Terms of Reference: Information Ecosystem Audit (Baseline Consultant)

Organization:              Centre for Innovation and Technology (CITE)

Assignment Title:        Local Governance & Information Ecosystem Audit (IEA) Baseline Assessment

Target Locations:        Gwanda, Matobo, Hwange, Masvingo, Plumtree, and Binga

1. Background & Project Context

The Centre for Innovation and Technology (CITE) is implementing an initiative aimed at strengthening investigative journalism focused on local governance and public resource management, enhancing public awareness of local public finance management processes, and increasing citizen engagement in council decision-making and budgeting. To establish an empirical baseline for these interventions, CITE seeks a qualified Local Governance Consultant to undertake a comprehensive Information Ecosystem Audit (IEA) across six project sites: Gwanda, Matobo, Hwange, Masvingo, Plumtree, and Binga.

2. Objectives of the Audit

The primary purpose of the Information Ecosystem Audit is to evaluate how information is accessed, produced, trusted, and acted upon within target communities, providing an evidence-based foundation to guide project priorities and strategy.

Specific objectives include:

• Evaluate the prevalence, consumption patterns, and civic impact of local government information.
• Map existing local responses, informal communication networks (especially WhatsApp, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube), and knowledge production by youth and local leaders.
• Assess public perceptions of credibility, trust, and reliability across various traditional and digital information sources.
• Identify structural, cultural, and behavioral barriers to informed youth-citizen participation in local governance, public finance management, and local accountability processes.
• Analyze demand-side dynamics while evaluating the supply-side needs and capacity gaps of local authorities and municipal actors to establish mutually reinforcing civic engagement incentives.
• Provide empirical justification for non-traditional civic engagement approaches tailored to Zimbabwe’s evolving governance context.

3. Scope of Work & Research Methodology

Youth should be defined as persons aged 18–35 years for the purposes of this assignment.

The consultant or research team will design and implement a primarily qualitative Information Ecosystem Audit across the six target locations: Gwanda, Matobo, Hwange, Masvingo, Plumtree and Binga. The research design should ensure meaningful representation of youth, local leaders, local authority representatives and other relevant community information actors.

The consultant should produce an actual information ecosystem map for each location, showing:

• major information sources and actors;
• trusted and distrusted sources;
• dominant platforms/channels;
• information gaps;
• pathways through which council information travels;
• misinformation/disinformation vulnerabilities;
• excluded or underserved audiences;
• opportunities for CITE intervention

4. Key Deliverables

1. Inception Report & Methodology: Detailed work plan, research framework, and standardized data collection tools (FGD/KII guides) incorporating language requirements (English, Ndebele, Tonga, etc.).
2. Fieldwork Completion & Debrief: Execution of qualitative field research across all six sites and submission of a brief field debrief highlighting key initial findings.
3. Draft Baseline IEA Report: Comprehensive synthesis report presenting baseline findings, data tables, and preliminary recommendations.
4. Final Baseline IEA Report: A polished, publication-ready report incorporating CITE team feedback, complete with actionable project recommendations, location-specific information ecosystem maps, qualitative baseline findings and relevant descriptive baseline measures where applicable.

5. Assignment Timeline & Duration

The assignment is planned for a total duration of 25 working days, structured as follows:

Phase	Duration	Key Outputs
Phase 1: Inception & Tool Design	5 Working Days	Inception Report, data collection tools, ethical protocol clearance.
Phase 2: Field Data Collection	10 Working Days	Completion of 6 FGDs and 10 KIIs across Gwanda, Matobo, Hwange, Masvingo, Plumtree, and Binga.
Phase 3: Data Analysis & Drafting	6 Working Days	Qualitative data coding, ecosystem mapping, Draft Report submission.
Phase 4: Review & Finalization	4 Working Days	Integration of feedback, final report submission, and executive summary brief.

6. Consultant Qualifications & Requirements

• Advanced degree (Master’s level or higher) in Local Governance, Public Policy, Mass Communication, Journalism, Development Studies, or related Social Sciences.
• The consultant or lead research team must be based in Zimbabwe and have demonstrated experience conducting field-based research in Zimbabwe.
• Demonstrated track record of conducting qualitative field surveys, Information Ecosystem Audits, or baseline assessments in Zimbabwe.
• Deep knowledge of local government structures, public finance management processes, and digital media dynamics in Zimbabwe.
• Language fluency in local languages relevant to the target areas (e.g., Ndebele, Tonga, Kalanga, Shona) is highly advantageous.
• Proven capacity to manage field logistics, obtain necessary local clearances, and observe community ethical protocols.

7. Proposal Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation Domain	Weighting	Key Considerations
Technical Expertise & Track Record	35%	Demonstrated experience in information ecosystem assessment, governance research, and qualitative methodologies.
Methodological Approach & Work Plan	35%	Rigour and clarity of proposed research tools, field deployment plan across 6 sites, and alignment with project goals.
Consultant Profile & Team Composition	20%	Academic qualifications, local language skills, and field experience of key personnel.
Financial Proposal & Cost Effectiveness	10%	Value for money, realistic breakdown of field operational costs (transport, FGD allowances, KII expenses).

8. Application & Submission Procedure

Submission deadline: 25 September 2026

Interested consultants or research firms are invited to submit their application package to zenzele@cite.org.zw, comprising:

• Technical Proposal (Max 5 pages): Explaining the methodological approach, understanding of the TORs, sampling considerations, and draft timeline.
• Financial Proposal: Detailed breakdown of professional fees and field operational expenses.
• Curriculum Vitae (CV): Highlighting relevant past research experience.