Local Expert on Libyan Civil Society and Local Governance – Libyanjobs

Job Overview

Form of Employment: Short-term consultancy

Starting Date: As soon as possible

Duration: August 2020 – April 2021 (10 days in total)

Location: Libya / desk work (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 CSOs 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 government public accountability in conflict affected situations
Effective and inclusive service planning, provision and delivery at municipal level
Strengthening local democratic 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 six (6) Local Experts and practitioners as well as a Libyan Senior Expert/Lead Author and an International Expert to form/lead this GoT specialized on Libyan Civil Society and Local Governance.

Under the supervision of the Project Manager and the Country Director and the guidance of the Chair of the GoT, as a member of this GoT you will:

Your Tasks:

Form part of the GoT, participate actively in the discussions, and put forward practical suggestions to move from theory to practice
Present at the Opening Event of the GoT highlighting your area of expertise related to current obstacles, interesting initiatives, and ways forward in relation to the role of CSOs in local affairs with a focus on transparency, accountability and the inclusion of women and youth in local affairs
Participate in a co-design creative process which would lead to the production of a Theoretical Paper and a Practical Study by providing feedback, access to relevant stakeholders and practical recommendations
Identify the various problems related to the theme and propose solutions throughout the process
Validate, provide feedback, and advise the co-authors of the Theoretical Paper and Practical Study during the entire creative writing process
Connect the co-authors of the studies to relevant stakeholders to facilitate the process of the study
Engage with the GoT in formulating practical Policy Recommendations based on the findings of the Theoretical Paper and Practical Study and the experts’ knowledge in the field
You may be asked if you would like to become the co-author for the Practical Study-if you accept you will be provided with more days in relation to your level of effort.

Your Skills and Experience:

Required:

University degree in economics, law, public administration, political science, sociology , social work, anthropology, engineering, management or other relevant fields
At least five (4) years of demonstrable knowledge and experience in one or more of the following areas: Strengthening civil society’s commitment to government 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
Have a record of initiatives and projects in one or more of the above subject areas
Be able to access stakeholders who operate at a municipal level to take in consideration local politics and the local policy-making processes
Flexibility and ability to work under tight time frames
Experience in facilitating and designing research focused meetings
Fluency in Arabic required; English is preferred
Ability to write in a clear, concise and accessible manner
Excellent oral/written communication skills (Essential)
Ability to work as part of a diverse team

Preferred:

Record of publications on the relevant topics
Demonstrable track record of engaging with MLG and government actors

Deliverables:

Practical Presentation for the Opening Event: August 2020
Attendance and reporting out to the Opening Event: August 2020
Attendance and written suggestions/feedback on Theoretical Paper during the validation sessions: August – September 2020
Attendance and written suggestions/feedback on the Practical Study during the validation sessions: October 2020 – January 2021
Attendance and written suggestions/feedback on the Policy Recommendation sessions: March – April 2021
Attendance and participation 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-articles and, your daily rate in Euro) to recruiting_libya@democracy-reporting.org. Please include “Group of Thinkers (GoT) Member: Local Expert on Libyan Civil Society and Local Governance” 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: 30 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.