TENDER NOTICE: Consultant for Community Conflict Analysis and Civic Space Mapping
Job Description
TERMS OF REFERENCE (ToR)
Consultant for Community Conflict Analysis and Civic Space Mapping
Project Title: Community Peacebuilding Project
Implementing Organization: Inter-Religious Council Sierra Leone (IRCSL)
Partner: Christian Aid Sierra Leone
Target Districts: Western Area Rural, Bo, and Bombali
Assignment Location: Western Area Rural, Bo, and Bombali Districts, Sierra Leone (data analysis and report writing may be conducted remotely/at the consultant’s base)
Duration: 6 weeks, inclusive of desk review, fieldwork, validation, and reporting
Reporting To: Project Coordinator (IRCSL), in collaboration with Christian Aid Sierra Leone
- Background
The Inter-Religious Council Sierra Leone (IRCSL), in partnership with Christian Aid Sierra Leone, is implementing a Community Peacebuilding Project aimed at strengthening social cohesion, promoting inclusive governance, and preventing violent conflict.
In line with Christian Aid’s rights-based, gender-just, and locally led approach, the project recognizes that sustainable peacebuilding must be grounded in a deep understanding of local conflict dynamics and civic space realities.
This community conflict analysis and civic space mapping exercise is a foundational activity upon which all subsequent trainings, interventions, and structures, including Peace Committees and Early Warning and Early Response (EWER) networks, will be built. The process will follow an integrated, participatory approach, with findings validated by the same district stakeholders who will later play active roles in implementation. This is intended to promote ownership and coherence and avoid duplication of entry points.
- Purpose of the Assignment
The purpose of this consultancy is to generate a robust, inclusive, and context-specific analysis of conflict dynamics and civic space in the target districts, to inform evidence-based, conflict-sensitive, and gender-responsive programming
- Objectives
The specific objectives are to:
- Conduct a comprehensive conflict analysis covering historical, structural, and proximate causes.
- Identify key actors, power dynamics, conflict drivers, triggers, and peace connectors.
- Map civic space, including participation, inclusion, access to decision-making, and existing barriers.
- Ensure meaningful inclusion of marginalized and vulnerable groups in the analysis.
- Validate findings with district stakeholders who will later constitute Peace Committees and EWER networks.
- Provide practical recommendations that directly inform project design, advocacy, and implementation.
- Scope of Work
The consultant will:
- Conduct a desk review of relevant literature, policies, and previous studies.
- Develop a detailed methodology and data collection tools aligned with conflict sensitivity (Do No Harm) and Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) principles.
- Undertake field data collection across the selected districts.
- Engage a diverse and representative group of stakeholders, including:
- Women
- Youth
- Persons with disabilities (PWDs)
- Faith leaders
- Traditional authorities
- Local councils
- District Security Committees (DISECs)
- Civil society organizations
- Analyze conflict dynamics using established frameworks (e.g., Conflict Tree, Actor Mapping, Do No Harm).
- Conduct civic space mapping focused on participation, accountability, and inclusion.
- Facilitate participatory validation workshops at district level with the same stakeholders, to ensure alignment with future project structures.
- Integrate findings into a comprehensive report with clear, actionable recommendations
- Methodology
The consultant is expected to apply a participatory, inclusive, and rights-based methodology, including:
- Desk review
- Key Informant Interviews (KIIs)
- Focus Group Discussions (FGDs)
- Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) tools
- Stakeholder and power analysis
- Gender and social inclusion analysis
- Conflict-sensitive approaches (“Do No Harm”)
The methodology must ensure the safe participation of women, youth, and vulnerable groups, and must reflect Christian Aid’s commitment to locally led development.
- Expected Deliverables
The consultant will deliver the following, against the indicative timeframe below (to be finalized in the Inception Report workplan):
- Inception Report, detailed methodology, data collection tools, and workplan, within 7 days of contract signing
- Draft Conflict Analysis and Civic Space Mapping Report, end of Week 4.
- Validation Workshop Report(s), stakeholder feedback and consensus: Week 5.
- Final Report (Executive Summary; conflict analysis findings; civic space mapping results; stakeholder and power analysis; gender and inclusion analysis; risks and opportunities; actionable recommendations linked to Peace Committees and EWER systems), by end of Week 6
- Duration of the Assignment
The assignment is expected to be completed within 6 weeks of contract signing, inclusive of desk review, fieldwork, validation workshops, and final reporting.
- Required Qualifications and Experience
The consultant should have:
- An advanced degree in Peace and Conflict Studies, Development Studies, Political Science, Gender Studies, or a related field.
- At least 5 years of relevant experience in conflict analysis, peacebuilding, or governance programming.
- Proven experience with rights-based approaches, GESI, and conflict sensitivity.
- Demonstrated experience working in Sierra Leone or similar fragile contexts.
- Experience working with faith-based organizations and inter-religious platforms is highly desirable
- Strong facilitation, analytical, and report-writing skills.
- Reporting and Supervision
The consultant will report to the Project Coordinator (IRCSL) and work in close coordination with Christian Aid Sierra Leone to ensure alignment with program quality standards.
- Ethical Considerations and Safeguarding
The consultant must:
- Adhere to IRCSL and Christian Aid safeguarding, protection, and ethical standards.
- Ensure informed consent, confidentiality, and anonymity of participants.
- Apply a “Do No Harm” approach throughout the assignment.
- Be sensitive to gender, cultural, religious, and disability considerations.
- Application Requirements
Interested consultants (individual or team) should submit:
- Technical and Financial Proposal, clearly demonstrating understanding of Christian Aid’s approaches.
- Updated CV(s)
- Evidence of similar assignments
- At least two references
- Payment Schedule
Payment will be made based on deliverables:
- 30% upon approval of the Inception Report
- 40% upon submission of the Draft Report
- 30% upon approval of the Final Repor
- Ownership of Deliverables
All outputs produced under this assignment will remain the joint property of IRCSL and Christian Aid Sierra Leone.
- Approval
Inter-Religious Council Sierra Leone (IRCSL)
Send to- amadukamara2@gmail.com
Copy- hejohnamadufornah@gmail.com
From the 1st September 2026 and closing date 7th September 2026
