Support to Enhance Election Reporting in the Maldives
Responses Due: on a rolling basis, posting will close May 30 2023 by 5:00 pm ET (US Eastern)
Applicants may email questions and applications to the following email: asiarecruitment@ndi.org
National Democratic Institute
455 Massachusetts Ave., NW, 8th Floor
Washington, DC 20001-2621
Context
This document outlines the Scope of Work (SOW) for a media expert to support the National Democratic Institute’s (NDI) media and information literacy activities in the Maldives under USAID’s Strong and Inclusive Maldivian Democracy (SIMD) program.
In light of the upcoming presidential elections in September, NDI recognizes the critical significance of addressing the issue of misinformation and disinformation, which can have severe consequences on the election’s credibility, transparency, and outcome. Misinformation and disinformation can distort the public’s perception of the election, manipulate public opinion, spread false information, and undermine the integrity of the election process. These negative impacts highlight the importance of ensuring that media outlets are equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to accurately report on the election and effectively tackle mis/disinformation.
The media landscape in the Maldives is composed of state-owned and privately owned media outlets. Ensuring that all media outlets have the skills and knowledge necessary to accurately report on the election and effectively tackle mis/disinformation is crucial for promoting a transparent and credible election process. As elections are an integral part of democracies, the media plays a critical role in informing the public and shaping public opinion during this period.
Under the proposed role, NDI seeks a media expert to conduct two trainings with Maldivian journalists and broadcasters to improve their knowledge and reporting skills during elections and enhance ethical principles and standards.
- Scope of Work
- Conduct one training with the Maldives Broadcasting Commission (MBC) staff that will be responsible for monitoring the elections. Training topics could include:
- The role of the media in elections, unbiased reporting, monitoring and identifying election coverage in broadcast media, reporting irregularities and ethical reporting violations
- Conduct one training with Maldivian broadcasters (senior editors, journalists, producers) and selected participants from election related state institutions. Training topics could include:
- Reporting on campaigns and elections, techniques for verifying dis/misinformation, international best practices and standards for election reporting, discussions on challenges faced by broadcasters during pre-, during, and post-election stages.
- Provide practical guidance and hands-on exercises to assist attendees in understanding and combating misinformation and disinformation during elections.
- Provide attendees with practical, real-world examples of misinformation and disinformation, and how to identify and address them.
- Lead hands-on activities and exercises that help attendees to understand and apply the skills and knowledge needed to combat disinformation.
- Ensure that attendees leave the training with a clear understanding of the issue, the tools and techniques needed to address it, and a commitment to take action.
- Deliverables
- Comprehensive agenda and presentation materials: In consultation with NDI and the Maldives Broadcasting Commission (MBC) the consultant will develop a detailed agenda for each training for broadcasters. The consultant will also prepare and provide presentation materials to conduct each of the trainings.
- Final report documenting the project activities, outcomes, and recommendations: The consultant will prepare a final report documenting the activities, outcomes, and results of the project. The report will also provide recommendations for future activities to address misinformation and disinformation in the Maldives
Duration:
The estimated time for this assignment is up to 12 consultancy days, with the trainings expected to take place in mid-June.
- Submission Process
Interested applicants should submit:
- CV in English
- Proposed daily rate. If consultant prefers to propose a monthly or weekly rate, that should be noted. In general, NDI expects specific needs to vary by week/month so a daily rate is expected as most feasible.
- Cover letter in English
The National Democratic Institute (NDI) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, nongovernmental organization that has supported democratic institutions and practices in every region of the world for more than three decades. NDI receives grants and cooperative agreements to pursue its mission from U.S. Federal agencies, including the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Department of State (DOS), as well as grants and service contracts from private and international donors such as the United Nations Development Fund, the U.K. Department for International Development (DFID) and the World Bank, among others.
Since its founding in 1983, NDI and its local partners have worked to establish and strengthen political and civic organizations, safeguard elections and promote citizen participation, openness and accountability in government. NDI works on five continents with political parties, governments, parliaments and civic groups to establish and strengthen democratic institutions and practices. The Institute uses a multinational approach that reinforces the message that while there is no single democratic model, certain core principles are shared by all democracies. That philosophy has been applied in more than 132 countries since NDI’s founding. NDI has been a pioneer in the use of technology as an integral component of democratic development. The Institute has helped citizens create and refine tools to advocate, organize and mobilize in ways that encourage governments to be more accountable and create opportunities for citizen-led social and political change.