Human Rights, Monitoring and Advocacy Training Consultant - Central West Africa

National Democratic Institute (NDI)•Washington, DC

14d•Remote

About The Position

This consultancy involves developing and delivering a training curriculum for civil society members in West and Central Africa. The training focuses on the methodology and best practices for long-term human rights monitoring, reporting, and advocacy within closed civic spaces. The goal is to equip participants with the skills to safely collect, analyze, and leverage human rights data for effective advocacy, especially in environments where traditional forms of dissent are suppressed. The training will be delivered virtually as an interactive six-part webinar series, facilitated by an expert consultant. The curriculum will cover data collection fundamentals, consortium-based monitoring, data management, and transforming data into actionable evidence for advocacy. The consultant will tailor the approach to the operational realities of the region, using practical case studies and interactive discussions.

Requirements

Expertise in human rights monitoring, reporting, and advocacy, particularly in closed civic spaces.
Methodological understanding, technical skills, and strategic frameworks for safely collecting, analyzing, and leveraging human rights data.
Experience in data verification, quality assurance, and fact-checking.
Knowledge of digital tools for structured and credible documentation.
Understanding of ethical considerations, including the Do No Harm principle.
Experience with consortium-based data collection, including risk distribution and coordination.
Ability to standardize decentralized methodologies, including developing shared taxonomies, uniform reporting formats, and secure data transfer protocols.
Capacity to synthesize aggregated data into rigorous, objective analytical products, including designing sustainable and replicable methodologies.
Skills in designing and executing evidence-based advocacy campaigns, tailoring data-driven messaging for distinct audiences.
Familiarity with international human rights mechanisms and frameworks.
Experience in delivering virtual training sessions, including interactive elements and assessments.
Ability to tailor training to specific operational realities (e.g., Cameroon).
Proficiency in using secure communication platforms.
Ability to work with civil society organizations in West and Central Africa.
Must be able to lead specific training sessions as indicated in the application.

Nice To Haves

Ability to lead all training sessions.
Suggested improvements or proposed modifications to the scope or terms of the consultancy.

Responsibilities

Develop and deliver a six-part interactive webinar series on human rights monitoring, reporting, and advocacy in closed civic spaces.
Facilitate practical demonstrations, interactive discussions, and scenario-based exercises.
Incorporate interactive quizzes or formative assessments for participant engagement and knowledge retention.
Adapt training materials for asynchronous viewing and potential offline completion.
Employ an applied methodology tailored to the operational realities of Cameroon, using practical case studies and real-world examples.
Utilize secure polling, Q&A features, and encrypted communication channels.
Propose amendments to the initial module breakdown if necessary.
Share working documents for advance reflection.
Oversee offline work completion by participants in collaborative documents.
Validate working documents in dedicated follow-up meetings.
Facilitate discussions on structuring secure workflows, identifying risks, distributing physical risk, and overcoming operational hurdles.
Introduce the responsible use of AI-assisted mapping tools while critically examining ethical implications, risks, and limitations.
Guide participants in harmonizing documentation practices across multiple organizations, including developing shared taxonomies, standardized terminology, reporting templates, minimum data standards, and secure data transfer protocols.
Demonstrate how to analyze and track longitudinal trends and establish a long-term empirical record.
Explore how to map local findings directly onto international human rights frameworks.