Opportunities

MEL Consultant

ABA CHR is seeking a part-time consultant for an approximately four-month duration, starting in September 2023, to assess the Center’s MEL frameworks and design and implement a comprehensive MEL framework across its programs.

1. Background:

ABA CHR promotes and protects human rights through a number of grant-funded programs. These include:

• Justice Defenders: Justice Defenders provides pro bono legal assistance to human rights advocates working in difficult environments and vulnerable circumstances. Justice Defenders also recently launched its Labor Rights portfolio, which provides assistance to labor rights defenders and aims to advance labor rights and improve working conditions.
• Program to Combat Corruption in Northern Central America: Through this program, ABA CHR is working to establish a regional coalition to investigate allegations of corruption and develop legally-actionable evidence for use in national, regional, and international fora. ABA CHR also monitors anti-corruption proceedings and supports at-risk anti-corruption officials and activists, and provides technical legal assistance to coalition members to secure accountability and aid anti-corruption efforts.
• Conducting Advocacy to Regulate Proxy Warfare in Southwest Asia & North Africa: Staff supporting the Proxy Warfare program engage in advocacy and evidence-based research at the international, regional, and national levels to encourage more robust oversight of arms exports to the Southwest Asia and North Africa region.
• TrialWatch: The TrialWatch program monitors criminal trials against those who are most vulnerable and shines a light on the abuses taking place in detention centers and courts.
• Freedom of Association in Ecuador: This program promotes the relief of the distressed by strengthening workers’ protections for freedom of association.

2)     Responsibilities:

The consultant will report to the Associate Director and Program Director of ABA CHR. Ideally, the candidate will have extensive experience designing and assessing MEL frameworks, particularly in the human rights community.

• Assess and refine CHR grant-funded programs’ MEL frameworks and plans.
• Analyze CHR MEL frameworks and ensure their alignment with donors’ requirements.
• Propose the design and implementation of a comprehensive MEL framework by formulating appropriate indicators and implementing systems to safeguard the collection and management of programs’ data.
• Train CHR staff to undertake MEL reporting functions to generate, share, synthesize and apply data to support effective and adaptive programs management.

3)     How to Apply:

• Please send the following documents in a single PDF to [email protected], CC’ing [email protected].
  • A description of past work, highlighting any MEL work with human rights organizations, and a detailed proposal of the approach to carry out the responsibilities as listed above.
  • Resume and/or CV
• Application deadline: July 21, 2023 at 5:00 PM EST. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Legal Researcher on EU Arms Exports

Background

Armed conflicts have rampaged several countries in the Southwest Asia & North Africa (SWANA) region, including Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Syria, and Yemen, claiming a high number of civilian casualties and destroying civilian properties and infrastructure. Warring parties—supported by regional and international powers including European Union (EU) countries—have often attacked civilian targets in potential violation of international law. Renewed attention to these issues has led to increased suspicion of arms sales to the region by some suppliers, creating an opening to press for greater adherence to international law.

As such, the ABA CHR seeks to explore avenues through which to limit arms sales from European countries to the SWANA region when implicated in legal and human rights violations. The Center is seeking a contracting organization or individual with expertise in the legal frameworks, oversight and accountability mechanisms, and trade regulations of major arms-exporting European countries. The purpose of this consultancy is to develop a Primer on arms trade laws and regulations in the aforementioned jurisdictions. This is an 8-month consultancy beginning in July 2023 through February 2024.

Responsibilities

• Research the laws governing arms exports, as well as relevant oversight and accountability mechanisms and regulations in major arms-exporting European countries. Focus jurisdictions should include one or multiple of the following: France, Germany, Italy, EU.
• Develop a primer on the processes available to restrain arms sales to countries with poor human rights records.
• The Primer should detail: 1) the major types of arms transfers from these arms exporting countries to SWANA governments; 2) parliamentary authorities, if any, implicated in arms transfers; and 3) domestic legislation on arms transfers and its implementation.
• Arrange and participate in meetings with key stakeholders in Europe to publicize reports and advocate for recommendations.
• Other tasks as necessary and as agreed upon between the contractor and the ABA Center for Human Rights.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated expertise in the legal and normative frameworks regulating the sale of arms by one or more of the following: France, Germany, Italy, and EU.
• Law degree (JD, LLB, or equivalent) preferred.
• 8 years of experience in the field of business and human rights, international human rights law, humanitarian law, or arms trade issues.

How to Apply

Please send the following documents in a single PDF to [email protected] by June 30, 2023 at 5pm EST.

• Statement of interest detailing your experience working on related projects, and your availability through February 2024. Maximum 1 page.
• A writing sample.
• Proposed timeline.
• Resume or CV.
• Cost estimate (per/deliverable) for each of the tasks listed above.
• Hourly rate.

Legal Researcher on UK Arms Exports

Background

Armed conflicts have rampaged several countries in the Southwest Asia & North Africa (SWANA) region, including Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Syria, and Yemen, claiming a high number of civilian casualties and destroying civilian properties and infrastructure. Warring parties—supported by regional and international powers including the United Kingdom (UK)—have often attacked civilian targets in potential violation of international law. Renewed attention to these issues has led to increased suspicion of arms sales to the region by some suppliers, creating an opening to press for greater adherence to international law.

As such, the ABA CHR seeks to explore avenues through which to limit arms sales from the UK to the SWANA region when implicated in legal and human rights violations. The Center is seeking a contracting organization or individual with expertise in the legal frameworks, oversight and accountability mechanisms, and trade regulations of the UK. The purpose of this consultancy is to develop a Primer on arms trade laws and regulations in the UK. This is an 8-month consultancy beginning in July 2023 through February 2024.

Responsibilities

• Research the laws governing arms exports, as well as relevant oversight and accountability mechanisms and regulations in the UK.
• Develop a primer on the processes available to restrain arms sales to countries with poor human rights records.
• The Primer should detail: 1) the major types of arms transfers from these arms exporting countries to SWANA governments; 2) parliamentary authorities, if any, implicated in arms transfers; and 3) domestic legislation on arms transfers and its implementation.
• Arrange and participate in meetings with key stakeholders in the UK to publicize reports and advocate for recommendations.
• Other tasks as necessary and as agreed upon between the contractor and the ABA Center for Human Rights.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated expertise in the legal and normative frameworks regulating the sale of arms by the UK.
• Law degree (JD, LLB, or equivalent) preferred.
• 8 years of experience in the field of business and human rights, international human rights law, humanitarian law, or arms trade issues.

How to Apply

Please send the following documents in a single PDF to [email protected] by June 30, 2023 at 5pm EST.

• Statement of interest detailing your experience working on related projects, and your availability through February 2024. Maximum 1 page.
• A writing sample.
• Proposed timeline.
• Resume or CV.
• Cost estimate (per/deliverable) for each of the tasks listed above.
• Hourly rate.

Pro Bono Legal Consultancies

The American Bar Association Center for Human Rights seeks experienced pro bono legal consultants on a recurring basis. Pro bono consultants contribute to the work of the Center by

• Observing trials that have garnered local, regional, or international attention and providing detailed analysis of those trials;
• Drafting letters to U.N. Special Rapporteurs pertaining to attacks against human rights defenders and rule of law around the world; 
• Assisting with the preparation of reports and conducting libel review.

Interested candidates should fill out the pro bono volunteer form and submit a recent resume/CV. Candidates with foreign language proficiency are encouraged to apply.