Media and Communications Consultant

Beirut, Lebanon | Part time (8- 10 days a month)

Background

Malala Fund believes that achieving progress for girls’ education requires action at local, national and global levels and that local educators and advocates can provide the greatest insight, innovation and energy needed to address barriers that keep girls out of school. Through its wide array of responsive grants, Malala Fund has devised a responsive grant’s strategy for Lebanon to address impediments to girls’ safe and quality education midst the Lebanese crisis by adopting a holistic approach that combines education, livelihoods, protection and integrates the nexus of poverty eradication and girls right’s and leadership to education and gender justice.

Purpose

This consultancy will support the development and implementation of a communications and digital strategy to support Malala Fund’s campaigning, programme and advocacy for girls education in Lebanon. The consultancy also seeks to improve the visibility of grants and programme portfolio, including Education Champions Network, Girls Programme and others to amplify their messages. Additionally, support work on expanding Malala Fund’s outreach, influencing agenda and strengthened positioning in-country to build credibility, and serve as a convener and catalyst for girls’ rights to education.

The Malala Fund Country Programme is employing a holistic approach that integrates the symbiosis between SDGs on poverty eradication and girls rights to education and gender justice. It aims to address the following objectives:

I- Bridging inequalities, promoting equal opportunities and girls’ access to quality education,

II-Promoting girls’ rights and protection by transforming discriminatory social norms, legal systems and gender biases impeding girls’ education and addressing harmful practices and exploitation in crisis.

III- Positioning girls’ rights and the education agenda central to governmental plans and Lebanon reform and restructuring processes

Consultant’s Main Areas of Work

The selected Consultant is supposed to work directly with the Malala Fund Country Representative and shall liaise as needed with Malala Fund Asia Communication Manager and is expected to establish constructive rapport with Malala Fund partners across Lebanon in building Malala Fund brand and reporting on results.

1. Act as Malala Fund Lebanon’s media and communications relations advisor and support Malala Fund in utilizing media and communications tools to advance feminist and rights-based influencing agendas.

2. Identify audiences for Malala Fund and develop a short-midterm media and digital strategy for the Lebanon Country Portfolio for Malala Fund and manage its implementation including a targeted national communications strategy and action plan.

3. Working with the Country Representative, Asia Communications Manager and partners to support key public campaigns and influencing work around social justice, access to education and education financing and other related strategic objectives for Malala Fund in the country.

4. Build the capacity needed to develop, implement, and manage effective policy change campaigns by partners.

5. Create a social media plan and content calendar with partners’ and develop social media handles/accounts for Malala Fund grantees and partners in Lebanon including rich and compelling content for websites, and social media.

6. Developing tools and templates for presenting findings, key messages, ideas for stories and social media and communications content covering results, main highlights and other updates requested by Lebanon Country Representative and as appropriate with Asia Communication Manager.

7. Identify opportunities for national level and regional media engagement to support Malala Fund’s work in Lebanon and a broader regional scale.

8. Foster media relations/ engagement and identify media targets and create media contact lists to secure coverage in national and regional newspapers (national and regional languages), TV and radio outlets, as well as track outreach.

9. Identifying media opportunities and developing appropriate media releases, pitches and organizing media events.

10. Produce and disseminate various communication and branding materials, around Malala Fund Lebanon’s work, including stories and news, relevant outreach materials, briefings, articles, speeches, fact-sheets, publicity materials, videos, animations, media advisories, press releases, press/media kits, roll-ups, and different event brandings, and write ups about events, for a variety of national , regional and international communication channels including websites, blogs, e-news, the media and others.

Key deliverables that should assist the above scope of work and detailed action plan to be agreed with the selected party should include:

a. At least one video /media clip on Malala Fund Lebanon’s work and ensure its wider dissemination.

b. At least one designed brochure covering Malala Fund’s results and partners (content and design)

c. At least one pack of infographics around Malala Fund Lebanon’s partners, work and results.

d. At least on average two articles on bi- annual basis covering MF’s work and amplifying girls’ voices.

e. Press & media coverage with adequate planning support for events and key milestones as agreed with the Country Representative.

f. Create content for quarterly newsletter for Malala Fund Lebanon

g. Manage Lebanon social media pages and ensure adequate updates ( at least three posts a week)

h. At least four strategically installed billboards in Beirut designed positioning messages around Malala Fund social justice and education agenda in Lebanon in commemorating one of the key international days.

i. Arrange interviews and media coverage, as well as support campaigning, as appropriate around international days and key programmatic milestones – to be agreed upon with the Country Representative.

Required skills and experience – post open for Lebanese Nationals ONLY

• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree or equivalent degree in communications, journalism or relevant field.
• 5-7 years of experience developing media strategies to support advocacy and campaigns for national or international organizations, ideally focused on girls’ education or other areas of women’s rights.
• Understanding rights-based approach to programming and experience working in social advocacy and campaigning linked to furthest behind rights agenda.
• Demonstrated experience managing social media pages and media handles for local and international organizations- experience in Lebanon and MENA is a must.
• Excellent communication, writing and editing skills in both English and Arabic.
• Familiarity with style guides and adherence to brand guidelines Extensive Local and regional media contacts and experience pitching stories or interviews.
• Advanced graphic design and video editing skills and familiarity with Canva, Adobe Photoshop, In design and/or Illustrator.