Terms of Reference – Media Monitoring Baseline Study

Background

IMS is an International NGO working in Ethiopia since 2020 as a registered organization with the Charities and Societies Agency (CSA). IMS and Fojo have entered an institutional partnership to offer a comprehensive approach and base of expertise to Ethiopia's media development program – “Media Reform in a Time of Change: Promoting Journalism and Democracy.” Under this initiative, IMS would like to strengthen the organizational capacity of the Ethiopian Media Authority (EMA), in particular its media monitoring activities. EMA’s media monitoring operations should seek to promote and support journalistic excellence and professionalism in Ethiopian media. Media monitoring and reporting should therefore be evidence-based and in an environment with a huge media sector as Ethiopia monitoring must focus on key media content that could be news programmes, socio-political and economic discussions and occasionally educational and entertainment programmes as well as key governance processes as elections.

A presumption can be made that a strong, professional and quality media serves a core democratic function, as watchdogs of power and a critical forum for public discussion. In developing its monitoring capacity, EMA will ultimately contribute to enhancing the ability of citizens to engage and participate in democratic processes and public life as they receive quality, useful and relevant information and news from the media.

It is within this context that IMS seeks to support EMA, this as part Media Reform Program in Ethiopia to capacitate and professionalize the monitoring department of EMA as part of the ‘EMA Regulation and Institution Building Support’.

Therefore, IMS seeks to hire a consultant to conduct a media monitoring baseline study to identify gaps and better practices in reporting core issues in the Ethiopia media sector. This Terms of Reference (TOR) is prepared to guide the preparation of comprehensive baseline study for regulators and trainers on media monitoring, and facilitate the selection of a qualified consultant who will be tasked to conduct the media monitoring baseline study.

Objective and Scope of Work:

The overall objective is to strengthen and capacitate EMA towards an effective and transparent Media Monitoring structure that enhances professionalism and ethical conduct of the media, this based on evidence, research and interaction with media.IMS is looking to hire a consultant to support the development of a media monitoring baseline study to be used in a series of capacity building trainings and other appropriate interventions for EMA media monitoring officers and the broader members of the Ethiopian media. The baseline study will focus on covering the general overview of the main topics of public interest in Ethiopian media, elections reporting, gender equality and inclusivity, ethical reporting, balance of stories, among others using 2021 as the baseline year.

The specific objective of the assignment is to:

• monitor the media’s behaviour through analysis of key media reports such as news bulletins and key socio-economic and political discussions
• monitor the media and document best practices and gaps in media performance in reporting socio-economic and political issues
• promote usage of evidence produced to inform interventions in media training and related media professional development
• increase informed citizen or audience engagement on media issues in Ethiopia
• hold 2 workshops for at least 40 media monitoring officers of EMA, with a focus on sharing the findings of the baseline study and the best practical ways of responding to the major problems.

The media monitoring baseline study aims to identify and understand the state and standards of media reporting, gaps and training needs to improve professional and quality media serves with a wide variety of media outlets representing both private media, public media, and community media (print, online, broadcasting media, etc.), and develop a tailor-made training plan for EMA’s media monitoring officers and the media. The study will consider the baseline studies that is already in place to determine opportunities and constraints to the success of clearly identified outcomes of the program. An indicative Capacity Building Plan (CBP) will be developed based on findings from the baseline study. The CBP should provide a clear pathway to achieve the outcomes of the program. An important principle of the IMS program in conducting the baseline study and capacity building training is to ensure the effectiveness of interventions and that they should be owned and driven by the main beneficiary, the monitoring department of EMA, and the media to sustain outcomes.

IMS is seeking the services of individual consultants or firms who will work in close collaboration with its program officers to undertake the media monitoring baseline study and develop a capacity building training workshop. The study needs to address specified areas within the broad categories of media outlets and the regulatory body.

The Methodology of the Baseline Study

IMS expects the process of conducting the baseline study to be participatory and consultative. Therefore, the consultant should conduct the baseline study using a methodology that is built around media monitoring processes and measurements to help validate, expand, and improve the range of information collected. The assessment framework should recognize the multiple dimensions of organizational capacity and training needs concerning the bridging outcomes of the program. The methodology therefore should help to understand EMA’s organizational capacity (functional, technical, and professional) by scrutinizing its governance, structures, processes, etc. in relation to media monitoring.

The methodology should be developed in consultation with IMS program officers and relevant staff.

Roles and Responsibilities

Consultant

The consultant will be responsible for designing and delivering the media monitoring baseline study and capacity building plan.

The consultant will be responsible for the overall management of the task including developing the study methodology and delivering the final report in time:

• Develop a baseline research index on socio-economic and political reporting in Ethiopia that will be used to measure journalistic performance on reporting over time, using internationally and nationally recognised standards for reporting such key socio-economic and political issues which will also include consideration for gender equality and inclusivity, ethical reporting, balance of stories, among others using 2021 as the baseline year
• Monitor by selecting sample print, electronic and online media to identify good practices and gaps in adherence to professional standards of journalistic reporting
• Produce a report on the media monitoring baseline stud
• Prepare a narrative report on the study and the workshops

 Key Deliverables

•  An inception report including a work plan, detailed methodology, report format, and timeline, to be submitted within 7 days from the signing of the contract;
• Facilitation of a methodology validation meeting, to be conducted within 3 days after the submission of the inception report
• A report includes findings of the monitoring baseline study and agreed capacity building plan, to be submitted within 20 days after the methodology validation meeting.
• A study validation workshop, to be conducted within 7 days after
• A consolidated report, to be submitted within 5 days after the validation workshop;

 Duration and Timeframe

The duration of this assignment is 40 working days, and the completed study should be submitted by January 30, 2022.

Job Requirements

Skills and Experiences Required of Consultants

The consultant must have the following skills and expertise:

• Expert knowledge of international, African, and national media regulatory mechanisms, especially in relation to media monitoring
• Understanding of the Ethiopian media landscape, media actors, the law and the practice
• Previous experience of media and journalism training and practice
• Experience in media organizational development and capacity building,
• Demonstrable experience in media research and ability to write at a high level
• Experience in the usage of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and virtual communication methods
• Ability to work in collaboration with a wider team, build relationships and work to meet tight deadlines
• Experience in conducting baseline studies, and conducting capacity-strengthening activities for media and journalists in Ethiopia, and delivery of human rights training using adult interactive methodology
• Readiness to accept and incorporate comments

How to Apply

The technical and financial proposal together with the CV with at least 2 samples of previous work and or professional references and a covering letter shall be submitted before application deadline 30 November 2021 with copies of the following attached:

• Technical Proposal: Profile of the consultant; brief explanation about the Consultant/s understanding of the TOR and how they plan to accomplish the tasks including list of similar previous work/experience
• Financial Proposal: The financial proposal should provide itemized cost estimates for services to be rendered (all inclusive of applicable taxes and costs of undertaking)

NB: While submitting your application, make sure that your email subject line is Application for a Consultancy to Conduct Media Monitoring Baseline Study. Qualified women are encouraged to apply.

• Interested and eligible applicants should submit their application through e-mail via sofie.gullberg@lnu.se , twa@mediasupport.org and sgo@mediasupport.org
• All applications will be reviewed by IMS and EMA, and selection will be announced no later than 5 December 2021

Please contact Elham Mehammed at eme@mediasupport.org, +251919478023