EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (EOI) FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A DIGITAL DEMOCRACY GUIDE AND SOURCEBOOK.

1. Background

The Constitution and Reform Education Consortium (CRECO) is a consortium of 22 Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) founded in 1998, working on Democracy, governance, legal, and human rights issues in Kenya. Since its inception, CRECO has provided non-partisan leadership in the democratization process in Kenya through programs in areas of Democracy, Citizen Participation and Demand; and Governance Sector CSOs’ Coordination and Strengthening. We are a registered as a Charitable Trust with the Government of Kenya.
CRECO is undertaking a project dubbed, Vijana Tuchanuke-Youth Let’s Wise Up. The project is expected to achieve the following outcomes:

1. Empowered youth who are able to identify and counter mis/disinformation and fake news
2. Enhanced linkages between civil society, media, government and colleges/universities in developing digital media literacy skills for the youth.

2. Context

Digital democracy is a much discussed but rather fuzzy concept that still lacks a clear definition. We propose understanding digital democracy as a concept that links practices and institutions of collective political self-determination with its mediating digital infrastructures. Digital democracy has both an analytical and a normative dimension. As an analytical lens, digital democracy investigates how the use of digital technologies may influence the conditions, institutions and practices of political engagement and democratic governance. As a normative concept, it enables us to think about democracy as an open, alterable form of political organisation that is always in the making. Its dynamics are on the one hand due to conflicting principles, interpretations, and aspirations endemic to the democratic idea, like freedom, equality, or popular sovereignty. On the other hand, these dynamics also reflect a changing media landscape, which brings about new possibilities of imagining, realising, and practicing political self-determination. Therefore, digital democracy should neither be seen as a utopian model of an imminent future nor as a mere disintermediation of the existing democratic institutions. Instead of relying on monocausal, linear explanations, we suggest studying digital democracy as a contingent, open-ended phenomenon that interconnects two evolving areas, that of democratic self-government and that of digital infrastructures[1]. Also, interrogate challenges of mis/disinformation to digital democracy in Kenya.

3. Scope of Work

To build skills among the youth, CRECO will conduct a Digital Democracy Fellowship among young professionals as a way to promote engagement, education, and activism in the field of digital democracy.

This will involve conducting training sessions and workshops for selected youth through a dedicated digital democracy guide and sourcebook.

The Consultant will develop a digital democracy guide and sourcebook for use in trainings and workshops to equip passionate young ambassadors on digital democracy.

The Consultant is expected to conduct research or gather intriguing perspectives on the following topics:

-About digital democracy in Kenya

-Designing a digital citizen participation process

-Using democratic technology to promote pro-people governance

-Mis/Disinformation challenge to digital democracy

-Digital security, fact checking and debunking fake news

4. Deliverables

The digital democracy guide and sourcebook will comprise:

1. A detailed literature review summary report for above mentioned topics, summarizing findings, insights, and recommendations

2.Clear explanations of key concepts related to data privacy, digital security, fact-checking, debunking fake news, and online activism.

3.Practical tips, guidelines, and best practices for individuals to protect their online privacy and security while verifying information online and debunking mis/disinformation.

4.Strategies Case studies, real-world examples, and success stories illustrating effective practices and strategies.

5.Present practical tools to support implementation of the concepts discussed in the guide.

6.Annotated lists of recommended readings, websites, tools, and other resources for further exploration of each topic.

7.Make presentation of the draft to CRECO stakeholders for feedback and input.

5. Approval Process

The Consultant will provide a draft of the detailed guide and sourcebook for each topic, summarizing findings, insights, and recommendations.

A review and approval will be done by CRECO’s project lead and incorporate feedback and revisions as necessary to finalize deliverables.

6. Duration of Assignment

The initial draft guide and sourcebook will be submitted to CRECO’s project team within 21 days and reviewed within 3 days for feedback. This will allow for the incorporation of feedback from stakeholders.

7. Required Competencies/Skills

The Consultant should have:

1. Subject Matter Expertise: A deep understanding of the digital democracy topics being covered, including current issues, trends, best practices, and relevant research.
2. Research Skills: Ability to conduct thorough research using a variety of credible sources, analyze complex information, and synthesize findings into clear and concise summaries.

• Content Development: Proficiency in developing engaging and easy-to-understand training content.

1. Communication Skills: Excellent written communication skills to convey complex concepts in an understandable and engaging manner.
2. Instructional Design: Knowledge of instructional design principles and strategies for creating effective learning experiences, including interactive exercises, and assessments.

8.0 Application Requirements

The Application document should comprise of the following:

1. Full contact details;
2. Consultancy firm or individual profile;
3. Relevant experience and technical capacity;
4. Staff experience (education and relevant work) and availability;
5. Up to date registration certificate for firms and curriculum vitae for individuals;
6. References of past or current clients;
7. Organization capacity assessment (OCA) result if there is any for firms or completion certificate/letter from past assignments for individuals; and
8. Assignment work and financial plan.

CRECO will treat all information (or that marked proprietary/sensitive/financial) received from Applicants as confidential and any personal data in accordance with its Data Protection Principles.