Project Media Support Consultant

BACKGROUND

The UNDP “Peace Building in Lebanon” project aims at enhancing mutual understanding and promoting social cohesion by (1) addressing root causes of conflict in Lebanon, (2) addressing the impact of the Syrian crisis on social stability in Lebanon; and (3) supporting different groups from local leaders and local actors, educators, journalists, youth and civil society activists, in developing medium and long-term strategies for peace building, crisis management and conflict prevention.

The project focuses on addressing the new challenges to civil peace and peace building in the country posed by the Syrian crisis throughout the following four outputs:

1. Education promoting social cohesion supported;
2. Media empowered to promote balanced and conflict sensitive media coverage;
3. Local level peace building strategies to mitigate tensions developed in selected conflict prone areas of Lebanon hosting Syrian refugees;
4. NGO platform promoting nation-wide truth and reconciliation supported ex-fighters’ role in promoting peace building supported.

Under its media component, the project works on providing positive media spaces and promoting rational speeches to address controversial issues by publishing Joint News Supplements with national newspapers. Writers, journalists, media professionals, researchers, and artists residing in Lebanon share their views about the impact of the Syrian crisis on Lebanon. They also address issues related to civil peace, adopting a hate-free and objective speech. Moreover, the project launched the “Journalists’ Pact for Strengthening Civil Peace in Lebanon” in 2013, in partnership with the Ministry of Information and the participation of 32 national media outlets. The project has also trained the staff of participating media outlets on topics related to the Pact, based on a media toolkit developed by Thomson Reuters Foundation to help media institutions better implement the Pact. In addition, UNDP also attempted to fight fake news published on social media that undermines civil peace by building awareness about how to address it.

In 2026, the project will implement a series of initiatives aimed at mainstreaming the culture of fact-checking and conflict-sensitive reporting at both national and local levels. These efforts will focus on strengthening youth capacities in media for development, supporting media faculties at the Lebanese University, and engaging the Ministry of Information to reinforce responsible media practices.
To support these efforts, the project seeks to recruit a consultant to assist and support with the implementation and coordination of the media component over the next eight months, contributing to a range of operational and programmatic activities. In addition, the consultant will support the Forum for Memory and Future and contribute to the oral history documentation process led by UMAM, as part of UNDP’s broader support to initiatives addressing the legacy of the past.

SCOPE OF WORK, RESPONSIBILITIES AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED ANALYTICAL WORK
Under the overall guidance of the Peace Building in Lebanon Project Manager, the Project Support Consultant will perform the following functions:

The consultant shall deliver the following tasks:

• Output 1: Establish initial media processes and FMF coordination and documentation of project activities
• Output 2: Support media processes and FMF coordination and documentation of project activities
• Output 3: Ongoing support media processes and FMF coordination and documentation of project activities
• Output 4: Strengthen support media processes and FMF coordination and documentation of project activities
• Output 5: Ongoing media processes coordination and documentation of project activities
• Output 6: Maintain support media processes and FMF coordination and documentation of project activities
• Output 7: Ongoing media processes coordination and documentation of project activities
• Output 8: Submit final media processes coordination and documentation of project activities report

EXPECTED OUTPUTS AND DELIVERABLES

The consultant is expected to submit a monthly progress report undertaking the above tasks and activities under the TOR, noting that the total duration should not exceed 8-months period (number of working days should not exceed 18 working days per month – full time)

INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

• With day-to-day management by the UNDP Project Manager, the Project Media Support Consultant and close coordination with the project team
• UNDP will be responsible for providing the contractor with all necessary materials related to the project in a timely, thorough, and transparent manner. UNDP will be also responsible for providing clarifications and facilitation of the work.
• Day to Day transportation from home to office (& vice versa) shall be covered by the Consultant’s own means.

DURATION OF WORK

• The assigned duration for this consultancy is 8 months
• The mission is expected to commence on April 1st, 2026, and to be completed by the 30 of November 2026.
  The time needed to review/ comment/ approve deliverables and outputs is (5) five working days.

DUTY STATION

The Project Support consultant will be based primarily home-based, the consultant is required to conduct field visits and assist with communication and transportation arrangements for activities and events. Meetings with the Project Manager will take place at the project’s offices in Beirut, ESCWA.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education
• Master’s degree in media studies, journalism, communications, political/social sciences, International Affairs, Arts or other relevant related degree BA degree in finance management and accounting, auditing or another relevant field.

• Minimum of 6 years of relevant experience working in media, journalism, or communications.
Language: Fluent in English and Arabic (both oral and written).

“The Personnel will be covered with Health insurance and Personal accident insurance; the fees shall be deducted from personnel’s monthly payment”