Brief for Consultant: Refugee Week Theory of Change Review
Overview of brief
Refugee Week is looking for a consultant to oversee the review of the festival’s theory of change.
Background on Refugee Week
Refugee Week is the world’s largest arts and culture festival celebrating the contributions, resilience, and creativity of people who seek sanctuary, aiming to foster understanding and solidarity within communities.
Established in the UK in 1998, the festival has evolved into an international movement with a mission to bring people together to connect across communities and foster a deeper understanding of why people are displaced, and the challenges they face when seeking safety. By providing a platform for people who have sought sanctuary to share their experiences, perspectives and creative work on their own terms, our vision is for refugees and asylum seekers to be able to live safely within inclusive and resilient communities, where they can continue to make a valuable contribution.
Refugee Week is an umbrella festival, and anyone can get involved by holding or joining an event or activity. It is a partnership project coordinated and managed by Counterpoints Arts. For the full list of Refugee Week UK partners, see the Refugee Week website.
Previous evaluations can be found here.
About the Current Theory of Change
The Refugee Week Theory of Change (ToC), last updated in 2020, is a framework outlining how Refugee Week activities lead to short-term and long-term outcomes aligned with the festival’s vision of an informed, welcoming society. This ToC needs revisiting to reflect Refugee Week’s expanded scale, evolving strategic priorities, and new partnerships.
Why Review the Theory of Change Now?
With the shifting political and social landscape since 2020, there is a need to ensure that Refugee Week’s ToC reflects these changes and optimally aligns with its goals.
Key factors include:
- Movement building: how can we better articulate the festival as a platform for building capacity, harnessing narrative power and potential for movement building systems change.
- Growth in Scale of Festival: Refugee Week has seen significant growth in participation, both in terms of numbers and the diversity of supporters. Refugee Week is also growing internationally.
- Strategic Shifts + New National Partners: Potential strategic priority changes across National Partners as well as the addition of new partners which continues to expand the reach and resources of Refugee Week, but also requires alignment with their goals and strategies to better integrate their contributions and for us to best collaborate as a collective. Feedback from partners and stakeholders will also help highlight gaps in the current ToC, suggesting areas for improvement and new approaches to achieving our goals.
- Rise in Far-Right and Anti-Migrant Rhetoric: The increasing visibility and influence of far-right movements and anti-migrant rhetoric highlights that public attitudes towards refugees have become increasingly polarized. While there is growing support for refugees in some contexts, particularly in response to visible crises like Ukraine, there has also been a rise in anti-refugee sentiment fueled by populist politics and economic anxieties. At the same time, global solidarity movements, such as those supporting refugees from Ukraine, have demonstrated the capacity for large-scale, compassionate responses to forced displacement.
- Political Changes in the UK and around the world: Changes in government and shifts in policies that affect refugees and migrants, signal a need to re-evaluate strategies and goals of Refugee Week.
- Post-pandemic & digital acceleration + innovation: The COVID-19 pandemic altered social dynamics, with lockdowns limiting in-person interactions and accelerating the shift to digital platforms. These changes have influenced how Refugee Week is organized and accessed. The increasing reliance on digital platforms has reshaped the way Refugee Week reaches and engages its audience, presenting new opportunities and challenges (e.g. digital divides, misinformation etc.)
- Changes in Refugee Landscape: changing migration patterns, shifts in global refugee policies, recent conflicts and climate-driven displacement and more since last Theory of Change was revised
Given these, we aim to ensure that the ToC continues to support Refugee Week’s impact in a changing context.
Scope of Consultant Role
The consultant will work with the Counterpoints team to lead a structured process to update the Refugee Week ToC to better reflect and address the needs, goals, and strategic opportunities in 2025 and beyond.
We imagine this might include:
- Initial Review of Current Theory of Change
- Facilitate a review session with the core Refugee Week team/ key stakeholders to identify areas needing updates. Identify relevant frameworks and methodologies, such as Emergent Strategy, that can inspire a more resilient and adaptable ToC.
- Stakeholder Consultation
- Engage with key stakeholders (partners, coordinators) e.g. via one-to-one interviews, focus groups, and workshops to gather feedback on the ToC.
- Attend away day for core network members, organised by Counterpoints Arts (TBC mid/ late Feb), creating a dynamic space for emergent discussions. Through thought-provoking conversations, we’ll explore what’s working within Refugee Week as a movement, assess how effectively the Theory of Change reflects this, and identify areas for improvement. Key topics will include refining our focus and strategic direction, such as expanding capacity-building efforts and setting future priorities for Refugee Week’s growth and impact.
- Drafting and Revising the Theory of Change
- Synthesize insights from consultations, research and events to draft a revised ToC.
- Share a draft ToC for feedback and incorporate suggestions.
- Final Sign-Off and Dissemination
- Final approval from key partners
- TBC present the revised ToC at the Refugee Week conference and other key events/ forums.
- Share the ToC through website, social media channels, newsletter etc to ensure wide visibility.
- Create visual representations of the ToC for easier understanding and engagement (e.g. illustrations, animation etc)
- Develop a plan for implementing the changes and integrating the ToC into the ongoing activities of Refugee Week.
Fee
A total fee of £5,000 (inclusive of VAT) is available for the delivery of this work.
Application Process
To apply, please submit a brief expression of interest (maximum 2-4 pages) that includes relevant experience and a proposal outlining your approach to delivering the work.
Selected candidates will be invited to interview.
Deadline
Monday, 9nd December 2024, by 5 pm.
Please email your application to refugeeweek@counterpoints.org.uk