Consulting Opportunity: Media Resilience Assessment

The Samir Kassir Foundation (SKF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to defending media freedom, supporting independent journalism, and promoting human rights and democratic values across the MENA region.

Funded by the European Union and led by BBC Media Action, the Brave Media Project is a global initiative that brings together leading media organizations to strengthen independent media, enhance gender-equitable practices, provide training and financial support, and promote solutions that safeguard democracy, human rights, and resilience against disinformation worldwide.

Description of Assignment

The Media Resilience Assessment should be carried out twice for each of two media outlets:

• At the start (baseline)
• At the end (endline)

The purpose of the assessment is to:

• Evaluate the resilience level of media organizations
• Identify strengths, gaps, and needs
• Inform and guide capacity-building interventions
• Track changes in resilience over time

Methodology

The assessment will be conducted through a combination of desk review, fieldwork, and interviews.

The Research Consultant will review existing documentation (e.g., organisational records and training plans) to identify available information and gaps. These gaps will be addressed through semi-structured interviews, follow-up meetings, and direct observation during field visits.

Interviews will be conducted with 3–5 staff members, including senior management, editorial staff, and finance/operations personnel, ensuring diversity in roles and perspectives. Fieldwork will also include observation of organisational systems, workflows, and infrastructure.

For the endline assessment, additional review of project documents will be conducted. Findings will be triangulated across all data sources to produce the final resilience rating.

Deliverables

The Research Consultant commits to deliver the following:

• Completed two Media Resilience Assessments (baseline and endline) for each of the two media outlets designated by SKF.
• Consolidated resilience rating for each of the two media outlets.
• Documentation of findings based on interviews, observations and document review.
• Needs assessment to inform capacity-building programs.
• Comparative analysis (where applicable) showing changes over time.

Materials:

Guiding documents including the framework and interview questions will be provided for the consultant to complete and use.

Duration of the Assignment

The assignment will be conducted in two stages:

• Baseline for the two outlets: July 2026
• Endline for the two outlets: April 2027

Qualifications

The Research Consultant conducting the study should have:

• Experience in media development, research, or organisational assessment.
• Strong understanding of media systems, newsroom operations, and institutional processes.
• Familiarity with financial and operational aspects of media organizations (or access to such expertise).
• Experience conducting qualitative research (interviews, observation, document analysis).
• Ability to ensure ethical research practices, including informed consent and neutrality regarding funding decisions.