Call for Advocacy Expert

About Adyan

Adyan is a foundation for managing diversity, promoting solidarity and safeguarding human dignity. We are a group of individuals who want a world that embraces diversity, in which we live together in peace.

We work locally, regionally and globally to achieve Inclusive Citizenship, develop Education on Living Together, activate Religious Social Responsibility, and promote Spiritual Solidarity. We also seek to contribute to Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism and advancing Freedom of Religion and Belief. We work through homegrown solutions in Education, Research, Policy Making, Media, and Community Engagement Networks.

About the project

Adyan implemented the first phase of the project WRL between 2019-2022 and is currently implementing the second phase. WRL II is concerned with enhancing gender equality and human rights in Lebanon. Therefore, the project is contextualized within a human rights framework; by mobilizing the primary target groups, the project aims to promote gender equality by addressing the challenges and barriers PSLs in the MENA region and Lebanon have to women and men's equal access to their rights and push the agenda on necessary amendments on the current 15 PSL's in Lebanon. Furthermore, the project will enhance gender equality and human rights in Lebanon through awareness-raising campaigns, involvement of Bar associations to provide legal aid, and by ensuring that law students, through the university curriculum, learn human rights, gender equality, and issues with PSLs.  

The external advocacy expert/company for WRL II project accepts to work according to the terms of this TOR

Scope of Work/Assignment

The advocacy expert/company will work in direct collaboration with WRL project manager and project experts (if needed) to develop and implement an advocacy plan for possible reforms in religious personal status laws based on the work previously done in the first phase of the project which resulted in publishing a comprehensive report and white paper.

Develop an Advocacy Action Plan to push for amendments with different stakeholders, including a detailed stakeholder's analysis with each sect: This exercise aims to identify community-based religious leaders, concerned legal influencers, and actors in the various Lebanese sects who have a potential role in their communities regarding women-related issues and Personal Status Laws (PSL). The analysis would focus on the part of RLs and actors and their influence in the PSL reform process. The expert would group the actors according to their participation, interest, and impact on the community to prepare the advocacy plan. The Expert would determine how best to involve and communicate with each stakeholder group. The expert will choose five main points from the white papers and the report of WRL I: from the PSL, including issues related to interfaith marriage (custody of children with equal rights regardless of religious affiliation, guardianship to be given to women equally as men, women not seen as having fewer capacities, age of marriage, etc.)  The stakeholder analysis would also leverage the knowledge of these key players to help guide the development of the advocacy plan to a successful outcome. 

Key outcomes:

• Stakeholders Analysis document.
• Advocacy Action Plan document.

Implement the advocacy action plan with relevant stakeholders (MPs, Parliamentary Committees and Civil Society organizations, activists...): this is an implementation of the advocacy action plan developed above. This will include conducting one-on-one meetings with 30 MPs from the Women, Human Rights and Administration and Justice, parliamentary committees, and civil society actors. The aim of the meetings is to raise awareness of the proposed PSL changes and engage them in the action plan to coordinate efforts.

Key outcomes:

• 30 MPs met and were made aware of the PSL changes proposed and expressed commitment and enthusiasm to engage in the process.
• 30 Different Actors (Civil Society organizations, activists, etc...) working in the field invited to participate in the Action Plan and/or coordination of efforts for the advocacy actions through 2 workshops

Consultancy  Deliverables

The roundtable advocacy expert/company for WRL II will be required to work individually and collaboratively to deliver the below:

Deliverable

1- Prepare advocacy plan for engagement with the different stakeholders such as religious leaders, parliamentarians, judges and civil society actors

Workload

2-days

Delivarble: 

2- One on one consultations with stakeholders to develop advocacy action plan and stakeholder analysis document

Workload:

15-days

Deliverable:

3- Stakeholder analysis document

Workload:

3-days

Deliverable:

4- Implementation of the advocacy plan through:

• meeting with different stakeholders including 30 MPs
• Two workshops with 30 civil society actors

Workload

24 working days over the period of 18 months

Qualifications:

• Demonstrated expertise in advocacy strategy development and implementation, preferably in personal status laws
• Strong understanding of policy-making processes, legislative frameworks, and advocacy tactics at local and national levels.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to convey complex issues clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences.
• Proven experience in building and maintaining relationships with stakeholders from various sectors, including government, civil society, and religious leaders.

Personal Attributes:

• Cultural sensitivity and ability to work effectively in cross-cultural settings.
• Flexibility and adaptability to respond to changing project needs and priorities.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate with diverse teams and stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently and manage time effectively to meet project deadlines.

Term and workload

The advocacy expert/company term will start on July 1^st 2024 and will end on December 31, 2025.  The advocacy expert/company is expected to work as per the agreed upon workplan during this period for the project. This TOR maybe renewed

Copyrights and confidentiality

All the data and information shared or produced in the framework of this ToR are exclusively the property of Adyan Foundation. The expert has to commit to full confidentiality related to this project, besides what Adyan makes public from its results. 

Code of conduct

The expert agrees to fully respect Adyan’s ethos and code of conduct that is considered an integral part of this contract, and added to it in Annex.

Application

Interested experts or companies should submit the following documents:

• Curriculum Vitae (CV) detailing relevant qualifications, experience, and achievements.
• Proposal describing the proposed methodology for conducting the advocacy plan and must include : how will the expert/company develop the advocacy plan., conduct the stakeholder analysis and using which tools and pool of contacts.Also how will the expert manage any risk that may arise during the process.
• Financial proposal outlining the proposed daily fee and any additional costs associated with the project.

Evaluation Criteria: Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Relevance and clarity of the proposed methodology.
• Demonstrated experience and achievements in similar projects.
• Qualifications and expertise of the individual consultant or company team.
• Financial proposal including proposed daily fee and cost-effectiveness.

All CVs and proposals must be submitted no longer than the June 5, 2024. Please submit your CV/Proposal electronically to [email protected] with the subject line: "Advocacy Expert - WRL - [Your Name/Company Name]