A Review of JRCT’s Peace and Security Programme 2016-26

Background

The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust (JRCT) is a long-term funder of charitable work in the UK Peace and Security context. In keeping with the Quaker values of the Trust, our vision is for a world where peace and security are built on values of equality, human rights, justice, and environmental sustainability.

In 2016, the Trust board approved a new Peace and Security Programme policy with three policy areas: challenging militarism; the scrutiny of counter-terrorism measures in the context of human rights and peacebuilding; and building support for alternative approaches to defence and security.  

In 2020 trustees agreed to add an additional fourth theme that prioritised the dual harms of Covid-19 and systemic racism.  These four policy areas each contain several priorities as set out in the latest grants policy and explained below. 

1. Challenging militarism

  • highlights and holds the UK government to account for the human, economic, environmental and
  • security costs of militarised responses to conflict
  • scrutinises and challenges the use of new technology for warfare
  • exposes and challenges the economic drivers of war, especially the arms trade
  • highlights and challenges the culture and values of militarism in the UK
  • promotes conscientious objection to military service as a globally recognised and applied human right.


2. Scrutiny of counter-terrorism measures in the context of human rights and peacebuilding

  • promotes greater transparency and accountability in relation to government counter-terrorism policy
  • challenges state abuses of power in relation to counter-terrorism
  • advocates policy responses to the use of terror tactics which address their underlying causes
  • challenges the use of counter-terrorism policies which foment conflict or undermine opportunities to build peace.

3. Building support for alternative approaches to defence and security

  • articulates and builds support for models of defence and security which address the root causes of
  • conflict and injustice, and which are based on non-violence, dialogue and mediation, human rights and environmental sustainability
  • addresses the risks of nuclear weapons and articulates options for non-nuclear security
  • offers ideas and action on the re-shaping of violent masculinities which underpin the military system
  • promotes the understanding and effective practice of non-violence in social change.

4. Responding to the dual harms of Covid-19 and systemic racism

  • scrutinises and holds the government to account for the short, medium, and long term consequences of its security and counter-terrorism policies in response to the Covid-19 pandemic
  • explores the consequences of UK government’s security and counter-terrorism responses to the Covid-19 pandemic on people and communities of colour
  • enables the development of alternatives to securitised responses to Covid-19 in particular from the perspectives of people and communities of colour and/or through the lens of systemic racism.


The annual spend on the programme increased from approximately £1.5 million a year in 2016 to £2.2 million in 2026.  The current programme portfolio includes around 70 different grantees across the four themes and related cross cutting grants. The grant-making process involves the assessment of applications by programme staff and a grant-making committee of seven members which includes two trustees and five co-optee members, who bring thematic expertise.

The Peace and Security programme also funds some cross-cutting work linked with our other funding programmes. The strategy in the Peace and Security programme, as across JRCT as a whole, is to tackle the root causes of a problem rather than its symptoms.  JRCT’s model is to be responsive to requests from those working on the issues we wish to address, and the Trust is open to funding a range of approaches and methods.  As a registered charity, the Trust is only able to fund charitable work in the programme policy areas.   

The Trust has funded in some of these areas for many years and is willing to take a long-term view on the work. The Peace and Security programme focuses primarily on work that can be seen to demonstrate a significant impact in the UK context, as well as some pan-European work that retains a UK element to the work.

The Programme Review

This review is of the Peace and Security programme policy, and is distinct from another wider strategic review being carried out by the Trust. All programmes at JRCT undertake a review approximately every ten years. JRCT has funded work on Peace in the UK for over a century. 

The aim and purposes of the review:

The overall aim of this programme policy review is to identify learning from the past ten years of grant-making in the Peace and Security programme. The review is to be conducted through an intersectional feminist and decolonising lens with a view to understanding lessons that can be learned from these approaches. 

The review will contribute to the Trust’s understanding of its grantmaking in Peace and Security, and strengthen the understanding of JRCT grantees and the context in which they operate. It will help the P&S committee understand better the persistent and emerging concerns in the UK peace and security context. 

There are three purposes of the review:

1. To learn lessons and understand key successes from the work funded by previous grants made under the existing policy. This will include an analysis of methods used and structural barriers to success.  

2. To understand the programme’s added value and contribution to the Peace and Security sector in the UK

3. To understand the changing context and the persistent and emerging areas of concern for peace and security in the UK context

The outcomes of the review will include:
  • A new understanding of the persistent and emerging concerns in the peace and security context.
  • A mapping of grantees and their methods; what organisations are working on what areas of the policy 
  • Succession planning; including exploring what strategic tools and methods might be needed in the future that are not used today.
  • A new generation; identification of a new generation of people working on peace and security issues.
The role of the consultant
  • The consultant(s) will have monthly check-ins with the programme manager. 
  • The consultant(s) will work with a review steering group, as appointed by the Trust.  
  • The consultant(s) will be responsible for gathering and analysing both qualitative and quantitative data relevant to the programme policy review from JRCT, Peace and Security grantees, and other key actors.  This will include a survey of grantees, learning sessions, and focus groups, and interviews, to be agreed with the review steering group.  
  • The consultant will produce a written report for the Trust on the consultation, and present the findings to the committee. 
Information available from the Trust

Within the programme, we collect annual statistics on our grant-making and receive annual progress reports and closing reports on each grant from those we fund.  Relevant data relating to programme areas can be made available to the successful applicant as needed.  

Audience

The primary audience for the consultation is the JRCT Peace and Security committee and the board of the Trust. The consultation will be shared internally within the Trust with other committees, trustees, co-optees, and staff. It is not expected that the consultation will be shared externally.

Methodology
It is anticipated that the programme review will require:
  • Monthly check-ins with the programme manager
  • Regular meetings with the steering group, as requested
  • Engagement with a selection of grantees and other key stakeholders (for example; funders, subject specialists & unsuccessful applicants).  This may include interviews, learning sessions, focus groups, and written correspondence
  • Engagement with current members and former members of the Peace and Security committee; including trustees, co-optees, and staff
  • Present draft findings to the Peace and Security committee in November
  • A final written report for the consideration of the Peace and Security committee
Timeframe

We anticipate a timeframe of approximately 3 months for the consultation. The work should commence in early September, with the final report due by the end of November.  

Process and delivery requirements
Timeline
  • Application deadline: Friday 28th August 2026
  • Shortlisted applicant interviews: 8th September
  • Notification of decisions: Week commencing 14th September
  • Initial meeting: Week commending 14th September
  • Progress report and short presentation to Peace and Security committee: 12th November
  • Final report: End November
  • We may also request a presentation of final report to Peace and Security committee and/or the Trust board TBC.
     

The consultant will be expected to work closely with JRCT’s programme manager and the steering group throughout the evaluation and to be available to the programme manager for brief monthly updates. The consultant will be expected to take the role of critical friend of the Trust.                                                          

Budget

Please provide an overall budget, including daily rate and number of days required per team member, and any other costs, including expenses related to travel and subsistence or engagement activities as needed. We anticipate an indicative range would be £25,000, including expenses, but will be keen to see value for money in the approach.

Liaison

The consultant’s primary point of contact and support will be David Magee, JRCT’s Peace and Security programme manager. 

Assessment criteria

We are looking for the following from the successful applicant:

1. Skills, experience and knowledge of similar programme reviews. (essential)

2. Knowledge and experience relating to the peace and security context in the UK and the current programme policy themes. (essential)

3. Experience working with trusts/foundations in an advisory capacity. (desirable)

4. Experience of using quantitative and qualitative research skills for surveys, interviews, focus groups, facilitation, data collection and analysis.

5.  Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to build trust and rapport with key audiences.

6.  Value for money.

Requirements for submitting a proposal

Applicants are invited to submit a proposal which sets out their response to the brief, taking account of the assessment criteria above and covers:

  • Overall approach to the project, including methods and plans for delivery in response to this brief (detailing interviews/focus groups etc)
  • Team details including names, roles and responsibilities for all members, brief CVs and overall plans for project and risk management
  • Relevant expertise, track record and credentials for delivering this project
  • Knowledge of the subject areas of the JRCT peace and security programme policy
  • Experience of conducting similar policy reviews
  • Timeline and budget (including breakdown of number of days per person, day rates and any other associated costs e.g. for engagement).
  • Contact details of two referees
  • An example of written work as a hyperlink.

The maximum length of proposals, including short CVs, should be no more than 8-10 A4 pages. It is suggested CVs focus on relevant expertise and are confined to one page per team member.

We are open to proposals from consortia of organisations or individual consultants where clear roles are set out. 

Proposals should be emailed to David Magee – david.magee@jrct.org.uk – by 5pm on Friday 28th August including the subject line Peace and Security Programme Review.

Please contact David Magee with any queries.