Concord Europe sta selezionando Consulenti per la redazione del rapporto AidWatch 2024. Durata 4 mesi. Scadenza candidature 08/04/2024
CONCORD Europe, the European Confederation of NGOs working on sustainable development and international cooperation, is launching a call for external consultants to work on the 2024 AidWatch report. Each year since 2005, CONCORD publishes the annual AidWatch report on the quantity and quality of European Official Development Aid (ODA). The report is considered a major research and advocacy tool for CONCORD members as it helps to hold the EU institutions and national governments accountable towards the ODA commitments and the coherence of international cooperation.
The ODA modernisation process started by the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) in 2012 has resulted in important changes in the way ODA is counted thus widening the net of what DAC members report as ODA. As a result, funds are increasingly being channeled away from genuine efforts to support partner countries. To capture these developments and understand if ODA still holds to its original definition and purpose, last year CONCORD carried out a methodological review to develop the 2023 AidWatch. This resulted in financial flows to meet four criteria i) they are flows to countries and territories on the OECD DAC list of ODA recipients or to multilateral development institutions ii) they are provided by official agencies iii) they are concessional in character and iv) their primary objective is “the promotion of economic development and welfare of partner countries”.
This new proposal also allows CONCORD to provide a single framework to assess ODA inflation by deducting flows not meeting these criteria from the total ODA reported amounts.
More results on the methodological review can be found in the 2023 AidWatch report.
Timeline
The work should be carried out between mid-May 2023 and the end of August 2024, when a final draft of the report should be presented. Consultants are expected to deliver a first draft by the end of June the latest. The 2024 AidWatch report should be launched in Brussels around mid-October.
Job description
The main tasks of the work would consist in:
– Conducting desk research to strengthen the analyses on how ODA is/isn’t contributing to the economic development and welfare objectives of partner countries and continue the methodological review carried out last year;
– Developing a concept note for the 2024 AidWatch report compiling ideas of data analysis to strengthen the point cited in the points below, among others;
– Organising focal group calls for quantitative and qualitative data collection from CONCORD’s members and selected CSOs from partner countries to capture their thoughts on the coherence and impact of EU ODA at the country and community level;
– Developing, based on the outcomes of calls with members and the reflections included in the concept note and guidelines from CONCORD Secretariat, the structure of the 2024 AidWatch report;
– Conduct the data analysis for the 2024 AidWatch report based on the structure agreed and using the OECD DAC preliminary figures published in April 2024 as the main sources for data analysis;
– Developing a questionnaire for quantitative and qualitative data collection from CONCORD’s National Platforms. This task will be done in consultation with CONCORD’s Financing and Funding for Sustainable Development (FFSD) workstream, more precisely with the members of the FFSD policy group and the AidWatch National Platforms focal points;
– Designing the structure of the country pages and consolidating the drafting from National Platforms;
– Conducting consultations with CONCORD members on different aspects of the report when needed and under the guidance of the Secretariat;
– Developing a first draft of the 2024 AidWatch report by the end of June 2024 the latest;
– Integrate CONCORD Secretariat, members and partners’ feedback to develop a final draft of the 2024 AidWatch report by the end of August 2024.
Please note that due to the nature of this task, we strongly suggest the involvement of a team of consultants. We recommend a minimum of two consultants, with one focusing on the data analysis and crunching, while the other can help improve the report’s storytelling with the main goal of making the report easier to read and more accessible to those unfamiliar with the technical aspects of ODA trends and operations.
Applicants are nevertheless invited to submit only one profile if they think it would be enough to cover the expectations for the report or would be happy to be teamed up with another consultant.
Candidate profile
Successful candidates for this offer will respond as much as possible to the following profile:
Essential:
– Experience in quantitative and qualitative data analysis (including the use of OECD databases preferably).
– Excellent English writing and editing skills; ability to write about complex issues engagingly.
– Excellent knowledge of EU Development Cooperation issues.
– Very good understanding and knowledge of the aid/development effectiveness agenda.
– Experience in coordinating and managing networks or multiple stakeholders would be an advantage.
Desirable:
– Experience of working in an NGO environment, with complex multicultural networks and under pressure.
– Some experience in communication, with a specific focus on challenging ODA narratives and practice.
Application process
If you are interested, please upload as one document the following information, in the portal below:
– Your CV outlining your relevant expertise to meet this assignment (1 page max);
– Your proposal on how you will undertake this research, including a suggested number of days and their distribution between the different tasks and phases of the work and your day rate (2 pages max).
The closing date for applications is 8 May at midnight. Note that proposals will be evaluated on a rolling basis and interviews might be arranged before the deadline. We therefore encourage applicants to send their proposals as soon as possible.
For any additional information, don’t hesitate to contact Lur at her email address lur.fernandez-salinas@concordeurope.org before the deadline.
