Communications Consultant for Social Protection in Lebanon

Background

Under the framework of the ILO-UNICEF-EU partnership on “Addressing life-cycle vulnerabilities through social protection – Establishing Social Grants in Lebanon”, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and partners are supporting the launch of core social grants through governmental institutions. The project aims to support the government in establishing a national social protection framework under which income support would be provided to specific groups to address lifecycle vulnerabilities, such as disability and old age.
Through this project, the ILO is also engaging a number of non-governmental stakeholders to encourage wider and more diverse participation in the debate on social protection. The ILO also aims to increase public awareness of social protection through the development and dissemination of accessible communication messages and tools.

Objective

The ILO is seeking a communications consultant to support in promoting ILO’s approach to Social Protection by popularizing technical concepts and international standards, and supporting the Social Grants team in their efforts to engage stakeholders (media, partners, general public), and to disseminate ILO’s recommendations on social protection reform in the Country, in a way that is relevant and accessible.

Scope of Work

Under the overall guidance of the Senior Social Protection Specialist of the ILO Regional Office of the Arab States and the supervision of the Social Protection Officer for Lebanon, the consultant will undertake the following activities:
• Provide support to the Social Protection team to be able to engage effectively with relevant stakeholders and advance the social protection agenda;
• Conduct a Social Listening exercise on social protection in Lebanon and write a short report with key findings and recommendations;
• Propose communications initiatives to visibilize ILO’s work on key components under the Social Grants project;
• Support the Social Protection team in translating technical content into key messages that are accessible to the general public, in the form of Frequently Asked Questions, or thematic talking points, for example;
• Support the Social Protection team in drafting a brief pamphlet outlining key work and achievements in Lebanon;
• Liaise with ILO ROAS communications team and support them where required in promoting and disseminating the work of the Social Protection team through existing and new channels, where possible (Facebook, Twitter, Newsletter, etc.);
• Make recommendations for regular and effective journalist engagement;
• Prepare the team for media interviews, as needed;
• Attend key events and create effective news releases to gain positive press coverage;
• Support the development of communications products (including infographics) in collaboration with partners or other consultants, to disseminate findings of research and policy work.
• Prepare media kits on ILO’s work on Social Protection to disseminate to journalists;
• Track analytics and create reports detailing successes and failures of communications campaigns;
• Monitor online news outlets for content on Social Protection and summarize relevant news in a weekly news digest, including design and format;
• Compile a Glossary of technical social protection-related terms in English and their technical translation in Arabic to serve as guide for the team, as well as contracted translators and interpreters;
• Maintain records of media coverage and a media contacts database.

Deliverables and Payment (Please check the attached ToR)

Timeframe

This contract will cover the period from 7 February 2023 to 31 July 2023, for a total of 60 working days.

Qualifications and Experience

• University degree in communications, journalism, media studies, or relevant field;

• At least ten years’ experience in communications, journalism, or advocacy;
• Experience in producing a range of media assets (press releases, social media posts, videos, etc.);
• Knowledge of the sociopolitical context of Lebanon and experience with communication campaigns linked to policy reform implemented locally;
• Demonstrated excellence in writing in Arabic and English.