Request for Proposals (RFP No. 10/001)
Data Hub Research – East Africa
Introduction
The Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development (The EJS Center) was founded in 2018 to be a catalyst for political and social change across Africa by helping unleash its most abundant latent power — its women. The EJS Center aims to amplify the voice of women and girls in all spheres of life by increasing the representation of women in public service leadership roles in Africa. Through a unique blend of programming, advocacy, archival research, and museum exhibitions, the EJS Center seeks to become a premier institution dedicated to advancing and sustaining women’s political and social development on the continent.
Through its work, the EJS Center envisions more voices heard, talents unleashed, and leaders launched that prioritize the aspirations of women. Its mission is to champion women’s ascension to the highest levels of leadership and challenge systemic barriers to girls’ and women’s advancement.
Project Background
One of the barriers to women’s advancement in public leadership is a lack of representation in leadership positions. To advocate for greater representation, a better understanding of the current state of play is crucial. To this end, the EJS Center hosts an online data tool that tracks women’s representation in public leadership.
The EJS Center Data Hub for Women’s Leadership in Public Governance is a first-of-a-kind data tool that affords policymakers, lawmakers, researchers, media professionals, activists, and the public access to the latest data on women’s representation in the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government, in addition to insights on gender quotas and gender-sensitive legislation.
The data, much of which is not readily available on other public databases, include specific statistics on women presidents, prime ministers, ministers, committee chairs, and justices. Whether advocating for gender equality, monitoring progress toward greater representation in government, or searching for resources to inform laws and policies that advance women’s leadership, users have access to recent, detailed, and easily accessible statistics.
This innovative initiative’s objective is to harness the power of data to inform advocacy and policymaking and advance women’s representation in public governance.
The EJS Center Data Hub aims to provide data for the entire African continent and become the premier destination for data on women’s leadership in Africa.
Therefore, the EJS Center is seeking researchers who can assist with gathering quantitative and qualitative data for the region of East Africa.
What is being commissioned in this RFP?
The EJS Center seeks to partner with external researchers to conduct desk-based research in all East African countries (Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda).
The research partner(s) can be individual researchers affiliated with an academic or research institution or organizations with strong research experience related to women’s participation in public life and who have a comprehensive knowledge of the political systems of the countries listed above.
The EJS Center will provide a detailed data collection tool that clearly outlines the information to be collected. The researcher will be expected to fill all required fields with credible, accurate data within the required timelines. Please see the appendix for an overview of the data that will be collected.
The research partner(s) will work closely with the EJS Center’s research team throughout their contract period. This research is expected to be conducted per COVID-19 restrictions applicable to each jurisdiction.
Objectives
The research partner(s)’ main objective is to:
Work effectively in partnership with the EJS Center’s research team to collect credible, accurate, quantitative, and qualitative data on women’s representation in public leadership in East Africa using the data collection tool provided.
Roles and Responsibilities
EJS Center
- Vetting and selection of research partner(s).
- Contracting, project oversight, and financial control.
- Evaluation and approval of data collected and any other deliverables.
Research partner
- Complete all entries in the data collection tool with the most accurate statistics and required details.
- Coordinate with the EJS Center research team on expected timelines and clearly outline data collection methods and sources.
Deliverables
1. The EJS Center will provide a comprehensive data collection tool (in the form of an Excel workbook) for data entry. The research partner must complete all fields, and credible sources must be noted against each data entry with sufficient details to ensure verification.
2. The researcher should also provide a short overview of the data points that were the most challenging to source, feedback on which points are likely to change frequently, and data points that will be the easiest to follow up on and update.
The EJS Center will review and evaluate all deliverables before approving the submissions.
Key Dates
- RFP published by 3 October 2022.
- The deadline for submission of responses to the EJS Center is 28 October 2022.
Note: Applications will be processed on a rolling basis as they are received. The EJS Center reserves the right to close applications before the deadline if suitable partner(s) are identified. - Research partner(s) appointed by no later than 1 November 2022.
- Data collection by research partner/s to take place between 1 November & 30 November 2022.
- Researchers are to make final submissions to EJS Center by 9 December 2022.
Budget
We anticipate that the data collection will take approximately five days of work per country, costing a maximum of USD$2,000 per country (incl. taxes). Applicants are encouraged to state their expectations for timelines and costs in line with the proposed approach. An itemized budget in USD in an Excel spreadsheet must be provided.
Note: All invoices for professional services will be subject to a 15% tax deduction for non-Liberian entities and 10% for Liberian firms under the Liberia tax code.
Selection criteria
In the selection process, the EJS Center will assess each researcher’s track record of executing similar projects and their proposed approach to this project. The EJS Center will also assess the researcher’s ability to source credible, accurate data within the required timeframes.
Proposals will be evaluated using a points-based system outlined below.
How to respond
Please submit your proposal as an attachment to info@ejscenter.org quoting RFP No. 10/001 in the subject line by no later than 28 October 2022 at 23:59hrs GMT. Applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis as they are received.
All submissions must be in English and must include the following:
a. Criteria: Response to the brief, outlining your approach to delivery and estimated timelines
Max word count: 500 words
Points awarded/1000: 400
Notes: Applicants are welcome to submit a combined application for one or more countries, showing clearly:
- The country/ countries that will be included in their scope of work,
- The budget/ costs associated per country, and
- The capacity to conduct research in the specified countries and history working in the countries.
b. Criteria: Credentials and testimonials
Max word count: 500 words
Points awarded/1000: 250
Notes: Please include details of three (3) relevant projects or experiences.
c. Criteria: Individual background and experience
Max word count: 500 words
Points awarded/1000: 150
Notes: Preference will be given to applicants with research experience deemed directly relevant to this project.
d. Criteria: An overview of how your mission, aims, and values align with those of the EJS Center.
Max word count: 500 words
Points awarded/1000: 100
Notes: Preference will be given to applicants with research experience deemed directly relevant to this project.
e. Criteria: Costing breakdown
Points awarded/1000: 100
Notes: Please provide your budget separately in an Excel file.
Please note that the word count is a maximum limit. We encourage succinct responses wherever possible.
Terms and Conditions
The Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development is a non-partisan organization that does not apply any political biases in its selection criteria.
Kindly note that incomplete submissions will not be considered and that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further assessment. Shortlisted parties will be notified by 1 November 2022. The EJS Center reserves the right not to disclose the reason(s) for any outcome of this process.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with the EJS Center Data Hub before preparing submissions.
Appendix
The qualitative and quantitative data that will be collected includes, but is not limited to, current and historical information on:
- Population demographics,
- The number of women in the executive, e.g., President, Vice President, Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, and cabinet ministers,
- The number of women members of parliament, including parliamentary committee composition,
- The number of women in leadership roles in regional or multilateral organizations, e.g., East Africa Community,
- The number of women in the highest levels of the judiciary, and
- The nature/ prevalence of gender-sensitive legislation, etc.