Learning Partnership on Aligned Measures Data Collection
In a world often divided, Search for Common Ground stands for the power of bringing diverse people together to find solutions. By meeting this moment with Search, you join a powerful global peace movement that believes in the profound impact of courageous multilateralism—that all voices should be heard and respected in shaping a better, more connected world, and that a collaborative vision is essential for lasting peace.
Search for Common Ground takes a dynamic approach by building solutions that are based on the needs of communities. We engage with leaders and elected officials to advance dialogue and collaboration. We are community leaders. We are youth activists. We are women. We are Peacebuilders. We have been doing this work for over 40 years, we have developed our understanding of what peace looks like, being able to quantify our impact and design more effective programming. Peace moves at the speed of trust, so we invest for the long haul. When we’re no longer needed, we leave, leaving behind people and institutions with the ability to manage future conflicts.
Context
Since World War II, global institutions have struggled to adapt to the evolving nature of conflict, which has become more violent, complex, and widespread—undermining social cohesion and sustainable development. Despite clear evidence that long-term, locally driven peacebuilding is effective, international responses often prioritize short-term, reactive strategies focused on economic development or security. This sidelining of grassroots efforts weakens the social contract and fails to address root causes. Local actors—those closest to the impact of conflict—are rarely included in decision-making due to structural barriers, lack of access, and limited policy influence. Meanwhile, international institutions often fail to incorporate local insights into their strategies.
This dynamic is particularly evident in regions facing protracted or politically sensitive crises. In Palestine, decades of occupation and political instability have deeply eroded social cohesion, with local civil society actors operating in highly constrained environments. In Niger and other parts of the Sahel, new Governments sometimes promote narratives hostile to international NGOs and Western engagement, further complicating efforts to foster inclusive peacebuilding. These examples highlight the urgent need for context-specific approaches that recognize both the structural and political realities on the ground.
Although recent initiatives like the UN’s New Agenda for Peace and the U.S. Global Fragility Act attempt to shift this paradigm, the exclusion of local voices remains the norm. At the same time, the peacebuilding field continues to struggle to present a unified, evidence-based case for its value—often relying on short-term reporting that misses deeper, long-term impacts. To meaningfully shift this paradigm, peacebuilding must center local perspectives, invest in sustained action, and translate localized successes into broader strategic influence.
About the project
In light of this context, Search has been awarded funding by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the Grant Policy Framework Contributing to Peaceful and Safe Societies (CPSS) 2024-2031. Under this framework Search will develop compelling evidence-based case studies on long-term peacebuilding interventions which centre local decision-making and leadership. The From Grassroots to Global (G2G) project aims to empower local actors in fragile and conflict-affected states (FCAS) to meaningfully and durably influence multi-level peacebuilding practices and policies that contribute to strengthening peaceful and safe societies.
Objective of the assignment
Search seeks a long-term learning partner (organization or company) to conduct semi-annual data collection and analysis of metrics from the Peace Impact Framework (PIF). The selected partner will operationalize data collection around key PIF indicators — including violence, personal agency, institutional legitimacy, and polarization (see page 6 “themes and indicators”) — using innovative, inclusive methods to reach populations in FCAS, especially those without internet access. The selected learning partner should have experience in carrying conflict-sensitive data collection, particularly in areas where political dynamics can influence data accessibility and reliability.
This learning partnership will inform internal learning, strategic advocacy, and broader evidence-building efforts. It also aims to model good practice in measuring peace impact and strengthen Search’s global ecosystem of learning and influence.
Please go here to see the full terms of reference.
Application process and evaluation criteria
Interested candidate organisations are invited to submit the following documentation through our career portal, Lever, no later than June 2nd, 2025:
Document outlining the profile of the candidate organisation together with the CV’s of the team involved;
A technical proposal proposing a methodology for the assignment together with a financial proposal (including budget breakdown) for the completion of the deliverables mentioned in chapter 5.
One sample of similar previous work carried out.
Offers submitted will be reviewed on a rolling basis and selection will be made based on the following criteria:
- Relevance of the organisational profile and CV’s of team proposed: Preference will be given to applicants with an outstanding proven track record in large scale quantitative data collection in FCAS;
- Quality and coherence of the technical proposal;
- Cost-effectiveness of the financial offer, considering the technical approach proposed.
For queries, please contact:
Shiva Dhungana 📧| sdhungana@sfcg.org