Urban Planning, Engineering and Technical Services

Call For Expressions Of Interest
Provision Of Legal Services for NRC ICLA Progamme in occupied Palestine

Introduction

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an independent, humanitarian, non-profit, non-governmental organisation which provides assistance, protection and durable solutions to refugees and internally displaced persons worldwide. NRC re-established its presence in Palestine in January 2009 through its Information, Counselling and Legal assistance programme (ICLA).

The ICLA programme seeks to prevent the forced displacement of Palestinians in Occupied Palestine through increased protection and access to justice. The programme focuses on providing legal assistance to Palestinians in the area of housing, land and property (HLP) law as well as facilitating access to identity documentation mainly through its residency component. The ICLA programme has developed global expertise in this matter and programme experience shows that the provision of legal assistance in these areas can be key to reducing displacement. 

In addition, and as part of its mandates to assists Palestinians at risk of displacement, NRC ICLA has provided technical assistance to its implementing partners (including non-governmental organization and private lawyers) and the Government of Palestine (GoP), to ensure providing full legal services to NRC beneficiaries and good coordination and communication that guarantee information flow and coordinated response of the various legal interventions.

The NRC Palestine, through the implementation of its ICLA program, is working closely with NRC Implementing Partners, private lawyers contracted by the NRC as well as lawyers employed by the Palestinian Wall & Settlement Unit (hereinafter referred to as “NRC Partners”).

For these reasons, NRC is seeking expressions of interest for three consultancies related to the provision of urban planning, engineering and technical services for NRC ICLA Program in Occupied Palestine for a period of 2 years . 

The first consultancy is a Land Data expert; the second; provision of technical support for the Wall and Colonization Commission/ Jerusalem Governorate and/or any other PA Entities and/ or Organizations; and the third: Technical Engineering Services.

Applicants will be assessed in accordance with the selection criteria set out below and placed on a roster of eligible consultants, who may be contracted by the ICLA programme to provide technical services in accordance with the types of consultancy contract covered below.  The roster will be valid for a period of 24 months commencing 17 May 2017. 

Applicants may express their interest for all or for any part of the services but must specify which services they are interested in and in which geographical locations, namely East Jerusalem or Area C or both.

A thorough review of the received expressions will be conducted by NRC and a shortlist of qualified candidates will be called for a meeting, in which you will be able to have a detailed insight on the next process and what is needed.

The process will be going according to a time table at the end of this document. 

Selection on the roster is not a guarantee of work or contract, which will remain subject to NRC’s needs, priorities, funding and interests in contracting consultants with certain types of specialties and in certain geographical and thematic areas.  However, inclusion on the roster will indicate that the consultant has prima facie met the selection criteria for ICLA work and is eligible for contracts. The more comprehensive your offer is the most the legitimacy and strength your chances get. So please don't hesitate to add all necessary details in your offer.


Type of Technical Assistance/support:

Consultancy: Land Data expert:

The main objective of the consultancy is to challenge the Israeli planning policies and settlement expansion in Area C and/or East Jerusalem of the West Bank (“West Bank”) through the provision of technical support, information and evidences concerning land issues, including; land usage, settlements, planning of settlements, trespass etc.

The Scope of Consultancy services:

The scope of this consultancy services is to:

-Support NRC's implementing partners, private lawyers as well as lawyers employed by the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission (C&WRC) and the Jerusalem Governor office, (hereinafter NRC Partners) through the provision of high quality information and data in support of legal cases on Housing Land and Property Rights (HLP) in the West Bank.
-Assist NRC Partners with expert opinions if and when necessary as well as providing evidentiary and planning information in relation to upcoming and/or ongoing legal cases.
-Support NRC Partners with the preparation and follow-up on “freedom of information” requests.
-Assist NRC in monitoring and identifying breaches against HLP rights, settlement expansions as well as other activities in breach of International Humanitarian Law.
-Provide information for, briefings, tours, seminars and/or trainings to NRC Partners and/or stockholders identified by NRC.
-Assist NRC in preparing outreach and advocacy material, including but not limited to maps, aerial photographs and expert opinions.
-Conduct research on particular HLP and planning issues if and as identified by NRC.
-Any other task as deemed relevant and agreed to with the NRC.

Minimum Skills and Qualifications Required:

-Minimum 10 years of experience in relevant fields of land data calculations and analysis.
-Extensive legal and planning understanding of the HLP context in the West Bank.
-Access to planning schemes in Area C and any other relevant planning information.
-Ability to access settlements and observe settlement expansions in the West Bank.
-Holding applicable Israeli licenses. 
-Experience in the provision of legal, planning and/or other relevant trainings.
-Excellent command of Hebrew both written and orally.
-Fluency in written and oral Arabic is an advantage.
-Good command of English
-Experience in working with NRC is an advantage.



Consultancy: Technical support for the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission (C&WRC)/ Jerusalem Governorate and/or any other Government of Palestine (GoP) Entities and/ or Organizations:

The main objective of the consultancy is to maintain good relations and open communication channels with the Government of Palestine (GoP) and its entities, in relation to case referrals, coordination of legal and/or technical responses in various areas of the West Bank and increasing accessibility of NRC and its partners to different vulnerable communities. Additionally, the consultancy will provide those entities with legal and/or technical support and assistance to build their capacity, and support them in administering and managing their legal work. 

The Scope of Consultancy services:

-Maintain and ensure that the legal issues and cases handled by NRC partners is functioning and regularly updated, coordinated and communicated to the NRC.
-Coordinate and provide legal and technical support and follow up on the cases handled and funded by the aforementioned relevant GoP bodies, particularly in terms of HLP and planning cases.
-Maintain relevant legal knowledge and keep up to date with legal and technical developments and best practices in the West Bank.
-Support in managing the legal work of the external lawyers selected by the aforementioned relevant GoP bodies.
-Provide necessary support to relevant GoP bodies and other experts contracted by them, including planners, engineers and other technical experts.
-Provide information to the relevant GoP bodies on HLP legal cases adopted by the external lawyers selected by the PA bodies themselves.
-Increase cooperation between the relevant PA bodies and NRC in order to prevent displacement of Palestinians, settlement expansion, takeover of land and other similar policies and developments.
-Identify target communities and potential HLP legal cases requiring legal and/or technical aid to be adopted by NRC or jointly with any of the relevant GoP bodies’ lawyers.
-Assist the Bedouin communities in the West Bank in their efforts to resist forcible transfer.
-Liaise with other GoP agencies on relevant legal and/or technical issues.
-Work with NRC and its Partners, and other relevant actors, to identify patterns and trends in the Israeli judicial system and other relevant authorities, and develop sound and innovative legal arguments as well as strategies for and coordinating of legal interventions.
-Any other task as deemed relevant and agreed to with the NRC.

Minimum Skills and Qualifications Required:

-Minimum 10 years of experience working for the GoP or any of its institutes.
-Good relationship with the relevant different ministries of the GoP and other GoP bodies.
-An extensive legal understanding and knowledge of HLP and other legal issues in the West Bank.
-Knowledge of the working mechanisms within the planning committees in the Jerusalem Municipality and/or the Israeli Civil Administration Planning Committees.
-Experience in working with NRC is an advantage;
-Good command of English.
-Fluency in written and oral Arabic is an advantage.

Consultancy: Technical Engineering Services:

The main objective of this consultancy is to provide engineering services, advice and training to NRC partners and lawyers on plans and procedures, including services on how to challenge plans. The need for this consultancy rises from the complexity of planning schemes in Area C and/ or East Jerusalem of the West Bank (“West Bank”) and the need for plans and planning information to attain building permits in the West Bank.

The Scope of Consultancy services:

-Provide expert opinion for NRC and NRC partners on planning and zoning requirements as required.
-Initiate and Provide urban planning services for specific communities and localities in Area C and/ or East Jerusalem.
-Provide planning and zoning information for specific legal cases regarding HLP in Area C and/ or East Jerusalem, including the Old City of Jerusalem and Hebron Old City.
-Provide technical support for NRC partners by verifying applicability and relevance of documents against planning and building regulations currently in force.
-Support Palestinian communities in the West Bank in securing concrete development and building opportunities and rights, through appropriate spatial planning activities
-Advance solutions to address critical dysfunctionalities in the planning and development of Palestinian neighbourhoods, with a view to support the regularisation of unlicensed construction, to facilitate access to building permits and to enable the creation of public spaces.
-Obtain technical approval from the relevant Israeli Planning Authorities and Governmental departments and authorities.
-Perform the necessary modifications to the initiated plans until approval by relevant Israeli Planning Authorities.
-Enhance the capacity of NRC Partners to engage in engineering procedures.
-Conduct field visits for cases adopted by NRC Partners, when necessary to assess property and provision of advice.
-Provide testimonies or expert evidence to any court or planning authority, including the Local Affairs Court, District Court or the Supreme/High Court.
-Hold meetings with NRC as required in all aspects of the consultancy, including for planning and results assessments.
-Conduct a training for NRC internal lawyers, partners’ lawyers and junior engineers for relevant topics to be decided by NRC.

Minimum Skills and Qualifications Required:

-Minimum 10 years of experience in relevant fields of engineering services.
-Proof of success in previous planning projects or activities.
-An extensive understanding and knowledge of planning and zoning related issues in the West Bank.
-Access to planning schemes in Area C and/ or East Jerusalem and any other relevant planning information.
-Holding Israeli relevant licenses. 
-Experience in working with NRC is an advantage;
-Experience with relevant trainings.
-Excellent command of Hebrew both written and orally.
-Fluency in written and oral Arabic is an advantage.
-Good command of English

Applications

The following documents and certificates must be annexed to the expression of interest. It is mandatory, and according to the submitted documents a shortlist of candidates will be called for a follow up meeting as shown in the table below.;

-Curriculum Vitae and Copy of all relevant Certificates. The applicant’s skills and experience should reflect the minimum skills and requirements.
-Contact details for three references who know you in a professional capacity.

Applications will be assessed against the minimum skills and qualifications.

Manner of Submission

The deadline for submission of the interest is 16:00 hours on 8 May 2017 Late letters will not be accepted.

 

* All times are in the local time of Palestine
Please note all dates are provisional dates and NRC reserves the right to modify this schedule.

Requests for clarifications to be sent to the following email address: [email protected]  

Applications should be sent to the following email address, [email protected], or to NRC’s office at Sheikh Jarrah, Othman ibn Affan Street 23, Building no. 1

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