Call for Applications: Final Assessment, Project on Conflict-Sensitive Coverage of Border Conflicts in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan

(APRICOT: Accountable Practices for Reporting Information on Conflicts to Offset Tensions)

About the Project

Since September 2022, Internews has been implementing the regional APRICOT project in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, which aims to provide journalists, media outlets and civil society with the opportunity to collaborate and build capacity to bridge ethnic divisions in communities along the Tajik-Kyrgyz border. The project aims to strengthen unity within these diverse communities through cross-border media engagement to improve coverage of border conflicts.

The application deadline is 18:00 Bishkek time on November 27, 2023.

It is expected that the partner will conduct an assessment of the APRICOT project and a content analysis of the produced content in accordance with the terms of reference, which will be provided to interested candidates upon request.

The purpose of this evaluation is to assess the project’s performance, immediate results, and early signs of impact and sustainability, as well as provide recommendations for how the project’s work could be built upon by potential future programming.

Evaluation Process and Format

The evaluation process should encompass three main phases: methodology development, data collection, and analysis and report writing.

While considering all APRICOT beneficiaries and partners, the evaluator(s) may select case studies for in-depth assessment, with the exception of content analysis, which should cover all relevant content production partners.

Required Content Analysis

In order to establish the project’s effectiveness at supporting local media partners to produce professional, objective, conflict-sensitive media materials on conflicts and crises, the evaluator will conduct a content analysis of a sample of project-supported content using an agreed-upon methodology.

Internews will provide all relevant data sources and contacts to the selected partner. The deadline for final report in English is February 22, 2024.

Who can participate in the competition:

  • Local and international evaluators, as well as companies offering project evaluation services that meet the following criteria:
  • Master’s degree or above in social sciences, media, international development, evaluation, OR equivalent professional experience.
    • Demonstrated experience conducting mid-term and final external project evaluations, including monitoring and evaluation experience, application of interviewing techniques (in-person and remote), qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis, research, and statistical analysis.
    • Demonstrated experience conducting content analysis of journalistic products.
    • Knowledge of media and political environments in the target countries; in-depth understanding of issues facing media outlets in these countries preferred.
    • Excellent inter-cultural communication skills/cultural sensitivity.
    • English and Russian fluency required; fluency in Tajik and Kyrgyz language required among overall evaluation team to conduct interviews and content analysis.
    • In all duties the evaluator(s) is expected to demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to upholding Internews’ Core Values.
How to Apply

Interested candidates are required to provide the following documents:

  • Portfolio and information confirming experience of similar studies
  • Technical proposal for the assessment and content analysis, describing the methodological approach
  • CVs of evaluator(s), including at least two reference contacts relevant for this SoW
  • Financial proposal/offer (in USD $ dollars) (Ensure that all taxes and translation services, if necessary, from Tajik/Kyrgyz/Russian are included)

We ask all candidates interested in receiving additional information and detailed technical SoW write Yasmina Nasimova at [email protected] with the subject “Request for receiving SoW for project evaluation.”

Documents for participation in the competition must be submitted to the address: [email protected] before November 27, 2023, 18.00 Bishkek time.