Call for Proposals – Mapping and Analysis of Civil Society Groups in the Lebanese Political Landscape

Assignment Title: Mapping and Analysis of Civil Society Groups in the Lebanese Political Landscape

Assignment Location: Lebanon 

Maximum Budget: Up to EUR 25,000

Contract Period: February–August 2022 

Deadline: 25 February 2022, 11:59 PM local time (Beirut, Lebanon)  

How to apply: Please send the required documents as referred to in the Annexes to info.lebanon@democracy-reporting.org, cc’ing e.haddad@democracy-reporting.org, by 25 February 2022, 11:59 PM local time.

DRI is looking for an established organisation to conduct a mapping and analysis of the new political contenders and the emerging civil society groups and networks in the political sphere in Lebanon.

To find out more about the requirements for this position, please download the full procurement notice available in English attached.

Background

1. About DRI 

Democracy Reporting International (DRI) is a non-partisan, independent, not-for-profit organisation registered in Berlin. It has been established in Lebanon since 2016. DRI promotes political participation of citizens, accountability of state bodies and the development of democratic institutions worldwide. Democratic discourse is the basis of our mission and vision. In our work, we facilitate discussion and exchange about democratic government and the need for a continuous discourse adhering to democratic rules.    

In the framework of its Lebanon project “A bottom-up reform agenda for Lebanon: Supporting youth, women, and civil society actors to expand civic space”, DRI is empowering civic actors, particularly women and youth to participate in the political process and is engaging civic and public actors in political and legal reform to advance a good governance agenda.

2. Assignment Overview 

Ahead of the 2022 elections, DRI wants to conduct a mapping and analysis of the new political contenders and the emerging civil society groups and networks in the political sphere. The assignment aims at understanding who these emerging groups are, what they stand for, their programmatic agenda, structure, constituency and target groups, relations to other possibly more established actors/groups/parties,  the challenges they face, their capacity to engage citizens in the political process (e.g., parliamentary and municipal elections), and potential need for political or organisational support.

3. Your Deliverables

DRI is interested in receiving applications from established and experienced organisations:

Under the supervision of and in close coordination with DRI, the selected organisation will:

• Design and refine a mapping that assesses the emerging civil society groups, networks, and new political contenders, analysing who these emerging groups are, what they stand for, their programmatic agenda, structure, constituency and target groups, relations to other possibly more established actors/groups/parties, the challenges they face, their capacity to engage citizens in the political process (e.g., parliamentary and municipal elections), and potential need for support;
• Develop a comprehensive research methodology that includes a stock-taking documentation review, quantitative and/or qualitative data collection tools (e.g., survey, key informant interviews, focus groups, social media monitoring and analysis), and a suggested theoretical framework (the interview sample will be determined according to selection criteria that are gender and diversity responsive);
• Submit a first draft report based on the final approved outline that includes preliminary findings, conclusions, and recommendations (DRI will review and submit comments and suggested revisions to be implemented by the researchers prior to finalisation);
• Submit a highly readable final report of around 20,000 words as per DRI’s guidelines, including the following sections:
  1. Executive summary
  2. Approach and methodology, including limitations
  3. Key findings
  4. Conclusions and recommendations
  5. Appendices that contain the data collected and analysed, and the tools used
• Ensure that the writing is concise, straightforward, and engaging, following a think-tank style;
• Include tabulations and visualisations of the main findings in the body of the text;
• Identify entry points to mobilise like-minded actors to launch peer-to-peer exchanges aiming at supporting the convergence of views around common challenges and citizen demands related to the national reform agenda;
• Present the report findings to the DRI team;
• At the end of the activity, discuss, in the presence of political and civil society actors, the main conclusions of the study and the perspectives of political change in Lebanon;
• Hold regular coordination meetings with DRI to monitor the mapping process and send regular updates in writing;
• Ensure that DRI’s guidelines, mission, values, and visibility are adhered to throughout the assignment. 

4. Your Skills & Experience

Applicants should demonstrate that they can fulfil the requested tasks and that the implementing staff members and/or consultants meet the following profile:

Required:

• A Lebanon-based organisation (local or international);
• Experts with an advanced university degree in public policy or public administration, law, political science, social science, or relevant fields;
• Experts with at least 7 years of experience in conducting high-quality research (mappings, analyses, policy papers/briefs, studies, reports);
• Experts with previous experience in quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis;
• Experts with a strong publication record about Lebanese political issues;
• Writing and working proficiency in Arabic and English;
• Ability to write concisely in a think-tank style requiring minimum revision, using a gender and diversity sensitive language.

Preferred:

• Awareness of, or publication record on, existing studies and/or mappings about the state of civil society in Lebanon.