Terms of Reference (ToR)

Engagement of a Legal Entity/Legal Agency for the Review of the Newly Drafted Legal Framework of DPPI SEE

1. Background/Overview

The Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Initiative for South-Eastern Europe (DPPI SEE) was established in 2000 as a regional platform enabling South-Eastern European countries to develop coordinated approaches in disaster prevention and preparedness. Initially donor-driven, it has evolved into a self-sustaining regional mechanism with a clearly defined mandate and institutional structure.

A key milestone in DPPI SEE’s institutional development was the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Institutional Framework of DPPI SEE (MoU) in 2008, renewed in 2013, which formalized its governance and affirmed long-term Member State commitment. Today, DPPI SEE serves as a coordination point for ten national civil protection authorities, facilitating cooperation, expertise exchange, and joint regional activities.

The Regional Meeting is the Initiative’s primary decision-making body, convened twice annually to review implemented activities, plan forthcoming ones, and adopt decisions by consensus, in line with the MoU. This governance approach ensures shared ownership and accountability for regional disaster risk management priorities.

DPPI SEE maintains strong partnerships with regional and international institutions such as RCC, DG ECHO, UNICEF, UNDP, UNDRR, RACVIAC, Sphere Secretariat, and project consortiums with regional scope. Its inclusion in the RCC 2030 Strategy further underscores its relevance and contribution to cohesive regional disaster risk management efforts.

In recent years, the Secretariat has undertaken significant steps to strengthen its administrative and institutional foundations, including updating staff regulations, improving communication systems, establishing internal working groups, and ensuring effective coordination with Member States.

A major institutional advancement was achieved with the finalization of the legal status of the DPPI SEE Secretariat in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina through the ratification of the Host Country Agreement (HCA) between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Governments of the other DPPI SEE Member States. The agreement was adopted by the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina in June 2025 and confirmed by the Presidency in July 2025. This marks an important milestone that reinforces DPPI SEE’s long-term sustainability and operational capacity.

2. Rationale and Purpose of the Assignment

Following the finalization of the HCA and as part of the Secretariat’s ongoing institutional consolidation, a comprehensive set of internal legal, governance, and operational documents has been (re)developed. These documents integrate provisions from the HCA and aim to harmonize DPPI SEE’s internal framework with regional and international standards, strengthen accountability, and ensure coherence with the mandate established through the MoU.

To ensure internal coherence and compliance with the HCA, the Secretariat seeks external expertise to review the newly drafted legal framework. This review is essential for guaranteeing alignment with relevant EU, UN, and other international organizations’ best practices and ensuring that the documents are complete, legally sound, and applicable within DPPI SEE’s operational context.

3. Scope of Work

The legal entity/legal agency shall conduct a comprehensive review of approximately 100 pages of newly drafted internal documents, which include:

1. Staff Regulations and Rules, including all annexes.

2. Revised Rules of Procedure.

3. Revised Financial Management Rules, including three supporting annexes/forms.

The scope of the assignment includes, but is not limited to, the following activities:

1. Comprehensive legal and structural analysis of all documents listed above.

2. Provision of detailed comments, amendments, and recommendations aimed at:

   • Ensuring legal clarity and internal consistency.

   • Achieving full alignment with the Memorandum of Understanding and Host Country Agreement.

   • Ensuring compliance with international standards and best practices in the governance of regional and international bodies.

3. Revision of the documents, incorporating proposed changes using track changes, comments, or other appropriate formats.

4. Presentation of the reviewed and revised documents at a DPPI SEE Regional Meeting or/and at a specifically convened meeting, if required.

5. Integration of final comments and delivery of the final clean and consolidated versions of all documents.

4. Deliverables and Outputs

The contracted legal entity/legal agency shall produce the following:

1. Annotated versions of each document with comments, suggestions, and identified inconsistencies.

2. Revised versions of each document with proposed amendments incorporated.

3. Presentation of findings to DPPI SEE’s technical committee and/or Regional meeting (virtual or in-person).

4. Final consolidated versions of all documents, ready for submission to DPPI SEE governance bodies.

5. Timeline

The assignment shall be completed within 30 calendar days from the date of contract signature. The exact schedule will be agreed upon between the GOPA PACE, the DPPI SEE Secretariat and the contracted legal entity/legal agency.

6. Required Qualifications of the Legal Entity/Agency

• Registered legal entity or legal consultancy agency with demonstrated expertise in:

  • Public international law.

  • Governance and legal framework of international or regional organizations.

  • Administrative and financial regulations.

• Proven experience in reviewing legal or governance frameworks for intergovernmental, international, or regional bodies.

• Excellent command of English (written and spoken).

• Ability to deliver high-quality outputs within tight deadlines.

7. Budget and Payment Modalities

The assignment will be financed through the support of the EU-funded On-Site Technical Assistance (OSA) Project.
The maximum available budget is up to EUR 2,500, covering all costs related to the execution of this assignment.

The payment schedule will be defined in the contract and will be linked to the successful completion and acceptance of deliverables.

8. Management and Reporting

The legal entity/legal agency will be contracted by and subordinated to the EU-funded On-Site Technical Assistance (OSA) Project/GOPA PACE and report directly to the Head of the DPPI SEE Secretariat.
All coordination, communication, and submission of documents shall be conducted through the Secretariat.
DPPI SEE will provide all relevant internal documents and background materials required for the review.

Reporting:

The legal entity/legal agency should provide the assignment report to GOPA PACE 14 calendar days after conclusion of the assignment.

9. Confidentiality

All information and documentation shared during the assignment shall be treated as confidential.
The contracted entity/agency may not disclose or use any documents, data, or findings for purposes other than those directly related to this ToR without prior written consent from the DPPI SEE Secretariat.

10. Application and Selection Process

Interested legal entities/legal agencies will be invited to submit:

• A short proposal, describing the approach, methodology and timeline. 

• Examples of similar previous work (if applicable).

• CVs of experts involved.

• Financial offer within the maximum available budget.

The selection will be conducted by the DPPI Secretariat and based on:

• Demonstrated expertise and experience.

• Proposed detailed timeline including for each deliverable.

• Quality and feasibility of the proposed approach.

• Cost-effectiveness of the financial proposal.

The documents need to be submitted uniquely by email at: secretariat@dppi.info 

11. Duty station: Home based with appropriate travel (if needed) to Bosnia and Herzegovina and DPPI SEE region.