WAN-IFRA Africa Newsroom Safety Advisor

Engagement period: June 2024 – December 2025

Consultancy agreement

Maximum available budget: 50,000 €

WAN-IFRA is looking to engage a dedicated Safety Advisor to help implement its approach to instilling a broader, professionalised understanding of safety and security among partner newsrooms in Africa.

The ideal candidate has extensive knowledge and experience of the challenges facing media organisations, with particular focus on Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Preference will be given to applications from safety providers who can organise Hostile Environment Awareness Trainings and have the resources and expertise of a wider team to draw upon.

The successful candidate will work with the WAN-IFRA Media Freedom team to strengthen safety practices with up to 10 newsroom partners:

Safety strategies and policy development

• Help shape organisational safety strategies
• Assist in developing necessary elements of effective safety policies
• Establish individual safety strategies and work plans outlining the various methods recommended for each media partner, detailing targets and objectives for the duration of the engagement
• Assist in developing or strengthening existing safety policies and procedures, aligning these with the strategic approach identified in (i)
• Guide newsroom partners in the implementation of their safety strategies and work plans through a variety of means (one-on-one coaching, online sessions, on-site visits, provision of learning resources and materials, etc.)
• Monitor and assess policy development, suggest tactics and methods for effective implementation, and lead on orientating and supporting newsroom managers in their approach

Maintain individual contact with media partners

• Establish one-on-one relationships with each media partner to provide tailored, effective support (4 check-ins per partners, up to 40h in total). This includes a first general check-in point, two targeted check-ins linked to webinars to encourage the development of policies and a final check-in)
• Conduct a minimum of four scheduled one-on-one online sessions with each media partner and their selected safety representatives during the course of the engagement
• Monitor progress towards targets and objectives outlined in safety strategies and work plans
• Document all interactions and engagements with media partners
• Liaise with the WAN-IFRA project team on a regular basis.

Online training and resources

• Design and deliver a series of 6 online training according to needs identified by partner newsrooms (training fees should be included in this agreement)
• Provide resources and relevant materials to encourage policy development related to these areas
• In coordination with the WAN-IFRA project team, design a series of webinar-based sessios relevant to all partners and designed for all participating newsrooms (minimum 6 sessions)
• Contribute to creating safety and security resources for all partners

On-site trainings

• Deliver two 4-day HEAT courses in two of the project countries (Kenya and Tanzania) targeting media professionals from participating newsrooms (training fees included in this agreement, while all separate costs related to conferencing, transport,  accommodation and flights will be covered separately by WAN-IFRA)

On-site newsroom visits

• Safety advisors are expected to do onsite visits to project countries to visit each one of the participating newsroom

Monitoring and results

• In coordination with the WAN-IFRA project team, contribute to progress tracking and results measurement across all 10 media partners
• Issue quarterly surveys, document and update data-gathering (6 times in total)

Please send expression of interest and financial quote to media.freedom@wan-ifra.org

Deadline for submission: May 28th, 2024