HIRING RESEARCH CONSULTANTS

Freedom Network is looking for three to four separate research consultants to produce a comprehensive report that provides a mapping, review and analysis of the tech sector in Pakistan. Each research consultant will be designated to complete a separate section of the overall report. However, interested candidates can read the detailed terms of references below to get an understanding of the scope of work before applying.

The deadline for submission of your CV is 10 June, 2024. Interested researchers should send their CV, cover letter and samples of previous research work at coordinator@fnpk.org.

National Tech Report Consultancy 2024 – MAPPING AND REVIEW OF THE TECHNOLOGY SECTOR LANDSCAPE OF PAKISTAN: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

Terms of Reference (ToRs) for Consultant(s)

Description: The technology landscape of Pakistan has shown tremendous growth over the past decade. The gains in digitalization and tech sub-sectors, including tech start-ups, software development, e-commerce and IT-enabled services are compelling the state to prioritize e-governance, digitalization policies and IT exports and strengthen digitally driven socio-economic development.

And yet, the generally under-developed restrictive and changing political, economic, policy and regulatory conditions in Pakistan directly affect the optimal potential of the tech sector as well as the rights and participation of its users and beneficiaries. These conditions require a joint response, but the cross-sectoral linkages of the tech sector with intended beneficiaries, civil society and media remain weak. In relation to digital policies and Internet governance, the interaction between the local tech sector and rights-based civil society organisations is limited. Moreover, the role of the domestic tech sector in supporting public interest technology infrastructure and public interest media is explored to even a lesser extent.

This situation presents a challenge for effective collaboration on issues of regulation, policy and the digital transformation of society. In response to this challenge, IMS and Freedom Network are commissioning a study to map and review the technology landscape of Pakistan, including the sub-sectors of the domestic tech industry and the local presence of international Big Tech companies. The aim of the study is to identify the key stakeholders, issues and opportunities of the sector as well as to explore the potential for collaboration among tech, civil society, academia and public interest media for joint efforts to enable digital citizenship and improve the structures of Internet governance.

Scope of study:

The objective of the assignment is to produce a comprehensive report that provides a mapping, review and analysis of the tech sector in Pakistan, including the status of tech-related national laws and policies and the local presence of Big Tech companies. The report will identify the key stakeholders, organisations, issues and advocacy opportunities of the tech sector and present recommendations for its role towards improving public interest media and infrastructure.

Freedom Network will hire three to four research consultants to produce the overall report. Each consultant will be tasked with delivering on research related to one section of the report. The consultants will work closely with Freedom Network and IMS to complete the deliverables assigned to them.

The three sections of the report with their respective deliverables and consultant eligibility criteria are given below:

SECTION ONE: Mapping the tech sector landscape of Pakistan

The consultant(s) will be responsible for drafting a detailed mapping document. This will encompass the following specific task(s):

1. Map the tech landscape in Pakistan by identifying and documenting the list of key actors, documents, missions, mandates, programs, projects and case studies etc. related to segments or categories of the tech sector. The segments include, but are not limited to:
   1. Tech policies and obligations
   1. Tech-related State actors
   1. Tech-related regulators
   1. National tech stakeholders (including telcos, ISPs, software developers, freelancers, entrepreneurship support systems etc.)
   1. International tech stakeholders in Pakistan (including Big Tech companies etc.)

Expected outputs and deliverables:

1. Brief inception report with agreed upon methodology and work plan after orientation session with Freedom Network and IMS.
2. Primary mapping report: This will include research and primary analysis in the form of a document that presents the mapped stakeholders of the tech sector.
3. Final mapping report: The document will be finalised after review and incorporating feedback from Freedom Network and IMS.

Qualification Criteria

Interested candidates for Section One consultancy must meet the following criteria.

• Preferred master’s degree in social sciences, development, media or human rights
• At least five years of experience in digital rights activism or advocacy    
• Strong familiarity with the digital, IT and tech landscape of Pakistan
• Strong experience of research
• Strong analytical and report writing skills
• Excellent English language skills

Duration of work

The duration of section one of the assignment will cover a period of no more than six weeks by the end of July 2024.

SECTION TWO: Identifying key challenges, successes and opportunities of the tech sector of Pakistan

The consultant will be responsible for the following specific task(s):

1. Identify the key issues, ideas and opportunities, especially from the perspective of citizens and rights advocates, for each of the key segment or category of the tech sector. The segments include but are not limited to:
   1. Tech policies and obligations
   1. Tech-related State actors
   1. Tech-related regulators
   1. National tech stakeholders (including telcos, ISPs, software developers, freelancers, entrepreneurship support systems etc.)
   1. International tech stakeholders in Pakistan (including Big Tech companies etc.)
2. Conduct key informant interviews from each of the segments above and at least one focus group discussion with identified representatives from the tech sector segments to collect data for identification of issues, ideas and opportunities.

Expected outputs and deliverables:

1. Brief inception report with agreed upon methodology, research instruments and work plan after orientation session with Freedom Network and IMS.
2. Key information interviews (KIIs): Conduct KIIs with pre-approved list of key experts.
3. Focus Group Discussion (FGD): Conduct a FGD with representatives of the key sectors/segments identified above and submit an activity report of the FGD describing the number and type of participants and important insights from discussion.
4. Final report: A detailed document that includes the findings and recommendations, as well as the issues, ideas and opportunities for the identified tech sector segments based on the KIIs and the FGD. The report will be finalised after review and incorporating feedback from IMS and Freedom Network.

Qualification Criteria

Interested candidates for Section 2 Consultancy must meet the following criteria.

• A degree in social sciences, development, media or human rights
• At least five years of experience in digital rights activism or advocacy    
• Strong familiarity with the digital, IT and tech landscape of Pakistan
• Strong experience of research
• Strong analytical and report writing skills
• Excellent English language skills

Duration of work

The duration of section two of the assignment will cover a period of no more than three weeks before the end of July 2024.

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SECTION THREE: Tech challenges and opportunities for public interest media

The consultant will be responsible for the following specific task(s):

1. Produce a report on the theme of the growing tech sector and digitalization of society and the impact and opportunities these have for public interest journalism and public interest tech infrastructure development.
2. Conduct key informant interviews and at least one focus group discussion with identified representatives from the tech sector and news media industry.

Key questions for the focus group discussion may include, but are not limited to:

• How does or should the tech sector support public interest media?
• What needs to change for the use of tech, including AI, by local mainstream and independent digital media and other content producers to improve public interest content and trust with the public?
• Are current tech policies and infrastructure conducive to public interest journalism? What needs to change to make them conducive?
• What are the potential and opportunities for local tech infrastructure development that serves the public interest?
• What are the potential and opportunities presented by the tech sector for mainstream and independent digital media to become future fit and have viable operations?
• Are women – and other traditional marginalised groups – adequately benefiting from the growing digitalization and expanding tech sector in Pakistan, and how can this be strengthened by collaborations between tech sector and media?

Expected outputs and deliverables:

1. Brief inception report with agreed upon methodology, research instruments and work plan after orientation session with Freedom Network and IMS.
2. Key information interviews (KIIs): Conduct KIIs with pre-approved list of relevant tech and media experts.
3. Focus Group Discussion (FGD): Conduct an FGD with representatives of the mainstream media, independent digital media and other distinct categories of content producers and tech sector and submit an activity report of the FGD describing the number and type of participants and important insights from discussion.
4. Final report: A detailed document that includes the findings and recommendations, as well as the issues, ideas and opportunities for mainstream media, independent digital media and journalists based on the KIIs and the FGD. The document must describe in detail the opportunities for collaboration among tech stakeholders and public interest media, journalists and content producers. The report will be finalised after review and incorporating feedback from IMS and Freedom Network.

Qualification Criteria

Interested candidates must meet the following criteria.

• A degree in social sciences, development, media or human rights
• At least 5 years of experience in digital rights activism or advocacy    
• Strong familiarity with the digital media and tech sectors of Pakistan
• Strong experience of research
• Strong analytical and report writing skills
• Excellent English language skills

Duration of work

The duration of the assignment of Section Three of this report will cover a period of no more than three weeks between July and August 2024.

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Short-Term Consultancy

Freedom Network is looking for a research consultant to conduct a mapping study of existing university courses related to themes of online disinformation, digital journalism, and AI taught in Pakistan.

The deadline for submission of your CV is 04 June, 2024. Interested researchers should send their CV, cover letter and samples of previous research work at coordinator@fnpk.org.

The following are terms of reference (ToRs):

Consultant for Journalism Curricula Mapping

Description: Rapid advances in generative AI and other digital technologies are disrupting the news industry once again after a similar disruption to journalism was witnessed during the past decade due to the advent of the social media era. Where the role of new technology can be to assist reliable media, its use is also already being noted in generating disinformation messages to pollute the information channels and create further pressures for independent and credible journalism. This is a challenge all current and prospective journalists and content producers will have to deal with. Communication and journalism education needs to catch up to and align with these technological changes to be able to equip media students with the necessary skills to navigate the digital future and effectively produce public interest journalism.

Freedom Network and IMS are working with the Coalition Against Disinformation (CAD), an alliance of journalism schools, digital media and civil society, to address disinformation in the country through media and information literacy initiatives. As part of CAD efforts, previous research and consultations with university professors has indicated the need for proactive course development on emerging trends in technology and countering disinformation to support the ongoing efforts by journalism departments at local universities.

The proposed mapping exercise intends to determine the current educational offerings related to online disinformation and AI at Pakistani universities. Its results and findings are expected to help with future course development and faculty training on these topics. This will contribute to improvements in the competencies and quality of educational interventions for public interest journalism and countering disinformation at local universities.

Scope of study

The objective of the assignment is to produce a research report of the mapping of journalism curricula of universities related to disinformation, digital journalism and AI. The consultant will work closely with Freedom Network, CAD and IMS, and is expected to:

1. Conduct a basic mapping of the universe of journalism higher education in Pakistan.
2. Determine the state of readiness of the journalism departments and faculty in prioritizing disinformation, factchecking and AI in existing curriculum.
3. Review the quality of existing courses on disinformation or AI at the university level (The consultant will develop a separate analysis and review framework for this.)
4. Estimate the size and scale of journalism student bodies and faculty at the identified universities.
5. Determine the tech needs of departments to become specialized, cutting-edge centres of journalism.
6. Map the assistance potential to support journalism and/or CS departments.
7. Map the current state of department/university-industry collaboration.

In order to complete the above, the consultant will be required to perform the following preliminary tasks in connection with point #1 above:

1. Prepare a list of universities with journalism or mass comm departments. Also include details of the computer sciences or IT departments for the identified universities in the list.
2. These universities can be either public or private. 
3. The universities should be HEC recognized. 
4. The list should include all current CAD member universities.
5. The list should include the names and contact details of the heads of (journalism and computer science) departments.
6. Identify from amongst the above departments those that offer any kind of course on disinformation or AI.

The consultant will work in tandem with an IMS expert (co-author). The hired consultant will do the data collection, primary research and analysis. The co-author will provide inputs in report conceptualization, report outlining, report strategy development, quality assurance and final editing.  The consultant will be assisted by two student researchers in performance of the assignment tasks.

Expected outputs and deliverables:

1. Inception report with methodology and work plan after orientation discussion with FN, IMS and CAD:Last week of June 2024
2. First draft of report:Last week of July 2024
3. Final draft of report based on input from FN, IMS and CAD:Second week of August 2024

Qualification of the consultant:

• A degree in social sciences, development, media or human rights
• Experience of research, advocacy  
• Experience of engagement with universities and faculties
• Strong analytical skills
• Excellent English language skills  
• Excellent report writing skills

Duration of work:

The assignment will cover a period of not more than two months between June and August 2024.

To Apply:

Please share cover letter mentioning your past experience in such research and your CV to coordinator@fnpk.org by CoB 4^th June 2024.