Research Consultant-CBM-I

Introduction

Integrity Watch is an Afghan civil society organization committed to increase transparency, accountability, and integrity in Afghanistan.

The mission of Integrity Watch is to put corruption under the spotlight through community monitoring, research, and advocacy. We mobilize and train communities to monitor infrastructure projects, public services, courts, and extractives industries. We develop community monitoring tools, provide policy-oriented research, facilitate policy dialogue, and advocate for integrity, transparency, and accountability in Afghanistan.

Integrity Watch was created in October 2005 and established itself as an independent civil society organization in 2006. It has approximately 50 staff members and 1400 volunteers. The head office of Integrity Watch is in Kabul with provincial programmatic outreach in Badakhshan, Balkh, Bamyan, Ghor, Herat, Kabul, Kapisa, Logar, Nangarhar, Parwan, Panjshir, Samangan, and Wardak.

Integrity Watch’s work has three major components: (1) Community Monitoring, (2) Research, and (3) Advocacy. Integrity Watch tries to encourage active citizenship and community mobilization through its programs. Our community monitoring work includes development of community monitoring tools, mobilizing and training communities to monitor infrastructure projects, public services, courts, and extractives industries.

Our research work is focused on policy-oriented research measuring trends, perceptions and experiences of corruption and covering wide range of corruption related issues including security and justice sectors, extractive industries, budget and public finance management, and aid effectiveness. The objective is to develop new, ground-breaking empirical research in order to set the agenda, influence decision-makers, and bring to the public attention non-documented and non-explored issues.

The aim of our advocacy work is to enhance Integrity Watch’s pioneering role in advocating for knowledgeable decision-making and informed public debate on corruption and integrity. Our advocacy work includes facilitation of policy dialogue on issues related to integrity, transparency, and accountability. We advocate for access to information; budget transparency, accountability, and participation; aid transparency and effectiveness; social accountability; and other issues related to anti-corruption.

Duties and Responsibilities

The service provider will be expected to prepare a concept note and policy paper of 3,000 – 4,500 words together with such comparative charts and graphs as may be necessary and appropriate to illustrate certain key points using the dataset provided by the client. Integrity Watch will expect well-written (in English), thought-provoking and evidence-based policy-oriented Policy paper within the agreed timeline, after which and based upon comments from senior management of Integrity Watch, representatives of Integrity Watch’s Board and other external reviewers, the author will finalize these reports based on comments from the afore-mentioned individuals. During the extent of this consultancy, the selected author will work under the supervision of Integrity Watch’s Head of Research.

Tasks

· To review and analyze all relevant quantitative and qualitative data from the recently conducted survey and related literature and research.

· To analyze the data and to prepare detailed and well-balanced policy paper.

· The reports should include an executive summary of the key insights from the whole policy paper, a section that provides an overview of CBM-I programs.

· Liaise closely at all times with the Integrity Watch research team.

· Write up high-quality and professional policy paper summarizing the findings CBM-I (between 3,000 – 4,500 words long)

· Incorporate internal, peer and board reviewer’s comments in the reports.

· The policy note may be targeted at the Afghan government, international community or any other pertinent stakeholder.

Data / Project Management

· The researcher follows the project and data management procedures of the Research department of Integrity watch Afghanistan.

· The project work to be carried-out in the Dropbox file system.

· Dropbox shared folder is the property of Integrity Watch.

· All official work, to be fulfilled in the Dropbox folder and service provider should synchronize it regularly as needed.

Analysis and Write up of the researches

· The service provider is obliged to write a policy paper based on the CBM-I summary report.

· The consultant is responsible to review the related literature, analyze the data (qualitative and quantitative) collected by Integrity Watch research team from the program implementation in different provinces.

1. QUALIFICATIONS

The successful candidate will possess some or all of the following characteristics:

· Fluency in written and spoken English Language (Native English Speaker is preferable).

· At least a master’s degree in Infrastructure, policy, good governance and/or Urban development.

· Minimum 3-5 years of experience in research and data analysis.

· Substantial experience of analyzing and evaluating quantitative and qualitative data, indexes and indicators.

· Proven interest in issues of infrastracture, integrity and anti-corruptions in governance in Afghanistan;

· In-depth understanding of the social, institutional, and political environment in Afghanistan, including an understanding of local power and urban development.

· Deep knowledge of key issues in corruption at the Afghanistan level.

· Advanced quantitative and qualitative data analysis and synthesis skills.

· Advanced written communication and presentation skills in English.

· Solid research and analytical skills, understanding of corruption and of the major concerns and constraints of the Afghan government.

· Ability to develop evidence-based policy recommendations.

1. Key Deliverables

· A short concept note/structure of the policy paper

· A draft report within agreed timeline of the project.

· A final report that incorporate recommendations and feedbacks from the IWA research team and management.

· Complete data-set after analyses and interpretation.

· Presentation (minimum 5-10 slides)

Timelines

The Consultant will work with the Research department of Integrity Watch in order to manage and author the complete the CBM-I Policy Paper report. The Head of Research department will work closely with the consultant to help him/her complete the task.

The consultant is obliged to submit all the deliverables, complete and submit the report and other related documents no later than the agreed timeline.