Background: With funding from its Peace & Stabilisation Fund, the Government of Denmark has previously supported the Strong Cities Network (SCN), a global network of currently 140+ cities working on preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE) at the local level.

Objective: The objective of the assignment is to provide the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark (MFA) with an evidence-based, forward-looking assessment of the results (short, medium and long term) of the Strong Cities Network’s global efforts to prevent violent extremism in fragile states. The assessment will inform MFA internal reflections on a possible future financial contribution to the SCN in 2021 focused on supporting the network’s engagement with its members in fragile states.

Method & outputs:  A key component of the assignment will be to test assumptions and gather new information via a series of in-person interviews/focus groups with local stakeholders (mayors and other local decision-makers together with practitioners involved in P/CVE-work) from SCN-members conducted during at least three regional field missions to East Africa, the Levant, West/North Africa, South/South-East Asia or the Balkans with destinations to be selected during the inception phase. The assignment will be divided into two phases: Phase one will include a desk review of relevant background material, stakeholder consultations (primarily virtual) and preparation of regional missions including the development of a sampling methodology for member cities to be visited during phase two. An inception note should be prepared as part of phase one. Phase two includes the regional field missions followed by drafting the report, which is the assignment’s main output. The report should have a forward-looking, learning-oriented focus to support SCN’s ability to deliver and document results as well as include reflections on the size and shape of a possible future Danish contribution to the Network.

Timeframe: The assignment is expected to begin in November 2020 with the inception note delivered latest by 22 January 2021 followed by regional field missions and subsequent drafting of the report in Q1/Q2-2021, and delivery of the final report latest by end-May 2021. The consultants should be able to commit themselves accordingly.

Consultants: The team should consist of two international consultants/experts, both with up to date knowledge of policies and analysis/theories regarding programming and MEAL in the area of P/CVE in fragile states. Consultant No. 1, who will also act as the team leader, should have demonstrated solid experience with similar assignments in the context of the Danish Peace & Stabilisation Fund Guidelines.

Consultant No 2 should have demonstrated experience evaluating networks and partnerships in a development/fragile states context as well as with civil society and/or local governance actors engagement. Consultant No. 2 should have a solid knowledge of at least two and preferably three of the regions mentioned above and their challenges relating to drivers of radicalization. In addition to excellent drafting skills in English, fluency in Arabic and French.

Budget: The timeframe is estimated at 54 working days in total between the two consultants. The budget maximum is DKK 600,000 incl. which includes a lump sum of DKK 150,000 set aside to cover the two consultants’ international, regional and local travel costs as well as all other fieldwork related expenses.

Deadline for applications: 19 October 2020, at 23:59, Danish time