Restorative Justice: Concept and Practical Application Expert

Name of the Project

Restoration of Peace, Livelihoods and Economic Cycles in Anbar (RePLECA) – Organisational Development and Capacity Development for Peace Infrastructures in Anbar Governorate, Iraq

Category of Expert

International/National Short-Term Expert (STE)

Dates & Duration

January 2024 to February 2024

Number of working days

17 working days

Location

Home-based / Iraq

INTRODUCTION

The “Restoration of Peace, Livelihoods and Economic Cycles in Anbar, Iraq (RePLECA)” is a Transitional Development Assistance Programme, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by GIZ.

RePLECA seeks to stabilise and improve the living conditions of the Anbari population by:

1. Increasing the productivity in the agricultural sector
2. Improving the access to vocational training and income generation activities
3. Improving social cohesion

Within the framework of social cohesion component, the project aims to strengthen local peace actors through organisational development and capacity building. In particular, the project supports number of local peace structures, including one Local Peace Committee (LPC) in each of the three districts targeted by the project (Ramadi, Heet and Fallujah), four CSOs in the same districts as well as the Central Reconciliation Committee (CRC) at the Governorate level.

SCOPE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

A needs assessment of Anbar’s local peace structures was conducted in June 2023. A specific focus has been made by LPCs supported by the project, and even more so by the members of the CRC, on compensation and rehabilitation issues, as well as the promotion of restorative justice to help repair the social fabric of Anbar’s community. The latter has been greatly affected by the occupation of ISIS, which has led to number of societal challenges at the local level, including the reintegration of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) upon return, especially for those perceived by the wider community in their areas of origin as having ties with ISIS.

As such, the project has identified the need to conduct a specific workshop on Restorative Justice as part of capacity development measures for the CRC and the LPCs in Heet, Ramadi and Fallujah in addition to Western Anbar districts. The objective of this workshop is to increase the knowledge and perspectives of the participants on restorative justice processes, its key principles and mechanisms, as well as learn from other experiences of restorative justice, both inside and outside Iraq. The workshop will aim to equip targeted members of the local peace structures above mentioned, from the three districts targeted by the project with essential knowledge and tools of restorative justice, in order to be able to lead restorative justice activities in their communities, as part of their wider efforts as local peace structures and actors.

KEY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Based on the overview provided above, the Expert’s tasks are, but are not limited to, the following:

Task

Conduct a two-day training workshop on Restorative Justice: Concept and Practical Application, which will include:

• Develop, customize and adjust training content and agenda.
• Deliver two rounds of training workshops, two- days each. The first round (Group 1) will be targeting Ramadi, Heet, Fallujah LPCs as well as CRC members from these districts. The second round (Group 2) will be targeted Western Anbar LPCs as well as CRC members from these districts.
• Design and facilitate two design sessions with each group to develop a simple workplan of restorative justice activities to be conducted in their districts.
• Develop an assessment tool that measures the application of the skills acquired by the LPC and CRC members who attended the workshops.
• Submit a final report including recommendations.

EXPECTED OUTPUTS AND DELIVERABLES

At the end of the workshops and design sessions, the participants will be able to:

• Understand the main concepts and approaches of restorative justice, contrasting it with traditional punitive approaches.
• Have a knowledge of national, regional and international experiences in restorative justice programmes and approaches.
• Understand the types of restorative justice mechanisms that can be applied in Anbar, including but not limited to victim-offender mediation and dialogues, community conferencing, joint community initiatives, and circles.
• Learn how to create a safe and respectful environment for dialogue between victims, offenders, and affected parties.
• Learn how to design and implement restorative justice activities in their communities.
• Understand the steps involved in planning, training, and coordinating stakeholders for successful implementation.
• Create a restorative justice draft workplan with several activities that can be done by CRC and LPCs

Deliverables

Time frame

Develop, customize, and adjust training content, agenda, and assessment tools: 5 days

Facilitate two rounds of training workshops: 4 days (2 days each)

Prepare and facilitate two design sessions for producing a draft workplan with restorative justice activities: 6 days

Produce a final report: 2 days

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

Education

Advanced University degree in social work, Development studies, Law, or International Relations.

Experience

• A minimum of 5 years of experience working on conflict transformation, restorative justice, reconciliation and/or social cohesion
• Strong knowledge of restorative justice principles and mechanisms.
• Experience in designing and delivering training workshops.
• Previous experience in an emergency or conflict-afflicted setting is required.
• Knowledge and experience on the justice system in Iraq is an asset.
• Strong understanding of gender issues.