Libyan Civil Society and Local Governance Local Senior Expert/Lead Author – Libyanjobs

Job Overview

Form of Employment: short-term consultancy

Starting Date: As soon as possible

Duration: August 2020 – April 2021 (27 days in total)

Location: Libya (with potential travel to Tunis)

Background:

Democracy Reporting International (DRI) is a non-partisan, independent, not-for-profit organization registered in Berlin. DRI promotes political participation of citizens, accountability of state bodies and the development of democratic institutions world-wide.

In Libya, Democracy Reporting International (DRI) has been supporting the constitution-drafting process and the work of Libyan civil society organisations on topics related to the constitution, human rights and local governance.

Under the ISAL project (Improved Service Delivery and Accountability at Local Level) which is implemented by a consortium of CILG, VNG International and DRI and funded by the European Union, DRI aims to contribute to the consolidation of the democratic transition and stabilisation process in Libya by:

Enhancing the capacities of Libyan public institutions at local and national level, enabling an environment for effective service delivery.
Empowering Libyan municipalities and other local level public institutions to enhance social cohesion through good governance and local economic development increasing employment among youth and women.
Strengthening local capacities to promote collaborative governance and extensive participation in the transition process among the Libyan population.

An essential component of the ISAL project is the convening of a Group of Thinkers (GoT) who will explore the role of CSO in reinforcing community cooperation and assuring transparency, accountability and the inclusion of women and youth in local affairs. Over a period of 9 months, the Group of Thinkers will co-create and validate a Theoretical Paper and a Practical Study on this theme, propose policy recommendations and engage relevant stakeholders. This process will produce knowledge products that will inform the trajectory of the project.

A total of six local experts will form the GoT who have expertise in at least one of these fields:

Strengthening civil society’s commitment to public accountability in conflict affected situations
Effective and inclusive service planning, provision and delivery at municipal level
Strengthening democratic local governance
Gender or youth considerations in municipal planning
Effective community engagement/cooperation between governance actors and community actors

To aid this knowledge production process, DRI Libya is recruiting Local Experts and practitioners, an International Expert, and a Local Senior Expert/Lead Writer to form this GoT specialized on Libyan Civil Society and Local Governance.

Under the supervision of the Project Manager and the Country Director, you will:

Your Tasks:

Lead the collaborative writing process of the GoT, including the production of different publications (the Theoretical Paper and the Practical Study) and policy recommendations based on research findings, following the DRI style guide
Assist the project team in identifying suitable profiles to form the GoT
Identify the various problems (technical and operational) related to the production of the publications, and propose solutions
Communicate on behalf of the ISAL project with Libyan institutions and government actors and undertake external high-level communication
Participate actively in the GoT and lead the discussions in the GoT meetings in a collaborative, inclusive manner
Take note of the discussions happening at GoT meetings and build on them when writing the Theoretical Paper and Practical Study
Lead the writing of a Theoretical Paper together with an international expert (co-author) and the writing of a Practical Study with a local expert (co-author)
Ensure that high quality publications are produced that are relevant, fit for purpose and include the range of voices in the GoT
Bridge the gap between theory and practice and ensure that the publications are driven by GoT discussions and that GoT subsequent discussions are framed by key findings in the publications
Ensure buy-in from municipal stakeholders for the publications throughout the design process
Frame, formulate and write policy recommendations based on the discussions that take place at the GoT and with partner stakeholders
Stay updated with the Libyan CSOs, local governance, gender and youth context and, with relevant documents and existing materials that will be provided by DRI
Other relevant duties, as required

Your Skills and Experience:

Required:

Master’s degree in economics, law, public administration, political science, sociology, engineering or management or other relevant fields
At least five (5) years of research and /or demonstrable knowledge and relevant experience in the Libyan transition process, local governance and the CSO context in particular
Proof of practical engagement with municipalities and issues of local governance and CSO coordination through a variety of projects and initiatives
A record of publications on the relevant topics
Flexibility and ability to work under tight time frames
Experience in facilitating and designing research focused meetings
Fluency in Arabic AND English required
Ability to write in a clear, concise, and accessible manner
Excellent oral/written communication skills
Good IT skills
Ability to work as part of a diverse team
Demonstrable track record of engaging with MLG and government actors. A good knowledge of NGOs / CSOs active in the field of decentralisation and local governance in Libya

Deliverables:

Support and feedback when recruiting the GoT members: August 2020
Lead the Opening Event and ensure content is captured in an actionable manner: August 2020
Lead drafting of and produce Theoretical Paper: August – September 2020
Lead and provide written suggestions/feedback on Theoretical Paper during the validation sessions: August – September 2020
Lead drafting of and produce Practical Study: October 2020 – January 2021
Lead and provide written suggestions/feedback on the Practical Study during the validation sessions: October 2020 – January 2021
Drafting the Policy Recommendations: March – April 2021
Lead and provide written suggestions/feedback on the Policy Recommendation sessions: March – April 2021
Presentation of results in the Final Conference: April 2021

How to Apply:

If you are interested in this position, please send your application (cover letter, CV, Examples of your work/publications and your daily rate in Euro) to recruiting_libya@democracy-reporting.org. Please include “Civil Society Local Senior Expert/Lead Author” in the subject line and refer to the source where you have found this opportunity. This position is subject to funding. Applying for this position by post mail is possible, please find our address details below.

Closing date for applications: 25 July 2020. The position may be filled before the deadline has been reached, so early applications are encouraged.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview.

DRI is committed to diversity and does not discriminate in employment based upon gender (including pregnancy), race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, age, ability, socio-economic status, or any other status protected by the laws in the locations where we operate.