Call for Tender

21/04/2026

Research Partner for Impact Evaluation of Multistakeholder Online Learning on Hate Crime and Hate Speech

Facing Facts Online | April 2026

Background

Facing Facts, coordinated by CEJI – A Jewish Contribution to an Inclusive Europe, is a multi-stakeholder Network of civil society organisations and public authorities working to better understand and address hate crime and hate speech through research, training and advocacy. Our online learning programmes, hosted by Facing Facts Online, have been running since 2015 and draw on the latest research and policy developments in the field. This work is funded by the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme of the European Commission.

Research is central to the Facing Facts Network action plan. A key priority for the next two years is to evidence the impact of our programmes through an academic evaluation partnership. In 2024, we published Learning about Hate Crime & Hate Speech Online: Needs & Motivations of a Multi-Stakeholder Community of Practice, a research report examining the evidence and policy gaps regarding digital learning for police, criminal justice and civil society professionals in the context of hate crime and hate speech. Among its central recommendations was the need for robust evaluation frameworks — gathering and sharing empirical data on what works in online learning for this community of practice. This call builds directly on that work.

To date, no major provider of training on hate crime and hate speech has published comprehensive evaluations of the impact of their programmes. Addressing this gap is a strategic priority. Our findings will be presented at a conference planned for 2027 and will subsequently be shared through publications, policy briefs, and practitioner resources, with the aim of translating research into improved hate crime and hate speech response systems across Europe.

Research Focus

The research aims to evidence the impact of the Facing Facts Online programmes, with a particular focus on the impact of multistakeholder learning and collaboration. Our 2024 research identified this as an area of both strategic importance and significant evidence gap. While guidelines from the European Commission, the UN and other international bodies encourage collaboration between law enforcement and civil society, there remains very little empirical data on how this collaboration can best be supported in an online learning environment, or what outcomes it produces.

The study will centre on the ‘Fair Policing in the Context of Hate Crime’ course and will investigate outcomes across selected impact dimensions to be confirmed in an initial workshop with the selected partner. These could include:

Attitude change among participants
Effectiveness of the learning programme
Relevance of the content
A fourth area to be identified in collaboration with the selected partner

The research will employ a pre–post design survey, measuring participants perceptions across the selected dimensions before and after taking part in a selected online training programme with a six-month follow-up. The research can also draw on existing LMS data .

A longer-term ambition is to explore whether the programme contributes to improved outcomes for victims, including victims’ experiences with police. The selected partner will help scope the feasibility of incorporating such an ‘in-the-field’ dimension into the research design.

Scope of Work

We are looking for a research partner who will work collaboratively with the Facing Facts team to design and implement these research aims. Applicants are invited to propose their own approach to achieving the research objectives set out above. We are particularly interested in how applicants would address the following:

Identifying and measuring impact: How would you identify the most meaningful areas of expected impact for this programme and what tools or methods would you use to measure change?
Research design: What research design would you propose to evaluate the effectiveness of the programme across different learner groups.
Multistakeholder learning: How would you approach the specific challenge of evaluating outcomes in a multistakeholder learning environment, where participants come from different professional backgrounds (law enforcement, civil society, equality bodies) with different motivations and starting points?
Use of platform data: The Facing Facts Online platform has existing data from our cohorts, including course completion rates, tutorial attendance, weekly assignment submissions, and forum participation. We expect the selected partner to develop a clear strategy for integrating this data into the final research design.
Deliverables: What outputs would you commit to delivering, and over what timeline? We expect as a minimum an interim report (early 2027) and a final report with findings ready for publication by autumn 2027. Finally we expect the research partner to co-present with us the findings of the research in a thematic conference in Dublin in October 2027.

Facing Facts will be responsible for recruiting participants and providing access to relevant platform data. The selected partner will be expected to work closely with us throughout the project, participating in regular check-ins and contributing to the dissemination of findings.

Timeline

The contract will run for 12 months across 2026 and 2027. Key fixed points in the timeline are:

May-August: research design developed, agreed and finalised with Facing Facts team
September–October 2026: The Fair Policing course runs; data collection should be planned around this window
Early 2027: Interim report expected
Autumn 2027: Publication of final findings

Profile of the Research Partner Sought

Essential:

Demonstrated expertise in learning sciences, educational psychology, or a closely related field
Experience with online learning, online learning research and online learning design.
Experience with learning analytics and LMS-integrated evaluation.
Experience in designing and implementing pre–post quasi-experimental research studies
Experience in identifying and adapting psychologically validated measurement tools (e.g. attitude scales, self-efficacy measures)
Excellent written English and ability to communicate findings to non-specialist audiences

Highly desirable:

Familiarity with online learning evaluation frameworks (e.g. Kirkpatrick Model) and instructional design approaches such as ADDIE
Experience researching professional communities of practice, particularly in a human rights, law enforcement, or civil society context
Knowledge of the hate crime and hate speech policy and training landscape in Europe
Experience working with EU-funded projects

Budget

The maximum budget available for this contract is €35,000 (including VAT), covering the full scope of work described above over 12 months (2026–2027). Applicants are invited to submit a detailed cost breakdown as part of their proposal.

Application Process and Deadline

Interested researchers and research institutes are invited to submit the following:

A CV or institutional profile (maximum 4 pages)
A motivation letter outlining your suitability and approach to this research (maximum 2 pages)
A detailed budget breakdown
A maximum of two relevant written samples (e.g. publications, evaluation reports)

Applications should be submitted to melissa.sonnino@ceji.org by May 12th Following a review of all submissions, shortlisted candidates will be invited for an online interview during the week of May 25th, which will include a short methodology presentation (15–20 minutes) outlining their proposed research approach. We aim to notify all applicants of the outcome of the initial selection within two weeks of the deadline.

Facing Facts is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from individuals and institutions of all backgrounds. We particularly encourage applications from researchers with lived experience of the issues addressed in our programmes.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be assessed against the following criteria:

Quality and clarity of the written proposal
Demonstrated expertise and relevant experience of the applicant or institution
Suitability and rigor of the proposed research approach
Understanding of the Facing Facts context and the specific challenges of multistakeholder online learning
Value for money

Facing Facts is coordinated by CEJI – A Jewish Contribution to an Inclusive Europe

Facing Facts is co-funded by the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (2021–2027) of the European Union

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