DEADLINE EXTENDED - Monitoring online hate speech

DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 23 NOV 2020, 18H00 PARIS.

United Nations Educational, Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) hereby invite qualified companies to submit electronic offers as follows:  

Research as part of UNESCO’s action within the UN Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech, as well as in the framework of the project “#CoronavirusFacts: Addressing the ‘Disinfodemic’ on COVID-19 in conflict-prone environments”, which is funded by the European Union.

The research should comprise of the following outputs:  
 
1. A toolkit that maps existing methods, resources, and research projects developed to monitor the existence, spread and impact of online hate speech, as well as assessing capacities and practices to counter it. The toolkit, using this benchmarking exercise, should allow users to identify possible methods that they can apply globally, as well as a at country level as part of national monitoring efforts within the UN Strategy and Plan of Action.  
 
This can also include assessment of institutional capacities and practices from a range of relevant actors, including authorities and internet platforms, that are used to detect, mitigate and address online hate speech. The kit should include methods for assessing provisions and measures in law, policy, educational frameworks, institutional resources, and practices, media and internet company practices, as well as other qualitative and quantitative methods deemed relevant for monitoring the presence of online hate speech, its spread and efforts to mitigate it.  
 
In reviewing various methods and approaches, the toolkit should outline information related to the advantages and disadvantages of such methods, to assist in determining the most appropriate and feasible monitoring methods depending on context. 
 
2. A digital platform/tool that can be applied to monitor trends in online hate speech. Based on the benchmarking exercise done for building the toolkit mentioned in item 1, the tool should provide a method for identifying trends in the presence and spread of online hate speech (e.g. globally, by language, a given country or area, and/or by internet platform). The tool should be possible to use to provide information on capacity to detect emergence of, mitigate and address hate speech produced and its use should provide data to help inform the identification of measures to be strengthened in order to address online hate speech, including provisions and measures in law, policy, educational frameworks, institutional resources, and practices, media and internet company practices,. In the design of the tool, preference should be given to methodologies and design that can facilitate its sustainability and use over time and across contexts. In line with UNESCO’s Open Access policy, the tool will be made available under in an open license.  
 
3. Based on a pilot application a of the methodology embedded in the digital tool/platform described in item 2, collect data and  develop content/analysis that contributes to 5 regional briefings on COVID-19-related hate speech (e.g. blame for the spread of the virus, blame for instrumentalization of the virus or taking advantage of government support packages etc.), which can be shared with stakeholders as advised by UNESCO.  
 
4.  A communication plan and associated visibility and outreach. To ensure the visibility of the toolkit and the digital tool/platform, as well as the regional briefings, and the #CoronavirusFacts project, the contractor will submit and implement a communications plan in line with #CoronavirusFacts project visibility requirements for UNESCO and the European Union. Any materials that are produced as part of the project and which include any mention of UNESCO or the European Union must further incorporate disclaimers to be provided by UNESCO.  
 
5. A brief report on communications and visibility implemented under the project.