We lead – Community of Action facilitator Leb-anon Period: 1/4/2021- 1/1/2026, starting with one-year contract. Scope: Lebanon focus on national level, but with regional and international linkages Location: Lebanon Hours: fulltime

JOB CONTEXT

We Lead is a new, inspiring, innovative and far-reaching program aiming to improve the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRH-R) of young women. It focusses on four specific groups of young women: those who live with HIV, who have a disability, who identify as lesbian, bisexual, trans or intersex, and who are affected by displacement. The program truly puts these young women rightsholders in the driving seat, while supporting them to impactful and sustainably advocate for their SRH-R.

The program will be implemented in nine countries in Africa, the Middle East and Central America. The We Lead consortium consists of six civil society organizations (Positive Vibes, Restless Development, Marsa, FEMNET, the Central American Women’s Fund, Hivos). The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also part of the partnership. Hivos is the lead party.

The We Lead program supports young women’s’ groups and organizations. We connect them with one another in local Communities of Action (CoAs) and support and coach them, so that they are better able to advocate for, claim, protect, and promote their SRH-R. For a start, they will localize the overarching We Lead Theory of Change. In each We Lead country, a CoA-facilitator will guide and support the CoAs, and enables, connects and inspires the organizations that participate in this space. We Lead supports the CoAs with funding (through an innovative participatory grantmaking mechanism) and capacity strengthening and coaching initiatives.

The five-year program (2021 – 2025) is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, under the SRHR Partnership Fund.

Main goal of the job

The Community of Action (CoA) facilitator is the linking pin between the different organizations and groups that participate in the CoAs. She/he/they is able to bring organizations and groups together, stimulates collaboration, motivates groups to share experiences, to build SRH-R joint advocacy plans and to undertake coordinated and collaborative advocacy action to improve the SRH-R situation for rightsholders. She/he/they brings good and positive energies, is able to create a safe environment, and is responsible for upholding We Lead values and principles and translating them into practice.

The CoA facilitator is a leading person in facilitating the development and implementation of a localized Theory of Change (ToC), as well as in organizing and facilitating inspiring and useful CoA-meetings that focus on the fulfilment of the ToC. She / he / they will facilitate and support the development and implementation of organizational level and joint project proposals and reports, in line with We Lead guidelines. In doing so, she/he/they will closely work together with relevant consortium-staff, particularly with the project officer of Hivos.

The CoA facilitator preferably is a young person (under 35) preferably from one of the rightsholder groups. She/he/they will be connected with the other CoA facilitators to exchange experiences and learn together. Throughout this process she/he/they will be coached by Restless Development.

RESPONSIBILITIES

RESULT AREAS

RESULT DESCRIPTION

Establishment of Communities of Action

• Brings together organizations of the four rightsholder groups in a Community of Action (CoA). Seeks input, support and active collaboration and participation of consortium members.
• Creates a safe and inspiring space for organizations to share their plans, ideas, expertise and fears in the CoA.
• Facilitates CoA-organizations to jointly localize the We Lead Theory of Change (ToC).
• Facilitates and supports local organizations in the development of their organizational or joint SRH-R advocacy and capacity strengthening plans, which contribute to the fulfilment of the ToC.
• Contributes to the design of the overarching We Lead planning and processes, and particularly to the design of innovative elements of the program.
• Participates in a network with other CoA facilitators for exchange, mutual learning and sharing.

Development and implementation of work plans

• Organizes and stimulates CoA-meetings, both ‘closed’ meetings where only organizations financially supported by the program participate, as well as ‘open’ meetings where other organizations (that bring specific expertise, knowledge, innovation, inspiration) are invited.
• Supports the realization of joint and organizational level SRH-R advocacy activities.
• Supports the realization and facilitation of capacity strengthening and linking & learning activities.
• Ensures a smooth exchange of information as well as collaboration between CoA- members as well as with CoA-members, consortium members and other actors, such as for example the Dutch embassy.

Monitoring & control

• Takes active part in the planning, monitoring and evaluation of CoA activities.
• Keeps an eye on progress towards established goals in CoAs, and in the organizational level or joint project plans, and flags with Hivos’ management team when problems arise.
• Relates progress to the overarching We Lead plans.

Coordination and collaboration

• Throughout the process of project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, the CoA facilitator plays a proactive role in stimulating coordination between the organizations that participate in the CoA, as well as with relevant organizations that are not part of the Community of Action, the host organization, and consortium members.
• Actively contributes to and supports activities at the national and regional level, such as research, advocacy campaigns, learning events, etc.

Sharing, learning, and quality improvement

• Identifies, analyses and highlights success and good practices, as well as potential risks and problems.
• Proposes solutions for identified problems and follows-up on those.
• Contributes to identifying and sharing positive stories.
• Collaborates with the CoAs, the consortium members, and Hivos’ capacity strengthening officer, in the design and realization of exchange and learning events.
• Contributes to reflection and learning on both the national and regional level, as well as on the wider programmatic level.

REQUIREMENTS

This position is for nationals or residents of the concerned country.

The CoA-facilitator:

• Has expertise in and a passion for working on sexual and reproductive health ánd rights (SRH-R) and / or working with one or several of the rightsholder groups.
• Has a progressive and positive view on rightsholders’ SRH-R 
• Has experience in SRH-R advocacy
• Believes in We Lead values, and is accountable to them.
• Is keen on ensuring ownership by local, young, rightsholder-led, organizations, and in finding innovative and creative solutions to realize goals.
• Preferably is a young person, and preferably identifies as part of one of the rightsholder groups.
• Gets energy when she/he/they can bring people and organizations together around a shared goal.
• Has the confidence to manage and facilitate groups and loves to do so.
• Is able to establish productive and innovative collaborations, including between organizations, groups and persons that maybe do not always work together.
• Is a good communicator, with strong inter-personal skills, and natural empathy.
• Is self-aware and possess a comfort with their own identity and a diverse range of other identities, such as sexual and gender identities
• Is committed, able to build others trust and keep confidences, and takes responsibility for personal performance
• Flexible attitude, creative, innovative, sense of humor.

• Relevant degree or comparable work experience, and academic level of working and thinking.
• Minimum of three to five years of relevant working experience on SRH-R, and / or in working with young people, and / or in programme design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
• Experience with or an appetite for working in international teams.
• Lived experience as a part of one or more of the rightsholder groups is an asset.
• Full professional proficiency in English and Arabic. 

We prioritize applications of young women and/or persons that belongs to one or the rightsholder groups.