Scope of Work (SOW)

The purpose of the USAID Rule of Law Program (ROLP) is to help establish an independent, accountable, well-functioning, and people-centered justice system in Georgia.  One of the key activities is to establish at least three Rule of Law (ROL) Hubs in Georgia, in locations outside of Tbilisi, the first of which was launched in Batumi on April 1, 2022, the second in Kutaisi in December 2022, and opening the third hub in Akhaltsikhe is planned for the middle of 2023.

The purpose of the ROL Hub is to improve the delivery of justice in each targeted locality by developing linkages with and among the courts, Georgian Bar Association (GBA) branches, Legal Aid Service (LAS) offices, Public Defender (PDO) offices, law faculties, CSOs, representatives of law enforcement bodies, and the private sector within the locality, and to foment linkages between the representative offices in the locality and their counterparts in Tbilisi. The regional Rule of Law Hubs support decentralizing the Rule of Law Program activities and facilitate cooperation with the justice sector institutions.

In December 2022, during the opening meetings of Kutaisi RoL Hub the representatives of local media expressed the idea of having training for journalists on media coverage of legal issues and understanding legal terms. USAID Rule of Law Program in cooperation with the USAID Media program is planning to organize training for regional media representatives through RoL Hubs in Kutaisi and Batumi.

Proposed approach:

USAID Rule of Law Program seeks to hire a Georgian Expert to develop a training course and deliver the training to the regional journalists on How to Cover Legal Issues - the general rules of court coverage; also, restrictions for media (that we have today), and legal terms and terminology.

The topics of the training should include, but not be limited to - basic legal principles (presumption of innocence, the right to a fair trial, legal representation of all persons suspected/accused of committing a crime, etc), how to cover cases relating to the children, women, victims of violence, ethnic minorities, LGBTQI+ persons, in additions the topics to be identified through the focus group with the regional media representatives. The training should also help journalists better understand the role of a judge and a lawyer in ensuring access to justice.

The Expert Trainer will develop a package of training materials and will conduct the training for the journalists working in  Adjara and Imereti (TV, radio, and online) regions in cooperation with the media expert selected by the USAID Media Program.

Timeline

The project is envisaged to be implemented in the period of April 1, 2023 – September 30, 2023

Reporting

The selected individuals will work closely with USAID Rule of Law Program Regional Rule of Law Advisor, Irina Lortkipanidze, and Regional Hub Attorneys Irina Khakhutaishvili and Anna Shalamberidze.

Estimated Level of Effort:

The estimated level of effort is nine (9) working days, including four (4) days for the development of the training module, and materials; four (4) days for the conduct of the training in Adjara and Imereti two (2) full days in each region), one (1) travel day.

Deliverables

1. Training Agenda
2. Package of training materials and handbook for journalists
3. Serve as a trainer for the training of regional media representatives from Adjara and Imereti

Requirement and Eligibility

Education:

University degree either in law, journalism or human rights

Work Experience:

at least 5 years of professional experience/ track record in training and/or coaching practicing journalists or communication and outreach specialists;

• excellent communication and presentation skills;
• excellent understanding of legal issues and media work in Georgia
• previous experience in conducting similar training with the support of local or international donor organizations will be an asset

In order to apply potential candidates* need to present:

• Cover Letter, addressing the criteria above;
• CV, with a detailed list of qualifications (maximum 3 pg.)
• Outline of the training program (maximum 1 pg.)
• Filled out biodata form

* Applications can be submitted by individuals. Applications will be reviewed based on the above criteria.  

The application can be submitted either in English or Georgian. The application should be e-mailed to info.rolp@ewmi.org  

Please include the following text in the subject line “Training for Regional Journalists”.

The deadline for application submissions is CoB March 27, 2023.