Position title: Consultant
Expected period of commitment: 25 days
Application deadline: Thursday, 9 July 2015
Location: Male’, Maldives
View/download the Terms of Reference
1. Organization Background
Transparency Maldives (TM) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that endeavors to be a constructive force in society by promoting collaboration and discussion on corruption, transparency and accountability. Our organization seeks to engage with stakeholders from all sectors (government, business, politics and civil society, among others) to raise awareness of corruption’s detrimental effects on development and society, improve transparency and accountability in governance, and eliminate corruption from the daily lives of people. Transparency Maldives received formal government registration in 2007, and is the National Contact of Transparency International (TI) in the Maldives.
Under TMs “Promoting transparency and accountability through right to information” project funded by the Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit, TM aims to undertake further advocacy, training and lobbying to support the successful implementation of the Right to Information Act.
2. Background to the assignment.
One of the key areas of TMs work is focused on promoting access to information for increased transparency and accountability in order to build public confidence in institutions and pillars of the state. We work to empower people to utilize access to information as a tool to eliminate corruption in day-to-day life by creating a strong access to information regime. In the past, TM has worked under different projects, advocating for a best practice Right to Information (RTI) Act that was passed in December 2013 and ratified in January 2014, and training stakeholders across the country to increase awareness on the processes for implementing the legislation. Building on this, TM plans to review and provide recommendations on the new RTI Regulation.
3. Purpose of the Assignment
TM is seeking the services of a consultant to conduct a comprehensive review of the Maldives RTI Regulation through a consultative process to improve the Regulation based on the existing RTI Act, and produce a revised draft of the RTI Regulation. The consultant will work closely with TM and relevant authorities throughout the assignment.
4. Responsibilities of the consultant
- Review of international, regional RTI Acts, Guidelines and Regulations, in particular from areas of strong access to information regimes and compare with the Maldives RTI Regulation.
- Explore possible improvements, to the Maldives RTI Regulation taking on board progressive modalities of RTI Regulations and Guidelines.
- Conduct consultations with national stakeholders, in particular the Information Commissioner’s Office and relevant partners of TM.
- Make recommendations to strengthen the Regulation, adopting international and regional standards with specific considerations of national processes and structures.
5. Duration of the Assignment: 25 days, with expected start date in 16 July 2015. The consultant is expected to be in Malé, Maldives for the duration of the assignment.
6. Competencies
- Bachelor’s degree in Law, preferably with a Postgraduate/Master’s qualification.
- Ability to research, analyze and synthesize policies and regulations
- Ability to clearly and concisely express ideas and concepts in written and oral form.
- Excellent spoken and written English and Dhivehi.
- Excellent translation skills from Dhivehi to English and vice versa.
- Good interpersonal skills and ability to set priorities and manage time.
- Experience in legal drafting.
Closing date for applications: Before 4:00pm, Thursday 9 July 2015.
Application and selection procedures:
Interested applicants are kindly requested to submit a CV, Expression of Interest stating why the applicant is suitable for the position, the timeframe, fee, and names of two referees to Executive Director, Mariyam Shiuna at [email protected].
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews. If you are short-listed you will be notified by either phone or email.