Consultant – Senior Expert on Democratic Participation and Civic Leadership

Reporting Lines :Team Lead

Maximum Level of Effort:15 days (spread over two months)

Location:Islamabad with remote working

Application Deadline::Sunday, November 17, 2024

Terms of Reference (ToR)

 Background

The Trust for Democratic Education and Accountability is implementing an 18-month project “Empowering Youth for Civic Leadership”, which is funded by the United States Department of State, Embassy of the United States in Islamabad. The project seeks to empower young Pakistani citizens aged 18 to 30 including women, members of religious and ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities and gender minorities through training, mentoring and handholding, placements with reputable organizations and statutory commissions, funding their community projects and actions, and providing them exposure to governance and policy environment. These actions will enable these young Pakistanis to actively engage in civic and democratic affairs, contribute to the development of their communities, advocate for positive social change, and assume leadership roles in future. The project will be implemented across four provinces of Pakistan, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan and Islamabad from October 2024 to March 2026.

TDEA wants to engage a senior expert on democratic participation and civic leadership, based in the United States, for developing a curriculum focusing youth empowerment including an action toolkit and a facilitator manual for training workshops to be held under the Empowering Youth for Civic Leadership project. For this, TDEA will invite the subject experts to participate in a curriculum development workshop along with a diverse panel of thematic experts on governance, leadership development, inclusion and adult learning. The key topics to be covered in the toolkit for promoting civic and democratic engagement include:

a) Constitution and Fundamental Rights

b) Civic Responsibility and Volunteerism

c) Local Level Change Strategies

d) Governance and Policy Environment

e) Diversity in Democratic Societies

f) Media Literacy and Civic Engagement

g) Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding

h) Environmental Sustainability and Civic Engagement

i) Digital Citizenship

j) Gender Equality and Inclusion

B. Specific Role

The Senior Expert on Democratic Participation and Civic Leadership (U.S. Based) will support the project implementation team and will report to Team Lead. S/he will perform following important role:

The Senior Expert will be required to deliver the following by the timeline with the Team Lead:

1. Annotated List of Learning Resources for Youth Developed with the Assistance from the U.S. Department of State: An annotated list of essential action-oriented resources developed with the assistance from the U.S Department of State on strengthening democratic participation and civic leadership. These resources for youth may include, but are not limited to, reading materials, training programs, toolkits, case studies, groups and networks, and funding and work opportunities. These resources should preferably include materials that are relevant to youth empowerment, governance, and civic engagement and are adaptable to the Pakistani context.

2. Review and Feedback on the Youth Action Toolkit: Conduct a detailed review of the action toolkit developed during the curriculum development workshop. Assess the toolkit’s structure, content, and practical tools in light of global best practices for democratic participation and civic leadership, particularly those used in U.S.-funded youth programs. Highlight any gaps in the toolkit and propose resources or tools that could be added to enhance its effectiveness. Provide strategic advice on adapting U.S.-based civic leadership frameworks to the local Pakistani context.

3. Review and Feedback on the Facilitators’ Guide: Conduct a detailed review of the facilitator guide to assess the efficacy of the training methodologies and approaches proposed therein and ensure that they are consistent with effective civic leadership training principles used in U.S.-based youth programs.

4. Final Review: After revisions are made based on initial feedback, conduct a final review of both the action toolkit and facilitator guide. Offer to provide ongoing consultation or remote support during the initial phase of the youth training, to ensure smooth implementation and refinement of the toolkit and guide.

Qualification and Experience

•  Qualification: Master’s Degree in any discipline of Social Sciences.
•  Experience:Minimum 15-year experience in programming focusing on strengthening civic leadership and democratic participation.
• Language :Excellent written and oral communication in English. Knowledge of Pakistani language will be preferred

Required documents for application and evaluation criteria:

Updated CV & Cover Letter

Payment:

Payments to consultant will be made on deliverable basis. Any payment made to consultant on account of services will be subject to withholding tax, if applicable, in accordance with the laws of Pakistan. Travel and boarding lodging expenses for field or monitoring visit will be covered by TDEA as per policy.

The last date of submission is:   Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for consideration.