Mapping of Pioneer FoRB Mentorship Groups.
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 Pioneers Freedom of Religion or Beliefs (FoRB) Mentorship groups in (3) States within Northern Nigeria, consisting of Plateau, Kano, and Bauchi states. The mapping exercise will identify Tertiary Institutions and faculties of law/Departments from the listed three (3) States in Northern Nigeria. The mapping will also identify law students and experienced legal professionals with an interest in FoRB, including law professors in target states. The consultant’s research proposal should include a plan to analyze institutional level of interest in FoRB and, active participation/engagement of law professionals and professors in the context of FoRB across the states. The research plan should include analysis of opportunities and skills for mentorship on legal advocacy with a focus on FoRB, and strategies for community based initiatives for promoting FoRB in the states. Candidates’ teams should have experience in religious studies, social research, context analysis, stakeholders’ identification, mapping and analysis, evaluation experience, and data interpretation.
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 life. 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 Pioneer FoRB Mentorship group.
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.
Goal and Objectives of Study
- As the project is entering the implementation phase, we require a consultant to map tertiary institutions/faculties of law, identifying law students and law professionals/professors with interest in FoRB violations in Northern Nigeria with a specific focus in six (6) states (Plateau, Benue, Kaduna, Sokoto, Bauchi and Borno). The mapping will help Search cultivate a new generation of legal professionals committed to advancing FoRB principles nationwide. These future legal professionals will be equipped to challenge discriminatory laws and practices and advocate for policies that protect religious freedom. Thereby influencing social and policy spaces towards inter-religious tolerance and FoRB. It will also document key lessons and findings. The objectives of the mapping are as follows:
- Map existing tertiary institutions/faculties of law in the aforementioned states within Northern Nigeria.
- Identify law students and legal professionals/professors with interest in FoRB.
- Identify mentorship opportunities and skills for law students in legal advocacy.
- Identify contextual strategies for community-based initiatives for promoting FoRB.
- Document findings and recommendations.
Key questions of the study
- Existing Tertiary Institutions/faculties of law
- What are the existing tertiary institutions/faculties of law in the three (3) Northern states of Nigeria?
- Which existing tertiary institutions/faculties of law in the three (3) Northern state of Nigeria, have interest, are participating and engaging in promoting of Forb?
- What are the existing platforms/support systems for learning and mentorship on FoRB violations in the tertiary institutions?
- What are the most effective strategies for promoting and protecting FoRB in diverse religious and cultural contexts such as Northern Nigeria?
- Identify Pioneers FoRB Mentorship
- What support, experience/expertise and skills are available that experienced legal professionals and professors have to share with law students in promoting FoRB.
- What role do legal professionals and law professors play in protecting and promoting freedom of religion or belief in the target states?
- What role do students of law play in protecting and promoting freedom of religion or belief in the target states?
- What exposure/experience/knowledge do law students have in FoRB?
- Mapping Pioneers
- Who are the key pioneers of FoRB Mentorship in the tertiary institutions in the project target location?
- Who are the proposed law students to serve as trainee’s in promoting FoRB?
- Who is to provide mentorship and learning opportunities for young law students in promoting FoRB?
Geographic Locations
- This mapping exercise will be conducted at the regional level (Northern) capturing 3 states consisting of Kano, Bauchi and Plateau While using desk research to capture data from other states (Benue, Borno and Sokoto) that are relevant to this study. The stakeholders of interest relevant to this study will be discussed upon engagement. The consultant can, however, suggest relevant stakeholders that can be targeted for this study.
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.
- The final methodology and tools will be approved by Search’s Institutional Learning Team (ILT) and DMEL team before data collection begins.
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 2024 - November, 2024 with the final deliverables due by 29th November 2024 at the latest.
- Final deadlines will be agreed by Search and the consultant upon finalization of the contract.
Deliverables
- 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 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.
- This budget should include all planned costs for the study as no additional costs will be borne by Search.
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 1
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Comprehensive and systematic inquiry: 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: 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 evaluations 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 baseline and/or evaluation conducted;
● A technical proposal proposing a methodology for the evaluation together with a financial
proposal for the completion of the aforementioned deliverables and a short cover letter.
Applications must be submitted on or before Thursday, 24th November, 2024
