Request for Proposal: Research Support for USIP Initiative on Addressing Gang Violence in Central America

Request for Proposal

United States Institute of Peace

Research Support for USIP Initiative on Addressing Gang Violence in Central America

Remote

Release Date: July 26, 2024

RFP Due Date: 5pm EDT on August 15, 2024

Refer Questions to:

Submit Proposals to:

Ena Dion, Aissatou Koulibali

Ena Dion, Aissatou Koulibali

edion@usip.org , akoulibali@usip.org

edion@usip.org, akoulibali@usip.org

Pertinent responses will be made available to all offerors by e-mail. No inquiries will be accepted after specified time and date.

The response must be submitted by time and date listed above to be considered.

 

If you would like to receive a copy of this RFP in Spanish, please reach out to akoulibali@usip.org.

Si desea recibir una copia de esta solicitud en español, póngase en contacto con akoulibali@usip.org.

Introduction and Background

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) is a national, nonpartisan, independent institute, founded by Congress and dedicated to the proposition that a world without violent conflict is possible, practical, and essential for U.S. and global security. In conflict zones abroad, the Institute works with local partners to prevent, mitigate, and resolve violent conflict. For more information, please visit http://www.usip.org.

USIP’s Center for Thematic Excellence (CTE) is built on the premise that there are common tools and approaches to peacebuilding that are adaptive, but applicable to peacebuilding globally. The center serves as a hub of the Institute’s common resources for governments, organizations, and individuals seeking to prevent, mitigate, and resolve violent conflict worldwide. CTE prioritizes evaluation and learning from our programs to adapt and improve our work.

USIP’s Governance, Justice, and Security (GJS) Program, which supports CTE’s governance, justice, and security efforts, has undertaken an initiative to better understand the complex dynamics surrounding governance in conflict-affected places. The initiative focuses on the internal and external actors that shape governance practices in conflict-affected settings and how a stronger understanding of these actors and dynamics can improve efforts to protect standards of human rights, rule of law, justice, and security.

USIP’s Latin America Program works to understand and address drivers of the violence, organized crime and corruption that undermine stable governance and fuel migration to the United States. It has initiated dialogue projects in the three countries of Northern Central America, focusing on strengthening citizen participation in El Salvador, addressing gender-based violence in Guatemalan indigenous communities, and opening channels of communication between youth and police in gang-dominated neighborhoods in Honduras.

Purpose of the RFP

USIP’s Security Sector Governance and Reform Team and Latin America Program, seek a researcher or research organization with expertise in security responses to gang violence in Central America. The researcher must be fluent in both Spanish and English. The researcher or research organization will provide research support and subject matter expertise for a series of USIP-led workshops on effective, sustainable, and democratic responses to gang violence in Northern Central America.

Scope of Work

Background

Amid persistently high levels of gang violence in Central America, the apparent success of El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele’s heavy-handed crackdown has piqued interest in use of authoritarian, repressive policing tactics. His approach follows a formula familiar in the region. Often called “mano dura” or iron fist, key features include arresting low-level offenders, limiting the rights of the accused, and mass incarcerations. Despite early improvements in violence, history suggests that in the longer run these tactics are unlikely to improve citizen security. In addition to human rights abuses, due process violations and their attendant backlash, heavy handed security responses have repeatedly failed to sustainably reduce violence, decrease impunity, or lower crime rates. The approach