Communications Expert - Empowering Civil Society Organizations Program

About the Assignment

• Search for Common Ground (SFCG) is seeking an experienced consultant with the requisite knowledge, skills, and attributes to support the Empowering Civil Society Actors initiative. The consultant will provide technical support and strategic advice on the communication, particularly focusing on building a communication strategy and implementing a dissemination plan for existing and future content.


One of the objectives of the Empowering Diverse Civil Society Actors project is to support an existing network of civil society actors in the region, which connects over 800 members on an online platform. The project builds on the learnings from previous years of implementation by certain organizations, fostering safe, inclusive, and collaborative engagement for diverse civil society actors. This platform, led by women, facilitates discussions among civil society actors on the following:


• Promoting social cohesion between communities through regular thematic dialogues.
• Improving aid effectiveness through dialogue processes with civil society.
• Ensuring that grassroots voices are heard by the international community

Consultancy Summary

• The main objective of this consultancy is to develop a comprehensive communication strategy and action plan tailored to the goals of the network. The strategy will focus on building a recognizable brand, engaging stakeholders, and ensuring impactful communication that aligns with the network’s mission.


The Communication Consultant will perform the following tasks:
• Conducting a communications needs assessment with the facilitators and advisors of the network to identify the initiative's strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities.
• Developing a communication strategy document that includes:
• 1. Visual identity guidelines
• 2.  Key messaging aligned with the organization’s vision and goals.
• 3.  Audience segmentation and engagement strategies.
• 4.  Brand positioning and tone guidelines.
• 5.  Social media and digital outreach strategy.
• 6.   Media engagement plan.
• Creating a communication action plan with timelines and priorities for implementation based on the available budget.
• Providing a set of communication tools and templates that the organization can use for consistent messaging.
• Coordinate with SFCG and other external consultants to initiate the main priorities identified within the action plan (such as website, social media channels, etc.)
• Facilitate sessions with network facilitators and advisors, to present the findings of the communication strategy and discuss the way forward for improvements and addressing gaps.
• Compile feedback from all stakeholders into an action plan to inform the revision and improvement of the communication strategy
• Provide technical support and capacity building (in Arabic) for the network facilitators as part of the handover of the findings and the optimized communication strategy.

Deliverables

• A brief communication needs assessment report.
• Draft communication strategy and action plan.
• Finalized communication strategy document and tools/templates.
• Training sessions and validation sessions for network’s facilitators.


Note: the deliverables need to be available in both Arabic and English.

Timeline

• The consultancy will start in November 2024 and will end in January 2025 (Exact dates to be determined in agreement with the consultant)

Requirements & qualifications

• The consultant should have the following expertise and qualifications:
• Excellent knowledge and expertise  in communications, public relations, marketing or related fields.
• Proven experience and proficiency in communication strategy building and implementation particularly for civil society or non-profit organizations.
• Strong knowledge of community engagement and digital communication tools.
• Good knowledge and experience in advocacy, peacebuilding, dialogue processes, and related fields of work.
• Strong knowledge and experience in working with civil society in the MENA region.
• Significant professional experience working with Arabic and English-speaking participants
• Experience working with and providing technical support to civil society organizations
• Excellent training skills (in-person and online training)
• Experience in working in the MENA region.

Submission of proposals

• The application should include:
• Technical Proposal
• Financial Proposal

Requirements for the Proposals

• Technical Proposal
• A brief outline of the communication strategy and implementation approach and methodology
• A proposed work plan and timeframe for the assignment, delineating the phases, the duration of workdays
• Identification of potential challenges and dependencies likely to affect the assignment implementation, along with proposed solutions
• A description of the strategies to ensure good quality throughout the assignment
• An account of relevant previous assignments that showcase the required skills and experience outlined above
• Contacts of at least three references


Financial Proposal
• The consultant shall furnish a budget breakdown, delineating consultant fees and logistical expenses. The financial proposal should include provisions covering all costs associated with the assignment, including applicable taxes in USD.