83380062-GIZ AU Regional Consultancy Tender on the Impact of COVID 19 on the Drivers of Conflicts and Structural Vulnerabilities in Africa – ReliefWeb

Consultancy to Support the Development of 5 Regional Studies on the Impact

of COVID 19 on the Drivers of Conflicts and Structural Vulnerabilities in Africa

1. Context

Established in 2003, the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) is a self-monitoring instrument voluntarily acceded to by African Union (AU) Member States and an autonomous entity of the AU. It serves as an African-owned and African-led platform for self-assessment, peer-learning, and experience-sharing in democracy and good governance, in full respect for democratic principles, human rights, rule of law, the acceleration of political, social and economic integration in Africa. The mandate of the APRM is to ensure that the policies and practices of Participating States are in conformity with the agreed political, economic and corporate governance values, codes and standards, and to achieve mutually agreed objectives in socioeconomic development contained in the Declaration on Democracy, Political, Economic and Corporate Governance, as well as and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, among other relevant treaties, conventions and instruments adopted by Participating States whether through the African Union or through other international platforms. In the implementation of its mandate, the APRM has the primary purpose of fostering the adoption of policies, standards and practices that lead to political stability, high economic growth, sustainable and inclusive development, as well as accelerated regional and continental economic integration, through sharing of experiences and reinforcement of successful and best practices. It also serves as an early warning tool for conflict prevention in harmony and synergy with the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and the African Governance Architecture (AGA).

The AU Master Roadmap of Practical Steps to Silence the Guns by Year 2020 are attributed to among others, poverty, economic hardships, violation of human rights, exclusion, inequalities, marginalization and mismanagement of Africas rich ethnic diversity, as well as relapses into the cycle of violence in some post-conflict settings. The Roadmap further asserts confidently that these challenges are surmountable if the correct remedies are identified and applied. Unfortunately, these remedies have become significantly challenging to apply with the advent of COVID-19, which has had evident impact on the drivers of conflicts in Africa. As of 5th April 2021, the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) reported that COVID-19 in Africa had infected over 4,265,034 people of which over 4 million recovered and 113,694 lost their lives across the continent. The effects of the pandemic, globally, have been felt beyond the health sector and Africa has not been spared in all the afore-mentioned sectors. Incidentally, the pandemic and its related effects such as travel restrictions, and also greatly affected the AU planned interventions that were related to the theme of the year 2020, Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africas Development.

As such, it is within the context of the current cooperation between APRM and the GIZ implemented Programme, Strengthening Good Governance and Human Rights in Africa African Governance Architecture, that services of a Research Institution/Think Tank are sought to support the conduct of five (5) Regional Studies on the Impact of COVID-19 on the Drivers of Conflicts and Structural Vulnerabilities in Africa. The Studies will bring perspectives from 5 AU regions (North, West, Central, East, South), focusing on emerging threats to peace and security within the five AU regions with a view of identifying the impact of COVID-19 on peace and security, and mapping cross cutting issues. The Studies will also assess the coping and response capacity at continental (APSA/AGA), regional Regional Economic Communities (RECs)/Regional Mechanisms (RMs) and national (Infrastructures for Peace, where they exist), reflecting on these among other key questions:

Are there new drivers that could create conflicts in Africa other than the traditional drivers?

Are the drivers and dynamics of conflicts in the last one year amplified due to the COVID-19 pandemic?

Are the eight root causes of conflicts identified in the AU Silencing the Guns Roadmaps persisting or transformed in the different regions due to the COVID-19 pandemic?

What lessons can be drawn regarding the ability of continental, regional and national mechanisms to adapt to health-related threats as some of the emerging threats to peace and security in Africa?

It is therefore within the context of the current cooperation between APRM and the GIZ implemented Programme, Strengthening Good Governance and Human Rights in Africa African Governance Architecture, that services of a Research Institution/Think Tank are sought to support the development of five (5) Regional Studies on the Impact of COVID-19 on the Drivers of Conflicts and Structural Vulnerabilities in Africa. The Studies will bring perspectives from 5 AU regions (North, West, Central, East, South), focusing on emerging threats to peace and security within the five AU regions with a view of identifying the impact of COVID-19 on peace and security, and mapping cross cutting issues. The Studies will also assess the coping and response capacity at continental (APSA/AGA), regional Regional Economic Communities (RECs)/Regional Mechanisms (RMs) and national (Infrastructures for Peace, where they exist).

The Contractor is expected to develop/design and conduct 5 Regional Studies, which will be consolidated in a comprehensive study titled: Impact of COVID-19 on the Drivers of Conflicts and Structural Vulnerabilities in Africa: Regional Perspectives

Specifically, the Contractor will:

i. Undertake a comparative assessment of the peace and security situation, vulnerabilities and challenges prior to and during COVID 19 in the 5 regions of Africa;

ii. Undertake a detailed assessment of emerging threats to peace and security in the five regions as a consequence of the pandemic;

iii. Draw lessons on the capacity and/or adaptability of crisis management mechanisms/systems (early warning, conflict prevention, conflict resolution, peacebuilding) to threats to peace and security in the five regions as a consequence of the pandemic;

iv. Make recommendations on how to strengthen the crisis management mechanisms/systems (early warning, conflict prevention, conflict resolution, peacebuilding) in response to such pandemics with the potential to drive conflicts and exacerbate structural vulnerabilities in Africa; and

v. Develop and submit 5 Regional Studies consolidated in one comprehensive report for validation and presentation by the APRM to the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) and other relevant pillars of APSA as well as other essential components such as Regional Mechanisms for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution.

Consultancy qualification:

The bidder should be legally registered in one or more AU Member States and should provide a minimum of 5 Experts with their up to date CVs, highlighting among other things the range of tasks involved and the required qualifications. The Experts should have:

Education/training (2.1.1): All Experts should have university qualification (minimum Master Degree or equivalent) in Social Sciences/Humanities, Peace and Security Studies, Strategic Studies, International Relations, Development Studies, International Politics, International Law or other related fields;

Language (2.1.2): The Contractor should have experts with multilingual language skills with fluency in English, French, Portuguese and Arabic (AU working language is an advantage).

General professional experience (2.1.3): The Experts should have at least 10 years of demonstrable experience in undertaking research in relevant fields;

Specific professional experience (2.1.4): Demonstrable experience in the development of public policy and in particular peace and security, governance and related matters in Africa;

Regional experience (2.1.6): Work experience with the APRM, AU, UN, and/or other international organizations is desirable;

Other (2.1.8): Excellent analytical skills, using both qualitative and quantitative methods, proven report writing skills, and ability to deliver quality products on time with respect to core values of integrity, professionalism and respect for diversity.

Number of work days: 60 days

Flexible Work Days (the tasks are to be completed within 3 months)

Period of assignment: From 10 June 2021 until 10 September 2021

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83380062-GIZ AU Regional Consultancy Tender on the Impact of COVID 19 on the Drivers of Conflicts and Structural Vulnerabilities in Africa - ReliefWeb