Call for Bids - Independent Evaluation Consultancy
1. About the OMCT
The World Organisation Against Torture (Organisation Mondiale Contre la Torture – OMCT in the French acronym), founded in 1985, works through its SOS-Torture Network of 200 member organisations in more than 90 countries. Together, we form the largest global coalition actively standing against torture and all forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
The vision of the OMCT is a world free from torture and other ill-treatment where the human dignity prevails, and its mission to lead, strengthen and protect the global movement to eradicate torture, which encompasses the protection of human rights defenders (HRDs).
2. Context and Project Background
The HRD Programme
In June 2025, the OMCT General Assembly approved the organisation's new strategy for 2025-2029, which outlines OMCT's theory of change and movement approach for the years to come, with the identification of four strategic goals. Strategic Goal 3 focuses on "Defending the Right to Defend" and seeks to establish the organisation's strategy to ensure that human rights defenders can pursue their vital work defending rights and fundamental freedoms without fear of reprisals, in open civic spaces that are essential for promoting democracy and the rule of law.
The programme aims to contribute to the work of HRDs as catalysts for the defence of human rights and democracy. This objective will be achieved through the programme's long-term outcome: securing measurable progress in ensuring the freedom, protection and democratic resilience of HRD organisations operating in authoritarian environments, so that they can pursue their work safely and effectively.
This outcome will be achieved through the implementation of three pillars aligned with the programme's objectives:
Pillar 1 – Protecting HRDs. A global protection and early warning system for HRDs targeting both individual risks faced by HRDs and threats to their operating environment through protection, security and advocacy support. Protection measures include psychosocial and legal support, digital and personal security, relocation, and advocacy.
Pillar 2 – Freedom for HRDs (SOS Defenders). This pillar supports HRDs facing legal persecution, arbitrary detention and abusive judicial proceedings through a global system for documenting cases and mobilising support for HRDs in detention. It includes the provision of legal support and advocacy campaigns aimed at defending HRDs and securing their release so they can continue their work despite systemic repression.
Pillar 3 – Democracy HRDs. This pillar supports CSOs in leading transformative change by amplifying their voices and strengthening their advocacy in contexts marked by authoritarianism. It builds on the added value of the global network to facilitate experience-sharing and mutual learning, enabling organisations to be better positioned to resist authoritarian trends.
The programme contributes to a variety of HRD-related causes linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG indicator 16.1.3, and through its focus on detained and tortured defenders, will also contribute baseline information related to indicator 16.10.1.
Finland has been supporting the OMCT since 2019, and since 2025 is specifically supporting its HRD programme. In February 2026, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland published a Review of Finland Support to Human Rights INGOs.
For more than 25 years, the OMCT's HRD Programme has worked to protect individuals against arbitrary detention. Through this work, OMCT identified a particular expertise in securing the release of detained HRDs, while also recognising three interrelated needs:
* The need for a centralised global clearing house of information on HRDs deprived of their liberty;
* The need for more strategic, sustained, and coordinated advocacy for the release of detained HRDs, including those in rural areas and less-connected regions, and in countries most at risk;
* The need for stronger protection against torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment for HRDs while they are deprived of their liberty.
This led, in 2023, to the creation of a global initiative (SOS-Defenders) aimed at providing a network-based system for the support and protection of human rights defenders in detention.
The first phase of SOS-Defenders (2022–2025), funded by Misereor, together with the Finnish MFA, the Canton of Geneva and the Swiss DFAE, sought to respond to these challenges. Implemented together with Network Members, the initiative was designed as a bottom-up, cross-regional and network-based mechanism aimed at protecting the integrity and due process rights of detained HRDs and increasing both the scale and effectiveness of advocacy efforts for their release.
In December 2024, the initiative was officially launched. The overall objective identified for SOS-Defenders is to strengthen the protection of HRDs through a global system for monitoring arbitrary detention, advocating for the release of HRDs, and protecting HRDs from torture and ill-treatment in detention.
The specific objectives are the following:
* Specific Objective 1: A global, centralized and comprehensive clearing house and action platform on detention of HRDs worldwide is established and used to inform authoritative reports and campaigns.
* Specific Objective 2: Increased success each year toward freeing HRDs from detention, through dismissal of charges, suspension of proceedings, and ultimately release from detention.
* Specific Objective 3: Increased protection against torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment for HRDs in detention
The initiative has since been integrated into, and continues under, the 2025–2027 HRD Programme funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and other donors.
3. Objective and Scope of the Evaluation
The Finland MFA-funded project incorporates external evaluation as a key element of its monitoring, evaluation and learning framework. The evaluation will therefore respond to its requirements and will also serve the learning needs of the OMCT.
The evaluation is initiated by the OMCT, with oversight provided by the Director of the HRD Programme, the Human Rights Adviser in charge of the SOS-Defenders project and the OMCT Impact Orientation Adviser.
Scope
The evaluation will cover the OMCT HRD Programme, which is global in nature, since 2025 with special focus to its implementation and performance under the Finland MFA grant (2025–2027), the OMCT response in specific crisis countries financed by the grant, and the SOS-Defenders project, set within the broader context of the HRD programme.
Objectives of the Evaluation
The OMCT adopts a learning-oriented approach to evaluation. The primary purpose of this evaluation is to generate evidence and recommendations that can inform future programming and strategic decision-making. The evaluation also serves as an accountability mechanism.
The evaluators are expected to assess the programme against the OECD-DAC evaluation criteria. In addition, the evaluation should address cross-cutting issues such as gender and adherence to the Do No Harm principle. The consultant will develop and finalise specific and complementary evaluation questions with the support of designated focal points at OMCT.
Specifically, the evaluation is expected to:
* Assess the performance of the HRD Programme against its objectives, outputs and outcomes, taking into account the evolving context of its implementation, with a specific focus on the response in specific crisis countries;
* Assess the performance of the SOS-Defenders project against its objectives, outputs and outcomes, taking into account the evolving context of its implementation;
* Provide an objective assessment of the relevance and impact of the HRD Programme from the perspective of the target groups;
* Provide an objective asses
For complete job description and to apply, visit:
https://www.omct.org/en/careers/call-for-bids-independent-evaluation-consultancy