The Policing Authority: Tender for research on victims’ experiences with the Garda Síochána – deadline 27 September 2019

The Policing Authority was established in 2016 as an independent body to oversee the performance of the Garda Síochána in relation to policing services in Ireland. Its key objective is to promote trust and confidence in policing and to help shape policing services for Ireland in the future.  

The remit of the Authority includes undertaking, commissioning or assisting in research projects in respect of matters relating to policing services, which in the opinion of the Authority, may:

• promote an improvement in standards for those matters and public awareness of them; or
• contribute to a reduction in the number of complaints against members of the Garda Síochána in relation to those matters.

As set out in its Statement of Strategy 2019-2021 and its 2019 Corporate Priorities, the Authority has decided to commission research to contribute to greater understanding of victims’ experiences of their interaction with the Garda Síochána, in particular subsequent to the enactment of the Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) Act 2017.

The Request for Tender (RFT) for this research has been published, and further information is available on the etenders website here.

The deadline for receipt of completed tender responses is 15:00 on 27^th September 2019. All queries in relation to this tender should be made via the etenders website.

Context of the research

Victims’ experiences with the Garda Síochána is a particularly important area of focus for the Policing Authority in relation to its oversight role. The Victims’ Directive (Directive 2012/29/EU) and the Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) Act 2017 have imposed substantial obligations relating to victims on the wider criminal justice system, including on the Garda Síochána.

The Future of Policing in Ireland also emphasised that the Garda Síochána should ensure that services to victims and compliance with victims’ rights are embedded in the organisation’s processes and that all members understand fully what their obligations are towards victims of crime. The report stressed that this applies in particular to those victims who have been traumatised by the crime or who are marginalised in a community, for example ethnic or other minorities.

Objectives of the project

The Authority is inviting tenders for the provision of research which would provide the Authority with detailed insight into the experiences of victims of crime in respect of their interactions with the Garda Síochána, including:

• the nature and quality of the experience, focusing in particular on aspects relating to the obligations on the Garda Síochána under the Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) Act 2017 and the Victims’ Directive;
• the impact of the above on aspects such as victims’ view of the police, willingness to report again, willingness to cooperate and to proceed with prosecution, or on the long term impact of the crime on the victim; and
• the effects of the implementation of a number of Garda Síochána initiatives in recent years directed towards improving the experiences of victims in the criminal justice system. 

The Authority is open to considering a range of methodological approaches to achieve the objectives above, however the justification for choice of methodology must be clearly specified, as set out in detail in the tender invitation.