English Copy Editor (m/f/d) – Lebanon Country Office

Title: English Copy Editor (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 in Lebanon. The copy editor will ensure that the final policy papers are written in a crisp, concise, and compelling style. The final papers should be engaging to read, consistently structured, grammatically correct, and accessible to a diverse audience of readers.

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 English copy-editor 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 copy-editor will:

• Copy-edit and rewrite the papers to improve clarity and readability;
• Ensure that all papers follow a similar, consistent structure;
• Shorten and tighten up the papers where necessary to produce a crisp and concise think-tank style brief;
• Proofread the text and correct spelling, grammar, syntax, and punctuation errors;
• Verify the consistency of information, such as dates and statistics;
• Check the text for style, readability, and adherence to DRI’s editorial policy;
• Unify the page layout, footnote, formatting, and bibliography styles to ensure a flawless, clean end-product;
• Make sure that the final policy papers are written in a compelling and engaging style that is accessible to a diverse audience (avoiding jargon, etc.).

Your Qualifications:

Required:

• A university degree in journalism, English literature, communications, creative writing, or related field;
• At least five (5) years of professional copy-editing experience with different types of publication formats, particularly policy briefs, white papers, and briefing papers;
• Outstanding writing abilities;
• Strong track record in policy writing following a think-tank style;
• 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.

Preferred:

• Knowledge in local governance topics and the thematic areas mentioned.