Details of Qualitative Research Consultant

Job description

OVERVIEW

Title and brief description of the requirement

Qualitative Research Consultant – Global South ODA Listening Tour Research (Somalia Country Implementation)

The Consultant will lead and coordinate all in-country qualitative research implementation activities in Somalia for the Global South ODA Listening Tour Project, a joint Oxfam and Adeso initiative examining stakeholder perspectives on Official Development Assistance (ODA).

Delivery location :Multi-regional – Somalia (South-Central Somalia, Puntland, and Somaliland).

Contract start date :1 September 2026

How to apply

Interested candidates are invited to submit:

1.    A technical proposal describing the proposed methodology and approach

2.    A financial offer/quotation

3.    A sample of similar work

See section ‘6. Application Process’ for further details.

Deadline for submission of offers :09th August 2026

Specific considerations

Applicants should hold, or be able to obtain, valid local registration and certificates required to operate/conduct research activities in Somalia.

BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT

Oxfam has been active in Somalia for over four decades, focusing on humanitarian aid, disaster resilience, gender equality, and sustainable food security. Partnering with local civil society, Oxfam operates across South-Central Somalia, Puntland, and Somaliland to construct water infrastructure, provide cash assistance, and advocate for climate action.

Oxfam's core initiatives in the region fall into four broad areas: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) – rehabilitating water systems, building water tanks, and training local Water Management Committees to ensure long-term, sustainable access to safe water; Food & Economic Security (FES) – implementing anticipatory drought action programmes and providing early-warning and life-saving cash distributions to communities vulnerable to climate shocks; Civil Society & Climate Resilience – supporting the establishment of localised networks to address climate change and drive community-level recovery; and Gender Justice – working on projects rooted in feminist principles, providing hygiene and menstrual kits, and empowering women's rights.

Oxfam and Adeso are undertaking the Global South ODA Listening Tour Project, a qualitative research initiative that seeks to understand how stakeholders in the Global South experience, interpret, and assess Official Development Assistance (ODA). The research aims to generate credible qualitative evidence that grounds debates on the future of aid in the perspectives of stakeholders whose voices are often underrepresented in global policy discussions.

The study will explore stakeholder perspectives on the purpose of aid, how aid systems operate, who exercises decision-making authority, what constitutes successful aid, what makes aid legitimate, and how aid should evolve in the future.

This assignment forms part of the Gates Foundation-funded Reinventing Aid project (INV-096164), led by Oxfam America in partnership with Adeso, of which the Somalia component is being coordinated within the Oxfam Somalia country programme.

Skills and qualifications

Essentia

•       Advanced degree in social sciences, development studies, public policy, international development, political science, or a related field.

•       At least 5 years of experience conducting qualitative research, assessments, evaluations, or policy research.

•       Demonstrated experience organising and facilitating KIIs and FGDs in Somalia.

•       Strong knowledge of Somalia's development, humanitarian, civil society, and aid landscape.

•       Familiarity with issues relating to development cooperation, aid effectiveness, localisation, governance, and accountability.

•       Excellent facilitation, stakeholder engagement, and communication skills.

•       Strong analytical, documentation, transcription, and report-writing abilities.

•       Fluency in both English and Somali (written and spoken).

Desired

Prior experience working with Oxfam on similar qualitative research or listening tour projects.

How to apply

APPLICATION PROCESS

Submission instructions

Quotations and applications must reach Oxfam no later than 09th August 2026, 17:00 EAT

Responses must be submitted in English, electronically, to: SOM-Procurement@oxfam.org .

The subject of the email should be: SOM/ODA-LT/2026-01 – Proposal Submission – [Name of bidder] Any questions, remarks or requests for clarification can be sent up to 7 days before the submission deadline in writing. The anonymised questions will be answered to all applicants.

Apply to SOM-Procurement@oxfam.org