Research Consultant Consultancy

Contract Period of performance

April – June 2025 with possible extension.

Location

Uganda.

BBC Media Action

BBC Media Action is an independent international charity established by the BBC with the aim of using media to support international development. It operates globally to raise awareness, influence attitudes and behaviour in communities, and enhance the capacity of media sectors in transitional countries.

In partnership with civil society, local media, and other organizations, we produce communication programmes and trusted media to inform and engage communities. This helps give people a voice, enabling them to understand their rights, responsibilities, and one another. In 2023, our reach extended to over 100 million people through local broadcast partners as well as online, mobile, and printed platforms along with interpersonal communication. Recently, we have started a new project in Uganda.

Project background and objectives

The spread of information that is false or misleading – whether by word-of-mouth, media, or otherwise – is an age-old phenomenon. Advances in technology, increasing access to both traditional and social media, and changes in how people interact with information are propelling the spread of false information at a speed and scale not seen before. Whether it is mis/disinformation, rumours or simple misinterpretations, ‘information disorder’ is dividing people and undermining democracy.

As part of formative research, BBC Media Action is planning a survey to understand misinformation and disinformation in Uganda. In addition to the survey, BBC Media Action plans to conduct qualitative interviews with media practitioners and other key stakeholders to better understand how they perceive the challenges related to mis- and disinformation, the risks they have identified, and what mitigating steps they are taking, as well as other challenges Ugandan media are facing more broadly. This activity will provide an understanding of skills and/or knowledge gaps among the Ugandan media, which will be used to inform the mentoring and support activities in this project. It will also seek to understand some of the security challenges faced by journalists in Uganda when covering elections. BBC Media Action will also conduct social listening to understand what mis/disinformation narratives are circulating online to understand what Ugandan audiences encounter on social media.

Consultant role

Drawing on their knowledge of the Uganda media sector, the research consultant will be tasked with advising on which media practitioners and other key stakeholders are suitable to participate in the study. The consultant will also be tasked with recruiting and conducting key informant interviews (KIIs) with them.

In addition to these interviews, the consultant will support the social listening work by but not limited to, providing local-language keywords, interpreting content in local contexts, and identifying influential or popular accounts spreading mis- or disinformation. The will also assist in the contextualization and interpretation of findings from the quantitative survey conducted by a local research agency.

KII research objectives

Specific research objectives of the KIIs include:

• What are media practitioner perceptions of mis- and disinformation, both generally and as it relates to the electoral process?
• Which outlets/sources are particularly known for spreading mis/dis info and why?
• How do media practitioners engage with mis- and disinformation? What mis- and disinformation do they believe?
• How do media practitioners respond to information disorder, if at all? What strategies do they use to counter disinformation and provide reliable information? What challenges do they face in verifying information?
• Besides mis- and disinformation, what other challenges are media practitioners facing in Uganda? Specifically, what security and other challenges do they face when covering elections?

Research Methodology and Sampling

The research consultant will conduct interviews with at least 15 media practitioners from a range of media types, locations, roles (e.g., journalist, editor, producer), and languages of operation; and the sample will aim to include even representation of gender. Exact targets will be set in consultation with BBC Media Action. BBC Media Action will support with recruiting participants. Interviews can be conducted face to face or online.

BBC Media Action will provide a semi-structured interview guide to collect the data. Given the valuable perspective that these media practitioners can provide, the guide will include questions related to all research questions listed above, with a particular emphasis on the media’s role in the information ecosystem. Each interview will last approximately one hour. The research consultant will be required to translate the tool from English to any relevant local languages, as necessary.

Fieldwork

The research consultant will be responsible for scheduling and conducting all interviews. The research consultant will also be required to transcribe all interview responses into an analysis framework provided by BBC Media Action and to also provide a written report of the research findings. The research consultant will also be required to provide regular updates of fieldwork and maintain communication with BBC Media Action.

Ethical control, risks and mitigations strategies

BBC Media Action is committed to undertaking research that is of the highest standard. BBC Media Action will expect the research consultant to adhere to ethical and quality standards including:

• Informed consent must be gathered and recorded during fieldwork
• Respondents to be assured of their confidentiality and anonymity of data
• Procedures relating to secure transport of data during fieldwork
• Systems and processes in place to ensure compliance with the existing legal and regulatory framework for conducting such research in Uganda, including details of any licenses or permissions held
• Data must be securely transferred to BBC Media Action

Researchers and partners working with BBC Media Action need to adhere to a strict code of ethics and endeavour to address major concerns around consent, confidentiality, anonymity and the potential impact of the research on both those researched and researchers. BBC Media Action is available to discuss potential risks that could affect the overall operation of this research.

Deliverables

Deliverables from BBC Media Action will include:

• A semi-structured interview guide
  • An analysis framework

Deliverables from the research consultant will include:

• Approximately 15 semi-structured interviews, conducted in-person or online
  • Final instrument translated into local languages
  • Regular fieldwork updates
  • Interview responses transcribed into an analysis framework
  • Observations that might not be apparent from written notes
  • A written report of the research findings
  • Assistance in the development of keywords in relevant local languages for social listening
  • Assistance in the interpretation and contextualization of survey findings

Timeline

The fieldwork is planned to be completed by end of May 2025.

Qualifications of consultants

Consultants must have:

• Proven experience in qualitative research within the media or communication sectors.
• Good understanding of the Ugandan media landscape.
• Demonstrated ability to work with diverse communities and conduct culturally sensitive, ethically responsible research.

Tagged as: BBC Media Action, Uganda