External Communications Consultancy At Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network

About APRRN

The Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN) is a network of over 200 active civil society organisations and individuals from 28 countries, committed to advancing the rights of refugees in the Asia Pacific. APRRN aims to advance such rights through joint advocacy, capacity strengthening, resource sharing, and outreach. APRRN advances the refugee rights movement by bringing together actors; amplifying disadvantaged voices; exchanging good practices; providing skills, tools, and resources to national members to position them to respond to protection challenges; providing refugees with a platform to advocate for their own rights; and taking an inclusive, multi-stakeholder approach to advocacy. APRRN members are diverse, including service providers, human rights advocacy groups, research institutions, law firms providing pro-bono legal aid, refugee community-based organisations, and refugees. Almost all APRRN members are civil society groups working in their local contexts, effectively responding to needs on the ground, lobbying their governments for changes in policies and legislation to protect the rights of refugees. APRRN’s Secretariat is based in Bangkok, Thailand.

Context

In September 2021, APRRN presented members and Secretariat staff with four possibilities for how to strengthen the monitoring and evaluation or communications of the network, under the broad goal of improving governance. These options were: (1) external network evaluation, assessing progress against indicators set out in the strategic plan; (2) monitoring and evaluation capacity building; (3) communications; and (4) other. APRRN requested members select a maximum of two options they saw as adding the most value to the network. Upon conclusion of the survey, the majority of APRRN members and Secretariat staff selected two preferred options – option 2: monitoring and evaluation capacity building; and option 3: strengthening external communications.

APRRN is coordinated by the Secretariat, and led by a nominated Steering Committee. In terms of flows of communication, the Secretariat communicates with members, and members communicate with fellow members. The Secretariat also communicates with external stakeholders, and members communicate with external stakeholders in representation of APRRN. In terms of external communications, this refers to all non-members, such as media, state actors, non-state actors, and donors. Internal communications refers to communications held within the network, between Secretariat staff and members, and between members.

Purpose of the consultancy

As APRRN becomes increasingly remote, with activities pivoting and remaining online to respond to COVID-19’s enduring presence, a network-wide coordinated and streamlined communications system is essential. In addition, as the network continues to expand our advocacy footprint online, we must ensure that all external communications, such as social media broadcasts, advocacy messaging, including statements, op-eds, and website information dissemination, is clear, consistent and effective. We are also working to garner increased input and participation from members to feed into communication broadcasts, thereby embedding systems for APRRN’s communications to be more collaborative going forwards, and beyond the proposed consultancy period.

Therefore, APRRN seeks to contract an expert communications consultant with the objective of improving APRRN’s external communications and in turn strengthening network-wide information sharing, collaboration, engagement, and active participation of members and non-members across the Asia Pacific region. Through this, we aim to improve APRRN’s governance and increase the impact of APRRN’s advocacy.

Proposed scope of work and deliverables

We envisage that the communications consultant shall:

1. Conduct a network-wide communications needs and risk assessment, to evaluate strengths, weaknesses, aspirations, and growth areas in terms of APRRN’s external, and related internal communications. This includes reviewing existing external communications, such as statements and online messages.
2. Map external communications systems, new and existing, identifying the most effective and efficient channels and flows of communication, including how to better integrate communications, advocacy and outreach across the network.
3. Support the design and development of communication materials, such as media and social media toolkits, as well as strategic social media plans.
4. Develop a communications strategy to promote and strengthen APRRN’s safe and consistent presence online. This may include a media relations strategy and communication policies around the protection of identities, confidentiality and privacy.
5. Strengthen Secretariat capacity in external, and potentially internal communications.
6. Support APRRN to develop metrics for tracking the effectiveness of our external communications.

Timeline

Deliverable based, over a maximum 4 month period: 4 January 2022 – 4 May 2022

Available funding: The consultant will receive 10,000 EUR (approximately 11,624 USD) total, transferred on a deliverable and/or invoice basis. Total working costs (e.g., social security, internet, laptop etc) are to be covered by the consultant.

Essential knowledge, skills and experience

1. A master’s degree in communications, particularly international human rights communications with at least three years of relevant professional experience in international human rights communication and associated data security, sensitivity, privacy and confidentiality; or a bachelor’s degree with at least five years of relevant professional experience in international human rights communications.
2. Demonstrated experience in designing and developing communication materials, as well as designing and implementing communications and media relations strategies and workshops, particularly within the refugee rights sector.

Assessment of consultant proposal:

1. Experience and expertise (60%)
2. Price and relevance of technical offer to TOR / deliverables (40%)