Security Expert

Assignment Description: Prepare and deliver one full-day security training workshop for a group of 25 media professionals (digital content creators and field correspondents) and one full-day security training workshop for the DRI Lebanon staff (12 staff members), and update DRI’s security SOPs, Welcome Pack, and Risk Assessment Matrix.

Assignment Location: 2 days home-based, 1 day in a hotel inside of Beirut and 1 day in a hotel outside Beirut.

Employment Type: Short-term assignment

Assignment Period: July–October 2024

Level of Effort: Four expert days

How to apply: Please send the application documents to [email protected] cc’ing [email protected], by 19 July 2024, 11:59 PM local time. 

Background

Democracy Reporting International (DRI) is a global non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting political participation and democratic governance worldwide. Headquartered in Berlin, Germany, DRI operates across Western Asia and North Africa (WANA), Sub-Saharan Africa, and Europe. It maintains country offices in Tunisia, Lebanon, Libya (operating remotely from Tunisia), the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Ukraine, collaborating with various international and local partners across several countries. In addition to its physical presence, DRI is actively engaged in promoting Digital Democracy in many other areas. 

Since 2016 DRI has been raising awareness and advocating for evidence-based policies and public debates that foster democratic and accountable governance, the rule of law, and political participation in Lebanon, in cooperation with civil society organisations and public officials.

Particularly, DRI is working to expand the democratic space for a civil society-led debate on systemic change in Lebanon, encouraging citizens to actively participate in the governing of their own country in an inclusive and participatory manner.

In the framework of its project entitled: “Independent Voices: Supporting Innovative and Citizen-centric Content Creation in Lebanese Media”, DRI is facilitating collaboration between a network of journalists, media makers, and digital content creators following a rights-based approach to shed light on political reform issues and the expansion of civic space. The project aims at countering mis- and disinformation and the spread of fake news in mainstream media. To do so, we envision a young media community that works together to deliver high-quality media content about topics that are typically overlooked by mainstream media.

In this context, DRI is recruiting a Security Expert to conduct one full-day training to a group of 25 media professionals (digital content creators and field correspondents) to build their security awareness and help them navigate the risks they might encounter while covering news on the field. The expert shall also conduct a full-day security training for DRI Lebanon staff (12 staff members) and update DRI’s security SOPs, Welcome Pack, and Risk Assessment Matrix.

Your duties and responsibilities

Under the supervision of DRI’s Programme manager, the Expert will:

• Develop interactive and detailed training modules, a training session plan, and all accompanying background materials for 2 training days (one expert day);
• Prepare pre- and post-training test modules to be shared with the participants before and after the training sessions, once validated by DRI;
• Deliver a tailored one-day training workshop for up to 25 participants (one expert day), following an interactive, engaging approach, on:

1. Security awareness and response, e.g., challenges in reporting war and crises, field safety, hostile environment awareness training (HEAT)
2. Travel Security
3. Field security awareness/preparedness;

• Deliver a one-day training workshop for DRI Lebanon staff (12 staff members) on security awareness and response (one expert day) including the following:

1. Cybersecurity Awareness and Good Practices
2. Workplace Violence Prevention and Response
3. Physical Security Measures and Protocols
4. Data Protection and Privacy
5. Health and Safety Compliance (please mention what kind of live simulations can be conducted)

• Update DRI’s security SOPs, Welcome Pack, and Risk Assessment Matrix (1/2 expert day);

• Once the training is completed, submit a training report summarising the training outcomes and the pre- and post-training tests results, reflecting the trainees’ increase in knowledge as per the template provided by DRI (1/2 expert day).

Your skills and experience:

• At least 5 years of professional experience in consulting with international organisations in at-risk countries on security issues;
• At least 5 years of proven training experience on security topics;
• Training journalists during their field work on security skills is an asset;
• Deep knowledge of the Lebanese political, cultural, socio-economic, and security context;
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Arabic;