The Think Tank Leadership Workshops will support participants in exploring how policy research organizations can further improve their contributions to a sustainable future and what new kinds of collaborations might be required to successfully promote evidence-based policy making in Central Asia.

Informed by an initial needs assessment and tailored to the audience, workshop sessions must provide participants with a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities for an independent policy research and analysis sector based on lessons learned, experience and understanding of creating and maintaining policy analysis organizations that can maximize the quality and effectiveness of their contribution to political processes in their countries. As a result of the workshop, participants should emerge with knowledge of best practices and a draft plan of action to address one of their key organizational challenges.

This consultancy is budgeted for up to 320 hours in total as detailed below:  

Planning and Needs Assessment

The planning of the workshops includes the recruitment and selection of participants from among researchers, think tank representatives and transparency advocates from Central Asian countries with the assistance of Eurasia Foundation.

The consultant will be responsible for identifying gaps between knowledge and practice and other characteristics of anticipated participants that might impact workshop design. To achieve this, the consultant may utilize surveys, focus groups and/or other assessment tools, and findings should then be used to tailor workshop content to participant needs, preferences and expectations.

The consultant must present a strategy for recruiting participants and conducting a needs assessment as part of their application (see ‘Apply’). By the end of this stage, the consultant must provide a summary of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors the workshop will address, based upon their assessment of participants. 

After surveying participants, the consultant(s) will outline the workshop content (what will be taught) and methods (how it will be taught). Illustrative topics of content include strategic planning, fundraising, communications and linking research projects to advocacy initiatives. 

At the end of this stage, the consultant must submit a detailed agenda and course materials to Eurasia Foundation for review and approval.

Implementation

The consultant must hold the series of workshops online using a platform widely available and familiar to the participants in late March and early April. All applicants must submit a preliminary agenda, including proposed sessions, duration and timing when applying for this consultancy (see ‘Apply’).

The workshops must include several components:

Trainings

• Assess baseline knowledge and gains over the course of each session
• Present short overviews on topics identified in need assessments (see above)
• Share concrete approaches for addressing the identified needs

Break-Out Sessions: Technical Consultations

• Divide groups based upon shared thematic needs and topics identified during the needs assessment (see above)
• Provide templates and briefing participants on ways to design  constituent-driven, growth-oriented action plans
• Assist participating organizations in developing action plans to enhance their sustainability

Presentation of Action Plans

• Conduct session on presentation of action plans to all participants for review and comment

Evaluation and Reporting

Following the sessions, the consultant(s) will conduct an evaluation of the results of the workshop delivery and provide a report, which will include suggestions for Eurasia Foundation on how to adapt the further think tank leadership workshops for improved delivery based on lessons learned from the first workshop.