Request for Proposals – Learning and Impact Assessment Consultant

Overview:

The Learning and Impact Assessment Consultant (hereafter “Consultant”) will engage in a rapid analysis of Amnesty International’s Crisis Response to anti-rights attacks by the Trump Administration from April 14-July 13, 2025.

The Consultant will focus on two areas in particular:

• The extent to which the Crisis Response changed/impacted the work of Amnesty International USA (AIUSA), and if so, how and where, including any progress on AIUSA’s goals with respect to human rights impact, growing our people power, fundraising, risk management, and staff well-being?

• The extent to which the Crisis Response changed/impacted the work of Amnesty International’s Secretariat and the work of Amnesty Sections, in joint collaborations with Amnesty USA, and if so, how and where, including any progress on Amnesty’s goals with respect to human rights impact, growing our people power, fundraising, risk management, and staff well-being?

The Consultant will report jointly to Paul O’Brien, the Executive Director of AIUSA, and Erika Guevara Rosas, overall lead of the global Crisis Response.

Parties, Term and Fee Proposals:

Parties: The Consultancy will be between the Consultant and AIUSA.

Term: The Consultancy will begin on April 14 and will be complete July 13. The Consultant will produce preliminary slides summarizing early progress by June 10, an interim report by June 16, and a final report by July 13.

Amnesty International does not expect the Consultancy to be full-time, although we do expect a significant amount of time for the consultant to get up to speed, establish key communication relationships, develop interview and metrics, and to deliver the required presentation and reports.

Consulting Fee Proposals; Consultant Applicants are requested to review the required work products below and the topics to be covered and to submit either or both of (1) a daily rate and expected number of days to deliver the work products, and/or (2) an overall fee for completing the work.

Required work product:

The Consultant will produce a preliminary slide deck of findings, a draft/interim report, and a final report. The reports should include:

1. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of progress against some of the key objectives metrics laid in Section D out below (final list of priority objectives and progress measures to be determined with OBrien/Guevara-Rosas).
2. Qualitative analysis, based on document review, observations and interviews with key stakeholders of progress and gaps against declared Principles and Ways of working in the Crisis Response Document.
3. Proposed baselines and indicators to be monitored and evaluated by Amnesty on an ongoing basis up to the end of 2026, by which time Amnesty expects to have seen significant impact in priority areas.
4. The consultant may also be required to engage in and provide input into discussions and processes on planning, strategy and/or risk management related to the crisis response and provide MEL advice and support on related documents on an as needed basis to be determined by Guevara-Rosas and/or O’Brien.

Possible Objectives for qualitative and quantitative analysis

Analysis of key objectives in crisis response, including but not limited to CR-related changes in research, advocacy, campaigning, media-engagement, member engagement or public engagement on some of the following:

Overall—Defining Indicators for what success looks like in a Crisis Response

The Consultant will identify overall success indicators for a crisis response based on the three areas below, and set qualitative and quantitative baselines for measurement of those indicators:

1. Adherence to agreed principles and ways of working from the CRP.
2. US-focused crisis response.
3. Joint US-Global crisis response.

Adherence to Agreed principles and ways of working from the CRP

The consultant shall analyze whether and how teams adhered to the following agreed principles from the CRP.

• • Impact Focus: Did the CRP ensure a main focus on increasing our human rights impact?
  • Teamwork and collegiality: Was the discussion and decision-making culture must based on mutual trust, open minds, a collaborative and constructive approach, and mutual respect?
  • Risk Management: Did Amnesty work together to manage risks to staff, members and our institutions as a result of being targeted for our efforts?
  • IDEA: Did the CRP advance our commitments to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility in all Amnesty did in the CRP?
  • Effectiveness and Efficiency: Was decision making and communications with each other clear, simple and fast.
  • Respect for Core Mandates: Did we ensure that nothing in the CRP was inconsistent with the Amnesty Statute and the legal responsibilities and authorities of any section?

Under USA-Focus Crisis Response:

Research, analysis and campaigning on policies and practices of the US government that impact human rights, positively or negatively on Amnesty USA’s priority issues, which include (but are not limited to):

• Refugee and migrant rights.
• The impacts of US government disinvestments in human rights, civic space and governance overseas.
• Attacks on the rights of vulnerable populations in the United States.
• Attacks on the rights, rule of law and institutions essential to protect other human rights
• Cases of individuals whose human rights are at risk in the United States or overseas.
• Policy and legal analysis on highly sensitive or new areas of Amnesty’s work

Efforts to maximize and coordinate US and global engagement including by

• Working with Amnesty’s base of members and activists to increase awareness about and engagement in human rights concerns.
• Developing timely communications
• Human rights education products
• Developing messaging that can be used in multiple markets on US themes above.

Under a Joint USA and Global Crisis Response:

Efforts to maximize the opportunities for movement financial and membership growth through:

• Reviewing and testing fundraising and outreach efforts to bring more supporters to Amnesty as donors, activists and members.
• Testing and amplifying activism tools that give new supporters who join us “online actions” to join our campaigns.
• Developing Human Rights Education tools that can be used to grow our movement with a focus on using online tools to reach target audiences (e.g. young people, new donors/supporters and impacted communities).

Methodology:

The Consultant should engage in the following forms of research and analysis:

• Documentation review of IS and AIUSA CRP presentations, strategy, theory of change, urgent actions, campaign plans, media releases and social media engagement by key principles and accounts.
• Interviews with key principals and staff, and designated members of the steering committee, the two coordination teams, media leadership in the IS and AIUSA, and select others to be agreed and communicated by Erika Guevara Rosas and/or Paul O’Brien.
• Observation of key coordination and strategy meetings to be determined by Guevara Rosas and/or O’Brien.

Consultant Requirements and Preferences:

The Consultant must:

• Have demonstrated experience in monitoring, evaluation and learning around the impact of advocacy and policy work.
• Have demonstrated professional experience (15+ years) in a related field (of human rights, rights based approaches to policy and advocacy, campaigning work) and demonstrated experience working with senior leaders in an intensive environment where risk management from external threats is a central concern.
• Have Excellent writing and analytic skills.
• Have strong interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively in a fast paced environment where risk management, judgment and values based decision making are part of daily work.
• Be based in Washington DC. Some in-person office work may be required.
• Have the ability to travel, for at least one trip to Mexico.
• Have the ability to work both virtually and in person in Washington DC.
• Fluent English required. Spanish preferred.

Proposal timing and requirements:

Applicants should submit a resume and short (1-2 page) cover letter explaining how they would approach the Consultancy.

The consultant should submit either (or both) of a daily rate and an estimate for how much time the work will take, and/or a lump sum fee to be paid upon completion of the work.

The Consultancy fee will be paid in two installments, with a payment made at the half way point subject to Amnesty receiving an invoice and brief summary of work progress.

Deadline for proposals from consultants is April 4, 2025 and should be emailed to Stacey Staniak, SStaniak@aiusa.org

Candidates must be available to start work on April 14, 2025.