GDSI is looking for Senior and Junior Non-Key Experts for Mentoring the Participants of the Communication Labs in Armenia and Georgia.

Communication Labs are a dedicated capacity building programme for civil society organisations in Armenia and Georgia to develop and launch their own communication campaigns with EU support. This programme is conducted within the Regional Technical Assistance to Build Civil Society Capacities Project.

The Communication Labs aim to empower CSOs by providing them with the necessary tools, resources, and mentorship to develop and implement effective communication campaigns that raise awareness about the work of civil society in Armenia and Georgia and promote a positive public perception of CSOs as agents of change and community mobilisers.

The experts shall provide mentor support to the participants of the Communication Labs in the relevant country (Armenia or Georgia), participate in the capacity building sessions and deliver webinars.

The ToRs are available here:

For Senior NKEs: https://gdsi.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/ToR-SNKE-Communication-Lab-Mentors.pdf

For Junior NKEs: https://gdsi.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/ToR-JNKE-Communication-Lab-Mentors.pdf

The intended start date is the October 15, 2023, and the period of implementation of the contract will be 4 months up to February 2024.

We are looking for experts with the following profiles:

Senior Non-Key Experts:

Required Professional Experience:

Qualification and skills:

• University degree or equivalent in communications, journalism, public relations, sociology, humanities or another field of study that can be shown as relevant for the above-mentioned tasks.
• Excellent coaching and mentoring skills, providing insightful guidance and feedback to both Junior Experts and participating CSOs.
• Excellent analytical and communication skills.
• Fluency in English and one of the national languages (Georgian or Armenian).

General professional experience:

• At least ten years of practical experience in communication, marketing, journalism, PR, advertisement, content creation.
• Previous experience in leading communication campaigns for CSOs, advocacy groups, or social causes.
• Previous experience in mentoring teams and guiding experts.

Specific professional experience:

• Expertise in at least three of the following:

1. Mastery in strategic advocacy and public engagement within the civil society sector.
2. Extensive strategic planning experience, including audience analysis, message development, and campaign evaluation.
3. Deep understanding of communication channels, spanning traditional media, social media, and digital platforms.
4. Profound insights into media engagement and the local media landscape, adept at cultivating relationships with journalists and crafting compelling press releases.
5. Advanced utilization of social media platforms for advocacy, engagement, and influencing.
6. Proficiency in analytics tools, content creation, and optimization strategies for sophisticated digital campaigns.
7. Advanced skills in crafting engaging narratives and content.
8. Expertise in visual storytelling, video production, or multimedia content creation.
9. Proficient in analyzing campaign data, providing actionable insights for continuous enhancement, and skilled in key performance indicators (KPIs) and impact measurement.

• Practical experience in working with a civil society organisation or civic action group and deep understanding of civil society organizations, their challenges, and communication needs is considered an advantage.
• Familiarity with the local context and specific issues related to civil society in Armenia or Georgia and experience in mentoring teams is considered an advantage.  

Language requirements:          

The language of the assignment is English. Written inputs shall be provided in English, as detailed above. While the language of this assignment is English, communication between participating teams and assigned mentors can be facilitated in the local languages. This approach is intended to create a comfortable and conducive environment for meaningful interaction and guidance.

Junior Non-Key Experts

Professional Experience:

Qualification and skills:

• University degree or equivalent in communications, journalism, public relations, sociology, humanities or another field of study that can be shown as relevant for the above-mentioned tasks.
• Strong coaching skills, offering constructive feedback that helps CSOs refine their campaign ideas.
• Excellent analytical and communication skills.
• Fluency in English and one of the national languages (Georgian or Armenian).

General professional experience:

• At least three years of practical experience in one of the roles below:

1. Communications and marketing professionals with experience in developing successful campaigns for CSOs or social causes.
2. Public relations experts with a strong understanding of audience engagement and messaging strategies.
3. Digital marketing specialists knowledgeable in utilizing social media platforms and online channels for campaign effectiveness.
4. Content creators, such as journalists, writers, or filmmakers, who have expertise in crafting compelling narratives.
5. Media professionals experienced in producing engaging content for different communication channels or communication experts with experience in media relations, including building relationships with journalists and pitching stories to the media.

Specific professional experience:

• Expertise in at least three of the following:

1. Advocacy and public engagement within the civil society sector.
2. Strategic planning, audience analysis, message development, and campaign evaluation.
3. Various communication channels, including traditional media, social media, and digital platforms.
4. Media engagement and local media landscape, relationship building with journalists, and crafting impactful press releases.
5. Leveraging social media platforms for advocacy and engagement.
6. Analytics tools, content creation, and optimisation strategies for digital campaigns.
7. Crafting compelling narratives and engaging content.
8. Visual storytelling, video production, or multimedia content creation.
9. Analysing campaign data and providing insights for continuous improvement, knowledge of key performance indicators and impact measurement.

• Practical experience in working with a civil society organisation or civic action group and deep understanding of civil society organizations, their challenges, and communication needs is considered an advantage.
• Familiarity with the local context and specific issues related to civil society in Armenia or Georgia and experience in mentoring teams is considered an advantage.

Language requirements:            

The language of the assignment is English. Written inputs shall be provided in English, as detailed above. While the language of this assignment is English, communication between participating teams and assigned mentors can be facilitated in the local languages. This approach is intended to create a comfortable and conducive environment for meaningful interaction and guidance.