ASF IS LOOKING FOR A NATIONAL CONSULTANT TO CONDUCT A STUDY ON THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF PRE-TRIAL DETENTION IN UGANDA. Project Rights Behind Bars: Protecting Legal Safeguards for Pre-Trial Detainees in Uganda Objective of the assignment The main objective of the study is to assess the current socio- economic impact of pre-trial detention in Uganda, building on lessons garnered from the baseline conducted under phase 1 of the project. Profile of the consultant The consultant should have the following skills and experience: 1. An advanced degree in law, sociology, human rights, or Monitoring and Evaluation. 2. At least ten (10) years’ experience working on detention, rights-based programming, and access to justice themes in Uganda. 3. Substantial knowledge of the roles and functions of different actors involved in matters of detention in the context of Uganda. 4. Experience in accessing detention facilities and engagement with detainees. 5. Proficiency in English and knowledge of local languages is a comparative advantage. Availability 25 working days from 4th May, 2026 ASF Contact and deadline Applications must be submitted by the 30th of April 2026 along with; (a) A Cover letter expressing interest in undertaking the consultancy. (b) A CV demonstrating relevant skills and experience and names of at least 2 references, preferably from organizations with which the consultant has conducted similar types of work. (c) Indicative budget for consultant fees, detailing the activities and field expenses (the consultancy budget is between 8000 to 9000Euros). (d) Technical proposal (e) Sample of similar work done in the past (Mandatory) (f) Declaration of availability from mid-April to May 2026. The documents should be submitted to oug-job@asf.be with cc to Sjlucima@asf.be and Mdlwanga@asf.be under the subject line Consultancy -Baseline RBB Project. Conditions Kindly note: a) ASF provides equal opportunities to all persons, hence invites all suitably qualified candidates to apply regardless of sex, religion, or race. b) Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. c) For further inquiries about the same, please contact Mdlwanga@asf.be. Overview of Avocats Sans Frontières Avocats Sans Frontières (ASF) is an international NGO established in 1992, specialising in the defence of human rights and support for justice. ASF has field offices in Burundi, Chad, the Central African Republic, Indonesia, Morocco, and Central African Republics, DRC, Tunisia, and Uganda. Website: www.asf.be ASF has over 25 years of experience in delivering legal aid worldwide. On issues of detention, ASF has consolidated an institutional strategy that combines a legal approach, offering people in custody access to justice and a review of the legality of their detention, with a contextual analysis of the social, economic, and political approaches to detention that lead to excessive deprivation of liberty. Project Brief The Rights Behind Bars project is funded by the Austrian Development Agency and is implemented by Avocats Sans Frontières in partnership with the Legal Aid Service Providers Network (LASPNET). The project duration is September 2025 to August 2028. Project Overall Objective To contribute to the realization of the rule of law in the administration of justice in Uganda. Project Specific Objective To strengthen the promotion, protection, and respect of constitutional and procedural rights of pre-trial detention in Uganda Expected Results Result 1: Civil society and LASPs improve their methods of engagement with duty bearers for the respect and protection of constitutional and procedural rights. Result 2: Legal aid services are provided to pre-trial detainees to enhance access to procedural and constitutional rights Result 3 : Targeted advocacy initiatives are used to advance positive reforms Priority areas of implementation The project is implemented in ten districts in Uganda, and these are: Arua, Yumbe (Westnile), Gulu, Kitgum, Lamwo (Acholi), Kiryandongo, Masindi, Hoima (Albertine), Kampala, and Wakiso districts in the central region. Objectives of the Consultancy The main objectives of the consultancy are to assess the current socio-economic impact of pre-trial detention in Uganda, building on lessons garnered from the baseline conducted under phase 1 of the project. The consultancy will be undertaken in the ten (10) project-targeted districts. More specifically, the baseline will seek to explore the following: 1. Trends and patterns of detention and the social-economic consequences of pre-trial detention on detainees, families, and communities. 2. Identify systemic, legal, and procedural factors contributing to prolonged pre- trial detention for petty offences. 3. Analyze the extent to which prolonged pre-trial detention disproportionately affects vulnerable groups, including persons accused of petty offences, with a focus on women, persons living with disabilities, and refugees. 4. Provide policy and practice recommendations f
