Crisis Communications Management Consultant

TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR)

1. Background, Objectives and Justification

The Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR) is an independent not-for profit organisation that works with media and civil society to promote positive change in conflict zones, closed societies, and countries in transition around the world. As part of its program activities, IWPR, in partnership with the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP), is implementing its initiative Building Resilience in the Eastern Neighbourhood (BREN), which is supported by the UK Government’s Integrated Security Fund (ISF).

IWPR’s BREN program seeks to strengthen the resilience of non-state actors, including marginalised communities, and enhance their ability to deliver transformative, inclusive, and sustainable contributions to peace, stability and security in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Moldova.

Civil society organisations (CSOs) in these four countries face a range of challenges and threats to their work. Already at heightened risk of crisis due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Moldova faces exacerbating circumstances in the immediate term with the occurrence of significant events, including elections in the fall.  

Building on IWPR’s previous activities involving this subject matter, IWPR is seeking a Crisis Communications Management Consultant to train and develop resources for up to 8 organizations on online and offline crisis management response. The activity’s objective is to strengthen the CSO’s ability to respond, prevent and manage crisis.

Candidates may submit applications for Online Crisis Management Training, Offline Crisis Management Training, or both. The application may be submitted by an individual, a group of individuals or an organization.

All trainers and mentors must speak Romanian and have working knowledge of Russian. The services are scheduled to be delivered over 5 months, running from 12 August 2024 to 15 December 2024.

2. Scope of Work 

2.1- Overview

• The Consultant will support 8 participating CSOs with the implementation of online and offline crisis management and crisis response plans based on best practices as follows:

• Provide a one-day, in-person training on Online Crises Management and another one-day, in-person training on Offline Crisis Management best practices. 

• Details on each training topic are as follow:

1. Online Crises Management: Online crisis management involves addressing and mitigating the impact of crises that occur on digital platforms These crises can include social media abuse, such as cyberbullying, harassment, doxing (publishing private information), and widespread reputational damage resulting from viral posts or coordinated attacks. Topics covered may include but are not limited to:

• Response mechanisms for managing online crises on social media platforms.
• How to handle negative comments, online harassment, doxing and reputational damage.
• Tools and techniques for monitoring and responding to online crises in real-time.
• Establishing and managing crisis communication channels, internally within the organisation and externally among peer CSOs, supporters and the media.

1. Offline Crises Management: Offline crisis management involves preparing for and responding to physical crises that impact an organization or its members. These can include emergencies such as kidnapping, arrest, and other emergencies. Topics may include but are not limited to:

• Response mechanisms for managing physical crises such as kidnapping, arrest, and other emergencies.
• How to advocate and respond to offline crisis situations.
• Guidance on PR releases, coordinating signature campaigns, public petitions, and lobbying efforts.
• Strategies for effective communication and coordination with stakeholders during offline crises.

• Conduct an audit of the participating CSOs’ crisis response management plan, both offline and online. (Up to 8 CSOs are eligible to participate in the audit). IWPR does not guarantee a minimum number of audits.

• Mentor the CSOs as they develop a crises response management plan. Each CSO may receive up to 2 hours of mentoring during the project period. Up to 8 CSOs are eligible to participate in this activity. Mentoring hours must not exceed a maximum of 16 hours total for all CSOs combined. IWPR does not guarantee a minimum number of mentoring hours.

• Develop written and/or multimedia training material and resources to share with the participants. Resources should be in user-friendly formats such as templates and checklists for accessibility. IWPR also plans to make these materials available to the participants on a website for ongoing access in the future. 

3. Main Deliverables and Timeline 

4. Budget

Please submit a budget in GBP (British Pound Sterling) for IWPR’s review. 

• The budget should include all project-specific costs and expenses, including trainer and mentor fees, travel, etc. Consultant fees should be expressed in terms of an hourly or day rate, as applicable.
• The Consultant does notneed to include logistical costs related to providing the in-person training, e.g. venue, catering, etc. IWPR will directly coordinate and fund such logistics.

5. Payment Schedule

The consultant will invoice for services rendered based on the Milestones identified in the table above.

6. Work Relationships

The Consultant shall report to and work directly with the BREN Capacity Building Manager. The Consultant will also work with IWPR’s respective country coordinators in each country.

7. Application and Evaluation Process

The Consultant should submit the following to vonda@iwpr.net by no later than August 2, 2024:

1) Proposed work plan, including sample training agenda and topics and training plan and schedule.

2) Description of the organization or trainers/mentors and their respective experience and capabilities related to subject matter of this ToR. 

3) CVs of all proposed trainers and/or mentors. 

4) Itemized budget for all costs and fees based on the chart in item 3 above (detailed costs in British Pound Sterling (GBP £), with applicable Tax/Charges clearly identified, and provided against each of the categories of services described in the chart.)

5) Contact name, email address, and telephone number to facilitate communication between IWPR and the Consultant.

 Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Experience – 30 points: Ability to deliver all the requirements required by IWPR 

Price – 30   points: Value for money

Technical- 40 points: Responsiveness to the ToR specifications and requirements.