Call for Consultancy: Development of The Horn Civic Space and Pro-Democracy Actors

Job Description

About the Job
Terms of Reference

Call for Consultancy: Development of The Horn Civic Space and Pro-Democracy Actors Observatory

Background

The Horn Center for Democracy (HCD) is a regional organization working to promote democratic governance, civic engagement, peacebuilding, and inclusive political participation across the Horn of Africa (HoA). As part of its regional democracy and governance initiatives, HCD seeks to establish the Horn Specific Civic Space and Pro-Democracy Actors Observatory, a regional platform dedicated to monitoring, documenting, analyzing, and disseminating information on civic space dynamics and pro-democracy actors in the region.

This initiative is informed by and builds upon HCD’s earlier exploratory mapping study on civic society and pro-democracy actors in the region, which highlighted the need for continuous civic space monitoring, action-oriented research, stronger evidence generation, and deeper understanding of the evolving roles, capacities, resilience, and adaptive strategies of both formal and informal civic actors operating in restrictive political environments. You can read further into the study here: Exploratory-Mapping-FINAL.pdf.

Scope of the Assignment

The consultant will support HCD in the establishment of the Horn Civic Space and Pro-Democracy Actors Observatory as a regional platform for monitoring, documenting, analyzing, and disseminating information on civic space conditions and pro-democracy actors across the Horn of Africa.

The assignment shall include, but not be limited to, the following areas of work:

Development of a Regional Civic Space Monitoring Framework
Development and Deployment of the Horn Civic Space and Pro-Democracy Actors Observatory
Regional Civic Space Analysis and Knowledge Generation
Facilitation of Regional Learning and Collaboration
Objective

To establish a regional observatory and a framework for assessing, monitoring, documenting, and analyzing the condition of civic space and pro-democracy actors in the HoA in order to strengthen evidence-based advocacy, promote innovation and cross-learning, and support democratic governance in the region.

Methodological Approach

The detailed methodology for this assignment shall be proposed by the consultant in the technical proposal.

Application Process

Interested consultants or firms are invited to submit the following application materials:

1. A technical proposal outlining:

understanding of the assignment;
proposed methodological and analytical approach;
proposed work plan and timeline;
approach to observatory/repository development and operationalization;
proposed country coverage and stakeholder engagement approach;
team composition and division of responsibilities, where applicable.
2. Financial Proposal Requirements

The financial proposal must include the following: Mandatory Attachments and Budget Requirements, as detailed below.

Mandatory Attachments

As a primary requirement for the financial proposal to be accepted, applicants must attach the following:

Copy of registration certificate
Business license
TIN (Tax Identification Number) certificate
Budget Requirements

The financial proposal must include a clear and detailed cost breakdown for each line item.
Lump-sum costs are not permitted.
No hidden costs will be accepted.
3. A detailed CV of the consultant or CVs of key team members highlighting relevant qualifications and experience.

4. Samples of previous relevant work, including research reports, monitoring frameworks, assessments, databases, observatories, or related analytical outputs.
About You
Required Qualifications and Experience

HCD seeks to engage a qualified consultant or consulting firm with demonstrated expertise in civic space analysis, democratic governance, political research, and knowledge platform development within Africa, the Horn of Africa, or comparable contexts. The consultant/firm should possess the following qualifications and competencies:

Academic Qualifications
Advanced university degree (Master’s level or above) in Political Science, Governance, International Relations, Law, Peace and Conflict Studies, Development Studies, Sociology, Human Rights, or related fields.
Technical and Professional Experience
Minimum of eight (10) years of proven experience in conducting research, assessments, or monitoring initiatives related to civic space, democracy, governance, civil society, human rights, or political participation.
Demonstrated understanding of the political, governance, and civic space dynamics of the HoA region.
Experience in designing analytical frameworks, monitoring tools, databases, repositories, or knowledge management systems.
Demonstrated experience in working with civil society organizations, grassroots movements, informal civic formations, youth movements, or pro-democracy actors, particularly in politically sensitive or restrictive environments.
Strong expertise in qualitative and/or mixed-methods research, stakeholder mapping, political economy analysis, and regional trend analysis.
Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality analytical reports, policy-oriented research outputs, and evidence-based recommendations.
Experience in informing digital platform development, online observatories, or database deployment is highly desirable.