WOMEN AGAINST VIOLENCE AND EXPLOITATION IN SOCIETY (WAVES-SL)

4 Amara Street Shellmingo, Bo City, Sierra Leone | Funded by Protection International (Collective Protection Fund – FSM)

TERMS OF REFERENCE

For the Engagement of a Consultant

Activity 1.3&1.5– Legal Research on Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation （SLAPP） Patterns, SLAPP Guidebook Development, and Psychosocial Group Therapy

Project: Strengthening the Protection and Resilience of Women Human Rights Defenders and Civil Society Actors in Bo City, Sierra Leone

Issuing Organisation	Women Against Violence and Exploitation in Society (WAVES-SL)
Funder	Protection International – Collective Protection Fund （FSM）
Project Title	Strengthening the Protection and Resilience of WHRDs and CSOs in Bo City, Sierra Leone
Project Duration	12 Months: 01 February 2026 – 31 January 2027
Activity Reference	Activity 1.3 & 1.5 – Legal Research on SLAPP Patterns, SLAPP Guidebook Development, and Psychosocial Group Therapy (Objectives 3 & 4)
Consultancy Duration	22 working days: Tuesday 28 July 2026 – Wednesday 26 August 2026
Location	Bo City, Sierra Leone (with field visits/consultations as required)
Application Deadline	Monday 20 July 2026, 5:00 pm Sierra Leone Local Time
Submission Email	wavesrights@gmail.com
Language of Work	English (proficiency in Krio an asset)

1. Background and Context

Women Against Violence and Exploitation in Society (WAVES-SL) is a women-led civil society organisation and a network of women human rights defenders based in Bo City, Sierra Leone. WAVES-SL is implementing a 12-month project funded by Protection International under the Collective Protection Fund (FSM) to strengthen the protection and resilience of Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Bo City, running from 01 February 2026 to 31 January 2027.

Civic space in Sierra Leone remains constrained by restrictive legislation; including the 1965 Public Order Act, the 2021 Cybercrime Act, and the 2025 National Counter-Terrorism Act; selective enforcement, harassment, and Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs). Women activists face a compounded burden: they are targeted not only for their advocacy but also subjected to gender-specific threats, online harassment, defamation, and public shaming, which drive self-censorship and erode the psychosocial well-being of WHRDs and grassroots CSO staff.

Activity 1.3 builds directly on the foundational Baseline Assessment and the Bo Collective Protection Network （BCPN） established under Activity 1.0, and on the initial training and psychosocial engagement delivered under Activities 1.1 and 1.2. It contributes to two of the project’s four objectives: Objective 4 (Build legal resilience against SLAPPs) and Objective 3 (Psychosocial and well-being support). Given the direct dependency between the legal research findings and the guidebook that translates them into an accessible resource, Activity 1.5 (Draft and publish SLAPP guidebook; counsellor sessions) is combined with Activity 1.3 under this single consultancy, ensuring continuity between the research and its practical output and avoiding a handover gap between separate contracts. Findings and outputs from the legal research will directly inform the SLAPP guidebook produced under this same consultancy and the forthcoming legal resilience training (Activity 1.6), while the additional counsellor sessions under Activity 1.5 will extend and sustain the psychosocial support pathway for the project’s core beneficiary cohort.

2. Purpose of the Consultancy

WAVES-SL is seeking a qualified consultant, or a small consultancy team, to lead the implementation of Activity 1.3 and Activity 1.5, delivered together as a single, continuous consultancy. The consultancy comprises three integrated components delivered over a 22 working-day period:

• Component A – Legal Research: mapping patterns of SLAPPs, defamation suits, and legal harassment used against WHRDs, journalists, and CSOs in Bo City and, where relevant, the wider Southern Province; and
• Component B – Psychosocial Group Therapy: delivering an extended series of confidential, trauma-informed group therapy sessions (including additional counsellor sessions under Activity 1.5) to the project’s core beneficiary cohort, building on the psychosocial baseline and prior sessions delivered under Activity 1.2; and
• Component C – SLAPP Guidebook (Activity 1.5): drafting, designing, and publishing a plain-language SLAPP guidebook for WHRDs, journalists, and CSOs in Bo City, based directly on the findings of the Component A legal research.

The consultant(s) may bid for all three components as a team (e.g., a legal researcher/writer paired with a licensed counsellor/psychosocial practitioner, with shared or supplementary design/publishing support for the guidebook) or, where WAVES-SL determines it more appropriate, the components may be awarded to separate specialists under coordinated supervision.

3. Scope of Work and Key Tasks

3.1 Work Stream A: Legal Research on SLAPP Patterns

The consultant will:

• Review Activity 1.0 baseline findings, BCPN referral mapping, and relevant project documentation to ground the research in the current risk context.
• Design a research methodology combining: (i) desk review of the 1965 Public Order Act, 2021 Cybercrime Act, 2025 National Counter-Terrorism Act, and relevant case law; (ii) a review of documented and alleged cases of legal harassment, defamation suits, and SLAPP-type actions against WHRDs, journalists, and CSOs; and (iii) key informant interviews (KIIs) with affected WHRDs/CSO representatives, legal practitioners, paralegals, and, where feasible, court officials in Bo City.
• Conduct a minimum of 12 KIIs, applying informed consent and confidentiality safeguards throughout.
• Map and analyse patterns across identified cases, including: provisions of law invoked, profile of complainants/plaintiffs, procedural tactics used to intimidate or silence defendants, and outcomes.
• Identify gaps in legal protection and prioritised recommendations to inform the SLAPP guidebook (Work Stream C, this consultancy) and the forthcoming legal resilience training (Activity 1.6).
• Produce a Legal Research Report on SLAPP Patterns setting out methodology, findings, case pattern analysis, and recommendations.

Note on scope: this work stream is strictly limited to research, documentation, and analysis. It does not include the provision of legal aid, case representation, or emergency legal defence to individuals; any individuals identified as requiring urgent legal assistance during the research must be referred through the existing BCPN referral pathway to pre-vetted external legal aid providers, consistent with the project’s agreed funding boundaries.

3.2 Work Stream B: Psychosocial Group Therapy

The consultant (a qualified, licensed counsellor, psychologist, or psychosocial practitioner) will:

• Review Activity 1.0 baseline psychosocial findings and any records from prior sessions delivered under Activity 1.2 to identify continuing needs and priority participants.
• Conduct brief, confidential individual intake/check-ins with participants to screen for wellbeing needs and identify any cases requiring specialised referral (signposting only, in line with the BCPN referral protocol – no provision of emergency or crisis mental health services).
• Facilitate a minimum of 6 women-only, trauma-informed group therapy sessions during the consultancy period for the project’s core cohort of WHRDs, focused on stress management, coping strategies, peer solidarity, and resilience in relation to harassment- and SLAPP-related stress; the additional two sessions (beyond the original four under Activity 1.3) constitute the counsellor sessions of Activity 1.5.
• Maintain strictly confidential, anonymised attendance and participation records.
• Document session themes, participant feedback, and emerging needs to inform subsequent sessions and the planned wellness retreats (Activity 1.4 onward).
• Produce a Psychosocial Group Therapy Report summarising sessions delivered, participation, key themes, and recommendations.

3.3 Work Stream C: SLAPP Guidebook Development (Activity 1.5)

The consultant will:

• Translate the findings, case patterns, and recommendations of the Legal Research Report (Work Stream A) into a clear, plain-language SLAPP guidebook for WHRDs, journalists, and CSOs in Bo City.
• Structure the guidebook to explain, in accessible language, what a SLAPP is, how to recognise early warning signs, practical steps to take if targeted, and where to access support through the BCPN referral pathway.
• Circulate a draft guidebook to WAVES-SL and a small review group of WHRDs/CSO representatives for feedback and validation.
• Finalise the design and layout of the guidebook (print-ready and digital/accessible formats) incorporating WAVES-SL’s feedback.
• Publish and hand over the final SLAPP guidebook to WAVES-SL, together with the source design files, ready for print and/or digital distribution to WHRDs, CSOs, and BCPN partners.
• Deliver the two additional counsellor sessions of Activity 1.5 (see Work Stream B, Section 3.2) during the guidebook drafting period, ensuring continuity of psychosocial support to the beneficiary cohort.

Note on scope: the guidebook must present general legal information and protective guidance only; it must not be presented as, or substitute for, individualised legal advice, and should direct individuals seeking case-specific assistance to the BCPN referral pathway.

4. Deliverables and Milestones

The consultant (s) shall produce the following deliverables, each subject to review and written approval by WAVES-SL before the payment linked to that deliverable is processed:

#	Deliverable	Work Stream	Due Date	Day
1	Inception Note: confirmed methodology, KII/intake schedule, group therapy/counsellor session plan, and guidebook outline, for the 22-day period	A, B & C	30 July 2026	Day 3
2	Progress Update: legal research data collection (desk review and KIIs) substantially complete; first two group therapy sessions delivered	A & B	6 August 2026	Day 8
3	Draft Legal Research Report on SLAPP Patterns; third group therapy session delivered	A & B	11 August 2026	Day 11
4	Final Legal Research Report on SLAPP Patterns; fourth group therapy session delivered	A & B	14 August 2026	Day 14
5	Draft SLAPP Guidebook (Work Stream C) circulated to WAVES-SL and WHRD/CSO review group for feedback; fifth group therapy/counsellor session (Activity 1.5) delivered	B & C	20 August 2026	Day 18
6	Final, published SLAPP Guidebook (Work Stream C), including design/source files; Psychosocial Group Therapy Report covering all six sessions; sixth counsellor session (Activity 1.5) delivered; consultancy close-out	B & C	26 August 2026	Day 22

5. Indicative Work Plan and Timeline

The consultancy is expected to be completed within twenty-two (22) working days, from Tuesday 28 July 2026 to Wednesday 26 August 2026. The consultant may propose refinements in the Inception Note.

Days	Dates (2026)	Key Activities	Output
1–3	28–30 July	Introductory meeting with WAVES-SL; review of baseline/BCPN documents; finalise legal research instruments and KII list; finalise group therapy session plan and participant list.	Inception Note
4–8	31 July – 6 August	Conduct desk review and KIIs for legal research; conduct participant intake; deliver group therapy Sessions 1–2.	Progress Update
9–11	7–11 August	Complete data analysis and pattern mapping; draft Legal Research Report; deliver group therapy Session 3.	Draft Legal Research Report
12–14	12–14 August	Finalise Legal Research Report incorporating WAVES-SL feedback; deliver group therapy Session 4.	Final Legal Research Report
15–19	17–21 August	Begin drafting the SLAPP Guidebook based on Legal Research Report findings; circulate draft to WAVES-SL and a WHRD/CSO review group for feedback; deliver group therapy/counsellor Session 5 (Activity 1.5).	Draft SLAPP Guidebook
20–22	24–26 August	Finalise guidebook design and layout incorporating feedback; publish and hand over the final SLAPP Guidebook; deliver group therapy/counsellor Session 6 (Activity 1.5); compile Psychosocial Group Therapy Report; consultancy close-out.	Final Reports

 

 

 

6. Required Qualifications and Experience

6.1 Legal Researcher / Guidebook Author (Work Streams A & C)

• A Bachelor’s degree in Law, Human Rights, or a closely related field; a legal practice qualification is an advantage.
• At least five (5) years of experience in legal research, human rights documentation, media/civic freedoms law, or litigation relevant to defamation, SLAPPs, or criminalisation of dissent.
• Demonstrated experience conducting key informant interviews and analysing legal case patterns.
• Familiarity with Sierra Leone’s legal framework, including the Public Order Act, Cybercrime Act, and National Counter-Terrorism Act, is strongly preferred.
• Excellent report writing skills in English, including the ability to translate technical legal analysis into a clear, plain-language guidebook for a lay, non-legal audience.
• Prior experience producing accessible guidebooks, toolkits, or similar plain-language legal resources, including managing design/layout and print or digital publication, is highly desirable.

6.2 Psychosocial Counsellor / Group Therapy Facilitator (Work Stream B)

• A recognised qualification in psychology, counselling, social work, or a closely related clinical field, with a valid licence/certification to practise.
• At least three (3) years of experience delivering trauma-informed individual or group therapy, preferably with human rights defenders, survivors of gender-based violence, or activists operating in high-stress environments.
• Demonstrated ability to facilitate confidential, women-only support spaces sensitively and professionally.
• Familiarity with referral protocols and the limits of a short-term, non-emergency psychosocial support mandate.

6.3 Desirable (Both Roles)

• Prior experience working with women’s rights organisations or WHRDs, preferably in Sierra Leone or West Africa.
• Knowledge of Protection International’s protection programming approach or equivalent (e.g., UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, Front Line Defenders).
• Prior experience working in Bo City or the Southern Province of Sierra Leone.
• Proficiency in Krio.

7. Management and Supervision

The consultant(s) will be contracted by and report directly to the WAVES-SL Executive Director. Day-to-day coordination will be managed by the WAVES-SL Project Coordinator, who will serve as the primary point of contact throughout the assignment.

Given the compressed 22 working-day timeline, brief check-in meetings (in person or via video call) will be held at least twice weekly to review progress, address emerging issues, and provide feedback on draft outputs. All deliverables must be submitted to WAVES-SL for review; final written approval is required before any associated payment is released.

The consultant(s) will conduct field activities (interviews, intake sessions, and group therapy facilitation) in Bo City. WAVES-SL will provide introductions to BCPN partners and research/therapy participants, facilitate access to a private and appropriate venue for group therapy sessions, and supply relevant project documentation.

8. Ethical Standards and Safeguarding

The consultant(s) must comply with the following requirements throughout the assignment:

• Maintain strict confidentiality of all data, case information, and personal identities of research participants, KII respondents, and group therapy participants, both during and after the consultancy.
• Apply a do-no-harm, gender-sensitive, and trauma-informed approach in all interactions, with particular sensitivity to the security and psychosocial risks of participating WHRDs and CSOs.
• Obtain prior, informed, and voluntary consent from all individuals consulted or participating in group therapy, ensuring anonymity in reporting unless explicit written permission is given.
• Ensure group therapy sessions are held in a safe, private, and confidential setting, and that no personal disclosures made in-session are reported or attributed in any project deliverable.
• Adhere to WAVES-SL’s Safeguarding Policy and to Protection International’s Code of Conduct for consultants.
• Immediately report to the WAVES-SL Executive Director any safeguarding concerns, security incidents, or ethical dilemmas that arise during the consultancy, including any participant disclosures indicating imminent risk.
• Refer any case requiring emergency legal assistance or urgent mental health/crisis intervention to the appropriate pre-vetted external provider via the BCPN referral pathway; the consultancy itself does not fund or provide emergency legal or mental health services.
• Ensure all data collected is stored securely (encrypted where digital), used only for the purposes of this consultancy, and destroyed or transferred to WAVES-SL upon completion.

9. Financial Arrangements

The total consultancy fee shall be agreed and fixed in the contract. Payment will be made in three tranches linked to the acceptance of deliverables, as outlined below:

Tranche	Trigger (Deliverable Approved)	Deliverables Covered	% of Fee
1st	Approval of the Inception Note	Inception Note (Deliverable 1)	80%
3rd	Approval of the Final Legal Research Report, SLAPP Guidebook and Psychosocial Group Therapy Report	Deliverables 5–6	20%

 

The consultant（s） are responsible for all applicable taxes, social security contributions, and professional insurance in accordance with Sierra Leone law. Financial proposals must be submitted in Sierra Leone Leones (SLE) and must be all-inclusive of consultant fees.

10. Application Requirements

Interested and qualified candidates （individuals or teams） are invited to submit a complete application package comprising the following documents:

• Cover Letter （maximum 2 pages）: outlining interest in the assignment, suitability, and understanding of the context and scope of work.
• Curriculum Vitae （CV） for each proposed team member （maximum 4 pages each）: with at least two professional references (name, title, organisation, email, and telephone number).
• For the psychosocial counsellor: evidence of relevant licensure/certification.
• Technical Proposal （maximum 4 pages）: setting out the proposed methodology for each work stream, a work plan aligned to the 22 working-day timeline, and any proposed adaptations to the scope of work.
• Financial Proposal （separate document）: detailing the total consultancy fee （inclusive of all professional charges）, with any reimbursable field costs itemised separately.
• Writing/Practice Samples: at least one example of previous relevant work (e.g., legal research report, plain-language guidebook or toolkit, case documentation, or group therapy facilitation report/reference), produced within the past three years.

Applications must be submitted by email to wavesrights@gmail.com with the subject line “Application – Activity 1.3&1.5Consultant, WAVES-SL” no later than Monday 20 July 2026 at 5:00 pm Sierra Leone Local Time.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. WAVES-SL reserves the right to cancel this recruitment process at any stage without incurring liability.

11. Selection Process and Evaluation Criteria

Applications will be evaluated using the following weighted criteria. Shortlisted candidates may be invited for a brief technical interview.

Evaluation Criterion	Sub-criteria	Weight
Relevant qualifications and professional background	Education, licensure/certification, years of experience, sector relevance	20%
Demonstrated experience in legal research, plain-language guidebook development, and/or trauma-informed group therapy	Quality and relevance of writing/practice samples; past reports or references	25%
Understanding of context and ethical/safeguarding standards	Sensitivity to WHRD risk context, confidentiality, and do-no-harm approach	20%
Quality of Technical Proposal	Clarity of methodology, feasibility of the 22-day work plan, analytical rigour	25%
Financial Proposal （value for money）	Reasonableness of fee relative to scope and experience	10%
TOTAL		100%

12. Enquiries and Further Information

All questions or requests for clarification regarding this Terms of Reference must be submitted in writing to WAVES-SL by email at least three （3） working days before the application deadline. Responses to substantive questions will be shared with all prospective applicants to ensure a fair and transparent process.

Organisation	Women Against Violence and Exploitation in Society (WAVES-SL)
Location	4 Amara Street Shellmingo, Bo City, Sierra Leone
Contact Email	wavesrights@gmail.com
Contact Telephone	+232 76 300 009
Reference	Activity 1.3 &1.5Consultant ToR July – August 2026

 

Issued by:	Authorised signatory:
Women Against Violence and Exploitation in Society (WAVES-SL) Bo City, Sierra Leone	Hannah Fatmata Yambasu Executive Director, WAVES-SL Date: July 2026

 

This Terms of Reference is issued under the project “Strengthening the Protection and Resilience of Women Human Rights Defenders and Civil Society Actors in Bo City, Sierra Leone,” funded by Protection International (Collective Protection Fund – FSM). Grant Period:01February 2026 –31January 2027.