Research Contractor

It is envisaged the project will initially last for 12 months with the possibility of extension subject to satisfactory progress being achieved on the project’s outcomes.

The contractor will be required to use the content of the WPG Feminist Recovery Plan to:

• Develop summary reports for all levels of government in NI. This is to include bespoke reports for relevant MLAs, Departments and All-Party Groups alongside summary reports for local councils, MPs and the UK government.
• Develop visual graphics and presentational materials, including printed reports, to enable the WRDA Women’s Sector Lobbyist (WSL) to present concise information from the Feminist Recovery Plan to Ministers directly.
• Assist the WSL in conducting research with women on the ground and create specific case studies of different marginalised groups of women negatively impacted by COVID-19 to compliment the evidence provided in the FRP. This will enable the WSL and WPG members to collate this content and create bespoke presentations to each of the Ministerial Departments and the Committees.
• Track all engagement from meetings and correspondence with The Executive Office (TEO), Ministers and all Departments relating to the FRP, including letters, email correspondence, outcomes from meetings and presentations and any policy developments as a result of the FRP.
• Create a live strategy document and shared resource folder for the WPG to enable monitoring the achievement of aims in the FRP, tracking all successes through policy developments, creating a timeline and monitoring all upcoming presentations to political representatives and committees and outlining potential for additional campaigning and lobbying.

The tasks outlined above for the consultancy above will enable the WSL to continue her work in collaboration with many women’s organisations, and other organisations in the voluntary and community sector, to ensure that the voices of women in NI are being heard at all levels of COVID-19 response policy making in Northern Ireland.

The successful contractor is expected to have experience and expertise in the following:

• An understanding of the women’s sector in Northern Ireland.
• An understanding of gender equality and approaches to achieving this through policy.
• A strong understanding of all levels of government in Northern Ireland; including Local Councils, NI Assembly and UK Government.
• An understanding of the policy context in Northern Ireland.
• Experience of undertaking research and developing accessible evidence resources
• Experience and expertise in communications, including developing communications resources for a range of audiences in various formats (e.g. bespoke reports, presentations, visual graphics)
• Experience and expertise in developing social media content
• Experience of efficiently organising and tracking engagement with stakeholders, for example, political engagement and engagement with the wider women’s sector.

The tender should consist at the minimum of:

• A proposal for the project and detailed methodology
• An indication of fees per day and a total cost
• CV and other documents detailing relevant expertise over the past two years including references
• Completion of contact details Appendix 1
• The project will be conducted in a manner which support the ethos and values of WRDA and the WPG