Legal Services for CRS Mozambique Tempo Inteiro NOVO

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Mozambique is seeking to engage a qualified and licensed legal services provider to offer practical legal advice, representation, and compliance support, while helping CRS manage legal risks and comply with Mozambican laws, regulations, and relevant CRS policies.

About CRS

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is an international humanitarian and development agency founded in 1943 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to assist poor and vulnerable people around the world.

CRS began operations in Mozambique in 2017 and has since supported humanitarian and development interventions aimed at addressing the needs of vulnerable communities.

The Mozambique Country Program currently operates across three provinces—Cabo Delgado, Nampula, and Sofala—working in partnership with local organizations, communities, government institutions, and other stakeholders.

CRS programming in Mozambique includes humanitarian emergency response and recovery initiatives, with interventions designed to strengthen community resilience, improve access to essential services, and support populations affected by conflict, displacement, natural disasters, and other humanitarian challenges.

Purpose

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Mozambique seeks to engage a qualified and licensed legal services provider to offer practical legal advice, representation, and compliance support across key legal matters, while helping CRS manage legal risks and comply with Mozambican laws, regulations, and relevant CRS policies.

General Objective

The objective of this TOR is to engage a qualified legal services provider to support CRS Mozambique with legal compliance, risk management, and timely legal advisory services.

1. Scope of Work

The scope of work outlines the legal services provider required to support CRS Mozambique in managing legal matters, ensuring compliance with applicable laws, and addressing legal risks in a timely and professional manner.

i. General Legal Services

• Provide general legal advice to CRS management and designated functions.
• Review key policies, procedures, agreements and legal instruments for compliance with applicable law.
• Advise on legal risk, regulatory requirements and appropriate mitigation measures.
• Draft, review and provide legal opinions on contracts, agreements, Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), legal notices, corporate resolutions and other legal instruments.
• Advise on and prepare responses to subpoenas, court orders, government inquiries and third-party requests for information.
• Represent CRS, when authorized, in litigation, administrative proceedings, labor disputes, claims and other legal matters before relevant authorities and courts.

ii. Employment and Labor Relations

• Advise on individual employment and labor relations matters, including disciplinary actions, grievances, investigations, suspensions and terminations.
• Review proposed disciplinary actions and employment terminations; recommend appropriate courses of action; and draft related notices and documentation when requested.
• Advise on compensation disputes, workers’ compensation claims, employment discrimination, workplace grievances and hearings, and equal employment opportunity matters.
• Provide guidance on evolving labor laws, regulations and good practice affecting International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs) in Mozambique.
• Conduct legal research; maintain confidentiality; manage legal deadlines, hearings and meetings.

iii. Immigration and Expatriate Compliance Support

• Advise on immigration and employment requirements affecting international personnel, dependents, visitors, consultants, and other non-national personnel engaged by or working with CRS.
• Provide legal support for work permits, residence permits, entry and exit visas, renewals, cancellations, employment authorization, and related registrations, notifications, and government liaison.
• Advise on NGO-specific immigration obligations, expatriate quotas or approvals, secondments, cross-border assignments, and compliance implications arising from changes in role, duty station, or employment status.
• Maintain an agreed permit and visa deadline tracker for matters assigned to the provider and alert CRS sufficiently in advance of expirations, filing dates, and other time-sensitive requirements.

2. Deliverables

• Written and oral legal advice and legal opinions.
• Reviewed, annotated or drafted contracts, policies, employment documents, notices, resolutions, correspondence and other legal instruments.
• Legal compliance updates highlighting material changes in Mozambican law or administrative requirements relevant to CRS.
• Case, dispute and regulatory matter status updates and trackers.
• Government or court submissions and records of representation, where authorized.
• Briefings to CRS management and staff on significant legal developments or specific compliance issues.
• A complete electronic file for each material matter, including final documents, correspondence, submissions and key advice, maintained for orderly handover to CRS.

3. Service Levels and Responsiveness

The provider shall designate a primary legal contact and at least one alternate, remain reasonably available during normal business hours, and maintain capacity to respond to urgent matters outside normal working hours when necessary.

4. Management, Communication and Quality Assurance

• Designate a lead counsel/account manager as CRS’s primary point of contact, coordinate work assigned to other legal professionals, and remain responsible for the quality, timeliness and accuracy of all services.
• Maintain an up-to-date matter tracker covering instructions, status, risks, deadlines, hearings, submissions, outstanding actions, costs and key developments.
• Submit monthly reports on open and closed matters, completed actions, upcoming deadlines, decisions needed, fees or disbursements, and any material legal or regulatory updates requiring CRS action.
• Immediately notify CRS of critical or high-risk matters, adverse developments, legal deadlines, or circumstances requiring a management decision, and provide updates based on risk level and urgency.
• Maintain complete electronic files for each material matter and participate in CRS case, matter or performance review meetings when requested.
• Obtain CRS approval before materially expanding an assignment or incurring material third-party costs; attend meetings in person or virtually as reasonably required.

5. Escalation and Critical Matters

• Immediately notify CRS of matters presenting significant legal, financial, regulatory, reputational, safeguarding or operational risk.
• Escalate issues requiring urgent management attention to the designated CRS focal point within one business day.
• Alert CRS sufficiently in advance of statutory filings, response deadlines, hearings, court appearances, permit expirations and other time-sensitive requirements.
• For disciplinary hearings, labor disputes, litigation, government investigations, safeguarding-related employment matters and other high-risk cases, provide real-time advice and expedited document review when reasonably required.
• Attend hearings, negotiations, mediation sessions or meetings with government authorities when requested.
• No settlement, admission, waiver, filing that materially changes CRS’ position, or commitment on behalf of CRS may be made without prior written authorization from the designated CRS focal point.

6. Proactive Legal Compliance Support

• Monitor and notify CRS of material changes in Mozambican labor, tax, corporate, NGO, immigration or regulatory laws that may affect CRS operations.
• Provide practical recommendations on compliance actions and risk mitigation measures before issues develop into disputes, penalties or regulatory violations.
• Include relevant legal and regulatory updates in the monthly matter report, or escalate immediately where urgent CRS action is required.

7. Confidentiality, Privilege and Data Protection

The provider shall maintain strict confidentiality and protect legal privilege in relation to all information received, accessed, created, or handled in connection with services to CRS, whether written, oral, visual, electronic, or otherwise.

Confidential information includes, without limitation, employee and personnel data; program participant and beneficiary data; safeguarding allegations, reports, investigation materials, and survivor or witness information; donor, partner, supplier, financial, operational, security, legal, and organizational information; credentials and access information; and any information marked confidential or that reasonably should be understood as confidential.

• Restrict access to CRS confidential, privileged, personal and sensitive information to personnel who require it to perform assigned services.
• Apply appropriate administrative, technical and physical safeguards to protect CRS information against unauthorized access, use, loss, alteration or disclosure.
• Do not copy, transfer, store or use CRS information except as necessary to perform authorized services or as otherwise approved by CRS.
• Do not disclose CRS information to third parties except where authorized by CRS or legally required; where legally permissible, notify CRS before any compelled disclosure.
• Return, transfer or securely dispose of CRS information, records and files when requested or at the end of the engagement, subject to mandatory professional record-retention requirements.

8. Conflict of Interest and Professional Independence

• Conduct a conflict-of-interest check before accepting the engagement and before accepting any matter where a potential conflict may arise.
• Immediately disclose any actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest affecting CRS or an assigned matter.
• Do not represent a party adverse to CRS in the same or a substantially related matter, and comply with applicable professional conduct requirements.
• Maintain professional independence and provide objective legal advice, including where advice differs from a preferred operational approach.

9. Safeguarding, Ethics and CRS Policies

The provider and all personnel assigned to CRS shall comply with the CRS Supplier and Service Provider Code of Conduct and all applicable CRS safeguarding, anti-harassment, anti-trafficking, anti-fraud, anti-corruption, whistleblower, non-retaliation, and ethical requirements communicated by CRS.

The provider shall conduct services in a manner that respects the dignity, rights, safety, privacy, and well-being of employees, program participants, beneficiaries, witnesses, survivors, and other persons involved in CRS matters.

• Comply with all relevant CRS contractual, ethical, safeguarding and conduct requirements communicated for the engagement.
• Nothing in this SOW requires the provider to act contrary to applicable Mozambican law or binding professional obligations.

10. Geographic Coverage and Language

• The principal place of service is Mozambique. Services may be required in Maputo and other provinces where CRS operates.
• The provider must work effectively in Portuguese and English. Formal submissions to Mozambican authorities shall be prepared in the language and form required by the competent authority.

11. Proposal Requirements

• Company/firm profile and evidence of legal establishment and authorization to operate.
• Curriculum vitae and professional credentials of the proposed lead counsel and other key personnel.
• Evidence of relevant Mozambique experience, including experience with INGOs or comparable organizations.
• Description of the proposed service-delivery approach, availability and response-time arrangements.
• At least three relevant professional references where available.
• A clear financial proposal identifying the proposed retainer, hourly/daily rates or other charging methodology, including applicable taxes.
• A schedule of reimbursable costs and third-party charges, including court filing fees, travel, translations, notarial charges and other disbursements, where applicable.
• Disclosure of any existing relationship or potential conflict of interest that could affect the engagement.

12. Fees, Expenses and Invoicing

• The agreed fee structure shall be set out in the resulting contract or purchase instrument.
• Invoices must identify the matter, service performed, date, professional involved, time charged where applicable, approved expenses and applicable taxes.
• Travel, filing fees, external experts, translations, notarial charges and other material disbursements require prior CRS approval unless expressly included in the agreed fee structure.
• CRS will not be responsible for unapproved material expenses or work outside the agreed scope.

Duration

Estimated timeframe: 1 year.

Submission Requirements

The following information should be submitted together with the proposal:

1. Letter of interest.
2. Technical Proposal with timeline and Financial Proposal with payment terms. The proposal should demonstrate how you are going to achieve the assignment.

Additional Requirements

1. Company Registration Certificate / Business License.
2. Tax Registration Certificate (NUIT).
3. IDs or Passports of the Owners/Directors.
4. Physical Address and Contact Details.