Women Political Participation Baseline

1. Background

1. 1. Organization Overview

Search for Common Ground (Search) is a non-governmental organization working to transform the way societies deal with conflicts. We have acquired over 30 years of experience in peacebuilding and are based in 53 local offices worldwide. We strive to build sustainable peace for generations to come by working with all sides of a conflict, providing the tools needed to work together, and finding constructive solutions. While conflict is inevitable, violence is not! Our mission is to transform the way the world deals with conflict, away from adversarial approaches and toward cooperative solutions. Instead of tearing down an existing world, we focus on constructing a new one. We do this through a type of peacebuilding called “conflict transformation.” We shift the everyday interactions between hostile groups of people, so they can work together to build up their community, choosing joint problem-solving over violent means. Search first worked in Lebanon in 1996, and we opened up our office in Beirut in 2008. Since then, our activities and capacities have grown significantly. We rely on local staff as well as local partner organizations in order to ensure our work is culturally sensitive, sustainable and well-grounded in the Lebanese context.

For more information, visit www.sfcg.org and https://www.facebook.com/sfcg.lebanon.

1. 1. Intervention Summary

Search for Common Ground is preparing a 6-month project scheduled to start in October 2018. The overall goal of the project is “Promoting the participation of Female Political Leaders and female voices in political decision making in Lebanon”. Search is submitting a proposal for this project at the time of writing, and this opportunity will depend upon the project being awarded by the donor. This will be confirmed by the end of September. The project will work towards achieving the below objectives:

1. Media breaks down negative stereotypes and present more positive images of women participation in politics.
2. Political parties recognize the barriers to women’s participation and see the benefits in female political leadership

Project expected outcomes are:

1. Media professionals have the skills and capacities to breakdown negative stereotypes about female participation in politics
2. Political parties are sensitized about the importance of women participation in politics
3. Evidence base to understand and address barriers to participation of Female Political Leaders in political parties is established
4. Network of key players in Lebanon’s women’s movement, including governmental bodies strengthened
5. Lebanese Male Policymakers’ ability and will to address barriers to women’s political participation enhanced

1. The Baseline Assessment

1. 1. Assessment Objectives

The baseline study is intended to establish initial understanding of project context in Lebanon. The findings will be used as points of reference to measure the impact of the project and track its progress over time. Moreover, the baseline study will seek to inform and validate the project activities. It will also help tailor activities to be context specific, by improving the understanding around the dynamics within the local communities and the perceptions of those targeted by the project. More specifically the baseline study will seek to answer the below lines of inquiry:

• What are the current perceptions of the political and wider community towards women participation in politics?
• What are the current views of the political community around women empowerment and taking leadership roles inside the political parties?
• From the perspectives of the Lebanese audience what are the barriers preventing women from participating in politics and assuming leadership roles? 
• What are the capacities and limitations of TV professionals towards producing programs promoting women participation and leadership in politics?
• What is the current level of interest of the Lebanese audiences in programs promoting women participation and leadership in politics?
• Who are the main supporters to women effective participation in politics?
• What are the practical recommendations for the project activities?

1. 1. Audience

The primary audience of the Baseline Assessment will be Search, NDI, and the peace building community at large. Recommendations should emerge from the study to inform the project and project activities. 

The secondary audience will be the donor, which will use the findings and recommendations to strengthen its current and future programming.

1. 1. Methodology

Approach

The Search approach to evaluation is grounded in the guiding principles of our work: participatory, culturally sensitive, committed to building capacity, affirming and positive while honest and productively critical, and valuing knowledge and approaches from within the context. Search and the hired consultant will agree upon a joint set of evaluation standards when negotiating the final contract of agreement.

The below principles should be taken into account:

• Inclusiveness—the methodology should include a wide range of viewpoints, specifically gender and age-sensitivity when applicable.
• Mixed-method approaches—both qualitative and quantitative methods need to be present in the methodology.
• Rigor of evidence—gathered information needs to be reliable and transparent
• Ethics—the methodology needs to consider ethics in order to insure that the evaluation is fully objective.

Methodology & Scope of Evaluation:

The evaluation will investigate three principal target groups: Political parties, TV professionals, and the Lebanese audience. The evaluation sample size should be adequate and representative of the target groups. In addition the evaluation should employ both quantitative and qualitative participatory methods to establish the project baseline.

 It will draw on the following sources:

• Desk study review: It is important to review project documents, logical framework and other relevant sources of data to complete the assessment.
• Key informant interviews: Interviews will be conducted to gather in depth information on key questions. The key informants could include TV professionals, community leaders, CSOs and others as appropriate.
• Focus group discussions with the Lebanese audience, to include: men women, youths to gather in depth information regarding the key questions described above.
• Community Surveys: Surveys should be distributed to members of the community including men, women, and youth groups and others as appropriate to collect numerical information related to the study’s key questions.

1. Implementation Information

1. 1. Evaluation Team

The consultant will work closely with Search Lebanon DM&E and Learning Manager who will be ensuring that all milestones are met. She will also act as focal point on all issues including logistics and will sign off on the final papers in consultation with the MENA Regional DME Specialist and with the final approval of the Lebanon Country Director.

1. 1. Deliverables

• Within seven days from signing the contract, the consultant should submit an Inception report, which clearly defines the evaluation methodology, such as clear outlines for the focus group discussions, KII questions, survey questionnaires and research timeline with specific deadlines for each deliverable. The inception report should also clearly explain the sampling methodology and sample size for the quantitative survey and a clear and logical number for the KIIs. The inception report and the data collection tools need formal approval from Search before starting the data collection in the field.

• A draft Baseline Assessment report to be submitted within 15 days of completion of the data collection for review and comments from Search country team and the Regional DME specialist. The review and feedback of the report could be more than one round depending on the quality of the report and the extent to which the comments and suggestions from first round have been incorporated. 

• A Final Baseline Assessment to be submitted after incorporating the comments of Search. The report should be written in English, 30-35 pages excluding annexes, consisting of:

• Cover page, Search will provide sample cover sheet for reference

• Table of contents, list of acronyms, abbreviations and list of tables and charts. 
• Executive summary of key findings and recommendations – 3-4 pages
• Background information and context analysis presented per key criteria with a brief description
• Baseline methodology with clear explanation of sampling and limitations, KIIs, participants’ selection and data analysis approach.
• Research findings, analysis, with associated data presented, where appropriate in clear graphs or charts. The findings can include subsections for each research criteria.
• Conclusion and Recommendations for future project implementation.
• The recommendations should be framed according to each evaluation criteria.
• Appendices should include collected data, detailed description of the methodology with research instruments, list of interviewees.

• An info-graphic digest report of 2 pages that includes major findings of the study

• Once the draft is submitted and reviewed, Search may decide based on the quality of the draft whether the consultant may be required to revise the draft, working closely with Search DM&E manager as necessary.

• The report should be submitted electronically in a MS – Word document. The consultant is responsible for English editing of the final report which should be well formatted. The report will be credited to the evaluator and potentially placed in the public domain at the decision of Search.

• All handwritten and electronic transcripts of interviews and KIIs, hard copies of survey questionnaires, photographs taken during the assessment and any equipment received from Search for the purpose of the study should be submitted to Search. Furthermore all information generated during the baseline study will be the sole property of Search and is subject to submission to Search along with the final report, prior to the end of the contract.

1. Deadlines

• Consultant recruitment deadline: October 5, 2018
• Deadline for finalizing the data collection tools: October 28, 2018
• Deadline for finalizing data collection: December 2, 2018
• Deadline for the draft report: December 9, 2018
• Deadline for the final deliverables: December 21, 2018

1. Logistical Support

Search Lebanon will provide the consultant with logistical support through:

• Ensuring that the consultant receives key documents in a timely manner
• Helping to set up the data collection needed arrangements
• Arranging meetings with the project team and key staff
• Providing administrative support such as photocopying, fax machines, and office space

1. The Baseline Assessment Consultant

Consultant’s Qualifications

Search Lebanon seeks an experienced consultant with the following qualifications:

• Proficiency in Arabic and English.
• Solid understanding of the Lebanese social and political contexts.
• More than 5 years of experience in Media monitoring, marketing research or equivalent project evaluation and baseline expertise, including collecting and analyzing data from interviews, surveys, and FGDs.
• Experience in working with international organizations
• Strong communication and writing skills
• Experience working with youth empowerment programming in the region
• Research and evaluation methods and data collection skills
• Ability to be flexible with time and work schedule
• Attention to detail and ability to meet tight deadlines
• Conflict resolution/peace building experience

Sound good?  To apply, interested consultants should:

Send a letter of interest, resume, technical and budget proposal and projected start date. The deadline to apply is September 30, 2018. Please send an email with the subject heading:  Women Political Participation Baseline Consultant to: [email protected].

Please note that this position is for a proposal Search will submit and depends upon being awarded the project by the donor. Consultancy will be confirmed by the end of September.