Overview

Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) is the UK’s democracy assistance agency, working in partnership with political parties, parliaments, and civil society organisations around the world to create more inclusive, accountable, and transparent democratic systems. WFD strengthens the capacity of these key democratic institutions, helping ensure they have the systems, knowledge, and skills to perform effectively. WFD also fosters improved democratic processes, bringing together individuals and institutions and encouraging them to work together to solve concrete problems, applying democratic values and principles. 

Objective of the assignment

Relationships are the realms where WFD engages most and can have the greatest influence in its programmes and interventions. This positions WFD well to work on conflict transformation at the heart of which are relationships. WFD is seeking to hire a consultant to develop a toolkit for conflict-transformative dialogues that would enable WFD to strengthen conflict transformative potential of its programmes and operations so WFD can capitalise on its positionality, and while building on its mandate to contribute to building a less violent world. 

Scope of work

The purpose of this assignment is to develop a toolkit for conflict-transformative dialogues that WFD staff could use in their day-to-day work and to inform the design and approaches in their programmes so they can embrace and work on conflicts in a transformational way. For this assignment, dialogue is understood as any type of communication, rather than a distinctive tool. The content of the toolkit will draw on the theory, learning and experience of peace-building actors who on daily basis work on conflicts so WFD can build on good practices and evidence while implementing its democracy support programmes. The toolkit will also contribute to enhancing WFD’s overall approaches to transformational programmes, as well as enable us to apply those approaches more consistently across our programming. 

Deliverables and methodology

As a result of this assignment, a toolkit for conflict-transformative dialogues of 20-30 pages will be developed. 

• The evidence review will be mainly developed based on desk review and supplemented by limited key informant interviews.  
• The content of the toolkit will consider the type of WFD’s programming and its ‘primary’ stakeholders who predominately are parliamentarians, parliamentary staff, parliaments, political parties and CSOs, including women’s rights organisations; ‘secondary’ stakeholders include local governments, grassroots activists and peacebuilders.
• The draft research will be submitted for review by WFD’s in-house relevant technical and programme staff, and possibly selected external stakeholders. 
• The toolkit will contain one-two page summary, an introduction elaborating on what conflict-transformative dialogues are and how they differ from other types of dialogues. This will be supported by academic and practice-based literature from the peacebuilding field. The main body will provide detailed guidelines for implementation of a transformative approach in dialogue processes, covering a range of critical issues and technical advice on how to practically apply a conflict transformative lens to our programmes. References to other relevant toolkits and guides as well as links to examples of successful conflict transformative dialogues processes will also be provided throughout. A full list of references and supporting literature will be included in the final pages.

Timeline

• Contract commencement date: 3 September 2024
• Familiarisation with WFD’s programmes and possible supplementary interviews with peacebuilders and negotiators by 13 September 2024
• Outline/table of contents of the toolkit by 25 September 2024  
• First draft of the toolkit: 11 October 2024
• Feedback on toolkit: 18 October 2024
• Final draft of research review: 1 November 2024

Fees

It is expected that the delivery of the assignment will take up to 15 working days:

• 1-day familiarisation with WFD’s programmes.
• Up to 2 days of supplementary interviews.
• Up to 10 days desk research and writing.
• Up to 2 days responding and incorporating the feedback.

Working arrangement

Remote desk work, no travel required. 

Relevant work experience

• Understanding of the theory of conflict transformation and relevant tools
• Experience in developing toolkits on conflict transformation  
• Familiarity with/experience of working with WFD’s primary stakeholders 
• Experience in developing tools for practitioners 
• Desired - familiarity with system change methodologies
• Excellent analytical, research and writing skills
• Commitment to gender and conflict transformative change
• Experience working collaborative and in teams
• Excellent organisational and writing skills

Application process

Interested candidates can submit their application by 29 August 2024 (17h UK time) to: Magdalena.Randall-Schab@wfd.org, including: 

• 1-page application letter outlining your understanding of conflict transformative dialogues, relevant knowledge and experience as per details provided above and a daily fee.
• Up-to-date CV, including 2 reference persons. 
• Links to a writing sample from assignments on relevant topics.