Summary

Common Ground USA (CG-USA) is seeking a consultant to conduct a desk research-based conflict analysis of five states. The analysis will look into the historic and emergent political, economic, and socio-cultural context of each state, with special focus on:

The underlying risk factors and trends of political violence in each state, and
The local abilities or potential to prepare for anticipated political polarization and violence, adapt to changing political conditions while maintaining community bonds, and bounce back quickly from harmful incidents.

Context

Common Ground USA

Common Ground USA (CG-USA) fosters collaboration across differences to address America’s most significant challenges and build a society where everyone can belong and thrive. As part of Search for Common Ground, with 40 years of global conflict resolution experience, CG-USA transforms conflict into cooperation with programming focused in the United States. At CG-USA, we believe that most Americans want to overcome the divisions we face in our society and that we all have a role to play. Engaging across political and other divides, we view disagreement as an opportunity to transform conflict into cooperation and solve our most pressing problems. All of our work is rooted in an evidence base where we strengthen the five vital signs of peace: safety, social cohesion, institutional legitimacy, personal agency, and resourcing peace.

The Project

The Resilient States Project is a collaboration between CG-USA and Over Zero that convenes and empowers broad-based networks of diverse leaders to build resilience and mitigate risks for division and political violence in key states (currently: Arizona, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas). Our networks unite diverse leaders across various sectors, ideologies, and geographies. These networks collaborate to mitigate divisions and risks of conflict within their states and unify their communities.

From 2022 to 2025, the first phase of this project’s four pilot states demonstrated the promise and potential of the Resilient State model in mobilizing and coordinating new and diverse leaders to reduce risks and harms in their states. This next phase of the project will expand to new states and contexts, further incorporating lessons learned across the project.

Goals and Objectives

The goal of this study is to better understand the conflict dynamics in new state contexts by identifying key risks and trends of political violence in five states (Likely including: New York, California, Virginia, Minnesota, and Colorado). The study should address the following primary research questions for each state:

What are the historic and emergent political, economic, and socio-cultural contexts of each state?
What are the significant risks for conflict and trends around political violence (including group-targeted violence, and election or partisan violence)? Which areas (counties, municipalities, cities) are the most likely sites for political violence in the state?
Who are the key conflict actors, including actors or groups who are likely to initiate or condone acts of political violence as well as actors and groups (especially non-governmental actors such as community structures, civil society groups, leaders, etc.) who can or already act to mitigate risks for political violence? In which areas (counties, municipalities, cities) are these actors based or mobilized from?
What opportunities exist within each state to strengthen resilience to political violence? (Resilience is defined as: local abilities or potential to prepare for anticipated political polarization and violence, adapt to changing political conditions while maintaining community bonds, and lead communities to healing following harmful incidents.)

In collaboration with the project team, the consultant will:

Assess what data:
already exists and can be accessed through a desk review;
must be collected, how, and with what tools;
What indicators can answer the primary research questions?
Conduct a desk review and analysis of available, relevant quantitative and qualitative data;
Design an analysis framework.
Complete the reports listed below, and
Attend regular check-in meetings with project staff.

Deliverables will include:

An inception report that reflects anticipated methodology for how the consultant can answer primary research questions through desk research (including key sources, timeline, and in-state areas of concern) and what data requires additional inquiry;
Based on desk research of available data, a detailed conflict analysis for each state that includes:
Significant dynamics of conflict, including risks for and trends around political violence, in each target state;
Areas (counties, municipalities, cities) in target states that are most at risk;
Key conflict actors, including actors or groups who are likely to initiate or condone acts of political violence, as well as actors and groups who can or already act to prevent or respond to political and electoral violence; and
Any gaps or areas for further investigation
Based on further investigation identified through Desk Research and in collaboration with CG-USA and other members of the project team, identify gaps and remaining data needs, as well as recommendations for future in-state study.

All original data should be submitted to the project team.

Geographic Locations

The consultant must be US based. This research role will be remote.

Logistical Support

The consultant (s) will be responsible for organizing their own logistics and research costs; these costs must be reasonably budgeted for in the proposal. A CG-USA staff member will serve as the point of contact and manager for this assessment.
Additionally, the Resilient States Project team will share background materials, including survey data, comparative state desk reviews, and other relevant insights from the Resilient States Project.

Timeline

The contract will span August-September 2025. Candidates should include their anticipated level of effort in their proposal.

Budget

Candidates are encouraged to submit a budget based on deliverables or a proposed daily/hourly rate (with estimated total level of effort) as part of their application.

Required qualifications:

More than five years of experience in a combination of the following areas is required:
Expertise in one or more of the following areas of study: political violence, conflict dynamics, and related socio-political issues in the United States.
Demonstrated strong quantitative and qualitative research and analytical skills.
Excellent writing, editing, and communication skills.
Ability to work collaboratively with diverse groups and individuals, including across political differences.
Familiarity with relevant US data sets.
Experience with threat assessments.
Strong project management skills.

Desirable qualifications

Strong candidates will also possess the following qualities: more than eight years of experience, specifically in analysis within the fields of political violence prevention, peacebuilding, democracy/governance, or the non-profit sector.
In addition, the consultant is required to respect the following Ethical Principles:
Comprehensive and systematic inquiry: The Consultant should utilize the existing information and the full range of stakeholders available at the time of the review. Consultants should conduct systematic, data-based inquiries. They should clearly and in sufficient detail communicate their methods and approaches to enable others to understand, interpret, and critique their work. They should make clear the limitations of the review and its results.
Competence: A Consultant should possess the abilities, skills, and experience appropriate to undertake the tasks proposed and should practice within the limits of their professional training and competence.
Honesty and integrity: Consultants should be transparent about any conflict of interest, any changes made to the negotiated project plan and the reasons for those changes, and any risk that certain procedures or activities may produce misleading review information.
Respect: Consultants should respect the security, dignity, and self-worth of program participants. The consultant has the responsibility to be sensitive to and respect differences among participants in terms of culture, religion, gender, disability, age, and ethnicity.

Selection Criteria

Consultants should include a proposal for review. Consultant proposals will be selected for:
Relevance of their expression of interests as it relates to the applicant’s ability to meet the goal, objectives, and research questions for the assessment;
Qualifications; and
Proposed budget in relation to proposed methodology and deliverables.

Applications

To apply, interested candidates (individuals or teams) are requested to submit the following two documents:

Curriculum vitae.
Expression of intent outlining the following: (1) any relevant research and analysis experience; (2) a budget and/or proposed pay rate; and (3) any other relevant experience as applicable to these terms of reference.

As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the position holder may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key responsibilities.

Ethical Considerations

Consultancy activities should conform to Do No Harm and inclusion principles (i.e., age, gender/gender identity, sexuality, ethnicity, race, religion, ideology, etc.). The consultant will also be asked to sign Search for Common Ground’s Code of Conduct.

In addition, the consultancy should be conducted in a manner that builds and maintains the Resilient States Project’s relationships and legitimacy with partners and actors in the geographical area of study. Nothing in the study design or execution should suggest, or give the appearance of telling, that the Resilient States Project team, its partners, Common Ground USA, or Search for Common Ground as a whole are participating in political activity or lobbying that would violate the requirements of their 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. The Resilient States Project team also requires consultants to maintain a balanced, unbiased, and respectful relationship with all parties involved in the research.