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Call for Researchers and Peer Reviewers for the Resource Governance Index 2016

  • SOURCE: | qwesa2big
  • NRGI seeks individual researchers and peer reviewers to support the data gathering process for the 2016 Resource Governance Index (RGI).

    Researchers will be responsible for answering a detailed questionnaire for each country under their responsibility, providing information on the government’s reporting and disclosure practices, and information about the country’s legal framework for the extractive sector. Locally based, independent researchers are especially encouraged to apply.

    Peer reviewers will be responsible for reviewing/fact-checking questionnaires for each country under their responsibility containing information on the government’s reporting and disclosure practices and information about the country’s legal framework for the extractive sector. Locally based peer reviewers associated with research or advocacy institutions in resource-rich countries are especially encouraged to apply.

    About the Natural Resource Governance Institute

    The Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) helps people to realize the benefits of their countries’ endowments of oil, gas and minerals. We do this through technical advice, advocacy, applied research, policy analysis, and capacity development. We work with innovative agents of change within government ministries, civil society, the media, legislatures, the private sector, and international institutions to promote accountable and effective governance in the extractive industries. For more information about NRGI, please visit: www.resourcegovernance.org.

    RESEARCH FOCUS: The Resource Governance Index

    The Resource Governance Index is a tool for measuring the quality of governance in the oil, gas and mining sectors across a diverse range of countries with considerable oil, gas and/or mineral reserves. The RGI is based on the premise that good governance of natural resources is necessary for the successful development of countries with abundant oil, gas and minerals. It is a diagnostic tool to help identify good practices as well as governance shortcomings.

    The Resource Governance Index 2013 provided information about crucial elements of resource revenue governance in 58 countries and regions. These nations produce 85 percent of the world’s petroleum, 90 percent of diamonds and 80 percent of copper, generating trillions of dollars in annual profits. The future of these countries depends on how well they manage their oil, gas and minerals. The index found that only 11 of the countries – less than 20 percent – have satisfactory standards of transparency and accountability. In the rest, the public lacks fundamental information about the oil, gas and mining sector. Even countries with generally satisfactory standards exhibit weaknesses in some dimensions. There is a major governance deficit in natural resources around the world, and the deficit is largest in the most resource-dependent countries, where nearly half a billion people live in poverty despite that resource wealth. Fortunately, some countries, including several emerging economies, show that satisfactory performance in resource governance is possible. For more information about the 2013 RGI, visit: www.resourcegovernance.org/rgi.

    In its third iteration, the index will cover 79 countries in six global regions –Africa, Asia-Pacific, the Caucasus and Russia, Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa, and OECD countries.

    In 30 countries, the mineral sector will be the target of research:

    Afghanistan, Australia, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Chile, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kyrgyzstan, Lao PDR, Liberia, Madagascar, Mauritania, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

    In 42 countries, the oil and gas sector will be the target of research:

    Algeria, Angola, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, China, Congo, Rep., Cote d’Ivoire, Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Sudan, Sudan, Timor-Leste, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkmenistan, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen.

    In addition, in 8 countries both the mineral as well as the oil and gas sector will be the target of research:

    Colombia, DRC, Ghana, Indonesia, Mexico, Myanmar, Tanzania, and Tunisia.

    RESPONSIBILITIES

    Researchers will cover between one and three countries, depending on their country expertise. For each of the assigned countries, researchers will complete a detailed questionnaire. In order to complete the questionnaires, researchers will consult publicly available official documents and conduct interviews with relevant government officials, civil society activists and local industry experts. Researchers will provide evidence (including but not limited to official web site links, governmental reports, academic references and interviews) for their responses. Answers to the questionnaireshould be consistent with the guidelines in the Guide to the Resource Governance Index Questionnaire, which will be provided to all researchers at the beginning of the research process. A project management tool will be available for the entire research process. This tool will provide online access to all the documents necessary for the research and it will include instructions for researchers. The entire data gathering work, including entering answers to the questionnaire, will be conducted using this online platform. NRGI will provide assistance to researchers during the entire process to answer questions about the methodology and ensure high quality, consistent research.

    Once the researchers have completed the questionnaires, NRGI will review them for accuracy and consistency. After this initial vetting process, the questionnaires will be submitted to anonymous peer reviewers with country expertise, who will cross-check all the answers and communicate any concerns to NRGI and the researcher. Researchers may be asked to provide further evidence or clarifications in response to concerns raised by peer reviewers. NRGI will act as referee when conflicting answers are suggested to ensure consistency of assumptions across countries.

    Peer reviewers will be asked to review/fact-check questionnaires completed by researchers. Every questionnaire will be reviewed for completeness, factual errors and missing sources of information. NRGI will select one peer reviewer for each country, based on his or her expertise. During the review process, peer reviewers are expected to be available to respond to queries about the index from researchers or NRGI staff.

    DELIVERABLES

    For each of their assigned countries, researchers are expected to return a completed questionnaire. In order to support each answer, researchers will be expected to supply one or more of the following:

    • A reference or citation to an official document that supports or provides foundation for the researcher’s answer choice
    • A reference or citation to an interview with a government official, civil society activist and local industry expert
    • A comment explaining or providing evidence or support for the answer chosen
    • A reference to relevant newspaper articles, academic papers, books or reports by international institutions.

    Researchers will also be expected to supply electronic (PDF) versions and/or websites of publicly available key documents used in answering the questionnaire (These include, but are not limited to:

    • Contracts
    • Environmental and social impact reports
    • Petroleum, gas and mining statistical reports or databases
    • Annual and in-year reports
    • EITI reports
    • Auditor’s reports
    • Other documents such as interview notes or transcripts of responses.
    • All documentary evidence and references will be provided using an online project management tool defined by NRGI.

    Finally, researchers will provide a brief summary (approx. 500 words) of their main findings for every country.

    QUALIFICATIONS

    All researchers and peer reviewers will possess the following qualifications:

    • Graduate degree in international affairs, international development, political sciences, economics, or similar disciplines.
    • Demonstrated desk-based research skills.
    • Strong interviewing skills and familiarity with survey and research methodologies.
    • Detailed knowledge of extractive industries operating in the given region as well as of the political context of the region.
    • Interest in good governance or previous work on projects to improve transparency and accountability in the extractive sector.
    • Familiarity with movement for greater transparency in the extractives sector, including initiatives led by NRGI, as well as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and Publish What You Pay (PWYP).
    • Attention to detail; ability to meet deadlines.
    • Responsiveness to inquiries and excellent communication skills.
    • Independence from government and extractive companies currently operating in the region.

    Peer reviewers should be able to demonstrate:

    • Experience with research on public sector policy and ability to complete consulting projects.
    • Detailed knowledge of extractive industries operating in the given region as well as of the political context of the region.
    • Interest in good governance or previous work on projects to improve transparency and accountability in the extractive sector.
    • Familiarity with movement for greater transparency in the extractives sector, including initiatives led by NRGI, as well as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and Publish What You Pay (PWYP).
    • Attention to detail; ability to meet deadlines.
    • Responsiveness to inquiries and excellent communication skills.
    • Independence from government and extractive companies currently operating in the region.

    Institutional researchers/ peer reviewers:

    • Institutional applicants should also identify a person in charge of research and responsible for contact with NRGI.
    • Institutional applicants should have sufficient time as part of their existing work plan to fulfill the obligations laid out above.

    In addition, researchers and peer reviewers for the following regions should possess the following specific linguistic qualifications:

    • Caucasus – Fluent in Russian
    • Latin America – Fluent in Spanish or Portuguese (Brazil)
    • Middle East & North Africa – Fluent in Arabic
    • Sub-Saharan Africa – Fluent in English, French or other official language
    • Asia – Fluency in local languages such as Bahasa Indonesia preferred

    DURATION

    The entire research process for the Resource Governance Index will take place between July and November 2015. The data collection undertaken by the researchers is expected to start and be completed in July 2015, with the peer review process to be completed by September 2015. Researchers are expected to be available for the duration of this period. Actual dates of implementation for each country will depend on the date when work is started and researchers will receive deadlines for deliverables based on the date they sign their contracts. It is estimated that research on each country can be completed in approximately 40 hours, though the time required will vary. Subsequent revision and consultation time required of researchers is estimated at about 20 hours.

    The peer review process will begin in August 2015, or earlier if researchers finish a complete questionnaire before that date. Peer reviewers are expected to be available for the duration of this period. Actual dates of implementation for each country will depend on the date when work is started and peer reviewers will receive deadlines for deliverables based on the date they sign their contracts. It is estimated that the peer review for each country can be completed in approximately 20 hours, though the time required will vary.

    Please note that researchers and peer reviewers will not bill at an hourly rate, but instead are compensated for the completed project.

    FEE

    NRGI will compensate each researcher upon satisfactory completion of the work, assignments and tasks outlined in this Terms of Reference at a rate of USD $3,000 for every assigned questionnaire.

    Similarly, NRGI will compensate each peer reviewer upon satisfactory completion of the work, assignments and tasks outlined in this Terms of Reference at a rate of USD $1,500 for every assigned questionnaire.

    CONTRACT

    Researchers and peer reviewers sign a standard contract with the Natural Resource Governance Institute. Terms and conditions include confidentiality, no conflicts of interest and that the work product will be intellectual property of NRGI. Should you be interested, contributions can be acknowledged in the published product.

    How to Apply

    Please complete the application form at http://www.jotformeu.com/form/50825643503351, providing a CV, cover letter, brief writing sample (no more than 15 pages, academic papers acceptable), and two professional references, or, if you are applying as a researcher or peer reviewer associated with an institution, an expression of interest including your organization’s name, name of the person responsible for the consultancy, and contact information.

    In the cover letter, please be sure to specify the region for which you are applying, if you are applying as a researcher or peer reviewer, and list any applicable language skills and country experience. The deadline for this announcement is 30x8 April, 2015. Positions will be filled as soon as a suitable candidate is found, so we encourage you to apply at your earliest convenience

    Source: http://www.resourcegovernance.org/news/call-researchers-and-peer-reviewers-resource-governance-index-2016

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