Research Specialist - Policy and Governance, Center for Enterprise and Society (CES)

Job Description

Title: Research Specialist - Policy and Governance, Center for Enterprise and Society (CES)

Company Name: University Of Liberal Arts Bangladesh

Vacancy: 1

Age: Na

Job Location: Dhaka

Salary: --

Experience:

Published: 2024-11-19

Application Deadline: 2024-12-05

Education:

Education:

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a relevant discipline, such as Political Science, Public Administration, Sociology, Development Studies, or other related fields, from a reputed university.

Experience:

4–8 years of professional experience in research, with demonstrated expertise in policy analysis, governance, or democracy-related projects.

Skills:

• Strong leadership abilities with a proven track record of managing multidisciplinary projects.

• Advanced project management skills, including planning, execution, and stakeholder engagement.

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to prepare high-quality research reports and facilitate discussions.

Technical Proficiency:

Experience with qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, including conducting focus group discussions, literature reviews, and drafting reports.

Background

The Center for Enterprise and Society (CES), based at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB), has been working with a prestigious US-based donor for the past eight years to promote democracy and tolerance among Bangladeshi youth. The program has consistently evolved to address current socio-political dynamics.

To promote tolerance and pluralism, the project has partnered with esteemed institutions, including Ivy League universities and Chatham House. Among its notable achievements are the launch of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) which has reached over 5,000 participants, and a fellowship program that empowered social activists to implement community-focused initiatives across Bangladesh.

In the current phase of our activities, we are looking for a Junior or Senior Research Specialist to lead critical initiatives focused on these objectives through structured research, meaningful dialogue, and dissemination of insights.

Objective

The overarching objective of this consultancy is to engage youth in thoughtful and impactful discussions on governance and democracy. The consultant will explore critical themes (not limited to), including:

• Youth perspectives on the governance system.
• Strategies for building a healthy and sustainable democracy.
• The roles of citizens, civil society, media, law enforcement, and the judiciary in fostering democratic resilience.

Scope of Work:

• Organize and facilitate 8 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with current university students from January to June, ensuring diverse representation across select age groups, geographic locations, and socio-economic backgrounds to capture a wide spectrum of youth perspectives on governance and democracy.
• We are expecting at least two FGDs outside Dhaka, at least one FGD focused on women students, some FGDs focused on private and some focused on public university students, and so on.
• Conduct a thorough literature review on existing studies and reports related to youth engagement, governance systems, and democratic resilience to contextualize the findings from the FGDs.
• Develop a 12-18 page report based on FGD findings, incorporating actionable recommendations and framing the report as a whitepaper ready for publication. The report should have visuals and infographic and be ready to publish as a white paper.
• Design and implement innovative engagement strategies to encourage active participation from youth, including pre-FGD and post-FGD surveys to assess students’ awareness level changes.
• Plan and execute a roundtable discussion to disseminate the research findings, involving key stakeholders such as policymakers, academics, civil society representatives, youth leaders, and relevant stakeholders. We will assist in invitations.
• Collaborate with CES and other relevant stakeholders to ensure alignment with the project’s objectives, timelines, and deliverables.
• Identify potential challenges during the project implementation and propose adaptive solutions to ensure smooth execution and high-quality outcomes.

Deliverables:

1. Conduct 8 FGDs across select groups, as follows
   • 2 FGDs with public university students 1 FGD with ULAB Students
   • 1 FGD in Chattogram based students1 FGD with female youth activists
   • 1 FGD with student leaders
   • Additional FGDs will be conducted as the project progresses
2. FGD transcripts (to be submitted midway through the contract).
3. A final report of 12-18 pages, ready for publication as a whitepaper.
4. Successful facilitation of a dissemination roundtable.

Payment and Installment:

The budget for this assignment is BDT 200,000. It is fixed as per the project design.

The payment will be made in two equal installments:

Installment 1: 50% of the payment will be paid approval on the submitted FGD transcripts

Installment 2: 50% of the payment will be made after the report is accepted and disseminated through Roundtable

Two nights` accommodation and transportation costs will be covered (at actual costs) as per project guidelines for activities outside Dhaka.

No other financial or other benefits will be applicable.