Representation in MSF Visual Materials – Research Consultant Role at Médecins Sans Frontières | Deadline: 15 June 2026
Humanitarian organizations are increasingly re-evaluating how affected communities are represented in visual materials such as photographs, films, and archival content. These materials often shape public understanding, fundraising narratives, and advocacy messaging, but they also raise important ethical questions around consent, ownership, and dignity.
A research consultancy led by Médecins Sans Frontières is focusing on revisiting historical visual archives from Mozambique to better understand how represented communities view these materials today and how future humanitarian communication can be improved.
Why Representation in Humanitarian Media Matters
Visual storytelling has always been central to humanitarian communication. However, it also carries risks if communities are portrayed without context or participation.
Key concerns include:
- Ethical use of archival images and footage
- Community consent and long-term ownership of materials
- Avoiding stereotypes or one-dimensional portrayals
- Ensuring dignity in humanitarian storytelling
- Balancing fundraising needs with ethical responsibility
These concerns are driving a global shift toward more responsible and participatory communication practices.
Purpose of the MSF Research Consultancy
The consultancy focuses on re-examining historical MSF visual materials produced in Mozambique for fundraising and recruitment purposes. The goal is to engage directly with the communities represented and understand their perspectives.
Core objectives include:
- Exploring how communities perceive historical imagery today
- Understanding identity, representation, and lived experience in visual archives
- Co-designing ethical communication approaches with local researchers
- Developing shared ownership models for archival materials
- Informing future humanitarian visual storytelling practices
This approach ensures that communities are active participants in interpreting their own representation.
Decolonizing Humanitarian Visual Archives
A key focus of the research is the decolonization of humanitarian visual materials. This involves critically analyzing how images were created and whose perspectives were prioritized.
Key elements include:
- Reassessing colonial and external narratives in humanitarian imagery
- Amplifying local voices in interpretation and analysis
- Challenging historical power imbalances in storytelling
- Reframing how humanitarian stories are communicated
- Promoting equitable access and ownership of archives
This process supports more balanced and respectful humanitarian communication.
Co-Designing Ethical Research with Communities
The consultancy is built on a participatory research model, meaning local researchers and communities play a central role in shaping the study.
Key activities include:
- Joint development of research methodology
- Collaborative literature review on representation and ethics
- Co-writing research protocols and concept notes
- Community reflection sessions on archival materials
- Shared interpretation of findings
This ensures that research is not extractive but collaborative and inclusive.
Ethical Approval and Research Governance
A major component of the consultancy involves preparing documentation for ethical clearance in Mozambique. This ensures that all research is conducted responsibly and in line with national regulations.
Responsibilities include:
- Preparing ethics submission documents
- Identifying appropriate ethical review bodies in Mozambique
- Managing submission and follow-up processes
- Ensuring compliance with research ethics standards
- Supporting ongoing communication with review authorities
Ethical oversight is central to maintaining trust and accountability.
Required Expertise for the Consultancy
This consultancy requires experienced researchers with strong backgrounds in qualitative research and humanitarian contexts.
Essential qualifications include:
- PhD or advanced degree in anthropology, sociology, or related field
- Experience conducting research in Mozambique or similar contexts
- Strong qualitative and participatory research skills
- Experience with ethical review processes
- Knowledge of humanitarian communication and representation debates
- Fluency in English and Portuguese
These qualifications ensure high-quality, context-sensitive research outputs.
Key Deliverables of the Consultancy
The research consultancy is expected to produce a set of structured academic and operational outputs.
Deliverables include:
- Literature review on representation in humanitarian visual materials
- Co-developed research methodology and ethical framework
- Draft concept note and research protocol
- Submission package for Mozambican ethical review board
- Ongoing progress updates and documentation
These outputs will support future humanitarian communication strategies.
The Role of Participatory Research in Humanitarian Work
Participatory research is increasingly recognized as essential in humanitarian contexts. It ensures that communities are not just subjects of research but active contributors.
Benefits include:
- Stronger ethical accountability
- More accurate representation of lived experiences
- Increased trust between organizations and communities
- Improved cultural relevance of findings
- Shared ownership of research outcomes
This approach strengthens both research quality and ethical integrity.
Challenges in Working with Archival Humanitarian Imagery
Research involving historical humanitarian materials presents unique challenges, especially when dealing with older archives.
Common challenges include:
- Lack of original consent documentation
- Changing ethical standards over time
- Sensitive community reactions to past imagery
- Balancing institutional history with present-day perspectives
- Navigating cultural and political sensitivities
These challenges require careful, reflective, and adaptive research design.
Conclusion
The MSF-led research consultancy represents an important step toward more ethical and participatory humanitarian communication. By engaging communities in Mozambique and re-examining historical visual materials, the project aims to reshape how humanitarian storytelling is understood and practiced.
Organizations like Médecins Sans Frontières continue to explore new approaches to ensure that representation is ethical, inclusive, and grounded in the voices of the people it portrays.
Application Contact
For further inquiries or application submission, interested candidates are advised to contact:
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