Greetings colleagues,
IREX is seeking 2-3 consultants to participate in an “advocating in tough times” workshop to take place in Romania in fall 2010. Please see full details in the attached scope of work (pasted below). The closing date is August 30, 2010.
Best,
Meaghan O’Connor
Meaghan O'Connor | Program Coordinator | IREX | 2121 K St. NW, Suite 700 | Washington, DC 20037 | (202) 628-8188, ext. 176 |moconnor@irex.org | http://www.irex.org/programs/gl | http://irexgl.wordpress.com
Scope of Work: Advocacy Workshop
IREX seeks a team of 2-3 consultants with experience conducting advocacy campaigns to participate in a week long “advocating in tough times” workshop to take place in Romania.
I. Background
The Biblionet program aims to help Romanian public librarians advocate for their libraries at a local and national level. Under the present economic circumstances, both the national government and local authorities will reduce public library personnel, and based upon the information IREX is receiving, some counties are discussing decreasing the number of librarians or putting them on extended leave.
IREX is creating a volunteer task force to assess “Economic risks factors” in light of the new austerity measures proposed by the government. IREX expects this task force to:
· Have a list of major risk factors (e.g. current staff reduction, possible supplementary budget cuts for this year, budget for next year)
· Discuss what advocacy actions can be taken in partnership with the ANBPR and other library associations
· Create communication strategies in order to find out any news as soon as it occurs
The task force will consist of 12 county librarian volunteers and 2 representatives of the National Association of Public Libraries and Librarians (ANBPR). The main role of the task force will be to determine the best course of action for evaluating the potential impact the new austerity measures upon public libraries and the ability of public libraries to meet the minimum criteria for participating in the Biblionet program.
IREX seeks a team of 2-3 consultants with experience conducting advocacy campaigns on behalf of libraries during tough economic times, both locally and nationally, to assist this task force in developing a plan of action for library advocacy. It is not expected that the plan will have an effect on budget and staffing decisions being made this fall; rather, the plan will provide a clear strategy for maintaining, and eventually increasing, library support in light of the austerity measures, as well as best practices for adjusting and maintaining services with reduced resources.
II. Statement of Work
The consultants will lead and facilitate a workshop for this task force to transfer tools and experience from ALA/US experience and help the group develop a workplan for implementing national and local advocacy activities. The session would take place in mid- to late-September 2010, depending on availability of consultants and partners. The session would consist of:
· How to advocate in tough times, present tools developed by ALA and other library systems (approximately 2 days)
· Develop a workplan for what Romanian libraries could do (approximately 2 days) – association, county libraries, local libraries
· Wrap-up (approximately 1 day)
Background information on key problems faced by libraries in new budget discussions, as well as details on the budgeting process at a national and local level for librarians, will be prepared in advance by IREX. Consultants will be expected to familiarize themselves with the situation prior to developing workshop materials.
The workshop agenda will be drafted by IREX and local partners in Romania, and sent to the consultant group for feedback. Based on the agenda, consultants will be prepared to share stories and best practices based on their experiences, with accompanying materials, facilitate discussions, and provide feedback and recommendations on the advocacy strategy.
It is envisioned that this group will continue to provide ongoing mentoring and support for the task force and IREX as we move through this difficult period. This ongoing mentoring will be virtual, consisting largely of email but potentially occasional conference calls.
III. Deliverables
Respond to workshop agenda, including a list of potential tools and other resources: September 15, 2010
Final Report, including:
· Summary of the workshop
· Challenging moments
· Recommended next steps for IREX and the working group
Draft: October 30, 2010; Final: November 15, 2010
IV. Timing and Level of Effort Total Level of Effort
Preparation September, 2010 3 days
Travel TBD, Fall 2010 3 days
Workshop TBD, Fall 2010 5 days
Final report November 15, 2010 3 days
Ongoing support to group October 2010 – March 2011 5 days (cumulative)
TOTAL January - March 19 days
V. Reporting and relationships
The consultant will coordinate directly with Meaghan O’Connor, IREX/Washington, and Paul-Andre Baran, IREX/Bucharest. IREX will handle all logistical arrangements.
VI. Qualifications and Application Deadline
· Minimum 10 years experience in public libraries or library associations;
· Demonstrated experience in creating and implementing advocacy strategies;
· Director or deputy director of a public library during a financial crisis OR equivalent experience leading advocacy efforts as part of a library association;
· Preferred experience working in international or cross-cultural situations
TO APPLY for this consultancy, please submit a letter of interest, a current CV, and a biodata form (available at http://www.usaid.gov/forms/a1420-17-1.pdf) to gl@irex.org no later than Monday, August 30, 2010.
No comments:
Post a Comment