BACKGROUND

The International Development Law Organization (IDLO) is an intergovernmental organization exclusively devoted to promoting the rule of law. Established in 1983, IDLO works to enable governments and empower people to reform laws and strengthen institutions to promote peace, justice, sustainable development, and economic opportunity.

With support from the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED), IDLO is assisting the Government of Jordan (GoJ) in strengthening the legal frameworks governing the national food security system. The project supports the Higher Council for Food Security / the Higher Food Security Council (HFSC) (hereinafter the “Secretariat Unit of the HFSC”) in implementing the National Food Security Strategy (NFSS) 2021–2030, the Economic Modernisation Vision (2023–2025) and its Executive Programme, and the National Plan to Improve Jordan’s Ranking on the Global Food Security Index.

Established in 2023 under the Ministry of Agriculture, the HFSC is mandated to oversee Jordan’s food security portfolio and lead reforms to enhance coordination, strengthen legal frameworks, and promote effective governance. IDLO will support the Secretariat Unit of the HFSC in conducting a systematic review of priority legislation governing food security to harmonize frameworks, strengthen governance, and improve implementation of the NFSS.

All activities will be implemented in close coordination with the Secretariat Unit of the HFSC, which provides strategic oversight for the project and ensures alignment with national priorities under the NFSS.

The National Food Security Legal Consultant will collaborate closely with the International Food Security Consultant, who will provide comparative guidance and quality assurance. This collaboration will ensure that the review and recommendations are contextually grounded, evidence-based.

PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNEMENT

The purpose of this assignment is to support IDLO and the Secretariat Unit of the HFSC in reviewing and systematizing the legal and institutional frameworks related to food security, with the goal of strengthening governance and coordination, promoting inclusivity, and improving the implementation of the NFSS.

The National Food Security Legal Consultant will serve as the lead national technical expert, providing legal and institutional insights, ensuring the contextual accuracy of the analysis, and facilitating effective engagement with national stakeholders.

This assignment contributes to the achievement of the project’s Intermediate Outcome 1:

“National authorities agree on the legal reforms required to improve the implementation of the National Food Security Strategy considering gender responsiveness and the needs of vulnerable groups, including refugees.”

The assignment, however, forms part of a broader initiative supporting the Secretariat Unit of the HFSC in strengthening Jordan’s food security system. The legal and financial analyses under Intermediate Outcome 2 complement the legal reforms addressed under Intermediate Outcome 1, ensuring coherence between food security governance and agricultural credit frameworks.

Scope of work

Under the supervision of the IDLO Programme Lead-MENA and in close coordination with the IDLO Programme Coordinator, the Secretariat Unit of the HFSC and the International Food Security Consultant, the National Food Security Legal Consultant will undertake the following tasks:

1. Stakeholder mapping and engagement

• Conduct a comprehensive stakeholder mapping of the food security and agriculture sectors, identifying key institutions, actors, and coordination mechanisms at national and local levels.
• Analyze stakeholders’ roles, interests, and influence in food security governance, highlighting existing coordination and legislative gaps.
• Support IDLO and the Secretariat Unit of the HFSC in developing an inclusive consultation plan ensuring participation of government, private sector, academia, civil society, and vulnerable groups.

1. Consultations and prioritization of legislative reform

• Contribute to structured consultation meetings with national partners to prioritize legislation and regulations for review and reform.
• Provide sectoral analysis to inform legal reviews conducted under the project, ensuring findings are evidence-based and aligned with inputs from the International Food Security Consultant.

1. Legal and institutional review

• Conduct a systematic review of prioritized food security legislations.
• Identify legal gaps, overlaps, and inconsistencies between existing laws, bylaws, and strategies related to food production, distribution, safety, and governance.
• Develop evidence-based recommendations to strengthen the coherence, enforcement, and inclusivity of the legal framework.
• Integrate gender, youth, and refugee dimensions into the analysis to ensure equitable access and participation.
• Coordinate with the International Food Security Consultant to integrate comparative best practices and validation feedback.

1. Technical inputs and reporting

• Draft analytical inputs and legal analysis for inclusion in the comprehensive legal review report on enhancing food security in Jordan.
• Contribute to the preparation of policy briefs and communication materials developed by IDLO, ensuring accuracy and policy relevance.

1. Policy dialogue and validation

• Participate in policy dialogue sessions and national validation workshops organized by IDLO and the Secretariat Unit of the HFSC.
• Present findings, contribute to discussions, and advise on the practical implementation of the proposed reforms.

1. Coordination and quality assurance

• Maintain regular coordination with the International Food Security Consultant and IDLO team to ensure complementarity of analysis and harmonization of outputs.
• Ensure that all recommendations align with national priorities while incorporating comparative insights from international best practices.

DELIVERABLES

The National Food Security Legal Consultant will deliver the following outputs in line with the project’s implementation schedule. All deliverables will be produced in Arabic and English and should reflect the national practices in food security governance, gender responsiveness, and inclusivity, ensuring coherence with Jordan’s national strategies and policy frameworks.

1. Stakeholder mapping and analysis report
2. Consultation and prioritization Summary
3. Comprehensive legal review report
4. Policy Dialogue Participation and Final Recommendations

Education and Experience

• Advanced university degree in Law, Agricultural Economics, Food Security, Development Studies, Public Policy, or related fields.
• At least 10 years of progressively responsible professional experience in food security, agriculture, or rural development, with a demonstrated track record in legal and policy reform processes.
• Proven experience in conducting systemic legal reviews, stakeholder consultations, and policy analysis related to food security, agriculture, or sustainable development.
• Prior experience working with national governments, intergovernmental organizations, development partners, and civil society in Jordan or the MENA region.
• Familiarity with gender equality and inclusion of vulnerable groups including refugees in food security programming.

Language

• Fluent oral and writing skills in English and Arabic are required.

Skills and competencies

• Strong knowledge of national and international food security frameworks, strategies, and governance systems.
• Proven ability to map stakeholders, analyze legislation, and identify policy gaps in food security and agriculture.
• experience in gender- and inclusion-responsive legal analysis.
• Excellent analytical and drafting skills, with the ability to produce actionable recommendations.
• Strong facilitation and consensus-building skills to engage diverse stakeholders.
• High level of cultural and political sensitivity and ability to work in a multi-stakeholder environment.

For this recruited consultancy, IDLO shall offer the selected candidate a Single Engagement Contract.

This is a home-based consultancy assignment, with participation in meetings, consultations, and policy dialogue and validation workshops in Amman as required.

The consultancy is expected to commence in February 2026. The inception note is expected to be submitted by the end of March 2026, followed by stakeholder mapping, consultations, and legal and institutional review activities to support the review and systematization of Jordan’s food security legal framework, anticipated to be completed by June-July 2026.

The draft deliverables, including the stakeholder mapping and analysis report, consultation and prioritization summary, and analytical inputs to the comprehensive legal review report, are expected to be completed by July-August 2026, in line with the project’s implementation schedule.

The final deliverables, including the comprehensive legal review report, final recommendations, and participation in policy dialogue and national validation workshops, are expected to be completed by November 2026.

This is a results-based assignment, and payments will be made upon the satisfactory completion and acceptance of deliverables, in accordance with IDLO’s consultancy payment procedures. Deliverables will be reviewed and accepted by IDLO in coordination with the Secretariat Unit of the HFSC.

The final approach to consultations and any in-country engagement will be determined by IDLO in consultation with the Secretariat Unit of the HFSC and relevant stakeholders.

Applicants are requested to indicate their expected level of effort (number of working days) and proposed daily rate in their financial proposal.

Applications will be screened on a regular basis; a qualified applicant might be recruited before the deadline. In the interest of making the most effective use of resources, only short-listed candidates will be contacted during the selection process.

IDLO is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome applications of qualified candidates of all backgrounds. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for IDLO vacancies.

IDLO does not tolerate sexual exploitation or abuse, any kind of harassment, including harassment of a sexual nature, or discrimination. As such, IDLO will conduct careful reference and background checks of all selected candidates as part of its selection process.

Application Deadline: January 30, 2026