1. Background

In the context of Syria’s ongoing transition and the new challenges it presents for the protection of human rights and the rule of law, the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) seeks to strengthen its capacity to monitor, document, and analyse human rights violations occurring during this period. To this end, SCM aims to develop an updated and comprehensive documentation and verification methodology grounded in relevant international standards and responsive to the nature of violations and the actors involved in the current context.

While continuing to document violations related to deprivation of liberty, including arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture and ill-treatment, as well as other serious human rights violations and international crimes committed during the conflict, SCM will place particular emphasis during the transitional period on monitoring and documenting violations of legal and procedural safeguards relating to deprivation of liberty; violations of the right to a fair trial; abuses in the exercise of administrative and executive powers that constitute human rights violations; discrimination on prohibited grounds, including violations based on religious or ethnic affiliation; and violations of the right to equality and non-discrimination in the enjoyment of rights, access to services, and participation in public life. Particular attention will also be given to violations of fundamental rights and freedoms, including the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association, as well as violations targeting human rights defenders, lawyers, and civil society actors.

Documenting this diverse range of violations requires the development of a clear and consistent methodology establishing the principles, standards, and procedures governing documentation and verification processes. It also requires the development of a legal and methodological framework for selected priority violations, setting out the legal definition of each violation, its applicable legal basis, constituent elements and legal requirements, and the information, facts, and evidence necessary for its documentation and verification. This will enhance the quality and consistency of documentation and its suitability for analysis and use in reporting, advocacy, transitional justice, and accountability processes.

Accordingly, the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) seeks to engage a service provider (Human Rights Documentation Methodology Development Specialist) to undertake the following tasks:

2. Scope of Work

The selected service provider will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Review SCM’s existing documentation and verification methodologies, tools, and procedures, and assess the needs and challenges associated with documenting human rights violations during the transitional period.
• Work in coordination with SCM’s team to identify documentation priorities for the current phase, including the violations and issues that the updated methodology should address as a matter of priority.
• Develop an updated and comprehensive methodology for documenting and verifying human rights violations, grounded in relevant international standards and established practices. The methodology should define the core principles, standards, and procedures governing the various stages of documentation and verification, in line with the priorities and needs identified in consultation with SCM’s team.
• Develop legal and methodological frameworks for priority violations, including definitions, legal bases, constituent elements, and classification criteria, as well as the facts, indicators, and information required for their documentation and classification, with due consideration given to international human rights law, international humanitarian law, and international criminal law, as applicable.
• Develop a clear framework for classifying violations, incidents, victims, actors, sources, and related information, including the relationships between them, in order to promote consistency in documentation and facilitate information analysis and the identification of patterns and trends.
• Establish clear standards and procedures for information collection and verification, and for assessing source reliability. This should cover testimonies, direct and indirect sources, documents, open-source information, and digital content; the corroboration of information across multiple sources; and the handling of conflicting or incomplete information.

3. Expected Deliverables

The service provider will be expected to deliver the following:

• An updated and comprehensive human rights documentation and verification methodology that responds to the documentation priorities and needs identified through consultations with SCM’s team and includes the principles, standards, and practical procedures required for documentation and verification.
• Legal and methodological frameworks for priority violations, including a definition of each violation, its legal basis, constituent elements, and classification criteria, together with the facts, indicators, and information required for its documentation and classification.
• Design and development of specialised documentation forms for each violation, incorporating the fields, questions, and indicators necessary to collect relevant information and evidence. These forms must be aligned with the developed legal and methodological frameworks and ensure data consistency and compatibility with SCM’s existing documentation system.
• A unified classification framework covering violations, incidents, victims, actors, sources, and the relationships between them, to improve documentation consistency and facilitate data analysis and the identification of patterns and trends.
• Standards and procedures for information verification, source reliability assessment, review, quality assurance, and case validation, including procedures for handling information obtained from multiple sources and addressing conflicting or incomplete information.
• Practical recommendations for aligning existing documentation tools, forms, and data management systems with the newly developed methodology and legal and methodological frameworks.
• Testing of the methodology and frameworks using a sample of cases, followed by the necessary revisions in light of the findings and lessons learned from their application.
• Training for SCM’s team on applying the methodology, legal and methodological frameworks, and the developed documentation and verification standards and procedures, together with technical support during the initial implementation phase.

4. Required Qualifications and Experience

Applicants should meet the following requirements:

• A university degree in law, human rights, or a related field. A relevant postgraduate qualification is preferred.
• At least five years of professional experience in monitoring, documenting, and verifying human rights violations, including demonstrable experience in developing or reviewing documentation methodologies and tools.
• Demonstrable experience in developing legal and methodological frameworks for documenting human rights violations, including defining and classifying violations, identifying their constituent elements and criteria, and determining the information required for their documentation.
• Advanced knowledge of international human rights law and the ability to translate legal standards into practical definitions, criteria, and indicators applicable to monitoring and documentation work, together with sound knowledge of international humanitarian law and international criminal law.
• Practical experience in methodologies for collecting and verifying information and testimonies, including conducting interviews with victims, survivors, and witnesses.
• Experience in assessing source reliability, verifying information, and corroborating information from multiple sources. Experience in open-source research and digital content verification is an asset.
• Good knowledge of the principles and standards relating to informed consent, the principle of do no harm, confidentiality, data protection, and the safety and security of victims, witnesses, and sources.
• Experience in developing documentation tools and forms, review procedures, and quality assurance mechanisms, as well as familiarity with human rights documentation data management systems.
• Experience in preparing methodological guides and standard operating procedures (SOPs), and in delivering training and capacity-building for monitoring and documentation teams.
• Previous experience working with human rights organisations or civil society organisations. Experience in transitional contexts is preferred.
• Previous experience in the Syrian context or comparable contexts will be considered an asset.

5. Required Application Documents

Interested service providers must submit the following documents:

• Curriculum vitae (CV).
• A brief technical proposal outlining the applicant’s understanding of the assignment, proposed methodology, work plan, and proposed timeline.
• A financial proposal specifying the total cost of the assignment and including the validity period of the offer, date, and signature.
• Evidence of experience in similar assignments, preferably including examples of methodologies, manuals, or tools for documenting human rights violations that the applicant has previously developed or contributed to developing.
• At least two professional references.

6. Duty Station

The assignment will be carried out remotely. The service provider must reside in a time zone no more than two to three hours ahead of or behind Paris time, to ensure regular coordination and effective collaboration with SCM’s team.

7. Contract Duration and Tentative Start Date

The assignment will have a maximum duration of three months, commencing in November 2026, subject to possible adjustments.

8. Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Technical expertise, qualifications, and technical proposal – 70%. This includes experience in developing methodologies for documenting and verifying human rights violations; developing legal and methodological frameworks for violations and identifying their constituent elements and documentation criteria; establishing verification standards and source assessment procedures; developing documentation tools and quality assurance procedures; and the overall quality, relevance, and feasibility of the proposed methodology and work plan.
• Financial proposal – 30%.

9. Submission Procedure

Interested service providers must submit their proposals by email only, attaching all required documents, to the email address specified below. The subject line must read:

“Human Rights Documentation Methodology Development Expert”

Proposals sent to any other email address or submitted without the required attachments will be rejected.

We also encourage interested applicants to submit any questions for clarification prior to proposal submission.

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified within one week of the submission deadline. Shortlisted candidates may be invited to participate in an interview as part of the evaluation process.

30.10.2026	Bids Submission Deadline
[email protected]	Email for Submission of Bids
[email protected]	Email for Inquiries / Questions
Three Month	Contract Duration
05.11.2026	Expected Start Date of Implementation