Research Partner for Women Leadership Longitudinal Study

Position description

Research partner of study: As part of part of Oxfam's 'Longitudinal Study' , a research organization will be engaged to explore suitability and interest in co-leading the study. It includes methodological advice and guidance (at beginning, plus review/adaptation points during implementation), design and training agenda, support training design and delivery, data analysis, report writing and dissemination with cohort of women leaders.

BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT
The Mekong Regional Water Governance Program (MRWGP) focuses on inclusive and equitable water governance, addressing climate change, water security, and social accountability. MRWGP oversees regional projects funded by DFAT and SDC, ensuring sustainable water governance across Cambodia, Thailand, Lao PDR, Vietnam and Myanmar. The Mekong Inclusion Program 3 Water Governance and Climate Resilience Project (IP3) (2025-2029) integrate water governance and climate resilience for regional policy impact. The program aims for more sustainable and resilient livelihoods of riparian communities in the Mekong Sub-region and prioritises three interconnected End of Project Outcomes:

* EOPO 1 - Targeted women leaders and representatives of marginalised groups supported by the Project engage with and influence water governance and climate change policy related events, platforms, and processes at local, national and regional levels.
* EOPO 2 - Targeted government and intergovernmental organizations and non-state actors planning and decision-making processes in water governance and climate resilience include diverse groups and have policies/plans that reflect the perspectives of diverse actors supported by the Project.
* EOPO 3 - Targeted riverine communities undertake inclusive analysis of local riverine water security including vulnerability to disaster risk and climate change and implement follow up adaptation plans.

Background of Longitudinal Study' Study:
Throughout the Inclusion project of last two phases women leadership in water governance and climate resilient has contributed to make positive changes in different level in project location including community to national level. They also took part in the in-decision making process related daily life and societal changes. Longitudinal study is an attempt to systematically document and analyze the leadership journey of these women leaders across different communities and countries.

Women's Leadership 'Longitudinal Study' will be able to harness the outcomes in a co-design, co-ownership process between the study team/researcher and the women leaders and representatives of the marginalized social groups who are the focus of the study. IP3 wants to capture the variable changes in the women leaders lives across longer time approx. 2/3 years. It will enable the team to have better insights into developmental results, causes and challenges the study participants faced. Evidence of their journey will allow IP3 to draw stronger inferences of what is working in different contexts.

Purpose of the study: To co-create an evidence-based account of women leaders' leadership journeys across the Inclusion Project 3, tracking how they engage, influence, strengthen capacity and challenge social norms over time. The study aligns with IP3's outcomes on women's influence in water governance and climate resilience and will be co-owned with participants from inception to use of findings.

Outcomes of the study: An evidence-based account of at least 25 women leaders' leadership journeys across the Inclusion Project phases, evidence of what enable them to start, how they engaged, influenced, strengthened capacity and challenged the social norms and how they overcome those challenges over time in water governance and climate resilience decision-making at community, sub-national, national and regional levels.

Proposed timeline: The study is proposed between January 2026-June 2028, which aligns with the implementation period of the IP3 as well as being strategic for engaging in key processes/interventions planned during the implementation period. The research partner will be part of the study after completion of the onboarding process in May/June 2026-February 2028.

SCOPE OF WORK
* Methodological advice and guidance of the study of Longitudinal study
* Online inception workshop with Oxfam and consultant on preparing for Co-design workshop
* Co-design workshop with research participants
* Report writing and validation with cohort of women leaders and other stakeholders.

Application instructions

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