Technical Assistance for the CSSM Round 3 Programme-Level Indicator Survey

The Coastal States Stability Mechanism (CSSM), known in French as the Mécanisme de Stabilité des États Côtiers (MSEC), supports stability and resilience in northern Benin, Ghana and Togo. To understand how conditions are changing, CSSM tracks community perceptions and experiences in five areas: security, contact with security forces, public services, social cohesion and economic outlook. It does so through quantitative household surveys and focus group discussions in its areas of intervention. Round 1 took place in May–June 2025. Round 2 followed from December 2025 to January 2026, covering over 20 localities with over 4,000 household surveys. Changes between rounds were tested statistically. CSSM is preparing Round 3 and seeks an independent firm to support this initiative. CSSM will lead training and fieldwork. The firm will design the methodology and tools, provide quality assurance, and analyse and report on the findings. Round 2 identified improvements for Round 3: clearer behavioural measures of social cohesion; service use measured separately from general perceptions; deeper questions on barriers to contacting security forces; consistent time frames; more open-ended questions and better probing and recording of quotes; one harmonized codebook; better coverage of peripheral villages; stable demographic targets and minimum subgroup samples; and recontact of earlier respondents where feasible. Round 3 must remain comparable with earlier rounds. Any change to a core indicator must keep a bridge item: a question that allows comparison with earlier rounds.