TERMS OF REFERENCE - POLITICAL FINANCE AND INTEGRITY ASSESSMENT IN THE PACIFIC

GENERAL INFORMATION

Title of Consultancy: Political Finance and Integrity Assessment in the Pacific

Application Closing Date: Friday, 21 August 2026.

Consultancy Start and End Date: 7 September 2026 to 23 October 2026.

Location of Consultancy: The consultant will work remotely.

1. BACKGROUND

Transparency International (TI) is the global civil society organisation leading the fight against corruption. Through more than 100 chapters worldwide and an international secretariat in Berlin, Germany, TI raises awareness of the damaging effects of corruption and works with partners in government, business, and civil society to develop and implement effective measures to tackle it.

The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders have committed, through the Teieniwa Vision and the 2024 Boe Declaration Action Plan, to strengthening governance, integrity, and anti-corruption across the region. These regional commitments are aligned with the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), which provides a global framework that supports Pacific Island countries in strengthening institutions, safeguarding public resources, and advancing sustainable development outcomes. In 2025, UNCAC CoSP11 adopted by consensus a landmark resolution establishing the most comprehensive global standards for integrity in political party and election campaign financing to date (two States from the region co-sponsored the resolution: Australia and the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM)). In support of these commitments, Transparency International (TI) will undertake a regional assessment to provide detailed analytical evidence on political finance systems across the Pacific, including recommendations focused on bringing Resolution 11/7 into action.

Transparency International's Political Finance Integrity Assessment (CRINIS / NURU II) is a methodology designed to provide a comparative overview of the integrity of political finance systems. Based on TI's 2024 Standards for Integrity in Political Finance, the methodology has been benchmarked against UNCAC CoSP Resolution 11/7. The assessment methodology is policy-oriented and focuses on identifying good practices and challenges, as well as formulating contextual recommendations to prevent and counter corruption and abuse in political finance.

The Transparency International Secretariat (TI-S) in Berlin is seeking a consultant to lead this regional assessment across 12 countries and territories, with findings informing TI's regional advocacy efforts.

2. OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The regional assessment will provide evidence on the progress and challenges facing 12 countries and territories (Fiji, PNG, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Samoa, Tonga, Kiribati, New Caledonia, FSM, Palau, Australia and New Zealand) in relation to their political finance systems. To that end, the consultant will:

  • Develop a robust customisation of the CRINIS assessment framework, tailoring it to the specific regional context to be applied consistently across all selected countries and territories.
  • Provide technical support and coordination to TI national chapters throughout all steps of the research process in the selected Pacific countries and territories, ensuring methodological coherence, high-quality data collection and consolidation, and adherence to ethical research practices throughout implementation.
  • Generate evidence through desk review and key informant interviews (KIIs). For countries and territories without a TI national chapter, the consultant will lead the data collection process, including conducting KIIs and gathering relevant evidence. For countries with participating national chapters, the consultant will provide technical support, coordinate research activities, and consolidate findings to ensure consistency and quality across all countries and territories.
  • Lead the drafting and consolidation of the regional report and a policy brief that synthesises evidence from the country inputs and regional trends.

3. EXPECTED DELIVERABLES AND TIMELINE

The expected level of effort of the consultancy is approximately 21 working days. During that time, the consultant will incrementally provide the following deliverables:

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The consultant is expected to provide regular updates upon request from TI-S.

All deliverables are to be submitted in English, in electronic form, in accordance with the deadlines stipulated above.

The Consultant is responsible for editing and quality control of language. The TI Secretariat retains the sole rights with respect to all distribution, dissemination, and publication of the deliverables.

The final report should highlight the main findings and recommendations derived from the empirical and desk-based research. The report will be published and shared at conferences and with target audiences, principally within the anti-corruption community of practice.

4. SELECTION CRITERIA

Individuals and/or legal entities should have the following qualifications:

  • • The consultant should be well informed on anti-corruption, transparency, accountability, and integrity systems.
  • • A postgraduate degree in social sciences, law or a field related to the goals of the assignment. Demonstrated experience in political finance, including campaign finance, political party financing, political integrity, transparency, accountability, or related governance issues.
  • • Proven expertise in international anti-corruption frameworks, including familiarity with UNCAC and related monitoring or review processes;
  • • Familiarity with regional anti-corruption initiatives, such as those led by the Pacific Islands Forum or Transparency International chapters in the Pacific.
  • • Strong facilitation and stakeholder engagement skills, particularly in multi-lingual and multi-cultural environments.
  • • Demonstrated experience in developing or refining assessment methodologies, indicators, or comparative research frameworks;
  • • Knowledge of political party and campaign finance regulations and practice, including transparency, public disclosure, oversight, and state neutrality;
  • • Strong analytical and drafting skills, with demonstrated experience producing policy briefs, guidance documents, or research publications for international audiences;
  • • Fluency in written and spoken English.

5. REMUNERATION AND COSTS

Applicants should provide their estimated total fee as a lump sum or as a standard daily rate. The maximum available budget for this exercise is Euro 10,000.

This consultancy is output-based. Payments will be made upon satisfactory completion and acceptance of the deliverables.

Payment will be processed following receipt of an invoice from the Consultant. The Consultant is responsible for all applicable taxes, social security contributions, and other statutory obligations related to the consultancy in their country of residence.

No additional costs (such as travel, accommodation, or administrative expenses) will be reimbursed unless explicitly agreed in writing in advance by TI-S.

For candidates based in the EU, EEA, UK, and Switzerland

Transparency International e.V. (Secretariat), (TI-S) is registered as a Business Entity in Germany with VAT identification number DE273612486. EU reverse charge applies. Service providers should issue invoices with zero VAT.

Candidates who are based in Germany and do not charge German VAT must confirm their small entrepreneur status.

6. HOW TO APPLY

The application should include the following documents:

  • Motivation letter and note regarding availability in stated assignment period
  • Submit the Lead consultant's CV or consultancy profile, along with a sample of relevant previous work (confidentiality guaranteed).

TI-S reserves the right to contract one consultant for the full scope of work or several consultants for individual components, depending on the expertise of the selected candidates and programmatic needs. In such cases, the scope of deliverables, timeline, and remuneration may be adjusted proportionally.

Please indicate "Research Consultant: Pacific Political Finance Integrity Research" in the subject line of your email application. Applications should be sent in English by email to PacificPoliticalintegrity@transparency.org by 21 August 2026.

Data protection: When you respond to this tender and submit your application, you provide consent for Transparency International e.V. to keep your application materials for a period of ten years according to German legal requirements. Afterwards, Transparency International will delete your application and any personal data included in it. If you have any questions, please reach out to dataprotection@transparency.org.

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