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ABOUT CEPIL
The Center for Public Interest Law (CEPIL) is a non-partisan, not-for-profit Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) dedicated to making the pursuit of justice accessible and affordable for poor and marginalized communities and individuals. Our mission is to advocate for public interest, promote human rights, and ensure legal assistance is available to those who need it most.

CONSULTANCY OVERVIEW
As part of the implementation of interventions under the fair4all project which is done in partnership with Oxfam in Ghana, CEPIL seeks to procure the services of Research Consultants to undertake the following tasks:

1. Develop a Human Rights Scorecard on Extractive and Cocoa Value Chain Companies in Ghana
   o Objective: To create a comprehensive human rights scorecard to evaluate the performance of companies within the cocoa, gold, and petroleum value chains. This scorecard will be used to engage companies and active investors, including Dutch commercial banks, on Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) and human rights issues.
2. Review Existing Policy Brief on Cocoa-Mining Sector Value Chain
   o Objective: To review and update the current policy brief on the cocoa-mining sector value chain. The aim is to engage relevant stakeholders on the existing issues and recommendations, facilitating informed dialogue and policy development within the cocoa-mining value chain.

RESPONSIBILITES

For the scorecard development

• Identify key human rights indicators and benchmarks applicable to the sectors.
• Develop a robust methodology for assessing human rights practices in the cocoa, gold, and petroleum value chains.
• Conduct thorough research and analysis on the human rights performance of key companies in these sectors.
• Engage with stakeholders, including companies, investors, and local communities, to gather relevant information and validate findings.
• Compile findings into a comprehensive and accessible Human Rights Score Card that highlights compliance with FPIC and human rights standards.
• Provide actionable recommendations for companies and investors to improve their human rights practices.
• Present the scorecard and recommendations to CEPIL

For the review of policy document

• Review and analyze the existing policy brief on human rights issues within the cocoa and mining sectors.
• Identify gaps and areas for improvement within the current policy brief.
• Develop a detailed and actionable recommendations for policy and practice improvements as well as alignment with international human rights standards.
• Present the updated policy brief to CEPIL

QUALIFICATIONS

• Advanced degree in Human Rights, Law, Public Policy,Social Sciences, or a related field.
• Proven experience in policy analysis and human rights research and advocacy, particularly in the extractive and agricultural sectors.
• Strong understanding of FPIC and its application and the cocoa and mining sectors, particularly within the context of Ghana.
• in the context of Ghana.
• Excellent analytical, writing, research and communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and deliver high-quality outputs within stipulated timelines

DURATION
This consultancy should be delivered within a period of 6 weeks from the date of signing the agreement. However, for the review of policy brief, the successful applicant should;

1. Be ready to sign contracts by 1/08/2024
2. Deliver framework of the study by 8/08/24
3. Submit draft report for review on the 9/09/2024

APPLICATION PROCESS
Interested candidates should submit the following:

• A cover letter explaining your suitability and interest for the role, relevant skills, background,accomplishments and approach to the project.
• A sample of a previous development scorecard related to human rights or similar topics.
• A sample of previous research work related to human rights or similar topics.
• Brief proposal on the work and a proposed budget

Please send your application to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Research Consultant Application –Policy Brief Review or Scorecard Development” by Friday, 26th July, 2024 .Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

DETAILS OF THE PROGRAM
Agricultural value chains and extractive industries are key to many of Ghana’s economic, social and environmental challenges: notable among these are human rights violations and conflicts, perpetuation of inequalities and environmental degradation. In some instances, entire or significant parts of communities have been displaced to make way for new extractive industries and the development of export-led agricultural commodity value chains are adversely affected.

The ceding of farmland to mining has impoverished communities and impacted food production. Labour rights are being weakened in the large-scale mining sector due to outsourcing of employment, weak laws and limited enforcement of international standards. These problems are expected to worsen as Ghana opens its doors to more Foreign Direct Investment.

The Ghana FAIR for ALL programme has four main focus areas:

1. Strengthen local civil society to collect evidence of rights abuses in cocoa, petroleum and minerals (gold) value chains, support communities in seeking redress and hold public and private-sector actors to account.
2. Strengthen civil society to advocate towards mining companies, agribusinesses and their suppliers and traders, primarily through multi-stakeholder engagement and new business models, to advance women’s economic empowerment, prevent rights abuses and ensure a living income, specifically in cocoa and artisanal gold mining.
3. Promote fiscal and trade regimes that enable better domestic capture of value in value chains. Ensure value is redistributed to support local value chains that are owned and led by domestic enterprises.
4. Support civil society to influence budgetary processes, leading to a fairer and more equal Distribution of gains from cocoa, petroleum and minerals (gold).