Call for Application - Support to conduct community surveys and focused group discussing

DCAF – Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance is dedicated to improving the security of states and their people within a framework of democratic governance, the rule of law, respect for human rights, and gender equality. Since its founding in 2000, DCAF has contributed to making peace and development more sustainable by assisting partner states, and international actors supporting these states, to improve the governance of their security sectors through inclusive and participatory reforms. It creates innovative knowledge products, promotes norms and good practices, provides legal and policy advice, and supports capacity‐building of both state and non‐state security sector stakeholders. DCAF’s Foundation Council brings together representatives of over 40 countries. Active all over the world, DCAF is internationally recognized as one of the world's leading centres of excellence for security sector governance (SSG) and security sector reform (SSR). For more information, visit https://www.dcaf.ch/ us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter) @DCAF_Geneva . Call for Application – Support to conduct community surveys and focused group discussion Location: Nairobi and Mombasa, Kenya Starting date: September-October 2025 (as soon as possible) Background Rapid urbanization is transforming the landscape of Kenyan cities, creating new demands on police institutions and the broader ecosystem of urban governance. In contexts marked by informality, inequality, climate vulnerability, and weak public trust, traditional policing models—often centralized and militarized—struggle to meet community needs. Overlapping security providers, fragmented governance, and limited coordination between police, municipal authorities, and oversight bodies have hampered efforts toward responsive, accountable, and inclusive urban security. In order to capture lessons learnt from these challenges and regarding potential entry points, DCAF will conduct a study exploring how urban policing in Kenya can be reimagined in ways that respond to the social, environmental, and institutional challenges of urbanization—while centering community trust, multi-level governance, and collaborative security. The study will be conducted in three phases —Inception, Fieldwork, and Validation, a combination of qualitative, participatory, and survey-based methods. To ensure the tools and approaches are well-contextualised, inclusive, and locally grounded, DCAF seeks to engage a local expert or civil society organisation to support data collection and community engagement. Key roles and responsibilities The objective of this assignment is to provide technical and logistical support in Nairobi and Mombasa to ensure high-quality, ethical, and contextually appropriate field research. More specifically the expert/CSO will: Review draft data collection tools (surveys, interview guides, FGD protocols) to ensure contextual relevance, cultural sensitivity, and accessibility. Provide input on language adaptation and pilot-testing. Undertake community surveys (public perception + police station user)in four sub-counties (2 in Nairobi, 2 in Mombasa). Each survey (to be provided by DCAF) will be approximately 25 multiple-choice questions with some opportunity for more qualitative feedback to be captured from each user under key sub-categories. Based on the final location selected for each survey, it is expected that across the four surveys 1250 participants will have been interviewed. Support the organisation of and/or facilitate focus 4 group discussions in each target region (4 sub-counties across Mombasa and Nairobi) involving key local stakeholders. Provide logistical support for field missions by DCAF’s team, including venue arrangements, translation and/or interpretation and identification of relevant local stakeholders. Document key challenges, risks, and recommendations for improving the data collection process. Provide written documentation on key inputs and takeaways from the focus group discussions Provide analysis and a short synthesis report on the quantitative survey results Contribute to the thematic analysis of findings—particularly around police–community trust and conflict resolution, provide written inputs and commentary on relevant sections of the report and help frame findings and recommendations. Experience Demonstrated experience in applied social research, survey implementation, and qualitative fieldwork in Kenya, preferably in urban contexts such as Nairobi and Mombasa. Thematic experience working on issues related to security and policing is an asset. Proven ability to design, organise, and implement community-based data collection (surveys, FGDs, KIIs) with diverse populations, including youth, women, migrants, and other marginalized groups. Excellent facilitation skills and experience in convening focus groups and community discussions in a safe and inclusive manner. Strong capacity to manage, clean, and organise datasets and qualitative material (notes, transcripts, summaries) in a way that facilitates rigorous analysis. Established relationships with a broad spectrum of community actors, civil society organisations, and/or local governance and security stakeholders, including those engaging with or representative of minority and marginalised groups, are highly desirable. Fluency in English and Kiswahili (spoken and written) is mandatory; knowledge of additional local languages in Nairobi and Mombasa is an asset. The role will span from September 2025 to February 2026.

### Application process Interested applicants (individuals or organisations) are invited to [submit a dossier online](https://ats.johdisuite.ch/recruitments/3136/offer/2791/postulation?signature=9dc064e65d1fa020608114ad4778e2bbb9b72041bcf7f2f59da85fc8aabddc5c) before 23 September 2025 that demonstrates their suitability for this assignment. Organisations must be legally registered in Kenya and able to enter into a contractual agreement. Individual experts must be legally eligible to work in Kenya and able to bill as independent consultants (e.g., through a personal business number, consultancy license, or equivalent arrangement). The final selection will be based on the following criteria: relevant experience (20 points), motivation (20 points), technical proposal (40 points), and financial offer (20 points). The application dossier should include: - Cover letter outlining interest in the assignment, availability within the proposed timeline, and relevant expertise. - Technical proposal (maximum 3 pages) describing prior experience with similar assignments, understanding of the task, and proposed approach to community-based data collection. - CVs of key staff/experts involved. - Financial proposal with an indicative budget not exceeding USD 20,000. The offer must be all-inclusive, covering professional fees, workshops, travel, staff/HR, fieldwork logistics, and any other costs related to the assignment.