Country specialists for international research group on
proportionality analysis

Five half time positions available in the following countries: South
Africa, Canada, Germany, India and Poland.

Academic background: A doctorate degree in law or in one of the fields in
the social sciences (e.g. political science, economics, sociology, psychology);
For researchers without a doctorate degree in law, a strong background in law is
required; Experience (i.e. published works) using social science research
methods: qualitative and/or quantitative (e.g. interviews, archival work,
organizational research, surveys, experiments, etc.).

Each country specialist will be a member of an international group of
researchers headed by the principal investigator (PI). The country specialist
will plan and manage the project’s research activities in his/her country, in
coordination with the rest of the group and the PI (The tasks detailed in this
document can be also divided between two researchers in a country, in
coordination with the PI).

These activities involve:

(1)        Conducting a review of the legal aspects of proportionality analysis
(PA) in her/his country, as part of a comparative legal study that constitutes
an important first stage of the project. This research will be in collaborations
with the research group and the PI;

(2)        Conducting
a study of the policy making process in her/his country with an emphasis on the
existing integration of human rights and proportionality considerations in this
process. This study will also be part of a comparative policy study which will
be undertaken by the research group. This will involve original data gathering
such as interviews with relevant office-holders, archival documents,
participant-observations, and other methods, as will deem appropriate and
practical in coordination with the principal investigator.

The main goal of activities (1) and (2) is to
provide both normative conclusions about the application of PA, as well as knowledge
and ideas regarding potential methods, guidelines, rules, distinctions and
implications (whether general or specific to certain domains), that may be used
to increase the quality and consistency of decisions, based on proportionality
analysis in policy processes.

(3)        Conducting a set of experiments in
her/his respective country. This involves making the scientific and logistic
preparations, preparing and selecting the textual materials (cases), conducting
pilots (where necessary), assessing reliability and validity of measurement
tools, recruiting participants and expert-panel members; securing the physical
location for carrying out the experiments; collaborating with the principal
investigator in adapting the experimental materials to the relevant context of
the specific country; carrying out the experiments in collaboration with the
principal policy researcher; and gathering and securing the raw data (Methodological
training in experimental methods will be provided to the group researchers by
the project).

(4)        Recruiting relevant PhD students and
supervising their research, in coordination with the principal investigator.
Integrating the PhD research plans into the project. The PhD projects will be
able to also include comparative, theoretical, international,
interdisciplinary, etc. – as the relevant students and their supervisors will
find fit, in coordination with the PI.

(5)        The country specialist will participate
in various activities (e.g. meeting, video conferences, etc.), and will take
part in preparing academic publications, as specified in the project work-plan.

(6)        In the final stages of the project each
country specialist will be in charge of summarizing the empirical results of
the research in their respective country, will participate in the analysis of
the comparative results, and the findings in other countries, including
assessment of contextual differences that may be found. Finally, the country
specialist will take part in formulating policy proposals as part of the
concluding discussion of the project.

Please contact Talya Steiner at [email protected] in case you are interested.