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Request for Proposals
Latin America-based Research Center / Think Tank feasibility study
Building the foundation for cross-country coalitions in the discussion of transition minerals policies in Latin America
Period of Performance: 10/1/2024 – 4/30/2025
Project Background
The Governance Action Hub of Results for Development is a platform to bring together stakeholders and explore what is possible in the pursue of common objectives through governance action and reform. The Action Hub is set up as an incubator of initiatives around three explorations:
· Supporting local coalitions for local solutions,
· Uniting governance innovators, and
· Using evidence and data strategically for governance action.
For these and future explorations, the program has identified four catalyzing themes offering the opportunities to test new approaches to governance:
· Local/Sub-national development processes;
· State capture & anticorruption;
· Climate action & energy transition; and
· Rethinking democracy.
We build our work around the fostering of local coalitions for change, system-approaches, and development entrepreneurship principles.
The Governance Action Hub is exploring the potential for a collaborative learning network or coalition involving diverse stakeholders from several Latin American countries. This initiative would focus on governance processes related to strategic minerals, such as lithium and copper. The ultimate goal is to bring together at least three countries, including but not limited to Chile, Peru, and Argentina, which have recently developed or are in the process of considering new mining policies. By drawing on the experiences and lessons from these recent or emerging efforts, the coalition aims to build a robust agenda for action.
For the following work, the Governance Action Hub is seeking proposals from a research center/think tank.
The work is expected to be spread over two phases:
· Phase 1 (October 2024- April 2025) will focus on a policy agenda and recommendations based on the analysis of at least one country experience in the region. It will end with recommendations and proposed strategy to build a coalition of actors in the region. This RFP is requesting proposals for bidders interested in carrying out this work.
· Phase 2 (expected May 2025-December 2025) is conditional upon securing funding and the performance/results of Phase 1. This phase will focus on the implementation of the agreed strategy and a policy brief outlining the way forward.
The agreement with the selected organization will focus on Phase 1, as are the details below.
Role of the selected research center/think tank during Phase 1
The selected organization is expected to:
· Explore Regional Lessons: Analyze and distill key lessons from the experiences of countries in the region regarding strategic minerals, focusing on what practices should be replicated and which should be avoided.
· Generate an Entry Points Analysis: Develop a comprehensive analysis that identifies entry points for discussion that should include, but does not need to be limited to: mitigation of state capture or anticorruption risks, the local and geopolitical context with a focus on regional dynamics, environmental conservation strategies, engagement with local communities that are, or may be, affected by the policy, the role of subnational governments in formulating and implementing policies.
· Submit Reports: Document and submit reports that detail the processes, engagements, key findings, analyses, and recommendations. The reports will follow a schedule of deliverables that will be outlined in the contract, documenting the processes and engagements, key findings, analyses and recommendations as per a schedule of deliverables to be specified in the contract.
· Collaborate with R4D throughout the process of conducting this work, attend meetings and present key findings as per a schedule to be agreed upon.
Qualifications
· Long-standing presence and record of effectiveness informing and influencing policy in the mining sector in at least one Latin American country.
· Documented experience collaborating with other think tanks, government agencies and private sector across multiple countries in the region, with a focus on the mining sector and energy transition processes.
· History of meaningful participation in discussions of social contract challenges and tensions arising from the extraction of transition minerals generate in the region.
· Relevant experience in building or studying collaborative learning networks
· Strong existing relationships with experts in think tanks, CSOs, government agencies, and private sector in at least one Latin American country
· Full professional fluency in Spanish, including written and verbal communication skills, as well as report writing. Fluency in English also preferred.
· Demonstrated experience in governance themes such as state capture and anticorruption, geopolitical contexts, and critical minerals for the energy transition.
Budget and reporting
· The selected organization will report to Mario G. Picon, Director of the Governance Action Hub.
· The maximum all-inclusive budget ceiling for phase 1 of this work is US$20,000. There is no guarantee of immediate continuation into Phase 2.
Deliverables
By the end of the work the following will be expected from the selected organization:
· A public policy report with policy lessons around lithium or copper in the region with emphasis in one country agreed on with R4D, with key recommendations for other countries in the region. This report should draw on the analysis of regional lessons and entry points and engagements with key actors.
· An incidence and dissemination plan for engaging key actors in the generation of public policy in more than one country in the region.
· A proposed strategy for Phase 2 and of engagement in at least three countries.
Proposal
Interested vendors are expected to submit a proposal to Mario Picon at [email protected] and Victoria Martin at [email protected] by September 13. Shortlisted vendors will be contacted after thorough review. Proposals should be no longer than 2-3 pages and can be in English or Spanish. They should include the following:
· Relevant experience
· Understanding of the project brief and needs
· Proposed project approach
In addition, to the above please submit the follow (these do not count towards the page limit):
· Timeline of activities and deliverables
· Proposed budget breakdown by activities and deliverables
· CVs of project team members (each CV should be one page max.)
Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
· Relevant Experience: Demonstrated expertise in the mining sector and governance in Latin America, particularly on transition minerals and policy influence.
· Project Understanding and Approach: Clear understanding of the project objectives and a well-structured approach for Phase 1.
· Collaborative Network: Strong connections with key stakeholders across multiple countries and a solid strategy for building a cross-country coalition.
· Feasibility and Budget: Realistic and well-justified budget and timeline, aligned with project deliverables.
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