About us
Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) is the National Chapter of Transparency International (TI), the leading global movement against corruption with more than 100 Chapters worldwide. TISL raises awareness of the damaging effects of corruption and works with partners in government, business, civil society and stakeholders to develop and implement effective measures to tackle it.
Background and Terms of Reference
TISL is seeking a qualified research consultant/team to undertake a qualitative study of Sri Lanka’s law-making process. This study aims to assess the current law-making landscape, process, regulatory and bureaucratic gaps, evaluate the quality, adherence to constitutionality, participatory governance, pre-enactment processes and approvals and propose reform recommendations that align with good governance and international best practices.
The legislative foundation of governance in Sri Lanka faces significant integrity concerns. The law-making process is characterized by procedural shortcuts, limited to no expert, Civil Society or public vetting, absence of participatory process and a lack of constitutional adherence. This fosters legislative vulnerability, creating a potential for abuse of due process, power and for state capture, where legislation is advanced to benefit vested political interests rather than the greater public interest. The haste in which key legislation is enacted or amended, at times through the circumvention of established institutional checks and balances, has resulted in laws that are often deficient, ill-suited for purpose, and violative of constitutionally protected rights.
This assessment therefore, aims to move beyond a procedural review to provide a qualitative analysis of legislative integrity through a good governance and accountability lens. By critically examining how laws have been amended/made, and how that process may be compromised, this assessment seeks to establish an evidence base for the formalization of a robust, democratic, rights-respecting, corruption-resilient and institutionalised law-making process for Sri Lanka
Scope of Work
The assessment will involve a rigorous examination of Sri Lanka’s current law-making process. It will identify procedural shortcuts, quality of expert, Civil Society or public vetting, pre-assessments (e.g., Regulatory Impact Assessments, Anti-Corruption, Human rights/Gender Impact Assessments) and constitutionality, key regulatory and procedural gaps that hinder an effective participatory process including a review of various stakeholder-specific participatory challenges.
Literature Review and Case Selection: in-depth review of scholarship, petitions, judicial pronouncements, impact research and civil society reports on the law-making process with a representative sample of case studies.
Examine the legislative record of sample cases, including parliamentary/committee proceedings, Hansard reports, gazetted bills, evidence of pre-legislative impact assessments or post-enactment review, and of public consultation (or lack thereof), including official records, CSO reports, and media coverage.
Map the law-making stages to identify corruption vulnerabilities, potential for undue influence, and for weak checks and balances.
The assessment will involve to gather a wide range of perspectives. A key component is the benchmarking of Sri Lanka’s law-making process against international best practices with actionable reform recommendations.
Requirements
- Background in Law, Public Policy, Governance, or a closely related field.
- Deep, demonstrable knowledge of legislature and legislative process processes, governance structures, and political economy and anti-corruption concepts in Sri Lanka.
- Ability to carry out both qualitative and quantitative data analysis.
- Proven track record in designing and leading high-quality qualitative assessments/research, including interviews, surveys, and data analysis.
- Demonstrable experience in legislative/governance studies or anti-corruption research will be an added advantage.
- Excellent command of the English language, with strong academic and report-writing skills.
- Strong organisational and communication skills.
- Proficiency in Sinhala for engaging with KIIs and ability to engage in Tamil will be highly desirable.
- Ability to effectively summarize and present research findings.
- Proven commitment to professional integrity, objectivity, and ethical research standards.
Deliverables
Inception Report- Detailed methodology with assessment criteria, work plan, and timeline
Interim Report- Preliminary assessment, detailed analysis of legislative process vulnerabilities with in selected case analysis, KII summaries, and findings.
Draft Assessment Report- Comprehensive analysis addressing all objectives
Final Assessment Report- Finalized, edited report incorporating feedback from stakeholders, and TISL ready for public dissemination, including a concise Executive Summary.
Interested candidates are welcome to submit their proposals on or before 17th November 2025 to join this project, working alongside the Advocacy and Research team of TISL.
Please send in your proposal, including the following, to tisl@tisrilanka.org.
- Technical proposal outlining methodology, work plan, and timeline.
- CVs of the lead consultant, and key team members (if available).
- Financial proposal detailing consultancy fees and any anticipated costs.
- Samples of previous work.
We look forward to collaborating on this important initiative!
(+94) 772040577.