Call for Research Proposals, Pontis Foundation and Institute for Democracy and Mediation
Pontis Foundation & IDM announce a call for research proposals for Funded research on Global Development Issues in the Context of Albanian Policies.
Within the framework of the Western Balkans CSOs for Global Development program, Pontis Foundation and Institute for Democracy and Mediation announce a call for research proposals in the area of global development agenda, in particular development cooperation policy and awareness raising.
The main goal of the proposed activities is to stimulate a dialogue amongst Albanian policy analysts, experts, journalists and representatives of the civil society. It also aims to increase their ability and capacities to participate and contribute to policy making process through stimulating discussion on selected topics – in Albania and internationally.
Main objectives of the project
- Produce analytical papers dealing with important problems which Albanian policymakers face, or papers that could mobilize the actors relevant to global development issues (including the media), and contribute to capacity building of CSOs within the topic of international development.
- Create opportunities for professional dialogue among international/EU, preferably Slovak and Albanian experts, analysts, organizations
- Establish functioning relationships of independent Albanian policy analysts and CSO representatives with media, with the aim to effectively disseminate communication messages
- Increase the involvement of Albanian CSOs in development cooperation activities and raise public awareness of global development agenda
Call for research proposals
In line with the above objectives, we call for analytical research papers and related activities under the following research theme “Global development issues in the context of Albanian policies”.
Thematic Focus
The research should focus on one of the following thematic and sub-thematic areas:
LOT 1: Global development agenda – analytical papers under this lot shall be aligned with the main principles and goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Special attention shall be given to:
GOAL 16 – Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
- Promote the rule of law at the national level and ensure equal access to justice for all;
- Substantially reduce corruption and bribery at all levels of governance;
- Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels;
- Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements;
GOAL 4 – Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
- Increase the number of youth who have technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship;
- ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development;
GOAL 5 – Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
- Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life;
GOAL 8 – Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
- Promote development-oriented policies that support decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation;
- Device and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products;
LOT 2: Development policy and awareness raising: Projects under this LOT should cover particular development issues with focus on decision and policy makers with the aim to create more open and global policies in Albania. Alternatively, the projects could focus on promotion of the responsible behaviour, and public involvement in solving developmental problems.
- Mobilisation of citizens to engage in the development debate, provide input, and make contributions that lead to responsive, innovative and effective ODA policy;
- Local governments and their role in popularization of the development agenda and achieving sustainable development and economic growth
- CSOs advocacy towards policymaking more sensitive to global long-term perspectives;
- Smart growth emphasizing education, innovation, research as a drivers for development;
- Achieving sustainable development for all while addressing global climate change;
- Regional and International Cooperation towards building CSOs networks for development;
Expected outputs
- Analytical paper – including executive summary and policy recommendations (at least 15 pages) in English language
- Interim presentation of the research results at the International Conference Development and Democracy in Bratislava October 2016 (travel costs will be covered by the organizer)
- Policy event – including the presentation of the analysis and promotion with national stakeholders and media
- At least 2 media outputs related to the promotion of the research results
Eligibility
- Albanian individual scholars, academics, journalists, research teams, expert groups
- Think-tanks as well as non-profit, non-governmental organizations
Analysts and institutions outside Tirana, young scholars, universities and analysts are particularly encouraged to apply.
The main eligibility pre-conditions are the ability to develop strong methodology, access to experts in the area, technical capacity and knowledge of the studied field, along with the ability to process and analyse received data.
A high command of English is required since the selected candidates, or representatives of the respective organizations should be able to actively participate in project training and networking events held in English.
Application process
Applicants are expected to submit project proposals in English and include the following documents by June 6th 2016 2016 to apapa@idmalbania.org:
- Project proposal and methodology (maximum 1,500 words), including project expected outcomes timeframe, and dissemination plan
- Project budget (max. 3500 EUR)
- CVs of all experts involved
Key deadlines:
06 – 07/2016 contract agreements
09/2016 training for grantees
10/2016 preliminary research results and participation at the Development and Democracy Conference
02/2017 final deadline for research papers submission (along with the max 10 pages long briefing memo)
08/2016 – 04/2017 project period
04-05/2017 narrative and financial reporting
Selection process
Project proposals will be assessed upon the following criteria:
- Methodology, planning of the work, reasoning, plan of experts engagement
- Competence of the applicants to transparent and successful completion of the project
- Reasonable budgeting and timeline
Proposals submitted after the deadline of June 6th 2016 or those not meeting the criteria will not be considered. The organizers reserve a right not to select any proposal if the quality criteria are not met.
Pontis Foundation and IDM Albania will provide technical consultations after the submission of successful project proposals.
Should you have any further questions regarding this call, please direct your inquiries to:
Aleka Papa
IDM Albania
apapa@idmalbania.org
This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:
http://idmalbania.org/?p=7102