Mapping of Cohort of Legal Practitioners and FoRB Advocates.
Strengthening Freedom of Religion or Beliefs (FoRB) in Nigeria through Legal Support.
Search for Common Ground (Search) is seeking a consultant to conduct a mapping of the cohort of Legal Practitioners and Freedom of Religion or Beliefs (FoRB) Advocates in Nigeria. The mapping exercise will identify the organizations and stakeholders who meet the criteria to be engaged through the Project’s cohort of legal Practitioners and FoRB Advocates across three geopolitical zones and Six (6) States in Northern Nigeria consisting of the North East (Bauchi and Borno), North West (Kano and Sokoto) and North Central (Plateau and Benue). The mapping will also analyze their (Legal Practitioners and FoRB Advocates) level of interest, influence and importance in participating, preventing and responding to FoRB violations and other religious-based violence in target states. Consultant’s research proposal should include a plan to analyze the current context on Freedom of Religious or Belief across states and, criteria for membership of legal practitioners and FoRB advocates into the cohort. The mapping of members of the cohort will consider the engagement of legal organizations, learning/educational institutions, law firms, influential individuals and several organizations both Government and Non-Governmental, including religious/traditional institutions and make recommendations. Candidates’ teams should have experience in religious studies, social research, context analysis, stakeholders’ identification, mapping and analysis, evaluation experience and data interpretation.
1. Context
Search for Common Ground
Search is an international conflict transformation NGO that aims to transform the way individuals, groups, governments, and companies deal with conflict, away from adversarial approaches and towards collaborative solutions. Headquartered in Washington DC, USA, and Brussels, Belgium, with 52 field offices in over 30 countries, Search designs and implements multifaceted, culturally appropriate, and conflict-sensitive programs using a diverse range of tools, including media and training, to promote dialogue, increase knowledge, and determine a positive shift in behaviors.
Religion is deeply embedded in all aspects of Nigerian life – shaping not only citizens’ moral values, but also their moral understanding of the world, especially in times of crisis. While there are no official indicators of religious affiliation in Nigeria, most analysts say it is roughly evenly divided between Muslims and Christians. The country is believed to have the largest Muslim population in sub-Saharan Africa. It is estimated that 9% of the population belongs to other (not Christianity) or no religious groups. Religious affiliation is an important identity in the lives of most Nigerians; 87% of Nigerian citizens believe that religion plays an important role in their lives. Religious and cultural pluralism is the daily experience of millions of Nigerians. Notwithstanding the existence of religious tensions, the reality is that most Nigerians want to live in harmony with their neighbors of different faiths. A Pew Research report found that 71% of Nigerians think that it is a good thing for people of other faiths to have the freedom to practice their beliefs.
This presents risks to impact several key overall development indicators, including freedom of religious belief and religious tolerance. Search working with key stakeholders in the sectors as well as the National Human Rights Commission will be implementing a 30-month project to empower actors to prevent and address conflicts along religious lines and advance FoRB in Nigeria. The project will be implemented using a national scope to engage key actors at Regional level covering Six (6) States in Northern Nigeria.
While the geographic scope will be Northern Nigeria, Search will periodically and at regular intervals convene key legal Practitioners and FoRB advocates from the 19 Northern states in a central location and thereafter coordinate them through in-person and online engagements.
Search is recruiting for a consultant/team of consultant(s) to conduct a mapping of the Cohort of Legal Practitioners and Freedom of Religion or Beliefs (FoRB).
The Project
Search will be implementing a 30-month project with an overall goal to reinforce the legal, social, and policy environments for improved FoRB in Nigeria.
The overall goal is supported by two (2) specific objectives and the corresponding Four (4) expected results which will guide the project’s activities:
Objective 1: The legal community supports individuals at risk of FoRB violations and violence along religious lines.
● Expected Result 1.1: Legal practitioners and advocates use their enhanced knowledge and tools to address FoRB violations.
● Expected Result 1.2: Survivors of FoRB violations access improved support services.
Objective 2: OB2: Attitudes, behaviors, and policies support greater religious tolerance and freedom in Nigeria.
● Expected Result 2.1: Key stakeholders promote inter-religious tolerance and FoRB within and across communities.
● Expected Result 2.2: Legal practitioners, government officials, and religious leaders collaborate to address legal restrictions on FoRB.
Search will be combining an iterative series of setting up toll free lines, digital listening, capacity building, religious tolerance activities, platforms for dialogue, media programming, provide support to victims amongst others to meet the project goal and objectives. Our theory of change is premised on:
IF religious leaders, security agencies, civil society actors and other key stakeholders leverage new and existing platforms to anticipate, prevent, respond to, and address religious-based conflicts and their root drivers AND IF citizens have access to effective and trustworthy FoRB support mechanisms, AND IF capable and conflict-sensitive media practitioners enhance public understanding of FoRB THEN there will be a decrease in religious-based divisions, tensions, and violence BECAUSE citizens will be equipped to implement a holistic series of prevention, response, and support mechanisms, addressing every aspect of the ‘violence cycle’, including both long- and short-term drivers of religiously-motivated violence.
3. Goal and Objectives of Study
As the project is entering the implementation phase, we require a consultant to map cohorts of Legal Practitioners and Freedom of Religion or Beliefs (FoRB) Advocates in Nigeria. The mapping exercise will identify the direct and indirect cohort of legal practitioners and FoRB advocates from Six (6) States in Northern Nigeria. The mapping will also analyze their (Legal Practitioners and FoRB Advocates) level of interest, influence, and importance in participating, preventing, and responding to FoRB violations and other religious based violence in target states. The mapping will help Search strengthen the capacities of the legal community to support individuals at risk of FoRB violations while simultaneously fostering a social and policy environment conducive to inclusive FoRB efforts. It will also document key findings and lessons. The objectives of the mapping are as follows:
● Map the existing cohort of legal practitioners and FoRB advocates and their location within Northern Nigeria.
● Identify relationships, connections, and dynamics within the cohort members. ● Identify direct and indirect cohort of legal practitioners and FoRB advocates and analyze their level of influence/power, interest and importance to advance FoRB
● Provide relevant information on the cohort of legal practitioners and FoRB advocates and document all findings.
Key questions of the study
- Existing Cohorts of Legal Practitioners and FoRB Advocates.
- What are the existing cohort of legal practitioners and freedom of religion or beliefs (FoRB) advocates?
- What support system/services/facilities exist for victims of religious-based rights violations in targeted states?
- How accessible are those support systems/services/facilities to victims of religious-based rights violations in targeted states?
- What are the experiences and challenges of victims/marginalized communities in exercising their freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) in target States?
- What legal systems are available at the state levels to address religious based rights violations and advance FoRB in Nigeria?
- Strengthening Freedom of Religion or Beliefs (FoRB) in targeted states
- What are the most effective strategies for promoting and protecting FoRB in diverse religious and cultural contexts, such as Northern Nigeria?
- What role do legal practitioners and FoRB advocates play in protecting and promoting freedom of religion or belief in the target states?
- How can legal practitioners and FoRB advocates protect and promote FoRB in a context where religious extremism or fundamentalism is prevalent?
- Cohorts Mapping
- Who are the key stakeholders/organizations that should be included in the cohorts of legal Practitioners and FoRB advocates involved in promoting FoRB in target states/regions and the country?
- Who are the legal practitioners providing support to victims of religious-based violations of rights and violence?
- What legal systems/channels exist for the legal practitioners and FoRB advocates in addressing this type of conflict?
Geographic Locations
- This mapping exercise will be conducted at the three geopolitical levels of the North, capturing below states in the North East, North West and North Central geopolitical zones consisting of states with prevalent cases of religious tension (Plateau, Benue, Bauchi, Borno, Kaduna and Sokoto states). While the mapping is expected to identify stakeholders to be engaged in the cohort, any relevant stakeholders of interest relevant to this study will be discussed upon engagement.
Methodology and Data Collection Tools
- The consultant in submitting the proposal should outline the research approach and methodology for data collection to be used, including justification for these methods related to the research objectives. The applications submitted must clearly explain why the proposed methodology is the most appropriate to achieve the study objectives; they must also clarify the different tools that will be used and how each of these tools contributes to meeting the established lines of inquiry.
- The consultant will be responsible for finalizing the literature review, designing the final methodology, developing tools, training of enumerators, data analysis, and drafting of the report and actionable recommendations. Proposals should include clarity on data triangulation and key methodologies for data collection. The proposal will also include sampling strategies associated with the proposed methods, methodologies for data analysis outlined with justifications and reasoning for any key methods mentioned, Do No Harm strategies and any proposed strategies for sharing the findings of the study.
Logistical Support
- The consultant(s) will be responsible for organizing their own logistics for data collection (vehicles, fuel, and drivers), and this must be budgeted into the study.
- In addition, Search will share the following elements with the external consultant: background materials including the project proposal and logframe, M&E plan, background materials including the project proposal and logframe, conflict analysis and relevant reports on the context, etc.
Timeline and Key Deliverables
- This study will take place from October to November 2024 with the final deliverables due at the latest by 13th December 2024 at the latest.
- Final deadlines will be agreed upon by Search and the consultant upon finalization of the contract.
Deliverables
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Search expects the following deliverables from the external consultant(s) as they correspond to the timeline and budget:
- An inception report detailing the methodology, data collection tools and timeline;
- Any necessary training of data collectors or setup of systems for data collection;
- Supervision and participation in data collection;
- Oversight of data coding and analysis;
- All original data submitted to Search;
- Debrief after data collection is completed (presentation of first trends and preliminary findings)
- A draft evaluation report in English language for review by Search staff and partners; ○ A final report in English (30 pages max in length, excluding appendices) consistent with Search branding and standards for evaluation. The report:
- Uses the Search evaluation template unless otherwise agreed in the contract ○ Provides a clear connection between the conflict or context assessment and the intended and unintended results
- Fully explains the objectives and research questions of the study, limitations and methods chosen for analysis,
- Findings respect Search’s evaluation standards, are structured around the main objectives of the study, and are presented in relation to the intended target groups. The findings should speak to the link between the project, its Theory of Change and its contribution to our strategy. It should explain adaptations that occurred during the project and their impact on results.
- Recommendations should have a clear audience and be specific, accessible, and actionable.
- Indicator table showing all measured indicators
- Appendices should include detailed research instruments, list of interviewees, terms of references and the evaluator(s) brief biography
Budget
- A detailed budget should be provided, including daily rates for personnel, and costs related to data collection (per total number of people sampled, sites for collection, etc.), analysis, and production of deliverables.
Requirements of consultant
- The following skills and experience are expected by Search for the selected evaluator for this project:
- Proficiency in English and local languages (written and spoken);
- More than 7 years of experience in conducting conflict assessment, project evaluation, including collecting data in interviews, data analysis, surveys and focus groups;
- Experience in conflict analysis and working with religious, human rights activists, civil society sectors;
- Experience working with international organizations;
- Experience conducting quantitative surveys and analysis;
- Evaluation methods and data collection skills;
- Strong analytical and report-writing skills
- Familiarity and experience with contextual challenges in the geographic location(s) where the study will take place.
In addition, the consultant is required to respect the following Ethical Principles
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Comprehensive and systematic inquiry: The consultant should make the most of the existing information and full range of stakeholders available at the time of the review. Consultant should conduct systematic, data-based inquiries. He or she should communicate his or her methods and approaches accurately and in sufficient detail to allow others to understand, interpret and critique his or her work. He or she should make clear the limitations of the review and its results.
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Competence: Consultant should possess the abilities and skills and experience appropriate to undertake the tasks proposed and should practice within the limits of his or her professional training and competence.
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Honesty and integrity: Consultant should be transparent with the contractor/constituent about: any conflict of interest, any change made in the negotiated project plan and the reasons why those changes were made, any risk that certain procedures or activities produce misleading review information.
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Respect for people: The consultant respect the security, dignity and self-worth of respondents, program participants. Consultant has the responsibility to be sensitive to and respect differences amongst participants in culture, religion, gender, disability, age and ethnicity.
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In addition, the consultant will respect Search’s evaluation standards, to be found in Search’s evaluation guidelines:
Selection Criteria
- Consultant proposals will be selected for:
- Relevance of proposed methodology to the goal, objectives, and research questions for the project.
- Quality of proposed methods, conflict sensitivity approaches, and quality control measures.
- Qualifications of the candidate(s).
- Proposed budget in relation to proposed methodology, deliverables and team.
- Timeline for proposed activities.
To apply, interested candidates (individuals or teams) are requested to submit the following two documents:
● Curriculum vitae and one example of a past mapping conducted;
● A technical proposal proposing a methodology for the mapping together with a financial proposal for the completion of the aforementioned deliverables and a short cover letter.
Note: Only two documents can be submitted, so the technical and financial proposals must be combined, along with the short cover letter.
Applications will be considered on rolling basis and must be submitted on or before Thursday 23, October 2024
