National Consultant to conduct training needs assessment for criminal justice institutions to strengthen case management systems, Kampala, Uganda

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is mandated to support Member States in strengthening crime prevention, criminal justice systems, and the rule of law in line with international standards and norms. In Uganda, UNODC is implementing the project “Promoting Accountability, Integrity and Transparency in Justice”, with the support of the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), aimed at enhancing institutional accountability, integrity, and effectiveness across the justice and anti-corruption landscape. Despite ongoing reforms, Uganda continues to face challenges related to case management inefficiencies, corruption, limited investigative and enforcement capacity, and constraints affecting access to justice and accountability outcomes. Addressing these challenges requires evidence-based diagnostics to identify systemic, institutional, and operational gaps across criminal justice and law enforcement institutions. Within this context, UNODC seeks to undertake targeted needs assessments to generate actionable evidence that will inform technical assistance, capacity development programmes, and policy engagement under the ADA-supported project. The assessments are intended to strengthen decision-making, improve sequencing of interventions and training design, and ensure that project activities are responsive to identified needs and aligned with national priorities. In particular, findings from the assessments will directly inform the co-creation, development, and implementation of gender-transformative training programmes for national criminal justice actors under Activity 1.1.2, including the design of curricula that integrate accountability, transparency, and gender-responsive approaches. The findings of the assessments will support UNODC and national stakeholders in designing and implementing focused interventions to improve justice sector performance, anti-corruption enforcement, and accountability mechanisms, while ensuring consistency with human rights, gender equality, and good governance principles.

Purpose of the assignment

The purpose of this assignment is to conduct a training needs assessment of criminal justice institutions in Uganda, with a specific focus on strengthening case management systems and capacities to make effective use of them across the justice chain. The assessment will examine institutional, procedural, and system-level factors affecting case flow, coordination, efficiency, and accountability from arrest through adjudication, detention, and post-custodial processes. The assessment will identify gaps, bottlenecks, and opportunities for improving case management practices, including the use of data, coordination mechanisms, and information systems among key justice sector actors. A dedicated gender analysis will be undertaken to assess how case management systems impact women, men, and other vulnerable groups differently, and to identify gender-specific barriers, risks, and opportunities for improvement within the justice process, thereby meaningfully mainstream considerations throughout the assignment. The findings will inform targeted technical assistance, capacity development, and reform initiatives under the ADA-supported project, and support evidence-based engagement with national stakeholders on justice sector efficiency, accountability, and gender-responsive justice reforms. They will also provide a foundation for the development of tailored capacity-building interventions for criminal justice actors, particularly in shaping training approaches that integrate gender-responsive case management, institutional accountability, and transparency considerations, and support the strengthening of sustainable training mechanisms within the justice system.

Specific outputs to be performed by the consultant

• Produce an inception report indicating process, outputs, outcomes and methodology of how the all the actions will be carried out.
• Design and administer surveys, interviews, and focus group discussions across selected districts.
• Collect and analyze qualitative and quantitative data on perceptions of community service use/implementation.
• Provide a mechanism for validation of collected data; and
• Develop a Policy brief on Community Service implementation in Uganda