Outreach and Advocacy Expert

Terms of Reference

Outreach and Advocacy Expert

Integrating Gender into Lebanese Institutions (IGLI)

Background:

 Oxfam in Lebanon (OiL) has been delivering programmes and creating impact in Lebanon since its inception in 1993. With three offices in Beirut, Zahle and Tripoli and programmes all across the country, Oxfam in Lebanon is active in the sectors of Inclusive Economic Development, Humanitarian Response and Resilience, and Good Governance, with Gender Justice as well as Climate Justice a cross-cutting priority. In addition, its Policy, Advocacy, and Influencing work is based on programme evidence, continuous political economy analyses, and tackles key issues related to poverty and rights in its engagement with external and internal stakeholders.

In Lebanon, the combined effects of years long economic crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Port of Beirut explosion, and a dysfunctional government have eroded the economic and business environment, leading to the closure of numerous businesses including MSMEs, exacerbating unemployment and poverty.

The Spring 2021 Lebanon Economic Monitor¹ found that Lebanon’s economic and financial crisis ranks among the worst economic crises globally since the mid-nineteenth century.

In addition to the notable lack in policies, when they do exist, there is an evident absence of gender mainstreaming within these policies and reform initiatives. Amid this turmoil, it is essential to recognize that the impacts of economic instability are disproportionately borne by women. Women in Lebanon face significant barriers to economic participation, ranging from unequal access to employment opportunities and financial services to limited representation in decision-making processes.

Objective of the consultancy

To address these challenges, and under the GAC funded project titled “Integrating Gender into Lebanese Institutions (IGLI)”, and with support and coordination with UNDP, OiL is aiming to establish a Feminist Socio-Economic Working Group (FSEWG), which seeks to bring forward and push for economic reforms that will not only support in revitalizing Lebanon's economy but also aims to dismantle the structural impediments that hinder gender equality. By promoting gender responsive and transformative economic reforms, enhancing access to education and skills training, and fostering an enabling environment for women entrepreneurship, this initiative aims to address the root causes of gender disparities in economic outcomes. The aim is to collaborate closely with women economic experts, government institutions, and think-tanks to ensure a multi-stakeholder approach that fosters inclusivity and accountability. By integrating gender-responsive policies into economic reform efforts, OiL and UNDP aspire to create a more equitable and resilient Lebanon where women play a central role in driving sustainable economic recovery and growth.

To this end, OiL is seeking to recruit an outreach and advocacy expert to lead on the creation, of the FSEWG as well as on the design of its mandate, priorities and ways of working. This entails mapping potential members and leading on the inception of the working group, including coordinating and facilitating the work of the FSEWG on priority policy areas for the group to work on. The expert will also be expected to codesign, with the FSEWG members, an advocacy action plan for reforms prioritized by the FSEWG, and support in its implementation.

Expected Tasks

The consultant is expected to:

• Participate in mapping, identification and selection of members: Support OiL in the mapping, identification, outreach and selection, based on pre-set criteria of members and potential members for the FSEWG, including participating in the selection process..
• Lead the Inception phase: Reach out to potential working group members, coordinate and call for a meeting/workshop to launch the FSEWG. Design and lead on the inception workshop to guide and support the drafting of a unified mission and goals and validating the two out of three pre-selected macro and microeconomic priorities. The main objective of the inception meeting is to align on unified mission and goals and validate and prioritize two macro and microeconomic priorities for the FSEWG. The meeting will also confirm the commitment of the participants to the FSEWG and a finalized list of members.
• Produce a report on FSEWG creation and Inception: A brief report summarizing the methodology used to create the FSEWG and identify its goals and priorities.
• Design and implement a two-day workshop for advocacy action plan cocreation: In collabroation with the Gender and Economic Reforms expert, organize one strategic two-day workshop to develop a targeted advocacy action plan for the identified policy reform areas, detailing specific objectives, stakeholder engagement strategies, and a clear division of roles for FSEWG members. Building on Oxfam’s guide to feminist influencing, the expert will lead on the cocreation of compelling advocacy messages that encapsulate the core gender reforms adopted by the FSEWG. The expert will also support on and document the implementation of the advocacy workplan, including at least 3 meetings with relevant stakeholders and the design and implementation of an interactive multi-stakeholder event to lobby for the reforms prioritized by the FSEWG.
• Produce a report on advocacy plan creation and implementation: The report shall cover the approaches and documentation of the advocacy plan creation and implementation, including the outcomes and suggest ways forward for the FSEWG to pursue their selected reforms further.

Timeline and expected number of days

The consultant is expected to provide the deliverables within a period of 5 months spanning July to December 2024 with the expected number of days expected per task as follows:

Task

Expected Number of Days

Expected Start Date

Mapping, identification, and selection of members

7

8-July

Facilitation of Inception Workshop

8

12-Aug

Report on FSEWG creation and Inception

7

19-Aug

Facilitation of a Two-day workshop for advocacy action plan cocreation

10

7-Oct

Facilitation of at least 3 advocacy meetings with relevant stakeholders includign but not limited, policy-makers, relevant governmental officials, economists, etc.

5

4-Nov

Facilitation of a  multi-stakeholder advocacy event

10

18-Nov

Final Report on progress , status, outcomes and deliverables of the Inception phase.

8

2-Dec

Total

55 Days

Consultant qualifications:

This consultancy should be led by a person (or persons/company) with:

• Prior experience in advocacy work in Lebanon
• Prior experience working on outreach and coordination
• Knowledge of the CSO landscape in Lebanon
• Experience in organizing and facilitating workshops
• Excellent communications skills in English and Arabic
• A familiarity or direct experience in Gendered Political and Economic Reforms work is preferred
• Flexibility and ability to take initiative
• Availability to start immediately

Payment and instructions for interested consultants:

Payment will be done in three instalments. Details and schedule to be discussed at contract stage.

Note that payment will be made based on the budget in the offer (not based on actual expenses incurred by the consultant). No receipts will be requested from the consultant towards the end of the contract.

CODES OF BEHAVIOUR:

The process will be directed by Oxfam’s guidelines for the ethical conduct of evaluations and research, guiding the team of consultants through careful consideration of the key ethical implications at every stage of the harvest. These guidelines are available at this link: http://policy-practice.oxfam.org.uk/publications/undertaking-research-with-ethics-253032

SHARING AND USING FINDINGS:

The final reports will be shared internally with Oxfam staff and affiliates and UNDP and GAC and other relevant actors and organizations. The findings will be used to inform future efforts.

DISCLOSURE:

Although free to discuss with the authorities on anything relevant to the assignment, under the terms of reference, the consultant is not authorized to make any commitments on behalf of Oxfam. All data collected as part of this consultancy belongs to Oxfam and public dissemination of the data and findings and recommendations can only be done with the written consent of the Oxfam.

SCORING CRITERIA:

Bids from interested consultants will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

1. Technical:

a.   Meeting Required Specifications

b.   Value for money

c.   Reliability of supply

d.   Availability and delivery

e.   Supplier Performance

2. Financial offer

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (EOI):

Oxfam invites EOI from individuals, groups and companies with the experience and skills described above. The EOI must include:

1. A CV for the consultant/company
2. A maximum 2-page document outlining previous Advocacy, Policy And Economic Reform work (along with an explanation of the purpose of the work, who the contracting authority was)
3. A short document outlining the proposed methodology and workplan
4. A sample report
5. A one-page budget of the offer, covering all major anticipated costs (see section above on what costs should be included in the offer)

Please submit the EOI and other documents by June 30^th, 2024 at the latest, to [email protected] with “Outreach and Advocacy Expert” in the subject line.

All questions or clarifications of a technical nature are to be sent to  [email protected]