Terms of Reference for the Advocacy & Policy Expert

ORGANIZATION: Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO

PROJECT TITLE: Strengthening Trans Organising Resiliency and Capacity

DUTY STATION: Chișinău, Moldova

DURATION: 4 full training days (October 22–25, 2025); arrival October 21, departure October 26, 2025

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION: September 15, 2025

CONTEXT:

Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO has launched the project “Strengthening Trans Organising Resiliency and Capacity” with the support of UK Government Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

The project aims to empower LGBTIQ activists from Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Moldova, and Ukraine to counter anti-gender movements, strengthen advocacy capacities, and promote legal gender recognition (LGR) without forced sterilization.

The Regional Advocacy Training will bring together 24 activists from Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Moldova, and Ukraine (4 per country) to develop skills in advocacy, policy analysis, countering anti-gender rhetoric, and designing community-based initiatives. Post-training, participants will receive GBP 4,000 grants to implement local or regional advocacy initiatives.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The Advocacy & Policy Expert will:

• Lead sessions on regional advocacy strategies, policy analysis, lobbying, and coalition-building;
• Guide participants in understanding anti-gender movements and designing effective counter-strategies;
• Support participants in developing action plans for post-training advocacy initiatives, both at the country and regional level;
• Provide mentorship and advice on policy engagement, advocacy campaigns, and stakeholder mapping;
• Facilitate interactive exercises, group discussions, and peer learning focused on policy change, coalition-building, and advocacy impact.

KEY INDICATORS:

1. Knowledge Acquisition: Percentage of participants demonstrating understanding of advocacy strategies, policy frameworks, and countering anti-gender movements.
2. Advocacy Planning: Quality and feasibility of participants’ post-training action plans for advocacy initiatives.
3. Regional Impact: Assessment of participants’ ability to apply advocacy strategies to strengthen LGBTIQ rights locally and regionally.

DELIVERABLES:

1. Training Materials:
   • Detailed session plans, PowerPoint presentations, handouts, and visual aids.
   • Case studies, exercises, and role-plays on advocacy and policy strategies.
2. Participant Resources:
   • Guides summarizing advocacy techniques, policy engagement strategies, and resources for countering anti-gender movements.
   • Resource lists of regional and international organizations, networks, and tools.
3. Pre-Training Assessment:
   • Survey or briefing to understand participants’ prior advocacy experience and policy knowledge.
4. Post-Training Evaluation and Report:
   • Report summarizing participants’ feedback, learning outcomes, and effectiveness of advocacy sessions.
   • Recommendations for follow-up mentoring or technical support.
5. Advocacy Action Plans:
   • Support participants in developing clear, actionable plans to implement advocacy initiatives post-training.
   • Recommendations for stakeholder engagement, coalition-building, and community mobilization.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

• Expertise in Advocacy & Policy: Strong experience in advocacy, lobbying, and policy development related to LGBTIQ or human rights.
• Knowledge of Anti-Gender Movements in the Region: Understanding of regional anti-gender trends, narratives, and strategies to counter them.
• Professional Experience: Minimum 5 years in advocacy, policy analysis, or related work, preferably with LGBTIQ organizations.
• Capacity Building & Facilitation: Minimum 5 years’ experience in training, mentoring, and coaching activists or community leaders.
• Strategic Planning Skills: Ability to guide participants in designing effective advocacy campaigns and actionable policy initiatives.
• Conflict Sensitivity: Demonstrated ability to facilitate sessions in a politically sensitive environment, manage disagreements constructively.
• Cross-Cultural Competence: Experience working in multicultural environments and with diverse LGBTIQ communities.
• Language Proficiency: Fluent in English; knowledge of regional languages is an asset.
• Education: Degree or equivalent in social sciences, political science, human rights, or related fields preferred.

COMPENSATION:

• The selected Advocacy & Policy Expert will receive a total fee of GBP 1,200, which includes all applicable taxes and mandatory fees. This covers the expert’s preparation, facilitation of the 4-day training, and any post-training reporting/deliverables.
• Travel, accommodation, meals, and training logistics will be covered separately by the Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Candidates meeting the above requirements should submit:

• CV
• A 1-page narrative proposal describing approach to advocacy sessions and mentoring

Send applications to rightsidengo@gmail.com with the subject: “Advocacy & Policy Expert – Moldova 2025” by September 15, 2025, 18:00 Yerevan time.