communication expert

Expertise France (EF) is a public agency created on the 1st of January 2015, and it has joined AFD Group as of January 1, 2022. EF offers program engineering and technical assistance by developing and implementing international cooperation actions worldwide. Expertise France is the French public agency for international technical assistance.

Project: Supporting progress in key areas of public administration reform in Lebanon

Since 2019, Lebanon has been facing one of the worst economic crises globally since the mid-nineteenth century according to the World Bank, with 2 major events intensifying its impact, the COVID-19 pandemic and the Beirut port explosion in 2020. As the financial and economic situation unfolds, the downfall can be seen in all of the country’s aspects, from the availability of state services to the functioning of public administrations. Understanding the extent of this downfall requires an overview of several key facts that could represent Lebanon’s new reality.

Lebanon has also been facing political and economic crises for several years. The country has a complex political system that is based on power-sharing arrangements among its religious sects. However, this system has led to political gridlock, corruption, and a lack of accountability, which has resulted in a deteriorating economic situation and social unrest. The political deadlock in Lebanon refers to the ongoing inability of the country's political leaders to form a functioning government. This deadlock has been repetitive and has always persisted for multiple months and sometimes years.

The country’s worsening context has severe consequences on all sectors, with Lebanese public administrations being the most affected due to the reduction of available public funds. This has affected the core of public services and the basic functioning of administrations.

A new EU Program Action started in December 2023 that aims to support progress in key areas of public administration reform in Lebanon through enhancing the integrity, transparency and accountability of its public administration aligned with the principles of a modern public administration. It consists of three outcomes:

1. Safeguarding integrity of the public administration, mainly in the area of public human resources management (i.e. civil service reform);
2. Enhancing transparency in public administration systems, mainly in the area of public procurement at central and local level (i.e. public financial management reform) and access to public information (i.e. accountability);
3. Strengthening accountability of the administration by reinforcing the role of the main oversight bodies (i.e., Central Inspection Board, Court of Audits and National Anti-Corruption Commission) in implementing reform, fighting and preventing corruption.

The Outputs to be delivered contributing to the outcome 2 on public procurement reform are:

2.1. Centralized and decentralized public procurement systems more transparent by setting up the e-procurement platform;

2.2 Skills of procurement officers and stakeholders enhanced and public procurement function created;

2.3 The public procurement system is regulated by an independent authority committed to the principles of transparency, fair treatment of all bidders and equal opportunities to participate;

2.4 The role of civil society organizations in supervising and monitoring public procurement enhanced.

Needs justification

Albeit the financial crisis, almost all Lebanese governmental entities have suffered from budget cuts that affected negatively. The complications have multiplied with the financial crisis and political gridlock in the country, leaving most public administrations in dire need of support.

The PPA, officially established on July 29, 2022 in accordance with the law, is a public procurement regulatory authority, whose missions defined by article 76 of law 244/2021, and include:

• Assistance and control of contracting entities in their public procurement operations.
• The variation of the law in secondary legislation.
• The definition of national public purchasing policies.
• The creation of public buyers’ professions and the definition of a national training policy.
• The establishment of an e-procurement system.
• International cooperation in public procurement.

The project aims to support the PPA in enhancing its communication with the public administration and international community, building trust among stakeholders, and facilitating meaningful policy discussions, ultimately strengthening its effectiveness and impact in public procurement processes.

To achieve this objective, Expertise France will rely on an expert specialized in communication, with experience in working with public administrations, to develop a communication strategy for the authority as a corner stone for its work in the few years ahead, and to carry out other communication related tasks while transferring knowledge to the PPA team.

1. Objectives and desired results
   1. General objective

       The Procurement Authority is responsible for managing and overseeing the procurement processes within the republic of Lebanon. Effective communication and policy dialogue are therefore essential for the PPA to enhance transparency, engagement, and inform decision-making.

1. 1. Specific objectives

• • The PPA has a comprehensive communication strategy outlining objectives and approaches
  • The PPA is able to communicate across diverse channels
  • The PPA is able  to disseminate adequate and wide information on public procurement system implementation progress and challenges
  •  
  • The PPA is present on social media platforms
  • The capacity of PPA staff is enhanced in communication  
  • Internal communication with Lebanese public entities to reduce the great reluctance to change and external communication to donors, CSOs and Lebanese citizens is enhanced

1. 1. Anticipated results

• • The transparency of the public procurement system is enhanced
  • Outreach and engagement with stakeholders is enhanced

1. Description of the expert’ mission and Deliverables

To support the PPA in enhancing its communication, EF will rely on a communication expert to support the communication activities of the PPA. Under the supervision of the Team Leader and in close coordination with the component manager and the PPA team, the expert will draft and contribute to the implementation of a communication and visibility strategy outlining objectives and approaches.

1. 1. Scope of Work

At the request of the PPA president, the selected communicationExpert will be responsible for:

• Draft a communication and visibility strategy outlining objectives and approaches;
• Propose communication tools, including digital
• Assist the PPA in producing and disseminating communication initiatives across diverse channels such as newsletters (issued monthly or every three months), leaflets, brochures, press releases, and articles;
• Create content, in coordination with the PPA team, to feed the news section of the PPA website;
• Enhance outreach and engagement of the PPA with stakeholders through internal communication with Lebanese public entities and external communication to donors, CSOs and Lebanese citizens.
• Ensure the transfer of knowledge to PPA staff to be able to handle communication at the end of the expert mission