Request for Proposal of Services Baseline Civic Engagement and Civil Society Assessment for The Carter Center’s Project to Increase Election Transparency and Credibility in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Request for Proposal of Services

Baseline Civic Engagement and Civil Society Assessment for The Carter Center’s Project to Increase Election Transparency and Credibility in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Summary

The Carter Center seeks a consultant or a group of consultants to conduct a baseline assessment of civil society engagement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the civic space in target provinces. The desired consultant should aim to determine the prevalence and dynamism of civil society groups and structures engaged in democratic governance throughout the DRC, at both the national and provincial level. The consultant will measure the level of civic engagement, assess awareness of civil and political rights, and identify key barriers and threats to civil society, and identify salient issues motivating civic participation at both the local and national scale. The assessment should be inclusive in design, incorporating underrepresented communities, and aim to extend beyond major urban centers.

The timeline for this assessment is dependent on the proposals received but anticipated not to exceed 10-12 weeks, including the delivery of a final report. The budget provided should include consulting fees, travel expenses and other related expenses.

Context

The 2023 general elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) marked a significant step in the country’s democratization process initiated in 2006. The Carter Center’s international election observation mission noted some positive improvements over previous election cycles but highlighted the government’s failure to meet certain international commitments for democratic elections.  The elections took place in a difficult environment, marked by systemic corruption, limited prevalence of the rule of law and low legal literacy among the population.

A clear positive aspect of the 2023 elections was the robustness of the engagement by DRC citizens, through organized civil society groups, social media and other forms. Citizen engagement around the 2023 elections was vital in documenting technical issues and human rights violations, and empowering voters with legal knowledge to exercise their rights. Feedback from observer groups have prompted key actions from the institutions to enable civic participation and contributed to a more positive perception of institutions by the population. However, the 2023 elections have also impacted civil society, as some of its leaders chose to run for elections and/or have expressed support for political sides. The elections have also revealed a reducing civic space, where new obstacles have emerged in the work of civil society. This space risks further shrinking, due to increased polarization in particular around security issues and government initiatives seen as controversial by civil society. This assessment, therefore, seeks to take stock of the state of DRC civil society after the 2023 elections, and compile a comprehensive baseline and issue map for current and future programming conducting by the Carter Center to support the strengthening of civil society in the DRC.

Assessment Purpose 

This assessment will inform a comprehensive understanding of the prevalence and dynamism of civil society groups and structures active in democratic governance. The assessment will seek to measure the level of civic engagement in key geographical areas, through an analysis of civil society’s needs, methods of actions, membership, relation with key constituents and stakeholders and barriers to effective engagement on democracy and election matters.  Inclusive in design, the assessment will provide greater insight into local needs, outside Kinshasa, and elevate the voices of marginalized and underrepresented groups. To this aim, the assessment will not only cover organized forms of civil society but also less formal structures and citizen movements. 

The Center will use the findings of this assessment to ensure programming activities, including capacity building, advocacy for reform and support to election observation, are responsive to the realities outside of Kinshasa, and to the needs of all groups and address concrete citizen engagement issues. Further, it will serve as a monitoring and assessment indicator to aid in measuring expansions/restrictions to civic space as well as changes to citizen awareness on democracy and governance. In both the immediate and long-term, this research could also inform donors, development partners, and stakeholders on resource allocation and programmatic priorities, enhance CSO capacity, and promote collaboration, ensuring that civil society can adapt to emerging challenges and continue contributing effectively to the DRC’s democratic development and strengthening the country’s civic space.  

Assessment methodology and criteria

The consultant(s) should include details on their proposed methodology along with their application materials, taking into account available timeline along with the criteria outlined in these terms of reference. The assessment should seek to determine the following aspects:

Participation:

  • Presence and activity levels of civil society organizations
  • Vitality and effectiveness of structures involved in democratic governance
  • Diversity of groups participating in civic activities

Depth and Breadth:

  • Extent of civil society engagement at both national and provincial levels
  • Civil society level of familiarity with civil and political rights
  • Regional variations in civil society engagement

Challenges:

  • Major obstacles faced by civil society organizations and other civil society actors
  • Threats to the sustainability and growth of civil society
  • Impact of legal and political barriers on civic activities

Issue Mapping:

  • Key issues currently being addressed by civil society
    • Identifiable gaps in civil society coverage
    • Alignment of civil society efforts with public concerns

Inclusivity in Design:

  • Inclusion of marginalized and underrepresented groups in civil society

Available Resources

The Carter Center staff will accompany the consultant(s) and provide a variety of resources that could include but are not limited to:

  • Limited access to certain materials, reports, and data from previous programs, as appropriate
  • Engagement with current and former local partners of The Carter Center’s Citizen Observation and Human Rights House programs
  • Engagement with subject matter experts at The Carter Center’s offices in Kinshasa, the provinces, and Atlanta, including statisticians and data scientists

Timeline and deliverables

We are aiming for the assessment to be completed within a timeframe of 10 to 12 weeks after the start of the assessment contract with The Carter Center. A more specific timeline should be included within the proposal materials, including details regarding the consultant’s ability to engage outside of Kinshasa and the number of named provinces the assessment could be conducted. The following deliverables are expected:

  • Inception report including description of the following: 
    • Detailed assessment work plan and timeline
    • Methodology and data collection tools
    • Risks and challenges
  • Draft of assessment report in French or English for Carter Center review and feedback, including:
    • Executive summary of key findings and recommendations
    • Table of contents
    • Methodology
    • Research findings
    • Analysis
    • Conclusions
    • Lessons learned/recommendations
    • Appendices, including terms of reference, list of interviewees, assessment itinerary, research tools, consultant’s biography, other annexes (including pictures, if taken).
    • Final version of report of publishable quality
    • Regular meetings with Carter Center program staff to provide status updates

Budget

Within their application materials, the consultant(s) will include a budget detailing their expected level of effort and other costs. Review of applications will consider value for money and financial competitiveness.

Assessment Management

The assessment will be managed by the DRC-based Citizen Observation project staff. 

The consultant(s) will observe the highest standard of ethics and use his/her best efforts to protect TCC against fraud in the performance of the contract. In particular, the consultant will not engage in any corrupt, fraudulent, coercive, collusive, or obstructive conduct. The consultant will agree to abide by The Carter Center code of conduct during the length of the consultancy.    

Assessment ownership

TCC will have ownership of the data, findings and reports produced during the assessment but will provide FCDO with access to these materials and conclusions.

Qualifications

  • Individual consultant, group of individual consultants, (applied) research center, nongovernmental organization.
  • At least 5 years of experience conducting substantive surveys and assessments related to civil society, democracy and governance, and or human rights.  
  • Demonstrated ability to conduct field research and to use participatory assessment methodologies, including collecting data through interviews, focus groups, etc.
  • Familiarity with the DRC context (preferably with previous work experience in the country/region)
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills in French or English
  • Adaptability and experience working in remote and conflict-prone areas
  • Operational capacity to work outside of Kinshasa and of provincial capitals and to reach the base level

Please send CV, cover letter, a short technical proposal (max 5 pages), including an anticipated timeline and a bid comprised of consultant fee expectations and other suggested costs to drcrecruiting@cartercenter.org. Include in the subject line: DRC Civil Society Assessment Application – [Your Name]. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.