Carter Center
The Carter Center is looking to engage a Sierra Leone-based organization to support the enumeration and analysis of a mixed-method study on women and the right of access to information in Sierra Leone. Proposals must be received by the Center at [email protected] by 5:00 PM GMT on November 3, 2022. No late applications will be accepted or reviewed. Any questions on the below should be emailed to [email protected] by 5:00 PM GMT on October 27, 2022
Introduction to the Required Services
The Carter Center’s Rule of Law Program works to advance good governance and trust to transform lives through accountability, transparency, and inclusive access to information and justice. With funds from Irish AID, the Carter Center will conduct a study on Women and Access to Information in Sierra Leone. The proposed study will use the Carter Center’s methodology and questionnaire to examine the hypothesis that women are unable to exercise the fundamental right of access to information with the same facility (frequency, ease, and rate of success) as men. The Carter Center and local civil society partners have completed similar studies in Liberia (2014), Guatemala (2015), and Bangladesh (2016), which revealed significant obstacles that women face when exercising their right to information. The research design utilizes multiple methods, relying on both existing secondary data and the collection of primary data through interviews with heads of key women’s and thematic organizations, expert opinion interviews, and nonparticipant observation of access to information practices in relevant government ministries and agencies and accompanying interviews of the public servants and “customers” who enter the public offices.
Methodology
The study is primarily qualitative. The Offeror’s researchers will collect three types of data: interviews with community leaders, expert opinion interviews, and nonparticipant observations with complementary interviews. The Carter Center and the selected contractor will determine the list of persons to interview and the public agencies to visit as part of the non-participant observation. Importantly, the study does not seek to be statistically relevant, but rather to recognize and describe perceptions, experiences, and trends across the country.
The Offeror will be expected to train a local team to employ the study methodology in their communities. Each team should comprise individuals who are responsible for conducting interviews and field observations, as well as transcribing data for analysis, with a supervisor to assist and check data. Following the initial data gathering, local stakeholders should have an opportunity to review, comment, and discuss the preliminary findings in “validation meetings” hosted in the areas that are surveyed. The comments gathered from the validation discussions will be used to further contextualize the findings. As part of the methodology, the initial release of the final findings will occur at a multistakeholder meeting, providing the opportunity to discuss the results of the study, jointly consider the problems, and begin to develop considering potential solutions/recommendations for improvements.
The Offeror should propose a methodology that assures geographic, ethnic/religious, stakeholder, and gender diversity. These regional findings are then aggregated to provide insights into the overall ability of women to exercise the right to information with the same facility as men.
Deliverables
November 2022
- Identify all researchers, interviewers, and enumerators
- Organize researcher training
- Draft and share the research approach, selection criteria for interviewees, and interview protocols for TCC approval.
January – February 2023
Conduct all on-the-ground data collection, including:
- One hundred (100) individual interviews with community leaders, including youth leaders, with at least twenty five (25) in each district and in Freetown (reaching all four provinces).
- Seventy-five (60) expert interviews, with at least twenty-five (15) in each district and in Freetown.
- Non-participant observation in 8-10 agencies in each district and Freetown, with each agency, visited three times.
- One hundred (100) community interviews (market women) with at least twenty-five (25) in each district and in Freetown (reaching all four provinces).
- Research inputs must be recorded using standardized forms created by The Carter Center in electronic format provided and procured by the Center for analysis
February – March 2023
Validation meetings, with accompanying reports and PowerPoint up to 30 slides
Support the organization of closed-door stakeholder meetings and large meetings for the launch of the final report
The time period and amount of the award are subject to funding availability. The study is also contingent on IRB approval.
How to apply
Proposal Submission process
Proposals are limited to 15 pages and must include the following:
- Technical approach, methodology, including suggested geographical reach and activities, as linked to the expected results (6 pages)
- Implementation plan and risk assessment (2 pages)
- Key personnel and management approach (2 pages)
- Past Performance demonstrating organizational capacity (3 pages) with client contact details
- Budget and Budget Narrative (2 pages). All prices must be in United States Dollars.
- Supporting materials (which do not count towards the 15-page limit)
– CVs for key project team members (each CV should be 3 pages maximum)
The maximum available budget is $17,000
Applicants should submit a clear, realistic budget with a budget narrative. The budget must account for all costs. Applicants must demonstrate organizational experience and the ability to plan and manage programming, monitor, report on progress, and maintain financial compliance. The applicant must be able to demonstrate an ability to properly reconcile expenses and maintain acceptable standards of compliance.
All proposals must be emailed to: [email protected] by 5:00 PM GMT on November 3, 2022. No late applications will be accepted or reviewed.
Direct any questions to [email protected]