1.1       Purpose of the Mission

The purpose of this assignment is to conduct a comprehensive diagnostic of the barriers affecting access to justice in Libya, with a focus on systemic, institutional, and citizen-level dynamics. This activity forms the analytical foundation of the “EU Support to Rule of Law in Libya – Mithaq” project, implemented by Expertise France in partnership with national justice institutions and with funding from the European Union.

The diagnostic will be led by a multidisciplinary team of two senior experts—a Justice Sector Specialist and a Sociologist—with proven experience in legal reform, institutional assessments, and citizen-centered access-to-justice programming in fragile or transitional contexts. Together, they will produce a validated, evidence-based Access-to-Justice Diagnostic Report that identifies gaps, reform entry points, and recommendations grounded in the Libyan context.

This assessment directly supports the project’s Inception Phase by:

·         Establishing a shared understanding of justice system bottlenecks, especially for vulnerable groups (women, youth, persons with disabilities),

·         Anchoring future interventions in reliable field evidence and citizen perspectives,

·         Strengthening partner institutions’ ownership and alignment with EU strategic priorities,

·         Guiding the refinement of activities, partnerships, and sequencing for the full implementation phase.

The diagnostic will inform both technical assistance priorities and civic engagement strategies, contributing to the broader goals of justice sector transformation, transparency, and institutional trust-building across Libya.

1.2       Strategic Context

Libya’s justice system operates in a context shaped by prolonged fragmentation, weakened institutional capacities, and a persistent deficit in public trust. Multiple legal frameworks coexist without full harmonization, while regional disparities and limited operational coordination undermine citizens’ ability to access timely and equitable justice services. Despite past efforts by national actors and international partners, structural barriers continue to affect service delivery and public confidence—particularly among marginalized groups such as women, youth, and persons with disabilities.

The lack of institutionalized legal aid mechanisms, fragmented referral pathways, and uneven public communication further compounds these challenges. In parallel, civic understanding of justice rights remains limited, and justice providers often lack the tools to engage in citizen-oriented service delivery. This mission responds to these systemic shortcomings by generating an integrated diagnostic that reflects both institutional performance and citizen-level perceptions—laying the foundation for targeted, context-sensitive reforms under the EU-funded programme.

2.1       Proejct’s Objectives

The project aims to contribute to a strengthened justice and rule of law system in Libya by supporting inclusive, accountable, and citizen-centered institutions. It seeks to enhance equal access to justice, reinforce the protection of human rights, and promote long-term stability and social cohesion. The intervention is anchored in two specific objectives:

·         Specific Objective 1: Strengthen the capacity and awareness of rule of law institutions and stakeholders—particularly youth and women—resulting in more inclusive, accountable, and citizen-oriented justice services.

·         Specific Objective 2: Empower women, girls, youth, and persons with disabilities (PwDs) to effectively exercise their legal rights and access justice services, while fostering inclusive communication and governance practices among institutions and civic actors.

2.2       Mission’s Objectives

The primary objective of the Sociologist’s mission is to conduct a robust, citizen-focused inquiry into the societal, cultural, and behavioral dimensions that influence access to justice in Libya. Working as an equal member of a multidisciplinary team, the expert will investigate justice-seeking behaviors, perceptions of fairness and accessibility, and the lived experiences of vulnerable and marginalized populations—particularly women, youth, and persons with disabilities (PwDs).

The sociological perspective will complement the institutional analysis conducted by the Justice Sector Expert, grounding the overall diagnostic in human-centered realities. The mission’s key goals are to:

»         Capture the perspectives, needs, and barriers faced by justice seekers across Libya’s diverse regions and social groups.

»         Uncover informal norms, gender dynamics, and societal attitudes that shape legal empowerment and access to justice.

»         Analyze the relationship between citizens and justice institutions in terms of trust, transparency, and accountability.

»         Contribute to a holistic baseline assessment that integrates institutional, procedural, and citizen-level dimensions of access to justice.

»         Co-develop, with the Justice Expert, a validated, evidence-based Access-to-Justice Diagnostic Report that informs the Project’s implementation roadmap and reform priorities.

2.3       Scope of Work

The Sociologist will work as an integral member of the inception phase expert team, alongside the Justice Sector Expert, to carry out a comprehensive assessment of citizens’ access to justice in Libya. The sociologist’s scope of work is centered on the design and implementation of qualitative, people-centered methodologies to uncover the social, cultural, gendered, and behavioral dimensions influencing justice-seeking in Libya.

Specifically, the Sociologist will be responsible for:

§  Designing qualitative data collection tools (interview and FGD guides) adapted to diverse stakeholder groups (women, youth, PwDs, CSOs, local leaders, etc.).

§  Leading field-based qualitative research, including conducting interviews and facilitating focus group discussions across Libya’s three regions (East, West, South).

§  Analyzing perceptions of justice, legal awareness, and community trust in institutions, disaggregated by gender, age, ability, and geography.

§  Mapping justice-seeking pathways and social coping mechanisms, with attention to informal justice practices and cultural norms.

§  Synthesizing citizen voices and community perspectives into analytical narratives and evidence-based insights.

§  Co-authoring relevant sections of the Access-to-Justice Diagnostic Report and contributing to the Policy and Reform Brief.

§  Actively participating in validation workshops and consultation sessions with Libyan institutions and civic actors.

This scope requires strong collaboration with the Justice Sector Expert, joint planning, shared field deployment, and integrated analysis to ensure a cohesive and multidimensional diagnostic output.

3.1       Analytical Orientation

The sociologist will lead the exploration of how Libyan citizens—particularly women, youth, and persons with disabilities—experience, navigate, and perceive justice institutions and pathways. The mission prioritizes a bottom-up, ethnographic orientation grounded in citizen voice and lived experience. Key analytical axes include:

»         Justice-seeking behaviors and barriers across gender, age, and ability.

»         Perceptions of institutional legitimacy, fairness, and responsiveness.

»         Informal justice channels and social coping mechanisms.

»         Vulnerability mapping, with attention to regional, gendered, and social disparities.

»         Socio-cultural norms influencing access to legal information, trust in public authorities, and community decision-making dynamics.

The sociologist will be expected to translate these social insights into policy-relevant findings that directly inform both the diagnostic baseline and the reform roadmap.

3.2       Methodological Architecture

The research methodology must be grounded in rigorous qualitative research principles, with a participatory and inclusive design. The sociologist will:

§  Lead the development of tailored research instruments (e.g., semi-structured interviews, focus group guides) to explore justice experiences at the community level.

§  Conduct regionally representative qualitative fieldwork, including:

o   In-depth interviews with citizens, traditional leaders, local justice actors, and community-based organizations.

o   Gender-segregated FGDs with vulnerable groups (e.g., women survivors, youth without legal status, PwDs).

§  Integrate triangulation techniques, including document reviews, secondary data analysis, and validation through institutional perspectives.

§  Ensure data disaggregation by region, gender, age, and ability in both collection and reporting stages.

§  Apply participatory validation approaches, including citizen-led reflection where feasible.

Quantitative tools may complement—but not replace—the mission’s deep qualitative core.

3.3       Innovation and Analytical Value-Added

The project provides a unique opportunity to elevate the role of sociological insight in rule of law reform. The sociologist is expected to introduce analytical innovation in the following ways:

-       Utilize cultural insight frameworks to decode behaviors not visible through institutional or legal lenses.

-       Apply human-centered research strategies to explore trust, fear, silence, and informal justice pathways.

-       Introduce ethnographic vignettes or short case narratives to enrich the diagnostic report.

-       Engage community feedback loops, potentially through participatory ranking or storytelling, to ground policy recommendations in lived realities.

-       Explore intersections of gender, disability, age, and geography, offering an intersectional view of justice gaps.

3.4       Quality and Scientific Integrity Requirements

The project provides a unique opportunity to elevate the role of sociological insight in rule of law reform. The sociologist is expected to introduce analytical innovation in the following ways:

-       Utilize cultural insight frameworks to decode behaviors not visible through institutional or legal lenses.

-       Apply human-centered research strategies to explore trust, fear, silence, and informal justice pathways.

-       Introduce ethnographic vignettes or short case narratives to enrich the diagnostic report.

-       Engage community feedback loops, potentially through participatory ranking or storytelling, to ground policy recommendations in lived realities.

-       Explore intersections of gender, disability, age, and geography, offering an intersectional view of justice gaps.

The Sociologist is expected to ensure that all analytical outputs produced during the mission reach the highest standards of social insight, methodological rigor, and contextual relevance. The value of this mission lies not only in identifying systemic and procedural barriers to justice but in capturing and interpreting the lived experiences, perceptions, and coping mechanisms of Libyan citizens—particularly women, youth, and persons with disabilities (PwDs).

To that end, the analytical deliverables must demonstrate:

• Perception-Centered Insight: Findings must be grounded in direct citizen experiences and perceptions related to justice, legal empowerment, trust, fear, and expectations. The Sociologist is expected to synthesize these perceptions into coherent narratives that inform both the diagnostic report and reform recommendations.
• Qualitative Depth and Narrative Evidence: All outputs must move beyond descriptive summaries to provide layered, ethnographic-style accounts that capture how justice is understood, accessed, or avoided in daily life. Particular attention must be given to gendered, generational, and geographic variations.
• Triangulation of Lived Experience: Evidence derived from citizen engagement must be triangulated with institutional interviews, secondary data, and contextual analysis to validate findings and uncover hidden dynamics. The expert is responsible for ensuring that assumptions are critically examined and substantiated.
• Analytical Clarity and Policy Usability: Insights must be presented in formats that are accessible to institutional stakeholders and policy audiences, enabling direct translation into reform options and communication strategies. Visual summaries, direct quotes, and case typologies are encouraged.
• Granularity of Disaggregation: Data must be disaggregated by gender, age group, geographic region (East, West, South), and disability status where applicable. This includes FGD findings, testimonial evidence, and trends captured through perception mapping.
• Contextual Sensitivity and Ethical Grounding: All observations must respect the political, cultural, and social dynamics of Libya. Stigmatized topics, vulnerable populations, and contested narratives must be handled with care and ethical discretion.
• Coherence and Integration: Deliverables must align seamlessly with those produced by the Justice Expert. Shared terminology, thematic consistency, and synchronized framing are essential to ensure that the Access-to-Justice Diagnostic Report and Policy & Reform Brief read as one coherent output.

All activities conducted under this mission must adhere to the highest ethical standards, with particular attention to the principles of do-no-harm, non-discrimination, informed consent, and respect for individual dignity. Given the politically sensitive and socially fragmented context of Libya, and the mission’s focus on marginalized populations—including women, girls, youth, and persons with disabilities (PwD)—the expert team is required to operate with heightened ethical vigilance.

Core Ethical Principles

• Voluntary Participation and Informed Consent: All data collection—whether through interviews, focus groups, or surveys—must be preceded by a clear, accessible explanation of the purpose, use, and confidentiality of the information, ensuring that participation is entirely voluntary and based on informed consent.
• Protection of Vulnerable Groups: Special measures must be taken to avoid retraumatization, coercion, or misrepresentation when engaging with women, survivors of violence, young people, and persons with disabilities. Methods must be inclusive and adapted to ensure accessibility (e.g., using plain language, sign language interpretation, or alternative formats as needed).
• Do-No-Harm: The expert team must assess and mitigate any potential risks that participants may face as a result of their involvement in the assessment, including social, psychological, or reputational harm. Sensitive topics must be handled with care and professionalism.
• Anonymity and Confidentiality: All information collected must be anonymized where appropriate and securely stored. Identifiable data shall not be disclosed without explicit written consent from participants. Reports must not include names, locations, or affiliations that could put individuals or institutions at risk.

Compliance with Legal and Institutional Norms

• The assessment must comply with Libyan legal norms related to data protection and research ethics, while also aligning with European Union standards for privacy and human rights safeguards.
• Any documentation, audio-visual content, or field notes shall be managed in accordance with Expertise France’s data protection policies and the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), where applicable.

Neutrality and Integrity

• Experts must refrain from engaging in political discourse or actions that may compromise the impartiality of the mission.
• They are expected to disclose any potential conflicts of interest and maintain a strictly non-partisan and evidence-based approach throughout the assignment.

Ethical Oversight and Accountability

• Expertise France reserves the right to terminate the contract of any consultant found in breach of ethical protocols.
• A designated ethical focal point within the EF Libya team will be available to support the consultants in navigating any dilemmas encountered in the field.

7.1       Internal Coordination and Communication Mechanisms

During the inception phase, an internal coordination mechanism will be established between EF Libya and the expert team to ensure smooth implementation and timely delivery.

·         Weekly Steering Briefings: Led by the Team Leader and the EF Programme Manager to review progress, risks, and next steps.

·         Ad-Hoc Meetings: Convened as required by EF or the expert team, in response to contextual developments or analytical needs.

·         Consolidated Progress Notes: Shared bi-weekly by the Team Leader with the EF Libya DMEAL & Programme Quality Manager for monitoring and documentation purposes.

·         EF HQ Consultation: EF Paris may be consulted on specific methodological or institutional issues, particularly where validation intersects with corporate quality standards or external visibility.

This internal structure ensures coherence, transparency, and rapid feedback loops throughout the mission, reducing validation delays and maintaining analytical momentum.

7.2       Principles Guiding Validation

All validation activities shall adhere to the following operational and ethical principles:

·         Methodological Integrity: No analytical modification will be approved without empirical justification and documentation.

·         Transparency: Validation sessions will be fully documented; dissenting opinions will be recorded but resolved internally within EF Libya’s governance framework.

·         Institutional Respect: Engagement with Libyan institutions shall follow formal communication channels, ensuring data confidentiality and respect for national protocols.

·         Timeliness: Validation milestones are binding; delays must be pre-approved by EF Libya management with clear justification.

The following table presents the expected deliverables, sequence, and indicative timeline for the inception-phase assessment mission. The schedule assumes a three-month implementation period from February 2026 to May 2026. All deliverables are to be submitted in English and transmitted to Expertise France through the Project Manager / Inception phase lead, with copies to the Head of Programs, and the Deputy Head of Programs.

»         Note :

Expertise France expects all deliverables to be produced punctually, in full compliance with quality standards, and aligned with the indicative schedule above. Minor adjustments to sequencing may be introduced by the expert team during the inception phase; any modification to deadlines must be formally validated in writing by Expertise France prior to implementation.

All activities undertaken within the framework of this inception-phase mission must strictly adhere to the ethical standards and professional conduct principles established by Expertise France (EF) and the European Union. The expert team shall uphold the highest standards of integrity, impartiality, and accountability, ensuring that no action or decision compromises the credibility, neutrality, or independence of the assessment process.

All experts must maintain strict confidentiality regarding any information, data, or documentation obtained during the course of the mission. This obligation applies to all forms of communication — written, verbal, and digital — and remains in force even after the completion of the assignment.
Sensitive or classified data related to public finance, financial institutions, or national strategies must be handled with particular caution and shared exclusively through channels authorised by Expertise France.

In accordance with the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (EU-GDPR 2016/679), all data collection, processing, storage, and transmission carried out by the experts shall comply with EU data-protection principles, including lawfulness, purpose limitation, data minimisation, accuracy, integrity, and confidentiality. No personal or institutional data may be reproduced, stored, or transferred to third parties without the prior written authorisation of Expertise France.

All team members must also comply with EF’s internal Code of Ethics, which mandates the prevention of conflicts of interest, non-discrimination, respect for human rights, and the responsible use of information. Any breach of ethical or data-protection obligations will result in immediate contractual sanctions and disqualification.

This mission shall operate under a zero-tolerance policy toward misconduct, ensuring that all actions reflect the integrity and trust that underpin EU-funded cooperation.

The expert team will maintain a structured and transparent communication framework with Expertise France (EF) throughout the inception mission. All exchanges, deliverables, and coordination notes must be transmitted in English, the sole working language of this assignment.

10.1    Reporting Structure

The Sociologist will report directly to the Expertise France Libya Team Lead, who holds overarching responsibility for the delivery and quality assurance of the inception phase. All reporting must follow the defined timelines and formats established for the mission.

10.2    Internal Coordination and Collaboration Protocols

The Sociologist will operate in mandatory and continuous coordination with the Justice Expert as part of a unified, multidisciplinary assessment team. Their collaboration is not optional—it is a structural requirement for the successful delivery of the inception phase. Both experts are expected to:

§  Jointly plan fieldwork activities and analytical reviews.

§  Co-design key deliverables such as the Diagnostic Report and Reform Brief.

§  Participate in shared validation sessions with institutional and civic partners.

§  Maintain a shared documentation and version control protocol throughout the mission.

10.3    Format and Branding

All reports must follow EF’s standard format (Word/PDF, A4, EF and EU logos) and include:

·         Cover page with title, mission name, and date;

·         Executive summary (max. 2 pages);

·         Main body structured by analytical pillar;

·         Annexes (data sources, references, validation records).
All outputs must include the following disclaimer:

“This document was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of Expertise France and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.”

10.4    Confidentiality and Communication Ethics

All public or external communications (including presentations, interviews, or citations) must receive prior written authorisation from Expertise France. No information collected during the mission may be disclosed without EF’s explicit consent.

The inception mission will be managed operationally by Expertise France – Libya Office, with coordination from the Project Manager and support from the Tunis-based EF support unit.

Mission Base and Mobility

The expert team will operate primarily from Tripoli, depending on security conditions and access permissions. Short-term missions to Libya will be planned and approved by EF based on feasibility, visa issuance, and safety advisories. Remote collaboration mechanisms will be established when physical presence is not possible.

Travel and Security

All international and domestic travel must comply with EF’s security and travel protocols for service providers. Experts will receive a security briefing and clearance prior to deployment in Libya. Travel arrangements, accommodation, and on-ground logistics will be coordinated by EF Libya’s Administration and Operations Unit.

Administrative Coordination

EF Libya will facilitate:

·         Visa requests and administrative clearances, in coordination with national authorities;

·         Office access and local transportation during in-country missions;

·         Insurance coverage and incident reporting protocols as per EF’s standard policies.

Working Modalities

Experts are expected to work both on-site and remotely, maintaining continuous communication with EF. All mission costs (travel, accommodation, per diem) will be managed in accordance with EF’s financial regulations and EU contractual procedures.

The expert team must ensure availability, adaptability, and operational discipline to deliver high-quality outputs within the agreed timeline and under EF’s supervision.