External Reviewer (m/f/d) – Lebanon Country Office

Title: External Reviewer (m/f/d) – Lebanon Country Office

Assignment Description: DRI has conducted a series of Local Governance Assessments in specific service sectors and in several areas of intervention. The external reviewer will provide feedback on the papers, suggest editorial and substantial improvements, and make recommendations to the copy-editor about whether to accept, reject, or request changes to the papers, and collaborate closely with the copy-editor to make them ready for publication.

Assignment Period: May–June 2022.

Assignment Location: Home-based.

Level of Effort: Up to 10 expert days.

How to apply: Please send the application documents to info.lebanon@democracy-reporting.org cc’ing e.haddad@democracy-reporting.org by 21 April 2022, 11:59 PM local time. 

Background:

Democracy Reporting International (DRI) is a non-partisan, independent, not-for-profit organisation registered in Berlin. It has been established in Lebanon since 2016. DRI promotes political participation of citizens, accountability of state bodies and the development of democratic institutions worldwide. Democratic discourse is the basis of our mission and vision. In our work, we facilitate discussion and exchange about democratic government and the need for a continuous discourse adhering to democratic rules. 

In the framework of the MASAR programme for Local Governments, which is funded by the EU MADAD trust fund and co-implemented by VNG International (VNGI), the Polish Centre for International Aid (PCPM), and the Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation (ACCD), DRI conducted a series of Local Governance Assessments specific to MASAR’s service sectors in several areas of intervention (AoI). Based on these assessments, DRI will develop four policy briefs focused on the challenges of local governance in three sectors: Local Economic Development (LED), Strategic Planning, and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), in addition to one final policy brief crosscutting all three sectors.

To this end, DRI is recruiting an external reviewer to work on all four policy briefs and finalise them for publication. The assignment will be conducted remotely.

Your Deliverables:

Under the overall supervision of the Country Representative and in close coordination with the DRI Programme Manager and the Research and Field Coordinator, the external reviewer will:

• Provide detailed feedback, suggesting editorial and substantial improvements where necessary to enhance the train of thought/reasoning line;
• Ensure that the executive summary is comprehensive, well structured, and engaging to read;
• Ensure that the papers are well structured and include snappy titles;
• Ensure that the recommendations section includes proposals that are specific, hands-on, and relevant to the thematic objectives (strategic planning, WASH, and LED) and to the cross-cutting brief at a local and national level;
• Communicate feedback in writing using in-text annotations as well as in a separate feedback sheet – the feedback should be specific and constructive and avoid personal comments or criticism;
• Maintain the confidentiality of the review process: not sharing, discussing with third parties, or disclosing information from the reviewed paper.

Your Qualifications:

• An advanced university degree in law, public administration, public policy/development studies, social science, or a related field;
• At least seven (7) years of professional experience in social science and/or public policy data analysis and policy report writing in a concise, think-tank style;
• Subject matter expertise and track/publication record in the abovementioned thematic areas;
• Outstanding writing abilities;
• Thoroughness, accuracy, and outstanding attention to detail;
• Tact and diplomacy for negotiating changes with experts;
• Ability to deliver under tight deadlines;
• Excellent communication skills;
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Arabic.