Legal Analyst

August 2, 2021

Right to Protection (R2P) is a Ukrainian not-for profit organization. R2P is dedicated to protecting refugees who find themselves in Ukraine due to dire circumstances. R2P ensures the protection and human rights of other vulnerable migrants - the conflict affected, the internally displaced (IDPs), the stateless, the undocumented and those at risk of statelessness. R2P's key programmatic strengths are legal assistance, monitoring, advocacy as well as government and civil society capacity building. R2P has approximately 150 staff members working across Ukraine.

R2P takes part in a project ”Reducing Disaster Risk Vulnerability in Eastern Ukraine – Phase II” implemented by a Consortium led by ACTED with participation of IMPACT Initiatives and the Red Cross Movement (through the Danish Red Cross) and funded by the European Commission’s DG-ECHO, USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), FCDO, as well as by other donors.

This Project aims to reduce vulnerability to industrial/ecological risks (including exacerbated by the conflict) and enhance health response capacity in conflict-affected Eastern Ukraine. More specifically, the Project seeks to improve understanding of and promote measures towards increasing preparedness for industrial/ecological risks through area-based local planning and capacity-enhancing support on risk management through a range of activities, including the following (this list is not exhausted):

a) desk/field research of the strategic framework and documents available at national, regional and local levels to support hromadas along the contact line in taking on new responsibilities, incl. in disaster risk management (DRM), under decentralization reform;

b) development of recommendations for legislative/policy amendments (targeting national/regional authorities; international actors);

c) advocacy for the implementation of existing norms/laws and priorities and investments identified in local plans;

d) increased community and household awareness of risks and basic preparedness measures, etc.

R2P will lead two activities’ clusters: 1) analytical component (desk/field researches of legal and policy framework in the field of DRR), and 2) advocacy component (promotion of recommendations on improvement of legal and policy framework).

The Project will be implemented in the territories of Donetsk Oblast (Bakhmutsky, Pokrovsky, Volnovasky raions) and Luhansk Oblast (Sievierodetsky and Shchastinsky raions).

Conduction of desk/field study of strategic documents at national, regional and local levels against DRR aspects in the context of decentralization.

Legal Analyst will conduct a study/audit of the strategic framework and documents available at national, regional and local levels (incl. regulations, strategies, programs, action plans etc.) to support frontline hromadas in taking on new responsibilities, incl. in Disaster Risk Management, under decentralization reform.

Ukrainian authorities at all levels (especially at sub-national) face the necessity to change strategic documents permanently (or develop them anew) due to the ongoing decentralization process. The changing of raions’ borders and management, amalgamation of hromadas, and disestablishment of local councils (e.g. «mergers and acquisitions» in the local self-governance sector) result in a total restructuring of the Disaster Risk Reduction planning framework, and often the need to create such a framework from scratch. Therefore such a survey is required to serve as a DRR “quality check” review for this process. In addition, despite the fact that decentralization reform has been implemented in Ukraine since 2014, it is not the case for Donbass – due to the conflict, eastern Ukraine has been away from decentralization process for years. Now the situation is changing, and these changes affect the two eastern oblasts. As such, the timing is advantageous to integrate a risk-oriented approach into the DRR planning framework in Eastern Ukraine at regional and sub-regional level. R2P’s research will support hromadas along the contact line in the context of their new disaster risk management and response powers/obligations, resulting in better understanding of hromada responsibilities that will enable them to manage risks and thus reduce the humanitarian impact.

Research Methodology

The research methodology should be developed based on Sendai Framework priorities and will take into consideration the outcomes of the current 3P ECHO award. Special attention will be paid to linkages between different sectoral documents, as well as application of risk-oriented approach at all levels. Findings of the study will be shared to Consortium partners and members during the Multi-stakeholder DDR Platform meetings and will be linked to the activities implemented by ACTED and Red Cross (i.e. community-based DRM methodologies) whenever possible throughout the project implementation. Recommendations on how to improve programs and strategies for different sectors (specifically targeting the healthcare sector) should be elaborated. Proposals and suggestions regarding operationalization of action plans for these strategies and programs will be developed to ensure they both reflect and use DRR language/methodologies. During the studies, and to support local community resilience, attention may also be paid to inclusion of Family Emergency Plans (developed by Red Cross) into school programs and curricula and recommendations for local/raion authorities on the procedure of such inclusion may be elaborated (e.g. how this innovation might be formalised and implemented in educational process at schools). Similar recommendations might also be developed on the inclusion of Community Emergency Plans’ methodologies (developed by Red Cross) into Civil Protection strategic framework at raion/ local level.

Within the context of the desk research Legal Analyst will produce a written report that aims to shed light on the strategic framework and documents available at national, regional and local levels (incl. regulations, strategies, programs, action plans etc.). The report will be complemented by a set of relevant recommendations as indicated in Overall Activity Description above. It is expected that the content of the Report will be in line with other products to be developed by R2P/other 3P Consortium partners under this Project.

Besides, during the research Legal Analyst will be also responsible (in parallel to desk research) for organisation and conduction of the field research component, e.g. a series of meetings with public authorities at all levels, NGOs/INGOs etc. This component will be managed by Project Manager and supported by Project Advocacy Coordinator, Analytical Assistant and Field Officer.

Finally, it is expected that Legal Analyst will present the results of desk and field research at the events (Conferences/workshops etc.) to be organized by R2P and/or 3P Consortium partners.

The Legal Analyst as a member of the Project Team will be reported to the Project Manager and work in close cooperation with the R2P Advocacy Unit, as well as with R2P’s Field Officer.

  • Work autonomously within the scope of advocacy efforts identified by the Project Manager and the R2P Advocacy Coordinator.
  • Produce high quality and timely reports in line with donors’ guidelines within agreed deadlines.
  • Analyse policies, national laws and sub-laws (resolutions, orders, instructions), strategic documents (Strategies, Programs, Action Plans etc.), their synergies/overlaping with each other, and their consistency with international standards (incl. the Sendai Framework).
  • Liaise with the government authorities and Consortium partners.
  • Organize meetings with the main actors at the local, national and international levels.
  • Represent R2P at all relevant coordination fora with partner organizations as well as duty bearers.
  • Establish and maintain cooperation with the key duty bearers.
  • Comply with all relevant R2P policies and procedures, particularly with respect to the Code of Conduct.
  • Higher education in law, DRR, conflict studies or other relevant field.
  • Proven capacity to conduct lobbying and advocacy activities, design and produce quality knowledge products, including policy and legal papers, etc.
  • Minimum five years of work experience in the field of advocacy and/or legal practice. Experience of working with the Ukrainian Parliament and Ukrainian executive state institutions and a background in DRR issues are a strong asset.
  • Excellent ability to communicate effectively in English, Ukrainian and Russian, both verbally and in writing.
  • Ability to work independently and to meet deadlines.
  • Excellent analytical and presentation skills, as well as attention to detail.
  • R2P will offer the successful applicant a contract till 31 August 2022 in line with Ukrainian legislation, renewable dependent on funding and performance;
  • Playing a part in Disaster Risk Reduction processes in Ukraine;
  • Opportunity to work with one of the strongest Ukrainian human rights and humanitarian NGOs;
  • Mentorship;
  • Room for professional growth;
  • Fun and energetic team;
  • Respect for work/life balance.

Send a cover letter and resume to [email protected] with the title ‘Legal Analyst’. Responses will be sent only to those individuals who were selected for interview. No phone calls, please.