Advocacy and Policy Expert.

Expertise France is a public agency part of the AFD Group, merging six agencies under the supervision of the French Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Economy and Finance with a strong inter-ministerial vocation. MISSION DESCRIPTION Expertise France (EF) is looking for a Advocacy and Policy Expert. home based. Potential travels to Erbil or North Syria.

The general objective of the project is to empower Syrian Civil Society actors to become actors of change able to actively engage in policy shaping and dialogue and echo the aspiration of Syrian communities’ vis-à-vis local and national-level decision-makers.

These objectives will be reached through achieving two connected outputs that will be implemented in parallel:

Output 1: Non-state actors are strengthened and able to engage in local-level policy dialogue on technical/sectorial issues.

Output 2: Dialogue, coordination and sector-based initiatives are established, experimenting sectorial dialogue and geographical coordination

Under the supervision of the Project Manager and in close coordination with the Program Director and other project members at HQ, the incumbent will be responsible for providing advisory, technical support, policy development, and consultancy for the ENSAAC project on the Advocacy activities and initiatives and Policy shaping in north Syria. He/she will carry out the following activities:

• Providing technical and advisory support and mentoring for promoting advocacy and policy concepts for NSAs.
• Strengthening NSAs capacity for developing their advocacy activities and policies by reviewing the current policies and developing them.
• Explore options for connecting NSAs with resource networks and other peer actors regarding advocacy and policy.
• Assist NSAs in developing advocacy tools (e.g., policy briefs, petitions, infographics) tailored to their specific contexts and target audiences.
• Assist NSAs in planning and implementing advocacy campaigns.
• Identify relevant decision-makers and potential allies, and teaching NSAs how to connect with them.
• Guide them in crafting impactful messages and formulating clear policy asks.
• Conduct focus group discussions and interviews with selected NSAs to understand:
• Existing knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding advocacy and policy.
• Specific needs, issues, challenges and gaps in capacity for advocacy and policy.
• The current policy landscape in Northern Syria, including key decision-makers, relevant policy areas, and existing advocacy efforts.
• Priorities and areas for capacity building.
• Design and deliver tailored and interactive workshops and training sessions on, for example but not limited to:
• Advocacy techniques.
• Policy analysis.
• Effective communication techniques (written and oral).
• Identify and share relevant resources on advocacy and policy, such as:
• Toolkits (in Arabic) on specific advocacy and policy topics.
• Case studies showcasing successful interventions in similar contexts.
• Online platforms and networks for continued learning and collaboration.
• Identify strategies for promoting sustainability, such as:
  • Advise NSAs on integrating advocacy and policy considerations into their ongoing and future projects.
  • Encouraging peer-to-peer learning and knowledge exchange among participating NSAs.
  • Collaborate with NSAs to develop detailed action plans addressing specific challenges related to advocacy and policy.
    • Capacity Building and Mentoring action plan for each targeted NSAs, including a brief needs assessment, a list of priorities and suggested support modalities
    • Coaching and training report,
    • Lessons learned paper based on project implementation reports, including on project’s benefits according to the advocacy and policy.
    • Draft final report of the consultancy

Qualifications & Preferred Skills

• Advanced degree in public policy, law, political science, international relations, or a related field.
• Proven experience working in the humanitarian and development sectors.
• At least 5-7 years of experience in advocacy, policy analysis, or related areas, particularly in conflict-affected or fragile contexts.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement effective advocacy strategies and influence policy decisions.
• Understanding of shaping of policies challenges specific to Northern Syria.
• Proven experience in designing and delivering capacity building programs and workshops.
• Strong training and facilitation skills, with proven experience in capacity building for local organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement effective advocacy strategies.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders.
• Excellent writing skills with high proficiency in English and Arabic.
• Sensitivity to cultural contexts in northern Syria.
• Ability to do the documentation and prepare publications, reports, and presentations.
• High level of flexibility required.