Աշխատանք և կարիերա

ՄՐՑՈւՅԹԻ ՏԵՍԱԿԸ՝ 

Consultancy

ՄԱՆՐԱՄԱՍՆ ՆԿԱՐԱԳՐՈւԹՅՈւՆ՝ 

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Background
The Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (RWI) is implementing the Supporting International Human Rights Law and Standards in Armenia programme, with financial support from Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). The overall objective of the Programme is to support targeted actors in Armenia to apply international human rights law and standards in their work.

This assignment concerns the cooperation with justice sector partners, and specifically engagement with the Ministry of Justice, the Centre for the Implementation of Legal Education and Rehabilitation Programmes (CILERP), and the Penitentiary Service on increasing compliance with international human rights standards for correctional service. A key priority identified in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice is the establishment of a state-delegated psychological support mechanism for victims of torture, in line with Armenia’s obligations under international law, including the United Nations Convention against Torture (UNCAT). While national legislation provides for the right to rehabilitation, practical access to specialised psychological services remains limited and fragmented.

The Government of Armenia is piloting a delegated service provision model, whereby psychological support services will be outsourced to qualified external providers under state oversight. This requires the development of a clear regulatory, contractual, and operational framework, including service standards, provider selection criteria, and oversight mechanisms.

In parallel, considering the rise in the number of deaths by suicide in Armenian penitentiary institutions in 2025, there is a continued need to strengthen the capacity of penitentiary staff to address mental health risks, including early identification and prevention of suicide risk and self-harm, which remains a critical issue in custodial settings.

RWI seeks to engage a qualified expert with substantial experience at the intersection of justice, human rights, and mental health systems (the Consultant). The assignment requires strong technical knowledge of international human rights standards, particularly in relation to torture prevention and rehabilitation, as well as practical expertise in the design and implementation of victim support or psychological service delivery mechanisms. The Consultant is expected to bring both strategic and operational insight, enabling them to support the development of sustainable, context-appropriate solutions and contribute to capacity strengthening within Armenian institutions.

Assignment
The objective of this assignment is twofold:
1. To support the Ministry of Justice and RWI in developing a legally grounded, operationally feasible, and standards-compliant mechanism for delegated psychological support to victims of torture; and
2. To design and deliver practical training on suicide prevention for penitentiary security staff, aligned with international standards and local institutional realities.

Scope of Work and Tasks

The Consultant will carry out the following tasks:

A. Development of the Delegated Psychological Support Mechanism
- Review the existing legal and policy framework, including:
a) National legislation (e.g. Civil Code, Criminal Procedure Code);
b) Relevant Government decrees; and
c) International standards, including UNCAT and General Comment No. 3.
- Analyse and adapt relevant delegated service delivery models in Armenia (e.g. counter trafficking in persons, domestic violence support systems).
- Develop minimum service standards for psychological support to victims of torture, including:
a) Professional qualifications and ethical requirements;
b) Service scope (psychological, referral, multidisciplinary aspects);
c) Technical and infrastructural requirements, including appropriate physical conditions for service provision; and
d) Safeguards (confidentiality, informed consent, victim-centred approach).
- Define eligibility criteria and referral pathways, including:
a) Institutional roles (Ministry of Justice, Investigative Committee, service providers (both NGO (as intermediary) and service provider /if applicable/);
b) Timing of access to services; and
c) Case management procedures.
- Develop criteria and standards for selecting service providers, including:
a) NGOs, licensed centres, or individual specialists;
b) Accreditation/licensing requirements; and
c) Quality assurance and monitoring mechanisms.
- Support the drafting and alignment of:
a) Terms of Reference for outsourcing the service; and
b) Contractual agreement framework between the Ministry of Justice, the selected service provider, and RWI; ensuring consistency with international standards and Armenian legal and institutional realities.
- Provide input into the pilot phase design, including:
a) Institutional setup;
b) Geographic scope; and
c) Basic costing considerations (in coordination with other experts, if applicable, and in line with applicable legislative requirements to enable their effective submission to the Ministry of Finance and ensure consistency with state budget planning procedures).

B. Capacity Building: Suicide Prevention Training
- Develop a training of trainers (ToT) style training module on mental health awareness tailored to security staff and with session covering:
a) Early identification on mental health concerns, suicide risk and self-harm, as well as associated risk factors;
b) Development of appropriate and effective response skills;
c) Prevention strategies in custodial environments;
d) Immediate response and first aid measures in cases of suicide attempts or self-harm;
e) Communication and interaction with detainees at risk;
f) Coordination with medical and psychological staff.
Training should be designed to be practical and scenario-based, aligned with international law and standards (e.g. Nelson Mandela Rules) and grounded in the Armenian penitentiary context.
- Deliver the ToT training sessions to security staff.
- Finalise ToT training module and identify recommendations for institutionalisation of the training within existing curricula.

C. Coordination and Reporting
- Participate in consultations and working meetings with key stakeholders;
- Present draft outputs for feedback and validation;
- Revise deliverables based on stakeholder input; and
- Provide a final report summarising outputs and recommendations.

Deliverables
The Consultant is expected to deliver:
- Analytical note on legal and institutional framework;
- Draft service standards and provider selection criteria;
- Draft ToR for outsourced service provider;
- Draft agreement/contract framework;
- ToT training module and materials on suicide and self-harm prevention;
- Delivery of at least one ToT session; and
- Final Consultancy report.

Time Frame

The assignment will be implemented over a period of approximately 2–4 months, for a total minimum of 15 working days and a maximum of 30 working days (one working day is eight hours). The assignment may be divided between up to two Consultants.

A work plan will be agreed with the Consultant(s) and the number of working days for will be agreed on a monthly basis at least two weeks in advance. The level of effort may be adjusted depending on progress and needs.

Financial Reimbursement

The maximum daily fee will be determined in line with RWI consultancy standards. Payments will be made based on approved deliverables and submission of invoices.

ՊԱՀԱՆՋՆԵՐ՝ 

Qualification and eligibility requirements for the assignment

- Advanced university degree in law, psychology, criminology, public policy, or a related field;
- At least 7 years of relevant professional experience in justice, human rights, and mental health systems;
- Demonstrated expertise working on the development and implementation of:
a)Victim support systems, rehabilitation, or psychological services; and
b)International human rights standards related to torture prevention and rehabilitation.
- Experience in developing regulatory frameworks, ToRs, or contractual arrangements;
- Proven experience in training development and delivery, preferably in penitentiary or law enforcement contexts;
- Strong analytical, drafting, and communication skills; and
- Excellent command of Armenian and English.

ԴԻՄԵԼՈւ ԿԱՐԳԸ՝ 

Interested candidates should submit:
- CV;
- Short technical proposal outlining approach to the assignment; and
- Financial proposal (daily rate).

Please submit your application to: mailto:office.yerevan@rwi.lu.se

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