Vacancy Notice – Facilitator

Assignment Description: Facilitating seven half-day discussion events

Assignment Location:  Beirut and various regions in Lebanon

Employment Type: Long-term consultancy

Assignment Period: March-September 2023

Level of Effort: Up to 8 working days

How to apply: Please send your application documents to info.lebanon@democracy-reporting.org, cc’ing  e.haddad@democracy-reporting.org by 15 March 2023, 11:59 PM local time 

DRI is looking for an experienced facilitator to design and facilitate seven half-day discussion events: 2 half-day policy dialogue sessions on political reform with participants from diverse social and political backgrounds, and 5 half-day townhall meetings, brainstorming sessions, consultations with Civil Society Organisations (CSO) in different regions of the country.

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 its projects, DRI is recruiting a facilitator to moderate seven half-day discussion events with different topics and guests as per the objectives of the projects:

Project 1: “A bottom-up reform agenda for Lebanon: Supporting youth, women, and civil society actors to expand civic space”

In the framework of its project, DRI will fund and support the implementation of small projects by CSOs at the local community level in five selected regions. The small grants, which DRI will provide, will support devising locally owned solutions to local problems based on a jointly developed community action plan. 

The facilitator will facilitate five half-day discussions as part people-centred and inclusive community-driven processes such as townhall meetings, brainstorming sessions, or consultations that will enable civil society to capture the needs of their communities, identify pressing challenges, and co-create solutions with the local authorities.

Project 2: “Nafas Jdeed Season 2: Expanding the media discourse around elections in Lebanon”.

In the second season of the talk show “Nafas Jdeed”, which features produced and broadcast episodes with up-and-coming activists, DRI is aiming to broaden the democratic space for a civil society-led discussion on system reform in Lebanon. In addition to the episodes, two policy dialogue events will be held bringing together guests from various backgrounds to discuss issues linked to political reform and good governance to enhance the political democratic discourse.

Policy dialogue events will address issues of political reform with guests from various socioeconomic and political backgrounds. The duration of each event is approx. 2–3 hours, with around an 1.5 hour for interviewing the guests and an additional 1.5 hour for audience engagement.  Up to 4 experts/panellists (2 males, 2 females) will be participating to inform the public and provide recommendations and solutions.

The facilitator will facilitate both policy dialogue sessions on political reform with participants from diverse social and political backgrounds

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of and in close coordination with the DRI project Focal Point, the expert will:

• Conduct regular meetings with the DRI project team to plan and agree on prospective dates, topics, and queries to be presented during the seven events;
• Advise on the selection of possible speakers/experts/panellists and develop communication channels with them – and ensure their attendance during the events;
• Prepare introductions and questions to be approved by DRI team five days prior to the events’ dates;  
• Facilitate the events to ensure inclusive and equal participation of attendees;
• Prepare and submit an expert activity report in accordance with DRI’s MEL reporting criteria;
• Ensure that the dialogue is engaging, and synchronising with the relevant topic while maintaining a neutral, impartial stance; 
• Ensure that DRI guidelines, mission, values, and visibility are adhered throughout the dialogue events.

Your Skills & Experience

• A university degree in media studies, journalism, communications, or relevant field;
• At least 7 years of experience in facilitating or moderating political, economic, or social dialogue events;
• Solid experience in facilitating complex meetings involving a wide array of stakeholders (high-ranking officials, academics, grassroots actors, private sector, youths/students, laypersons, etc.);
• Deep knowledge of the Lebanese general political, social, and economic context;
• Deep understanding of democratisation, human rights, political reform, and civic engagement;
• Engaging on-stage persona and presence;
• Gender and cultural sensitivity;
• Outstanding professional public speaking and dialogue skills in Arabic.