LGBTI Equal Rights Association for Western Balkans and Turkey

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30 Sep

We are looking for the Communications Agency or Consulting Team for the Development of a Campaign on Equality for LGBTQI+ in the Western Balkans


Terms of Reference

Summary

The LGBTI Equal Rights Association for Western Balkans and Turkey (ERA) seeks a communications agency or consulting team in the Western Balkans to design, implement, support, and measure the impact of a public campaign on equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) people in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Serbia. 

About the Organization 

 The LGBTI Equal Rights Association for Western Balkans and Turkey (ERA) is a dynamic regional network comprising 85 LGBTQI+ organizations across the Western Balkans and Turkey, with nine years of experience in advancing LGBTQI+ rights and inclusion. Over the past decade, ERA has played a crucial role in strengthening the capacities of its member organizations by providing tailored support through capacity building, strategic advocacy, sub-granting, and comprehensive research initiatives. The network’s sub-granting program ensures that grassroots organizations have access to critical financial resources to implement impactful projects at local and national levels. ERA also actively addresses the rise of anti-gender and anti-democracy movements, working to counter misinformation and promote inclusive policies that uphold human rights and democratic values. By fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange, ERA amplifies the voices of LGBTQI+ communities, enhances organizational resilience, and strengthens regional unity. Engaging actively with policymakers, civil society, and other stakeholders, ERA has driven meaningful social and legal reforms, contributing to more inclusive, equitable, and diverse societies throughout the region.

Program Background

The hiring of a communications agency or consulting team is part of the anticipated “Strengthening Human Rights, Information Integrity, Equality, and Democracy for the LGBTQI+ population in the Western Balkans” (Western Balkans Equality SHIELD) program. The program aims to mitigate the impact of anti-rights disinformation, enabling the LGBTQI+ population to exercise their rights equally. It will be implemented in the Western Balkans, with regional activities and in-country work in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Serbia by a consortium consisting of the LGBTI Equal Rights Association for Western Balkans and Turkey (ERA), the American Bar Association Center for Global Programs (ABA CGP), and Justice for Prosperity (JfP).

Scope of Work and Deliverables 

Product 1: Design a pilot communication campaign to increase public support for equality for LGBTQI+ people.

Duration: 3 months.

The agency or consulting team, in collaboration with ERA, ABA CGP, and JfP will design a online communication campaign pilot to advance the acceptance of LGBTQI+ people and counter anti-rights narratives by deploying new narratives around gender equality and democracy among the general population. The campaign’s messaging and audio-visual materials will build upon existing data from public polls conducted on LGBTQI+ acceptance in the Western Balkans, along with research generated by the program on hate speech themes and disinformation efforts. Through this pilot campaign, the program will garner information about what messages work best in each country and share these findings with relevant stakeholders, with the goal of implementing larger communication campaigns in the future.

The campaign will run for six months and will need to be deployed through social media and adapted to five countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Serbia) in the primary language and alphabet of each country. The campaign will be implemented by partners in each country. Although the main objective of the campaign will be the same for all countries (advance the acceptance of LGBTQI+ people and counter anti-rights narratives) the messaging will be tailored to each country based on public opinion research. 

Product 2: Provide technical support to partner organizations for the implementation of the campaign. 

Duration: 6 months.

The campaign will be implemented by one partner organization in each of the five target countries. The agency or consulting team will provide technical assistance and capacity building to each partner organization, including the following subproducts:

  • Developing and implementing plan for the campaign for each partner organization.
    • Developing and conducting a two-day workshop on social media best practices for each of the five partner organizations.
    • Providing ongoing support to partner organizations during the campaign implementation, including responding to questions.
    • Developing and conducting a two-day workshop for each of the five partner organizations’ spokespersons on public speaking and how to use the campaign messages in interviews and in communicating with public officials. 

Product 3 – Final report detailing the impact of the pilot campaigns.

The agency or consulting team must deliver a methodology for measuring citizen’s opinion changes pre and post the online campaigns (as designed in Objective 1) on gender issues, democracy, and perceptions of LGBTQI+ people. The consulting team will then use that methodology to collect pre and post opinion data across all five countries and analyze the data. The analysis and data will be compiled and presented in a final report. The final report should also provide an analysis of any challenges, successes, or lessons learned that were found in the deployment of the new messaging. The final report must be written in English. 

Product 4:  Mentoring partners to develop an annual communications plan 

Duration: 3 months

Throughout this mentorship, the agency or consulting team will support the development of a strategic communication plan for each of the five partner organizations. This plan will incorporate the lessons learned from the pilot campaign to deploy the successful narratives around gender equality, democracy, and human rights, incorporating timelines, resource allocation, and responsibilities according to each organization’s capability.

Qualities of the Agency or Consulting Team 

The agency or consulting team should have an appropriate combination of experience and expertise. Some of the key areas of experience and expertise are listed below. 

  • Academic or professional accreditations in Communication Sciences, Institutional Communication, Marketing and/or Public Relations, or other related field.
  • Accumulated experience: minimum of 5-10 years advising companies or non-profit organizations in online communications strategies, creating public awareness messaging and campaigns, and public opinion analysis.
  • Training: Experiencing developing and delivering training for companies or non-profit organizations in online communications strategies and creating long-term communication strategies.
  • Gender and Democracy Background: Strong preference for agencies or teams with experience working with companies or non-profits promoting gender equality, democracy, and human rights. 
  • Knowledge of the Western Balkans context: The agency or consulting team should have a strong understanding of the political and socioeconomic context of the region.

Selection Criteria

The selection of the consulting firm will be based on the following criteria (weights in parentheses):

  • Technical proposal and alignment with the advertised Scope of Work and Deliverables (25%).
  • Experience of the agency or consulting team (45%).
  • Financial Proposal (30%).

Application Requirements

To apply, please submit your proposal as a PDF to office@lgbti-era.org  by November 13, 2024. The proposal should include the following: 

  • Credentials of the agency or consulting team.
  • Team CVs clearly indicating the roles and responsibilities of each team member.
  • Technical proposal (methodology and work plan).
  • Detailed financial proposal.

General Inquiries

For general information about this call for solicitations, please contact: office@lgbti-era.org