BLAST, a national legal service organization, is undertaking a study to assess the impact of a project involving the provision of a mobile legal clinic on the increase in knowledge and capacity of women in increase access to justice for poor, socially excluded and marginalized women in urban slums through the informal and formal justice systems.

Background:
BLAST has completed a two-year project running a mobile legal clinic has which provided legal information, advice and referrals in three slum areas of Dhaka city to about 1000 direct beneficiaries, and reaching about 30,000 persons in total through regular visits to particular communities and paralegals’ providing information about legal rights and remedies and on the spot delivery of legal advice, conducting legal awareness sessions and legal aid camps in the community, and making referrals to government and non-governmental legal aid programmes.

Context:

In recent years, Bangladesh has made significant strides in both economic and human development indicators. The 2014 HDI report has placed Bangladesh in a group of ‘Highlighted 18 countries’ that saw rapid progress in human development in the past year. Additionally, Bangladesh's HDI showed a significant overall increase of 0.7 per cent last year, placing it in the medium human development category.

The rapid development and growth of the economy means that Bangladesh is gradually transitioning into a Middle Income Country with a significant shift of people to the work force and faster urbanization. Some 12 million people live in the capital, Dhaka, a number that is projected to grow to 22 million by 2015 (World Bank, 2007:101). An estimated one-third of the city’s population live in slums (CUS et al., 2006). People who live in slums are lacking in wealth, power and social connections; probably under-counted in national surveys; and under-served by both government and non-government organisations, whose focus has traditionally been on rural development. In a 2005 survey (CUS et al., 2006), 61% of slums in Dhaka had problems with flooding, a few had no electricity, 80% had very poor housing, nearly all had very high population density, and 9% lacked security of tenure. Urban areas host some of the most severe poverty and social conditions in Bangladesh.Women in urban slums are among the most vulnerable to violence and insecurity. Research shows that urban women are half as likely as those in rural areas to feel safe in the community, and poorer women are more likely to be subject to domestic violence.

Violence against women and girls manifests in various forms including rape, sexual harassment and domestic violence. Domestic violence is widely considered to be a private matter, often even by service providers. Prevalent patriarchal notions view wives as subordinate to husbands and condone violence perpetrated within the family. also have a negative impact on women’s ability and willingness to seek protection and legal redress.

The vulnerability of women is further compounded by their inability to easily claim their economic entitlements and share in marital property, both during marriage and after its dissolution, despite making substantial contributions to family homes, businesses, and assets. Fear of destitution forces many women to remain in violent and abusive marriages. Divorced or widowed women often do not fare much better than their married counterparts, being forced to endure economic hardship - losing marital homes, pulling children out of school or in extreme cases, being reduced to begging to survive.

Access to justice is severely limited for women from Dhaka’s slums, including those working in the formal, or informal economy. The cost of services and the time and transportation needed to travel long distances for advice or services are prohibitive. Institutional innovations – such as the One-Stop Crisis Centre (OSC) at Dhaka Medical College Hospital or Victim Support Centre (VSC) (under the Police) in Tejgaon in Dhaka still remain largely inaccessible to women in slums due to their distance, and the lack of information.

Within this context, BLAST initiated a project to provide a Mobile Legal Clinic, with two paralegals conducting regular visits to outlying areas of Dhaka city, to provide information and advice to women and girls on their legal rights and remedies, including in relation to rights in the family and at work, as well as in relation to gender-based violence.

Scope of Work:

This impact assessment, based on agreed indicators and review of implementation process will identify the key learnings and challenges from the project. Research questions should be incorporated in the project proposal. .
                                                                                                                            
Purpose of the Impact Assessment:

• To assess the effectiveness of the legal services delivery and community legal awareness sessions.
• To assess how efficiently the inputs and activities produced expected deliverables under the project.
• To assess the extent to which the strategies, plans and approaches adopted were relevant to access to justice for the targeted communities. 
• To assess the impact of the project in line with the results indicators, as well as key challenges and learnings.
• To identify the sustainability of this model of legal service delivery and potential for linkage with existing government and non-government services.

Methodology:

The study shall adopt qualitative and quantitative methods to collect information for both primary and secondary sources, and will incorporate participatory methods, and will include:

• a primary survey with beneficiaries using both quantitative and qualitative methods
• Appropriate selection of a sample size ensuring that the sample design causes the least sampling error.
• a study design, data collection process and analysis that generates findings consistent with the study objectives.

Responsibilities of consultant:

• Carrying out secondary data review
• Developing study sampling methodology
• Developing data collection methodology
• Developing data collection tools
• Training of study enumerators
• Ensuring field data collection and data quality checking
• Data analysis
• Producing draft report and making a presentation
• Completing a full report based on study findings, stipulating learning parameters for measuring results (output, outcome and impact)

Expected Deliverables:

• Detailed study design and implementation plan
• Data collection tools
• Sampling framework
• Inception report
• Draft  report
• P presentation of findings
• Final report
• Raw questionnaire, field notes and data base

Performance Period:
The impact assessment is planned to take place in project areas in Dhaka city in January - February, 2018.

Timeline:25 days from the date of agreement signing

Evaluation Criteria:
Minimum of 5 years of experience in :

• Conducting socio-legal research
• Evaluation of projects regarding delivery of community services, if possible in urban areas
• Understanding about gender based violence/ labour rights/ access to justice
• Experience in gender analysis
• Developing high quality analytical papers and reports.

Criteria for consultant selection:

How to Apply

Consultant/s/firm that meet the requirements outlined above are invited to submit a technical and financial proposal to BLAST at purchase@blast.org.bd no later than 5:00pm on 18th January, 2018.