Opportunity in N’Djamena, Chad – Request for proposal
All proposals should be submitted to .
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has contracted through ZemiTek partnered with CAMRIS International, to recruit and hire a qualified individual for the following position:
Title: Senior Researcher – Chad Civil Society Desk Assessment
United States Agency for International Development/ Bureau of Africa, Office of Sustainable Development, Conflict, Peace building, and Governance Division
(AFR/SD/CPG)
With more than 30 years’ experience providing information technology (IT) and management consulting services worldwide, Rosa Caldas, formed ZemiTek in 2007. Based in the Washington, DC metro area, ZemiTek delivers solutions to the federal government by supporting agencies such as USAID, US Patent and Trademark Office, US Department of Justice, US Department of Agriculture, and Department of Homeland Security, among others; and internationally to their missions in Africa, Asia, Europe and Eurasia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Middle East.
CAMRIS International is among the top 20 USAID contractors for the third year in a row. CAMRIS realizes innovative solutions to health and development challenges through high-quality, cost-effective programs and research management services. With experience working in more than 80 countries, CAMRIS combines proven systems with today’s most effective, evidence-based best practices to improve the lives of people around the world.
BACKGROUND
USAID Africa Bureau is seeking a Senior Researcher to participate in a 6-day long field assessment to identify key constraints and opportunities for civil society and media programming in Chad, with a cross-cutting focus on engaging women, youth, and marginalized populations, and to draft an Activity Description for a USAID cooperative agreement award. The Senior Researcher will work with USAID staff in the Sahel Regional Office and in Chad to assess the current state of the civil society and media sectors in Chad, with respect to legal frameworks, government oversight, independence or partisanship, organizational capacity, financial viability, advocacy capacity, inclusivity, cohesion, and ability to form and maintain coalitions.
Prior to the field assessment, the Senior Researcher will review documents to be provided by USAID.
This will include but is not limited to:
Chad’s National Development Plan, the USG Integrated Country Strategy for Chad, the European Union (EU) Donor Road Map for Engaging Civil Society, the EU Project Document for Civil Society Support (PASOC), and program documentation for two USAID-funded efforts, as well as assessments produced under these projects. The field assessment aims to identify sector trends and offer recommendations for future civil society and media programming and should directly inform the activity design.
This effort will contribute to USAID Africa Bureau objectives to expand analytic capacity and thought leadership in order to help improve the effectiveness of development activities designed by USAID across Africa. The effort also advances the Agency’s Journey to Self Reliance Roadmap: it will provide programming guidance for a citizen-centered approach to development that is responsive to local dynamics, which leads to enduring, sustainable growth.
USAID’s research and programming in the civil society sector in Chad has been limited to date. USAID would like to explore options for engaging with civil society to balance efforts that focus on security and violent extremism in the region. The analysis from this project will help fill a knowledge gap for USAID, due to our limited field presence and programming in these sectors over the past decade. It will enable USAID to design and implement activities that are appropriate to the challenges and opportunities in Chad.
The consultancy requirements laid out in this statement of work consist of a field assessment to identify sector trends and programmatic lessons and offer recommendations for USAID programming in these areas. In addition, it includes development of an activity description for a cooperative agreement.
The Senior Researcher will participate in a 6-day field assessment with USAID staff and lead the development of an assessment report and recommendations, ensuring quality, on-time completion. USAID staff will lead in arranging interviews during the field assessment. The activity design will be based on the recommendations that come out of the field work and assessment.
The Senior Researcher will:
* Review important contextual and programming documents to be provided by USAID.
* Participate in at least one teleconference with USAID staff in the field as appropriate to discuss the field assessment, including a review of individuals/organizations to be interviewed and discuss/refine interview questions.
* Actively participate in all field-based interviews.
* Serve as the primary author of a report that documents field assessment findings and offers recommendations for USAID programming.
* Draft the activity description based on the assessment’s recommendations.
* Finalize the draft activity description based on feedback from USAID.
To the extent possible, the assessment should include (1) an in-depth description of the civil society and media sectors and analysis of sector trends, including the level and type of participation by women, youth and marginalized populations in these sectors; (2) an explanation of key challenges and opportunities for engaging civil society, particularly women, youth, and marginalized populations; (3) a stocktaking of existing and planned donor efforts in the DRG sector; and (4) a synopsis of relevant lessons learned and programming recommendations for USAID.
Illustrative assessment questions may include:
* Are basic rights of association, speech, and assembly respected and how are citizens free or constrained to exercise these rights equally?
* Can people legally organize to pursue their interests and ideas and what are the barriers to establishing civic organizations? Do certain types of CSOs, especially those advocating for human rights or government accountability, face greater challenges in operating freely?
* What is the legal and regulatory framework that governs CSOs activities in Chad? Are there distinctions in law or practice regarding registration or function of “mass-based” or membership organizations, such as trade unions, farmers’ organizations, or student organizations?
* To what extent is media free to provide information, analysis, and a forum for the competition of ideas? Are there unfair or unreasonable barriers to registering and owning media outlets?
* Do diverse ethnic or other communities share any common media space, or is society fragmented into divided information communities?
* Are there digital divides or digital literacy gaps in the population, resulting in reduced access to information or unequal participation by some segments of the population? Are parts of the population excluded, formally or informally, from meaningful political, social, or economic participation, and in what ways?
* What efforts are being taken and are feasible to consider in USAID programming that will help include women, youth, persons with disabilities, LGBTI and other marginalized groups in civic and political life? Are there organizations that represent the collective interests of these populations?
* Are the CSOs credible and seen as legitimate by their constituencies?
* What opportunities exist to engage with and support civil society initiatives in Chad? If USAID is to engage in this sector, which interventions are most likely to yield positive results and why? What are the potential risks, if any, of such engagement?
* What interventions are most likely to improve conditions and help strengthen civil society organizations in Chad? What are the greatest capacity building needs for CSOs? What are promising theories of change and illustrative programmatic directions to meet those needs?
* Given a 12% birth registration rate, what kinds of programs would be most effective in helping Chad develop a sustainable civil registry?
The Activity Description will include the sections typically used in that section of a cooperative agreement, including, but not limited to the following:
Summary, Context, Activity objectives, approach, proposed activities, expected outcomes, gender and youth approach, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) plan, including illustrative indicators, approximate level of effort for potential component activities, and how the activity will coordinate with other activities within the Bridge project. Final breadth and depth of these sections will be determined through discussions with USAID.
DELIVERABLES AND ACTIVITIES:
There will be three key deliverables to be completed by the Senior Researcher:
* A final assessment report that incorporates the 4 required sections as outlined above: 1) civil society and media sector analysis; 2) key challenges and opportunities; 3) stocktaking of USAID and other donor programming; 4) lessons learned and tailored recommendations for future USAID programming. The assessment report is not to exceed 25 pages excluding annexes and complete bibliography of all sources. A two-page executive summary should also be provided.
* A draft activity description that includes the sections outlined above
* A finalized activity description incorporating feedback on the draft
* A presentation of the assessment to USAID and other embassy staff both in N’Djamena and in Dakar on the main assessment findings and initial recommendations at the end of field work.
* A final presentation of the assessment to USAID staff. This presentation will take place in Washington but should also include options for field-based participation.
The suggested timeframe for the research effort is: April 8, 2019 – May 17, 2019.
This timeframe includes the following notional internal deadlines:
* Document review to be completed by April 10, 2019.
* Pre-assessment phone call with USAID field staff no later than April 10, 2019.
* Field-Assessment and Outbrief in N’Djamena on or about April 13, 2019 – April 19, 2019
* Outbrief in Dakar o/a April 22, 2019
* A preliminary draft report to be submitted for review by USAID no later than April 23, 2019. USAID will provide feedback by April 29, 2019.
* Draft Activity Description to be submitted for review by USAID no later than April 29, 2019. USAID will provide feedback by May 6, 2019.
* The final draft report to be submitted for review by USAID no later than May 8, 2019 for review. USAID will provide feedback by May 13, 2019.
* The final report and 2-page Executive Summary to be submitted to USAID by May 17, 2019.
* Final activity description to be submitted to USAID by May 17, 2019.
* The final presentation should take place before May 22, 2019.
The timeframe is notional, and the contractor should propose deadlines in a work plan that provides sufficient time for reviews and an iterative feedback process.
The Senior Researcher should have the following expertise and skills:
* At least a Master’s or equivalent graduate degree (MA/MS) in political science, African studies, international relations or a related field, and at least 8-10 years of progressive research or related experience.
* Knowledge of international development in the democracy, rights and governance and peace and security sectors;
* Familiarity with USAID civil society and media capacity building efforts and approaches to address closing civic and political space;
* Previous experience working on USAID or other donor-funded research or program analysis;
* Expertise in political development in sub-Saharan Africa;
* Strong background in qualitative and quantitative research methods and resources;
* Minimum of five years technical writing experience;
* Experience leading a research effort including planning and conducting research and delivering written and oral products;
* French language skills required; and
* Sub-Saharan Africa field experience desirable, preferably in Chad.
This is an opportunity for employment or a contract, but we reserve the right to make no selection or award.
ZemiTek and CAMRIS International offer competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits.
ZemiTek and CAMRIS International are Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, protected veteran status, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
More Information
- Job City Chad
