Open Data Scenario at 11 Municipalities: Research Opportunity

The Asia Foundation and Development Initiatives are implementing a research project in Nepal: “Improving the Sharing and Use of (Open) Data as Evidence for Development Program”. It is funded by the Department of International Development (DFID) of the UK Government.

The Asia Foundation and Development Initiatives have therefore announced that they welcome expressions of interest from organizations in Nepal with a demonstrable interest in and experience of open data development, conducting qualitative research, and working with the civil society groups, private sector groups and government to conduct this research.

Why it Matters:

The goal of the program is to build a demand for data among the government, civil society organizations, and private sector for data and openly share the data gained.

This data from this research will aid in support decision-making, implementation, and monitoring of activities related to Nepal’s development.

About the organizations: 

• The Asia Foundation is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that collaborates with private and public partners to support leadership and institutional development, exchanges, and policy research.
• Development Initiatives (DI) is an independent International development organization that focuses on the role of data in driving poverty eradication and sustainable development.

The details:

• The study will be conducted in 11 municipalities that The Asia Foundation is currently working under in its Subnational Governance Program.
• The time frame of the study is set for 3 months.

The qualifying criteria:

The implementing partner must demonstrate the following:

• Demonstrable practical experience in conducting a qualitative study (KIIs, FGDs), analyzing the quantitative information (descriptive statistics), and reporting (research reports, briefs).
• Demonstrable knowledge of open data and the value of this to the local government, civil society, and private sector.
• Strong track record of working with the government, civil society and private sector at local level;
• Ability to connect to civil society and private sector organizations at a local level.

The Submission Details:

The submission should contain the following:

• A cover letter (1 – 2 pages), highlighting relevant exercises conducted in the past.
• An up-to-date organizational CV demonstrating the relevant experience of the organization in conducting relevant qualitative research, ideally related to local government, civil societies, and private sector development, providing examples of recent research-related publications, and two referees.
• Short proposal of maximum 4 pages presenting the organization’s understanding of the task by outlining the research approach, content focus
• A detailed budget breakdown and details of the team composition.

Submissions are to be submitted to pranaya.sthapit@asiafoundation.org by 14th February 2018. Only the shortlisted candidates will be contacted with further information.

What’s done already:

• The research among local governments and among citizens is already ongoing and being undertaken in the form of quantitative surveys by different partners of The Asia Foundation.
• The findings fo the study that pertains to open data will be included as part of the planned study on open data.

The Next Step:

The selected partner for this study would focus on conducting qualitative research and engaging with and relevant municipalities departments, local civil society groups and private sector on open data.

Learn more and apply.