Communication strategy expert

Project Name & description: Sustainable Development through Improved Local Governance in the occupied Palestinian Territories programme - SDLG 

The Strategic Partnership between the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and VNG International is a 5-year programme, focused on 4 thematic priorities: Security & Rule of Law, Migration, Local Revenue Mobilisation, and Water.

This programme, called Sustainable Development through Improved Local Governance (SDLG), is currently being implemented in 10 countries (Algeria, Burundi, Iraq, Mali, Mozambique, Palestine, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda, and Ukraine). Despite the diverging contexts and themes, the SDLG programme pursues one overall objective: to empower local governments and their representative bodies to shape a more sustainable future for their communities.

SDLG Palestine is part of two thematic priorities; Security & Rule of Law and Local Revenue Mobilization which are implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Local Governments (MOLG) in Palestine

The expert will assist the VNGi team to develop and build a communication strategy and tools for the SDLG programme’s target municipalities. He/she will mainly focus on developing and implementing the citizen engagement/inclusion and transparency component.

The expert will assist the selected local authorities and VNGi office in Palestine to achieve the following milestone: Local Authorities (LAs) engage and include their citizens using a digitalised approach, and provide services based on citizens’ needs’.

They will do so by developing a communication strategy for the localities. This strategy will serve to move towards the milestone above, further aims are improved accountability to citizens through transparency and providing clarity on the role and responsibilities between the two. The strategy will include elements on communication channels, citizen access to municipal data, complaint mechanisms, training for municipal employees and citizen satisfaction surveys.

Activities to be performed

• Collaborate with selected local authorities to develop a communication strategy tailored to their citizens, enhancing interlocal cooperation between LAs and their resident.
• Assess the most suitable communication channels based on different target groups and where improvements can be made in terms of modality of communication (e.g. platform, website, forms of in person contact) as well as the communication process and effectiveness of that communication. Enhancements that can be made to that effectiveness will be included.
• Explore and assess options to improve citizen access to municipal data and processes. This may include municipal reports, photographs or information.
• A strategy around a complaint mechanism will be formulated. This may be in the form of an online portal in cooperation with the software developer. Regardless of modality, the complaint mechanism will include the systemisation of handling complaints, demonstrating to citizens that their complaints have been received, and providing timely responses to complaints.
• The expert assesses the capacities of local authorities in terms of clarity on their own role and capacity to adapt to changes contained in the communication strategy itself. The strategy will therefore outline the needs of trainings for employees on topics such as customer service, community engagement, responsiveness, change management or others.
• The communication strategy will include a conceptualisation of the use of citizen satisfaction surveys and a community score card system. They will explore the possibilities to maintain a sustainable feedback loop between citizen and local authority in a manner that is not restricted only to the negative side of complaints, but makes citizens feel more involved in their local authority.
• The communication strategy will involve the facilitation of active participation, and pay specific attention to reaching women, youth and marginalized groups with local authority communications.

Outputs (expected deliverables): 

• General communication strategy for selected local authorities.
• Tailored communication strategy per the local authorities, incl:

• Suggestions for trainings
• Communication protocols for constructive dialogue between LAs and national stakeholders

• Contribute to the objectives, outputs, and progress markers related to communication

The expected level of effort is 20 working days.

The expected assignment period is July 15th, 2024 till the end of October 2024.

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• Master's Degree in a relevant field (Communication, citizen engagement, public relations, journalism etc.)
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in the field of communication and citizen inclusion. Preferably in the field of governance or NGO’s.
• Excellent writing skills
• Fluent in English and Arabic
• Proven experience in working with Local Governments
• Proven experience with the design of communication strategies.
• Experience with graphic design (InDesign) and editing skills (preferably)
• Experience as a trainer (preferably)

Local individual experts are requested to submit their application form that consists of cover letter, CV, technical offer including methodology and approach, and financial offer by COB, Sunday 7th of July 2024.

Please indicate your ability, availability and daily rate to undertake the ToR above.

Applications to be sent via email to Mrs. Amal Odeh

Operation Manager

Email: [email protected]