DRI Myanmar Office
Support to Electoral Processes and Democracy in Myanmar Project Team
RESEARCH EXPERT
TERMS OF REFERENCE
Form of Employment: Short Term consultancy contract
Position Location: Yangon, Myanmar with occasional travel for research activities (asap-May 2019)
Reporting to: DRI Country Representative Myanmar
Contract Period: asap-July 2019, maximum 30 fee-days
Background
Democracy Reporting International (DRI) is a non-partisan, independent, not-for-profit organisation registered in Berlin. Democracy Reporting International promotes political participation of citizens, accountability of state bodies and the development of democratic institutions world-wide.
DRI is recruiting a Research Expert to support the development and implementation of the European Union- funded STEP Democracy project. STEP Democracy is implemented by a consortium of 8 international and local organisations and works with the Union Election Commission (UEC), political parties and civil society organizations (CSOs), supporting Myanmar’s democratic transition with tailor-made and non-prescriptive programming in line with the unique needs of each electoral stakeholder, promoting dialogue on electoral reforms, human rights and democratic governance.
Objective and Role
Together with a local partner organization, DRI will conduct a comparative research assessing the perceptions on inclusion of minorities and women in national level policymaking, with a particular focus on the possibilities for strengthening minorities’ and women’s role in the national legislature. The research will be conducted in 7 states/regions, based on a methodology combining desk study, semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and deliberative polling. Target audience are CSOs, elected representatives, political parties and ethnic groups. The primary purpose of the research is to inform future programming, including but not limited to design of trainings and dialogue workshops on electoral and institutional reforms to promote inclusiveness and pluralism in Myanmar.
Location
The CSO expert will support the field research- conducted primarily by 2 DRI and 2 partner staff- and preparing an analytical report in English language.
Deliverables
- Provide feedback on the research methodology designed by the two implementing orgs
- Accompany the field research, as possible (travel costs to be covered by DRI)
- Review the empirical evidence
- Prepare a research report in English
Qualifications
- University degree in social science, political science, international relations, law, or relevant field;
- Experience working on democratic reforms in Myanmar and good understanding of the political and electoral context in the country;
- At least 4 years of experience in academic or empirical research on election reforms, democratic governance and/or political transitions;
- Demonstrated knowledge on federalism, and on the electoral and institutional options for federal level of government will be considered an asset;
- Excellent communication skills and proficiency in oral and written English, Myanmar will be considered a strong asset.
DRI values diversity and is an equal opportunity employer. Women and people from diverse backgrounds are highly encouraged to apply.
Deadline for applications is 31 March 2018, but shortlisted candidates may be contacted before the deadline.
Candidates should submit a CV, motivation letter and expected fees to [email protected] with ‘Research Expert’ in the subject line.