Strategic Advocacy Consultant

The Role:

We are seeking a short-term strategic advocacy expert to support the development of a regional LGBTQI advocacy framework for its project Etihad. Etihad is an alliance of CSOs that work together to increase acceptance of LGBTQI rights in the MENA region. IWPR is planning six local, two-day workshops in its countries of operation to discuss local and regional LGBTQI advocacy challenges, opportunities and priorities and produce a regional advocacy framework to serve as a platform for its future collaborative activities.

This is a 10-15 working day assignment that will be carried out over the period of 2 months.

You will:

In the role the strategic advocacy expert will engage with IWPR, its partners and other stakeholders to:

1. Support IWPR and its partners to plan for the above-mentioned workshops by:

- Producing a brief overview of the current LGBTQI advocacy landscape in Etihad’s 6 countries to set the background for subsequent discussions. Through desk research and other agreed methods, map existing LGBTQI advocacy efforts in Etihad’s 6 countries focusing on challenges and opportunities and produce brief profiles for each country

- Designing the local workshops and ensure local facilitators, who will be hired by IWPR to support the activity, have the required support to implement the workshops including briefing, training and ongoing support

- Guiding the local facilitators to implement the workshops as needed

2. Produce one report per country summarising the findings and recommendations of the local workshops

3. Based on these findings and recommendations, produce a report outlining:

- Existing regional challenges and opportunities

- Potential opportunities for collaboration

- Regional strategic priorities and objectives

4. Participate in one or more all-partner online meetings to present the final findings and recommendations to the alliance and lead a discussion to reach a conclusion on the strategic proposed framework.

The successful candidate will have:

- 7+ years’ experience in the field of strategic advocacy

- Knowledge and experience of strategic planning tools and methodologies

- Thorough knowledge of the LGBTQI scene in the MENA region

- Experience facelifting strategic planning workshops and discussions involving senior management across multiple organizations

- Excellent analytical, report writing and presentation skills

- Ability to work on sensitive issues and with vulnerable communities is a must

- Fluency in Arabic is highly desired

- Fluency in English

- Excellent communication skills