Job Description

Search seeks to a selected team to generate foundational data to inform the roadmap's implementation, enhance civic engagement, and ensure participatory monitoring and learning.

About the Roadmap for the EU Engagement with Syrian Civil Society

In February 2023, the EU published the Roadmap for the EU Engagement with Syrian Civil Society. The Roadmap was based on a combination of desk review, key informant interviews and focus group discussions with local experts from the Syrian civil society (SCS), reflecting the diversity of Syrian CSOs in all fields and locations. It presented a strategy for the EU’s future engagement with Syrian civic actors based on a deep understanding of the ecosystem of the Syrian civil society, its interrelationships, as well as its relationships with donors, de-facto authorities, and the community at large. It looked closely at the existing modalities of EU engagement, as well as how the approach could look in the future.
Finally, the Roadmap aimed to present a set of priorities and principles for the development of Syrian civil society, and how the EU could support civic actors to achieve their goals.
Based on the findings of the roadmap, four priority areas to enhance EU engagement with civil society were defined:

Priority 1: The Representation of Civil Society: Supporting the Development of an Effective and Participatory Civic Space Capable of Leveraging Bottom-Up Community Initiatives.

Priority 2: Deliberative Democracy: Supporting the Evolution of Common Visions for Syrian Civil Society and Its Role in the Future of Syria.

Priority 3: Public Wellbeing: Supporting Civic Actors to Work with Their Communities to Develop Local Capacities for Future Recovery and Sustainable Development.

Priority 4: Self Constitution: Support the Innate Capacity of CSOs in a Sustainable Manner to Develop Equitable Partnerships and Knowledge Exchanges to Heighten the Voice and Effectiveness of CSOs.

Search for Common Ground (Search) is commissioning a baseline evaluation of the "Roadmap for the EU Engagement with Syrian Civil Society". This initiative seeks to generate foundational data to inform the roadmap's implementation, enhance civic engagement, and ensure participatory monitoring and learning. To complement the work of the lead consultant, Search is seeking to recruit a team of researchers and data collectors who will be responsible for operationalizing the agreed methodology, conducting field-level data collection, and supporting the research process across the identified geographies.

2. Role and Objectives of the Research Team

The selected team will work closely with the lead consultant and Search’s team to ensure that the data collection process is efficient, contextually appropriate, ethically sound, and of high quality.

Specific responsibilities will include:

Supporting the finalization of data collection tools and piloting instruments in collaboration with the lead consultant.
Contributing to the literature review needed for the study.
Conducting quantitative and qualitative data collection activities (e.g. surveys, interviews, FGDs) across multiple regions.
Contributing to the cleaning and organization of the collected data.
Ensuring the inclusion of diverse community voices, including hard-to-reach groups, persons with disabilities, women, and youth.
Adhering to agreed ethical and safeguarding standards, including informed consent and confidentiality procedures.
Ensuring timely submission of field data and field reports.
Participating in debrief sessions and sharing key insights from the field.

3. Geographic Scope

The research and data collection will be taking place across the whole of Syria and will cover all 14 governorates, the data collection will also involve Syrians in the neighboring countries and the diaspora (various data collection activities will be done remotely based on the agreement with Search).

Team members may be assigned based on location and language fluency to maximize access and context sensitivity.

4. Duration and Timeline

The tasks under this assignment will occur between May and October 2025, following the approval and handover of the finalized methodology and tools. Team members are expected to be available for an orientation session prior to the start of data collection and for periodic check-ins throughout the implementation phase.

5. Deliverables

Completed data sets as per sampling requirements and agreed quality standards
Daily/weekly field updates to the research coordinator
Field-level observation reports and feedback
Participation in validation and reflection sessions

6. Required Qualifications

Proven experience in field research, monitoring and evaluation, or assessments in complex settings
Strong understanding of ethical standards in research, particularly with conflict-affected populations
Fluency in Arabic; English is an asset
Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a diverse team
Knowledge of Syrian civil society and local contexts is highly preferred
Commitment to neutrality, impartiality, and adherence to Do No Harm principles

7. Application Process

Interested candidates (individual researchers or teams) are requested to submit the below documents:

Teams/firms applications should include:

A technical proposal covering (documents to be consolidated in one pdf):

1. The team’s portfolio,
2. The different roles within the team,
3. Previous experiences (highlighting similar assignments, expertise in the MENA regions, and work with donors/INGOs/Civil Society)
4. A brief about the proposed methodology for data collection and management of the process including the timeframe.
5. The team’s ability to cover the geographical areas of focus.

A financial proposal accounting for (documents to be consolidated in one pdf):

1. Daily rates of researchers, data collectors, and other team members,along with an expected number of work days for each team member.
2. Costs associated with coordination and communication.
3. Costs associated with logistics needed for the data collection process.
4. Any other costs needed for this assignment.

Individual applications can be for a lead researcher, an area-based data collection specialist, a data collection expert, or a field enumerator. Applications should include:

A CV highlighting relevant experience.
A brief cover letter (max 2 pages) confirming which role/function of the ones mentioned above is of interest to you, detailing motivation, geographic presence/coverage, and availability. The cover letter should include a brief financial proposal for your involvement in the assignment detailing the number of days per month and your daily rate in addition to a brief methodology of the data collection process.

Company profile including:

Company registration papers, and/or copy of passports or IDs
Lebanese financial registration documents. If the consultant does not have financial registration in Lebanon, the withholding tax (8.5%) will be deducted from any submitted invoice as per the Lebanese Law