Consultancy for Governance and Rights In-depth Research project

Background
Christian Aid is committed to fostering civic spaces that amplify the voices of the poorest and most marginalised communities, with a particular focus on Governance and Rights. Through our work, we aim to empower these communities by promoting accountable governance, transparent resource allocation, and equitable service access. However, restrictive policies and authoritarian leadership in many regions curtail civic engagement and hinder civil society’s ability to advocate for their rights effectively. This study is part of Christian Aid’s broader 2024-25 “Deep Dive” research initiative into the Governance and Rights Theme.

Objective

This research project emphasizes a participatory, qualitative-led approach to data collection, with quantitative data collection serving as supportive context, allowing field teams in Zimbabwe and India to gather comprehensive, grounded insights. Christian Aid is looking for a consultant to focus on making these methods practical, accessible, and adaptable for effective, on-the-ground use by country teams, providing ongoing remote support throughout the data collection and analysis processes.
The selected consultant will examine Christian Aid’s contributions to civic space and governance, focusing on two major sub-themes:

1. Citizenship Rights and Civic Space – investigating how civil society can protect civic space, mobilise citizen participation, and engage faith-based organisations and alliances to hold power structures accountable.
2. Transparency, Accountability, and Just Financing – understanding Christian Aid’s role in influencing public economic policy, especially regarding governance, budgeting, and economic justice for marginalised communities.

The research project aims to generate evidence-based insights to:

• Strengthen Christian Aid’s Governance and Rights work by analysing methods that effectively support civic space and voice;
• Identify best practices and emerging strategies for working in restrictive civic environments; and
• Inform Christian Aid’s programme strategies, especially concerning citizen participation, inclusive governance, and economic justice.

Scope and Geographic Coverage

The selected supplier will be expected to actively support the Project Manager, Thematic Adviser and Research Adviser and act as a Research Lead with technical support to the project team. They will participate remotely in the identification of key issues and questions, research methodology , research exercises, data analysis and drafting of results. They will lead in drafting the final research report for Christian Aid. By engaging with the process from the outset, the consultant will ensure alignment with the project’s objectives and gain a deeper understanding of the context, contributing to practical and actionable insights.
The consultant’s responsibilities will include:

• Participating in Co-designing the Research Framework: Collaborating remotely with the project and country teams to develop research methodologies, tools, and field exercises that are contextually relevant and feasible for implementation in Zimbabwe and India.
• Providing Support to Field Teams: Offering ongoing guidance and capacity-building to facilitate participatory qualitative and quantitative data collection.
• Conducting a Literature Review: Reviewing existing studies to establish the research context and identify gaps.
• Analysing Data: Synthesizing qualitative and quantitative findings to produce evidence-based insights
• Country Research reports: supporting the detailed write-up of the research in each country
• Leading the Report Writing Process: Drafting a comprehensive research report with global detailed findings, actionable recommendations, and a concise summary version for broader dissemination.

The consultant will address the following research question, with a focus on evidence-based insights:

1. What methods are most effective for increasing the quality of inclusive civic space? – in terms of Christian Aid’s experience and learning from Governance and Rights programming in Zimbabwe and India.

Requirements

Your proposal should cover but not limited to the following elements:

1. Organisational
   • Technical approach to carry out this research project;
   • Proven experience of conducting similar research
   • Proven experience of working with iNGO
   • Experience in the use of participatory research methodologies
2. Details of your safeguarding and ethical policies/considerations and ow they will apply to your work on this project
3. Audited financial statements for the last three years (applicable for company only)
4. Detailed cost with breakdown
5. Two referees
   • Please complete Document 5 – Supplier Reference Check Authorisation Form to provide contact details of two referees who must be your previous or current clients
   • Referees will be contacted if you/your organisation is shortlisted

Detailed specifications and forms can be downloaded here

Clarification questions regarding the tender documents or process must be made in writing by email to Procurement@christian-aid.org by 1pm 5 December 2024.

How to apply

Completed tenders must be sent to Procurement@christian-aid.org by 4pm (GMT) 13 December 2024 and must include:

1. Your Proposal
2. Supplier Reference Check Authorisation Form
3. Signed Bidder Declaration Form