Call for Proposals: Consultancy for ‘Peacegaming’

Apr 18, 2023

A.  Introduction

The Principles for Peace Foundation is seeking a consultant or an organisation to develop and run ‘peacegaming’ simulations to contextualize and tailor its policy proposals in real-world contexts and for different actors.

B.   Background to the Principles for Peace

The Principles for Peace Foundation (P4P) acts as a catalyst, custodian, and curator of the Principes pour la Paix et Pacte des artisan(e)s de Paix. It promotes the uptake and implementation of the Principles and serves as a synergist of partnerships to engage a diversity of actors to develop country, constituency, and thematic specific road-maps and codes of practice. The Foundation’s goal is to empower actors at all levels to create more durable and inclusive peace processes and enhance oversight and effectiveness for long-term peace outcomes.

The Foundation employs a rigorous and transparent monitoring approach to assess peace actors’ contributions, encouraging constructive input to advance peacemaking efforts. It seeks to build upon evidence-based, politically-conscious, and participatory approaches and alliances established in the initiative’s initial phase, fostering global, regional, and local peacebuilding efforts. The Foundation operates independently to ensure consistency and effectiveness in peacemaking efforts, with no direct operational role.

The Foundation is a follow-on mechanism of the work of the Principles for Peace initiative – a global participatory initiative that was set up to develop new principles, standards, and norms to fundamentally reshape peace processes and chart a path to lasting peace. The overall aim is to create greater accountability, coherence, and sustainability of peace processes. It brings together a broad coalition of actors across political, diplomatic, academic, defense and security, civil society, and multilateral organisations.

The global, inclusive process of developing the Principles for Peace was led by the International Commission on Inclusive Peace and the P4P Secretariat with a coalition of 120 organisations. The approach anchored the initiative in both realpolitik et real society. The initiative gathered over 100’000 insights from practitioners, policy makers and activists from more than 60 countries. In addition, over 700 pieces of research were distilled with scholars from across regions to identify the challenges and limitations and shifts in policy and practice.

The findings of the initiative are embodied in the Pacte des artisan(e)s de Paix which outlines eight interlocking and mutually reinforcing principles. The central Principles are enhancing legitimacy and accountable security. The three subsequent principles embed the whole in a practically oriented partnership compact with commitments to promoting pluralism, adopting subsidiarity, and embracing integrated solutions for all actors in the peacemaking space. – The last three – dignity, solidarity, and humility – provide an ethical compass to guide the individual and collective actions and decisions of peacemakers and to build trust.

C.   DESCRIPTION OF THE ASSIGNMENT

Together with partners, P4P will support national and international actors involved in peacemaking, peace consolidation and reconciliation in their efforts to adopt and endorse the policy proposals put forward in the Peacemaking Covenant and the Principles for Peace. To this end, P4P will accompany institutional uptake by co-developing playbooks and codes of practice for different groups, such as mediators, security actors, business actors, international and national authorities. In order to contextualize and tailor the implications of P4P’s policy proposal, the Foundation seeks to utilize scenario-based exercises, simulations and peacegaming exercises. The Foundation is thus searching for a consultant or an organisation to support in developing the approach and method to peacegaming and to run said exercises with P4P.

The purpose of this assignment is three-fold [1]:


  1. Engage with the Peacemaking Covenant to develop the method for a Peacegaming simulation that tests and simulates the adoption of the Principles for Peace policy proposals in a real-world context.
    • The consultant should engage with the extended version of the Peacemaking Covenant to develop three scenarios (see below). The aim of the scenarios is to explore key considerations  and reflect on infusing the decision-making of different actors with the Principles for Peace at critical junctures and pivotal moments.
    • The first scenario is envisaged as the international political level, involving member states and international multilateral organisations. This will take place as a two-day exercise for 20 people in a donor or multilateral capital (Berlin, Brussels, or New York)
    • The second scenario is the national level, involving national elites, armed groups, religious actors, civil society, and other relevant actors. This will take place as a two- or three-day exercise for 20 people in a conflict affected context.
    • The third scenario entails working with a key target ‘constituency’ of the Principles for Peace, such as security actors, mediators, development actors etc. The target constituency will be determined through conversations between the consultant and P4P. This exercise will consist of a 2-to-3 day scenario-based exercise to explore the implications of the Peacemaking Covenant and the Principles for Peace with a group of up to 20 individuals representing the diversity of actors in the target group.
    • Preparatory tasks will include researching and designing the roles, scenarios, input data, guiding questions, and other required elements to gamify the challenges of implementing the Principles.
  2. Lead the Peacegaming simulations
    • The consultant should lead the simulations and ensure the quality of the exercise
    • The P4P team will be able to assist with logistics and facilitation where needed.
    • P4P will take on the cost relating to travel of participants at the simulation.
  3. Provide a report summarising the implications of the simulation for Principles for Peace
    • Following the simulations, the consultant should summarise the key learnings of each exercise in a report capturing practical suggestions for:
      • implementing or advocating the Peacemaking Covenant in the context or in relation to the specific group of actors.
      • suggestions for the development of contextualised or actor-specific indicators for measuring the Principles. While indicator development is not the responsibility of the consultant hired for the Peacegaming exercises, the consultant is expected to feed into the process through recommendations and considerations based on the findings of the scenario exercises.

[1] Please note that you may submit an expression of interest for specific scenarios or all three scenarios.

D.   Key Deliverables

The exact time-frame will be defined through the initial conversation between consultant and the P4P team. The indicative deliverables are as follows:

  • An initial scoping conversation with the P4P team to discuss the scope of the assignment and agree on the purpose and expectations of the exercise.
  • Reviewing relevant P4P documentation to gain a solid understanding of the Peacemaking Covenant
  • Draft scenario to be reviewed by P4P
  • Presentation of final scenario ahead of the simulation
  • Leading the Peacegaming simulations
  • Draft report (no more than 10 pages) reflecting the key findings of the simulation
  • Final paper (no more than 10 pages) following review of P4P
  • Presentation to leadership of P4P and other relevant stakeholders on the key findings of the exercises

E.   Qualifications

Candidates (companies, organisations, or individuals) with the following qualifications are invited to apply:

  • Demonstrated track record and practical experience in peacebuilding, peacemaking, development or related sector or academic institutions with a focus on research in peace and conflict studies, peacebuilding and peacemaking, or related fields;
  • Demonstrable track record in designing and running Peacegaming, wargaming, conflict resolution simulations or other related exercises.

F.   Instructions for Submitting Expressions of Interest

Qualified candidates are invited to send an Expression of Interest, including the CV(s) of those involved, organisational profiles and a one-page outline of approach for the assignment in question.

Please note that you may submit an expression of interest for one or all three scenarios outlined above.

Please address the Expression of Interest to Hiba Qasas (Executive Director, Principles for Peace) and send all relevant documents to hr@principlesforpeace.org. Please include “P4P Peacegaming” in the subject line.

Please submit your expression of interest no later than 16 May 2023.

Payment

As per specific Terms of Reference. Please provide a financial proposal for the assignment, detailing a lump sum for each deliverable specified above. Submissions that do not include a financial proposal will not be considered.