Consultancy - Political Economy Analysis (PEA)

Overview & Responsibilities Background With financial support from the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) will implement the Damal Programme Phase II – Strengthening the Social Contract through Access to Justice in Somaliland (2026–2030). The programme seeks to strengthen the social contract in Somalia by improving the legitimacy, effectiveness, and inclusiveness of justice sector institutions at national, regional, and district levels. Building on the achievements of Damal Programme Phase I (2021–2026), Damal II will consolidate and expand access to justice interventions through three mutually reinforcing outcomes: - improved access to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms and referral pathways, particularly for vulnerable groups; - enhanced access to formal justice through integrated support for survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) and other vulnerable justice seekers; and - increased citizen participation in accountability processes relating to justice and security. The programme will commence with a preparatory phase designed to establish the strategic, operational, and analytical foundations for implementation. During this period, IDLO will undertake a series of complementary assessments, including a Baseline Assessment and Legal Analysis, Political Economy Analysis (PEA), Conflict Sensitivity Assessment (CSA), and Gender Analysis, to validate programme assumptions, refine implementation strategies, strengthen the Theory of Change, and ensure that programme interventions are evidence-based, conflict-sensitive, gender-responsive, and locally owned. Objectives The overall objective of this assignment is to undertake a comprehensive Political Economy Analysis (PEA) that establishes the political, institutional, economic, social, conflict, and governance evidence base for the implementation of the Damal Programme Phase II. The assessment will analyse the power dynamics, incentives, interests, formal and informal institutions, and contextual factors that influence access to justice, alternative dispute resolution (ADR), justice sector reform, and community security across the programme implementation areas. The Political Economy Analysis (PEA) will build directly on the evidence, operational experience, and institutional partnerships developed under Damal Programme Phase I. Rather than starting from a new evidence base, the assignment will review and update previous Political Economy Analyses, the 2021 Baseline Assessment and Legal Analysis, Conflict Analyses, programme evaluations, outcome monitoring reports, stakeholder consultations, and other Damal I learning products. The analysis will cover all existing Damal I ADR Centres that will continue under Damal II, together with the additional districts and implementation locations introduced under Damal II, examining how political, institutional, governance, security, conflict, economic, and social dynamics have evolved since Phase I. The PEA will identify opportunities, risks, power relations, stakeholder incentives, and implementation considerations that will inform adaptive programming, partnership strategies, geographic prioritisation, and evidence-based decision-making throughout the implementation of Damal Programme Phase II. Particular attention will be given to understanding how these contextual dynamics affect access to justice for women, girls, survivors of gender-based violence (GBV), internally displaced persons (IDPs), minority communities, persons with disabilities, youth, and other vulnerable groups. In accordance with IDLO's Political Economy Analysis methodology, the assignment will: - Define the Development Problem by analysing the principal governance, justice, conflict, and institutional challenges relevant to programme implementation, including their impact on different stakeholder groups, justice institutions, ADR Centres, and programme beneficiaries. - Analys