Call for Proposals: Advocacy Expert for Capacity Enhancement of Civil Society Organizations in Jordan

About Sawt

The Strengthening Civil Society and Media Systems (Sawt) Activity is implemented by Internews in partnership with Mercy Corps and the International Center for Non-Profit Law (ICNL). Sawt aims to foster sustained civic engagement in Jordan through civil society and digital media innovations through two objectives: 1) Good, Trusted Knowledge-Building Resources: Citizens and civil society build knowledge through accessing and engaging critically with accurate and fact-based information and 2) Participation & Advocacy: Citizens and civil society organizations (CSOs) in Jordan effectively participate in civic spaces and advocate for policies through knowledge-based collective action.

About Internews

Internews is an international nonprofit operating in 100 countries. At Internews, we believe everyone deserves trustworthy news and information to make informed decisions about their lives and hold power to account. We train journalists and digital rights activists, tackle disinformation, and offer business expertise to help media outlets become financially sustainable. For more information about the organization please visit: www.internews.org.

About Sawt Advocacy Partners Program

Sawt Advocacy Partners Program targets CSOs and will encompass capacity building, technical assistance, and financial support with the objective of bringing about measurable improvements in their performance and capacity to serve their constituencies, build sustainable networks, and lead impactful advocacy and citizen engagement efforts.

Summary

Internews is seeking a qualified advocacy expert to build the capacity of CSOs participating in Sawt Advocacy Partners Program. The advocacy expert will be instrumental in strengthening the technical and advocacy institutional capacity of 45 CSOs enrolled in the program and enabling them to effectively design, engage, and implement advocacy initiatives.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The advocacy expert will be responsible for undertaking the following tasks:

  • Reviewing the results of advocacy capacity assessments conducted by Sawt and conducting a training needs assessment (TNA) to identify training areas and needs. The assessment review and the TNA aim to feed into designing and developing a high-quality training program focused on advocacy skills and strategies, tailored to meet the needs and context of CSOs participating in Sawt Advocacy Partners Program.
  • Creating interactive and informative training materials, modules, and resources to effectively build the skills of CSOs’ participants in planning, implementing, and monitoring issue and evidence-based advocacy initiatives. Trainings should aim to build the capacity of partner CSOs to identify key advocacy issues pertinent to the local context and their constituencies needs, creating advocacy strategies, conducting mapping and power dynamic analysis activities, identifying, and implementing advocacy tactics (including campaigns), as well as monitoring and evaluating advocacy efforts.
  • Providing 4 engaging, interactive, and effective training workshops to CSOs with the use of the above created materials. The training will target 45 partner CSOs (Up to 90 trainees) in North, Middle, and South of Jordan.
  • Providing technical assistance and support to partner CSOs who receive Sawt grants (Up to 15 organizations) throughout their implementation of their advocacy projects/ initiatives.

Scope of Work

The expert’s role encompasses a range of duties and interventions aimed at empowering partner organizations to engage effectively in designing and implementing advocacy initiatives. The expert will be engaged in identifying specific capacity building interventions based on the results of advocacy and institutional assessments that Sawt conducts and through conducting training needs assessments.

The expert will also plan, design, and execute workshops that aim to build the capacities of partner organizations in the form of trainings on advocacy.

The expert will also plan and execute interventions that aim to build the capacity of partner organizations through providing technical assistance in the form of mentorship and coaching on advocacy as well as assistance in the development of advocacy plans and activities for CSOs.

Deliverables

  • A detailed plan and timeline for the implementation of the proposed scope of work and below mentioned deliverables.
  • A training needs assessment for the 45 enrolled CSOs.
  • A set of training materials and tools in Arabic including a training manual, presentations, handouts, case studies, and interactive resources developed for the CSOs.
  • Four training workshops each of two days duration, covering the above topics for the 45 partner CSOs (Up to 90 trainees) covering North, South, and Middle regions of Jordan. Training logistics and transportation fees for the trainees will be handled by Sawt activity.
  • Reporting: The expert is expected to develop a report for each workshop, the provided technical assistance, as well as a final report outlining efforts carried out by the expert and the progress achieved by the enrolled partners. 

*All deliverables require review and approval by Sawt prior to acceptance.

DeliverableNumber of DaysSubmission Timeline
Detailed plan and timeline for the implementation of the proposed scope of work and below mentioned deliverables.3May 16th, 2024
A training needs assessment report for the 45 enrolled CSOs. The needs assessment should cover participants knowledge in the below areas: Advocacy goals, plans, and strategies. Research, evidence generation, and use. Partnerships, coalition building, networking, and negotiationsAdvocacy communications and outreachLegislative and policy advocacyMonitoring and evaluation for advocacy5May 23rd, 2024
Set of training materials and tools in Arabic including a training manual, presentations, handouts, case studies, and interactive resources developed for the CSOs. The training materials should be based on needs assessment results as well as assessments conducted by Sawt. The training content should cover the following areas: Advocacy goals, plans, and strategies. Research, evidence generation, and use. Partnerships, coalition building, networking, and negotiationsAdvocacy communications and outreachLegislative & policy advocacy (brief introduction)Monitoring and Evaluation for Advocacy (brief introduction)10May 30th, 2024
Four training workshops covering the above topics for the 45 partner CSOs (up to 90 trainees) covering 3 regions in Jordan. Trainings will be carried out in North, South, and Middle regions of Jordan and 2 trainings will be carried out in the Middle region of Jordan with a total of 4 workshops each of 2 days. Pre and Post assessments are required for all trainings, the tools used should be reviewed and approved by Sawt team prior to roll out. Assessment results should be shared with Sawt team following the trainings and should be integrated in the expert’s reporting.June 20th, 2024
Four reports for the four workshops and a completion report outlining efforts carried out by the expert in training the CSOs and the progress achieved by the enrolled partners4July 1st, 2024
Technical assistance for up to 15 organizations during their implementation of the advocacy initiatives.150Depending on timeline of grant receipt
Quarterly reports outlining technical assistance provided to organizations.4Quarterly
Final Report outlining technical assistance provided to organizations.3April 30th, 2025

Required Qualifications

  • Educational Background:  The trainer must hold a degree or equivalent qualification in Law, Communications, Community Development, Social Sciences, or a relevant field.
  • Experience in Advocacy Campaign Design and Implementation: Possesses strong understanding and knowledge of advocacy campaign design and demonstrated experience in the implementation of advocacy campaigns in Jordan based on clear need identification and understanding of local context as well as advising and supporting organizations with varying capacities in doing so. Demonstrated ability to build consensus and buy-in among local organizations and local or national governments.  
  • Training Experience: Demonstrated 3-5 years of experience in delivering training sessions or workshops, particularly in the field of evidence-based advocacy including setting goals, building partnerships and coalitions, setting, and implementing effective communications and outreach plans, and monitoring and evaluating advocacy efforts.
  • Professional Experience: Possesses professional experience in working with community and advocacy initiatives and CSOs. Ability to design advocacy capacity-building initiatives and strategies based on clear need identification and understanding of operating context, and experience working with CSOs, NGOs, or CBOs.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Local Advocacy and Policy landscape: Understanding of legislative and political processes in Jordan, local and national advocacy context, and public policy influencing methods. Demonstrated understanding of civil society, rule of law, human rights, governance, gender, and vulnerable populations.
  • Networking Abilities: Capacity to build relationships with CSOs, local partners, and stakeholders to encourage collaboration and support ongoing capacity-building efforts.
  • Facilitation Skills: Proficiency in facilitating interactive learning activities, group discussions, and practical exercises to promote active participation and learning. Ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders.
  • Coaching and Mentoring Abilities: Capacity to provide mentoring and coaching to organization to enhance their performance and deliverables. This includes strong skills in issue identification, goal setting, constructive and effective feedback provision, and following up throughout the process.
  • Communication Skills: Strong communication and presentation skills to effectively convey complex concepts and engage participants from diverse backgrounds.

Application Instructions

Interested individuals are invited to submit their resumes, technical proposals, and financial proposals, addressed to: [email protected], by May 2nd, 2024 at 17:00 Amman time making sure to write “Sawt Advocacy Partners Capacity Building, Sawt Activity” in the subject of your e-mail

Duration

  • The duration of this program is from May 16th, 2024 – April 30th, 2025, subject to extension.