Chapter authors for the second Global Parliamentary Report

Description

The first Global Parliamentary Report (GPR, www.ipu.org/gpr) was jointly published by IPU and UNDP in 2012. It investigated the evolving nature of representation, and sought to identify ways to respond to citizens’ changing expectations of parliament.

Since March 2015, IPU and UNDP have been working on a second Global Parliamentary Report, provisionally titled Parliament’s power to hold government to account: Realities and perspectives on oversight (www.ipu.org/gpr2).

The primary objective of the new GPR is to develop recommendations to strengthen parliamentary oversight around the world. The primary target audience is the parliamentary community (parliamentarians, parliamentary staff, and people and organizations working with or on parliaments).

With advice from a group of experts for the parliamentary community, the project team has collected and analysed a large amount of data. With the help of a team of consultants, IPU and UNDP have prepared an outline for the report, which indicates the intended structure and key messages.

Based on this outline, the report is expected to:

• demonstrate the importance of parliamentary oversight for democracy and development;
• investigate the reality of how parliamentary oversight takes place;
• analyse the factors that increase or limit the effectiveness of oversight;
• make recommendations for strengthening parliamentary oversight and government accountability.

A gender perspective will be mainstreamed throughout the report, to make clear why it is important for oversight to be gender-sensitive, how this is being done and how parliaments could improve their performance in this regard.

On behalf of the IPU and UNDP, IPU is looking to recruit authors to draft chapters for the second Global Parliamentary Report, based on the outline that has been developed. That outline is currently being finalized through a review process. The final version will be available before chapter authors begin work. Chapter authors should be senior figures with at least 10 years’ parliamentary experience in a range of countries.

IPU expects to recruit around 5 authors, each of whom will be assigned a particular chapter, based on their background, interests and expertize. Their work will be coordinated by the Managing Editor of the Global Parliamentary Report.

Tasks

The principal task is to draft one or more chapters for the Global Parliamentary Report. Draft chapters should normally be around 15,000 words in length.

Drafting will be coordinated by the Managing Editor of the Global Parliamentary Report. After the completion of the draft chapters, the Managing Editor will work with the text produced by the chapter authors to prepare the final report.

When drafting chapters, authors should take the following points into consideration:

• Draft chapters should be based on the outline developed by IPU and UNDP. Annex 1 contains a summary of the outline. The full outline can be obtained upon request from [email protected]. It contains a brief for the author of each chapter, listing key questions the chapter should answer, suggested key messages, and indications of core content.
• Draft chapters should be written with a parliamentary audience in mind. They should be practical and action oriented. The style of writing and language used should be compelling. It should also be accessible to readers who are short of time and want to find the more important information quickly. The report should motivate readers to take action to strengthen parliamentary oversight in their context.
• Draft chapters should draw on the data gathered for the project, relevant literature and the authors’ own expertize. They should be grounded in parliamentary experience. Annex 2 provides an overview of material gathered during the project, which will be made available to chapter authors.
• Draft chapters are to conclude with recommendations for action to strengthen parliamentary oversight, which flow from the narrative and content of the chapter. Recommendations should be as specific as possible, and should be addressed to a clearly identified audience (such as governments, parliaments, political parties, parliamentarians, parliamentary staff, practitioners of parliamentary development, civil society organizations, etc). Certain recommendations might be addressed to a specific audience (e.g. small island developing states).
• All chapters of the report are required to address the question of gender equality and include recommendations that aim to improve the capacity of parliaments to perform gender-sensitive oversight, and ensure women have equal opportunities to engage in those activities.
• See Annex 3 for a Checklist for chapter authors, which lists a number of points to take into consideration when drafting chapters.

 

To assist chapter authors, IPU and UNDP will provide:

• The outline for the report, containing a detailed brief for each chapter, including key questions, key messages and indications about core content
• Full access to the research outputs generated by the project, including original data and summaries of the research
• Limited research support to help authors navigate the research outputs
• Regular feedback throughout the drafting process.

Timeline

The work should begin in early July and be completed, to the satisfaction of IPU and UNDP, by 15 September 2016.

Deliverables

1. Participate in a “kick off” skype call with the project team at the outset of the contract.
2. Provide weekly written status updates to the Managing Editor. (Status updates should normally take no more than 15 minutes to prepare. A template is provided in Annex 4.)
3. Provide a first draft for feedback by 22 August.
4. Provide a final draft by 15 September.

Working language

Deliverables can be submitted in English or French. Communication with the Managing Editor will preferably be in English.

Fee

A lump sum fee will be paid for the work. The amount will be specified in the contract, depending on the precise nature of the work to be done, and the profile of the candidate.

Location

The work will be home based. No travel will be included in the contract. Communications will be via electronic means (e-mail, skype, etc.).

Requirements

Candidates for the consultancy must be able to demonstrate:

• At least 10 years’ experience in working for or with parliaments, at increasing levels of responsibility
• Experience in parliamentary strengthening in at least three countries
• Ability to conceptualize proposals for parliamentary reform
• Experience in drafting major reports, including for parliamentary audiences
• Experience in analysing information from a gender perspective
• Ability to analyse and synthesize large quantities of information
• Excellent reading and writing skills in English or French. Ability to read English, French and Spanish highly desirable
• Ability to work autonomously and as part of a team that spans different countries and organizations
• Excellent time management and attention to detail

For further details, please contact Andy Richardson at the IPU Secretariat ([email protected]).

Applicants will be contacted only if they are under serious consideration. IPU does not discriminate on any grounds and is committed to promoting diversity in our workforce.