USAID Civil Society and Media Activity   

Request for Applications (RFA)   

For  

RTI Audit in Madhesh and Lumbini provinces.   

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The Civil Society and Media (CSM) Activity is a five-year program (2022-2027) funded by USAID in Nepal through the CSM-STAND-LWA, with The Asia Foundation as the lead implementer. CSM supports independent civil society and media led by and for targeted women, youth, and marginalized (WYM) communities to advance public interest, fundamental freedoms, and accountability. Most activities will focus in Lumbini and Madhesh Provinces, with some activities implemented in Kathmandu.    

The partnership between National Information Commission (NIC) and USAID CSM aims to counter misinformation/disinformation and build citizens' capacity through training, awareness, and capacity building of public officials responsible for providing information.   

The Right to Information Act came into effect in Nepal in 2007. RTI is a powerful tool for citizens to monitor and evaluate the government's actions and decisions. It allows citizens to access information on how the government spends public money, implements policies, and delivers services. RTI also promotes transparency and accountability in the public sector, which can prevent corruption and improve governance.  In 2016, NIC conducted the first RTI audit of the government in Nepal. The RTI audit measures the status and impact of RTI in the country. It assesses how well the government complies with the RTI Act, how responsive it is to information requests, and how aware and satisfied the citizens are with RTI. The practice of "right to information audit" informs the state and impact of the "right to information."  

The USAID CSM is supporting NIC to conduct an audit of the RTI implementation in four districts (two each) across Madhesh and Lumbini provinces. The audit will assess the compliance and performance of the RTI implementation in these districts. 

Application Timeline:  

Any interested applicant can apply with the aforementioned documents to  [email protected]   with the subject heading RTI Audit “no later than March 31, 2024     

For details RTI audit please click HERE