Scoping Consultant for Resilient States Project - Virginia (Independent Contractor)

Search for Common Ground • Virginia, VA

1d • Remote

About The Position

Common Ground USA (CG-USA), as part of Search for Common Ground, is seeking a Scoping Consultant for its Resilient States Project in Virginia. CG-USA focuses on transforming conflict into cooperation within the United States, addressing societal divisions through evidence-based programming. The Resilient States Project, a collaboration with Over Zero, aims to build resilience and mitigate risks of division and political violence in key states by convening and empowering broad-based networks of diverse leaders. This consultancy will involve conflict analysis, stakeholder mapping, and networking to establish relationships with civil society organizations and leaders interested in mitigating political violence. The consultant will be responsible for organizing their own logistics, with potential for some support from CG-USA. A CG-USA staff member will serve as the point of contact and manager for this project.

Requirements

• More than 5 years of experience in a combination of the following areas: Deep working knowledge and relationships with community leaders and civil society organizations within Virginia.
• Demonstrated ability to connect with a broad network of actors.
• Experience working or doing research on peacebuilding, political violence, elections, democracy, communications, or polarization in the USA.
• Writing and editing competency.
• Must be based in Virginia.
• Must respect Ethical Principles: Comprehensive and systematic inquiry, Competence, Honesty and integrity, Respect for respondents.
• Consultancy activities should conform to Do No Harm and inclusion principles (i.e., age, gender/gender identity, sexuality, ethnicity, race, religion, ideology, etc.).
• Must sign Search for Common Ground’s Code of Conduct.
• Must maintain a balanced, unbiased, and respectful relationship with all staff and local contacts.

Nice To Haves

• Strong candidates will also have the following qualities: Resident of the state in which the study will be conducted or with strong ties to the states part of the research.
• Pre-existing relationships with local networks of NGOs working on community building or political violence mitigation.
• Background in political science, community organizing, community work, or related fields.

Responsibilities

• Conduct conflict analysis to study the causes, actors, and dynamics of conflict in Virginia, providing a social diagnosis of the state. This includes actor and issue analysis, as well as long-term structural and shorter-term analysis of potential triggers of conflict, based on key interviews with critical stakeholders and desk research.
• Perform stakeholder mapping to identify key individuals and groups in Virginia with broad-reaching sectoral, cultural, geographic, or political influence.
• Engage in networking and relationship-building with civil society organizations, networks, and leaders who have an interest, capacity, or influence to mitigate political violence in the state.
• Potentially conduct listening sessions for key communities or sectors to help CG-USA establish relationships for building a broad-based network of state leaders.
• Organize own logistics for travel within Virginia for interviews, meetings, and other convenings.
• Submit an initial inception report and budget.
• Provide regular progress updates.
• Submit a final report detailing research, outreach, and recommendations.
• Complete any additional deliverables as required by the consultancy according to the approved inception report, including specific introductions or completion of events.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed