Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit Consultant for Policy Research and Report Jobs in Ethiopia

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit Consultant for Policy Research and Report Jobs in Ethiopia

Closing date: 15 Aug 2019

Invitation to Bid

Reference No. 83330844

GIZ (Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH) is looking for a:

Consultant for Policy Research and Report on

Civil Society Participation in the APSA’s Mediation Support Structures: Lessons from the AU, ECOWAS and SADC

1. Background

Civic involvement in state-driven conflict management and prevention is not only indispensable to achieve popular ownership of peace efforts and to ensure the representation of citizens’ interests in institutions for common security, it is also necessary to prevent resurgent authoritarianism and the capture of intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) by autocratic regimes.

The report to be prepared should therefore analyses avenues, benefits and challenges of civil society participation in mediation support structures of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA).

African IGOs have assumed a pivotal role in managing and preventing violent intrastate conflicts through mediation, preventive diplomacy, peacekeeping and as guarantors of transitional governance processes.

The African Union (AU) and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) have incrementally developed the continental APSA and responded to numerous crises by facilitating negotiations and transitions.

However, whilst the African Standby Force (ASF) comprises a civilian component, the level of civil society participation in Mediation Support Units (MSUs), Mediation Reference Groups (MRGs) and the sub-regional structures of the Continental Early Warning System (CEWS) varies sharply between IGOs.

The AU and RECs/RMs mention civil society in policies, maintain structures to engage CSOs and consult them in mediation processes. Yet, thus far, civic participation has had little priority in AU and RECs/RMs peace efforts.

The GIZ project „Support to the African Union for the prevention and management of violent conflict and consolidation of peace within the framework of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA)” is implemented with funding from the German Ministry for Development Cooperation and Economic Affairs over a period of three years, from July 2018 to June 2021.

The module is part of the GIZ programme for “Cooperation with the African Union in the area of Peace and Security”. Within our implementation efforts GIZ depends on up-to-date and empirically-grounded research findings on the existing policies and practices on civil society participation in AU and RECs/RMs conflict management and prevention in order to understand the challenges and benefits of civic involvement. GIZ therefore would like to commission a study on civil society participation in AU and RECs/RMs mediation support structures.

2. Scope of the consultancy

The overall objective of the study to be prepared is to generate policy-relevant and up-to-date empirical insights on the role civil society participation in the workings of APSA institutions, peace processes and policies on conflict management and prevention of the AU and RECs that form part of the APSA.

The overarching goal is to identify obstacles, conditions and opportunities for civil society participation in APSA institutions and AU- RECs/RMs-facilitated peace processes, as well as analyze the challenges and benefits civic participation may have for the functioning of APSA institutions and their effectiveness of conflict management and prevention.

2.1. Tasks of the consultant

The following research activities should be carried out to achieve the above research objectives pertaining to the role of civil society participation in the APSA mediation support structures: