Our capabilities
At CIRMI, we offer ethically informed, expert and complementary services across a range of thematic and geographies. This two-dimensional approach enables us to tailor our offer to best meet our client needs and uphold our own high standards of delivery.
At CIRMI we work in the service of our clients. Our services are underpinned by the principles on which the center was founded: to help and inform through expert understanding of local context, ethical procurement and contracting, and a commitment to high quality work. Through our service delivery we fulfil our mission to help clients and communities build trust and understanding as the basis for transformative change.
Our Services
We offer ethically informed, expert and six complementary services, working across all stages of the policy, programme and project cycle.
Our Thematics
We bring subject expertise across seven key thematics, through which we build knowledge and help transform complex contexts
Our capabilities
We aim to bridge the gap between international actors and local communities in Africa. Our desire is to change the nature of the relationship to one based on dialogue and engagement; to improve interventions, programming and policy by grounding them in research, analysis and evidence.
We aim to help transform urban and rural areas, disaster or poverty stricken areas and build stability, accountability and prosperity.
❑ Advisory
❑ Stakeholder Engagement
❑ Project Management & Implementation
❑ Communications & behavioral change
❑ Technical Assistance
❑ Research & Analysis
Our thematic focus areas
We deliver our services across a range of Seven thematics key to transforming complex, fragile and conflict-affected contexts through the generation of stability, accountability and prosperity.
Ethically Delivered, Expert Services
1. Health
Promoting healthy lives and well-being for all is essential to sustainable development as enshrined in Goal 3 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Millions of people suffer ill health and die each year due to preventable and treatable health conditions. This burden increases considerably in conflict and fragile contexts. The provision of life-saving, emergency healthcare and routine health services is fundamental to ensuring survival and providing human security for conflict and disaster struck populations. Rebuilding disrupted health systems is critical for wider state building and economic growth.
CIRMC offers specialised expertise in Health for fragile contexts. We focus on two main areas:
- Our research, evidence and analysis guides clients in effective implementation of health programmes in fragile contexts. Our offer includes political economy analysis, conflict analyses, institutional capacity assessments of health sector stakeholders, assessments of the functions of decentralised systems and specific health reviews. We conduct surveys of health providers, of patient satisfaction, and needs assessments of critical gaps in health coverage. We deliver independent global evidence reviews in areas such as global health threats and maternal health.
- Our monitoring, evaluation and learning services produce the tools to measure the effectiveness, impact and sustainability of programmes and support the learning required to adapt programming and inform policy-making. This includes third-party monitoring through independent results verification and technical analysis support. We apply a mixed methods approach and case studies to carry out short and longer-term rigorous evaluations of programmes delivering health services or strengthening health systems.
- Our communications and advocacy services offers multimedia support, design publications and organise conferences. This ensures that the communities have access to information in time. We apply a mixed multimedia and multiplatform approach to deliver this information.
CIRMC works with a strong network of skilled health evaluation and research experts, ready to deploy world class expertise at short notice. We are also able to offer specialised advisory support on health emergencies, global health security, health resilience and health systems strengthening, plus support to critical health gaps in complex contexts.
2. Gender Equality and Social Inclusion
Ensuring inclusive, safe and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all is essential to sustainable development as enshrined in Goal 4 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Millions of people suffer ill health and die each year due to preventable and treatable health conditions. This burden increases considerably in conflict and fragile contexts. The provision of life-saving, emergency healthcare and routine health services is fundamental to ensuring survival and providing human security for conflict and disaster struck populations. Rebuilding disrupted health systems is critical for wider state building and economic growth.
CIRMC offers expertise in Education for complex contexts. Our work cuts across the humanitarian and development spectrum, with specialised services in three main areas:
- Our research, evidence and analysis provides a variety of services to guide clients in effective implementation of education programmes in challenging and sensitive contexts. We provide insights into the biggest barriers to education. This includes political economy analysis in education and institutional capacity assessments of education sector stakeholders, and assessments of the functions of decentralised systems. We also support qualitative learning assessments, benchmarking of education results, independent reviews of global practices and the generation of evidence on education.
- Our monitoring, evaluation and learning services provide the tools to measure the effectiveness, impact and sustainability of programmes and support learning to adapt programming and inform policy-making. We design and manage monitoring and evaluation for programmes, we conduct third-party and independent verification of education results, carry out surveys to rank school performance and deliver qualitative learning assessments of students. We apply a mixed methods approach (Qual and Quant) and case studies to carry out short and longer term rigorous evaluations of programmes delivering education, youth and skills programmes in a range of contexts.
- Our data and knowledge management provides intelligent and integrated knowledge management solutions, including data collection and analysis and visualisation technologies with integrated GPS mapping tools. We generate on the go data and real time results and create platforms to share data openly.
CIRMC works with a strong network of skilled education evaluation and research experts, ready to deploy world class expertise at short notice. We are also able to offer specialised advisory support on education in conflict and emergencies, education resilience, basic education services in fragile contexts and rebuilding education systems during recovery.
3. Education
Negative attitudes and violent behaviours that discriminate and target women, girls, and minorities continue to be prevalent and wide-spread in many contexts globally. This hostility is a major inhibitor of social, economic and political development and drives marginalisation, suffering and conflict.
Challenge:
Violence against women, girls and minorities is a critical challenge. It represents a serious obstacle to delivering a fundamental human right and a persistent driver of exclusion, poverty and disempowerment. One in three women experience some form of physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. The abuse causes acute psychological, health, social and economic suffering and often has long-term negative consequences within families, communities and wider-society.
What We Do:
Understanding the links between gender equality and social inclusion and peace, stability, accountability and prosperity is fundamental to Integrity’s work.
We integrate a strong gender equality and social inclusion perspective into all our research and programming, making it our business to include hard to reach populations.
We work to understand the particular challenges faced by women, girls and minorities, address the underlying causes, and support their full and leading participation in peace-processes, public services, debate and policy-making, justice and security, cultural expression, donor programming and economic growth.
4. Economic Growth
Thematic:
Sustainable and inclusive economic growth creates opportunities for all segments of society, encourages broad-based participation in defining growth, and distributes the benefits of increased prosperity fairly. This results in positive social outcomes such as good health, jobs and skills, a clean environment and community support.
Challenge:
In order for the widest number of people to benefit from growth, especially marginalised and vulnerable groups, the gains and opportunities must be shared equitably. In post-conflict contexts generating employment is fundamental to strengthening societal bonds and reducing the likelihood of a reversion to violence. Job creation and secure livelihoods are key to generating stability at a community level and effective peace and state-building nationally.
Creating good-quality job opportunities is a key element. Jobs are transformational: they provide household income, raise economic productivity, support investment in children’s health and education, change social and power relationships in society and provide a sense of dignity and well-being. However, creating jobs alone will not deliver inclusivity unless this goes hand-in-hand with building people’s access to these opportunities through increased participation in the growth process and improved education and training.
Ensuring that job creation represents progress to greater economic wellbeing also requires proactive influencing and shaping of the nature of employment opportunities. This includes boosting employers’ demand for skills, shaping the occupational and sectoral make-up of the economy, ultimately pushing up levels of pay and improving terms and conditions of employment. The achievement of inclusive growth for maximum poverty impact must be environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable.
What We Do:
Delivering on inclusive economic growth requires a deep understanding of existing political and economic systems at national, regional and local levels. Integrity provides bespoke research and political economy analysis to deliver the evidence our partners need to understand overarching policy and institutional contexts and inform effective programme decision making.
Our stakeholder engagement teams work with local government, business and community stakeholders to develop and facilitate mutually beneficial and lasting partnerships. We bring private, public and community organisations together to improve market coordination in strategic growth sectors – such as infrastructure investment – to deliver on inclusive growth outcomes.
Our monitoring, verification and evaluation teams capture and comprehend the nuanced, qualitative and long-term causal changes targeted by inclusive growth, market development and livelihoods programming. Through our learning services we drive economic growth programming improvements and develop government capacity to develop an inclusive and socially positive private sector.
5. Civil Society
In contexts, where state institutions are weak, governments and donors increasingly rely on civil society groups to access hard-to-reach populations, provide services, and support social cohesion. International funding is increasingly geared towards empowering, supporting and training civil society to contribute to reforming state-society relations and fostering legitimate institutions.
Challenge:
In spite of this, and sometimes because of it, civil society is under pressure in an increasing number of countries and contexts around the world. This reduction in the space to operate is characterised by diminishing rights and freedoms, restrictive legal frameworks and sanctions, and even intimidation, oppression and violence, targeted against civic organisations, the independent media, and activists and political opposition.
What We Do:
CIRMC works to guide our partners to understand and engage with civil society. We understand that civil society is shaped by its operating context, requiring tailored and considered approaches to understand the different and sometimes conflicting visions, influences and motivations.
We apply mapping and analysis methods to identify different groups and understand their levels of influence, legitimacy and reach to inform sensitive engagement.
Through a nuanced and informed understanding of civil society, we support our partners to engage in training and capacity building support. We support civil society organisations and networks to develop the necessary skills to work with communities, government partners and international donors to deliver projects and programmes and strengthen civic life.
6. Governance
Thematic:
Governance describes how the different organs of the state – executive, legislature, judiciary and military – relate to each other, the private sector, the media and the people. The behaviours and practices between these groups, and related checks and balances, are critical. In particular, there needs to be political space for civil society voice and accountability.
Challenge:
Governance matters, especially in fragile contexts. Formal and informal institutions – rules, norms, behaviours and practices – define how, and for whose benefit, decisions are made and implemented.
Recently, there has been an emerging recognition that there is no ‘one size fits all’. Every country has unique features, including demography, culture, geography and history. However, good governance is underpinned by some core principles, including effectiveness, transparency, accountability and participation.
Good governance, or at least “good enough” governance, is a necessary foundation for achieving all of the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as for supporting stabilisation and state-building objectives in post-conflict settings.
Where the principles of governance are absent or underdeveloped, it is proven that risks of conflict, corruption, inequality and marginalisation increase.
What We Do:
Successful governing systems are grounded in the unique dynamics of each society, and national stakeholders are best placed to drive their own political futures. Integrity’s role is to facilitate and provide relevant expertise in response to local need.
We utilise our extensive expertise in governance and politics in a range of contexts, engage with national stakeholders, and assist them in building effective, accountable governance systems.
Our research, evidence and analysis offers a range of insightful, practical, political research and analysis tools, including our own CAT methodology, mapping the political landscape, analysing key dynamics, and identifying programming risks and opportunities.
Our capacity development team works with national institutions, including the state and civil society, to strengthen participation and accountability, working with local partners and regional experts to ensure genuine ownership and relevance to the context.
Our monitoring, evaluation and learning utilises a range of specific monitoring and evaluation methodologies capable of capturing and understanding the nuanced, qualitative changes aimed at through governance programmes, including over the longer term.
7. Media
Thematic:
Social media and the digital and mobile communications technologies which support its use have disrupted and transformed public discourse everywhere. A wider and more diverse range of voices and views can air. News – including business news – and opinion can be shared phenomenally quickly.
Challenge:
For all the social and economic benefit this can bring, the new social channels have also been disorienting for citizen and consumer audiences, who have had to develop new skills and strategies for distinguishing fact from fiction. ‘Fake news’ can mean the difference between peace and violence, it is vital that trustworthy information is shared through widely accessible media channels.
What We Do:
Working with and through media organisations – with journalists, media owners and political and community leaders – is key to building a sustainable peace in countries experiencing conflict.
CIRMC’s strengths in research, analysis, monitoring and evaluation can support donor-funded media initiatives of all types. We offer local and national level needs’ assessments including audience research and media and social media mapping and monitoring.
We work with media organisations to help them design audience-focused, sustainable projects which can be easily monitored on an ongoing basis, including through web analytics. Working with local partners we offer capacity development programmes for journalists, emphasising an ethical reporting approach which helps build trust with communities and helps keep individual journalists safe from harm.
Our Expertise
Social Impact Investing
We aim to bridge the gap between international actors and local communities in Africa. Our desire is to change the nature of the relationship to one based on dialogue and engagement; to improve interventions, programming and policy by grounding them in research, analysis and evidence.
We aim to help transform urban and rural areas, disaster or poverty stricken areas and build stability, accountability and prosperity.
Foreign Direct Investing Advisory
We specialize in helping investment promotion and economic development agencies, other government organizations and industrial parks to attract and retain FDI. We provide practical knowledge, advice and support across all areas of foreign investment attraction.
Start making better investments today
Call us so you have the data and insights you need to make better decisions