irm-ogp-call-for-researchers

The Independent Reporting Mechanism (IRM) of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) is seeking individuals to carry out research at the local and national level in a variety of countries and regions to assess government progress on implementation of OGP Action Plans.

Background

The OGP is a multilateral initiative that aims to secure concrete commitments from governments to promote transparency, empower citizens, promote public accountability, and harness new technologies to strengthen governance. To become part of OGP, participating governments must deliver an action plan developed with public consultation, and commit to independent reporting on their progress going forward through the OGP Independent Reporting Mechanism.

The IRM works primarily by conducting independent assessment and reporting for each OGP participating member. IRM reports assess the development and implementation of action plans, and develops technical recommendations. By tracking and publicizing progress, it promotes strong accountability between member governments and citizens.

Candidates from the following national and local entities are invited to apply:

• National
• Albania
• Cape Verde
• Honduras
• Kyrgyz Republic
• Malta
• Montenegro
• Morocco
• Portugal
• Spain
• Local
• Austin, United States
• Madrid, Spain
• Nariño, Colombia
• São Paulo, Brazil
• Scotland, United Kingdom
• Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana
• Seoul, South Korea
• South Cotabato, Philippines
• Tbilisi, Georgia

Qualifications

To be eligible, the candidate must not have contributed to developing the OGP action plan to be assessed, and must not have been employed by the government anytime in the 12 months preceding application. Candidates currently working for multilateral organizations (i.e. Bretton Woods institutions, OECD, regional development banks, etc.) are not eligible to apply. Candidates must be willing to conduct research and communicate findings in a non-partisan, objective fashion.

The following qualifications are required for consideration:

• Ability to conduct research, facilitate stakeholder interviews, and institutional analysis across non-profit, public, and private sectors. Experience of conducting monitoring and evaluation strongly preferred.
• Outstanding level of attention to detail and analytical thinking skills.
• Experience working on public policy issues related to governance, transparency, accountability, and/or public participation is preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to solicit, incorporate, and respond to official and public comments.
• Ability to carry out research and draft reports within a strict time frame, and demonstrated ability to meet deadlines.
• Willingness to communicate findings in a non-partisan, objective fashion.
• Ability to commit to the role for a duration of two years. The number of days for this consultancy can vary from 40 to 80+ over that time frame, depending on the length of the action plan to be assessed.
• Excellent English language writing and speaking skills required, including demonstrated ability to write concisely about complex governance issues in English for an international audience.
• Spanish-only speakers will be considered for Latin America and Spain.

Duties

• Clear, regular communication with IRM Program staff.
• Attendance of in-person or virtual training.
• Conduct independent research using focus groups, interviews, and document review.
• Completion of online and offline research and writing to assess the development and implementation of action plans as well as any results of the commitments. Thematic research areas vary from entity to entity and can include a wide range of topics such as anti-corruption, transparency in extractive industries, participatory budgeting, oversight of public service delivery, etc.
• Dissemination of findings of the report to local or national audience (e.g., news conference, launch event).

Compensation

• OGP will offer payment (to include fee for services, overheads, and incurred costs) and cover costs of participation to training outside of country or entity, where applicable.

Decision-making process

• Interested parties should submit an English (preferred) or Spanish CV to the IRM at [email protected], along with three references. Please use the following email title: “OGP IRM Researcher [Your Entity]”.
• Researchers for the IRM will be approved by the International  Experts Panel and IRM program staff, with an opportunity for comment and input by the respective governments and civil society focal points, where applicable. Each applicant will be weighed against the set of criteria listed above, based on interviews, review of prior work, and references.
• There is a strong preference for residents of the entity or nationals of the country to be evaluated and for those with experience relevant to open government.
• Because of the volume of applications, we will not be able to respond to every applicant. We thank applicants in advance for their expressions of interest.