adaptation, and updating of practical guidance tools in line with national legislation and international standards.

Scope of work

The consultant will be responsible to:

- Review the existing guidance note on investigating cases of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), developed in 2023, considering its structure, content and practical applicability. - Analyse the findings of the needs assessment conducted among prosecutors, including survey data and analytical summaries, to identify key gaps, challenges and priority areas for updating. - Consult relevant stakeholders (e.g. representatives of prosecution bodies, PTC, Government Commissioner for Gender Equality Policy, and MF) as needed to validate the identified needs and ensure the updated content is relevant. - Update and revise the guidance note to reflect: - current legal and procedural frameworks in Ukraine; - pra