LGBTQ+ Adviser

Call for Expression of Interest

The HLA intends to fund the position of a LGBTQ+ Humanitarian Adviser hosted by a local organisation, that advocates for the rights of LGBTQ+ refugees and members of society, for one year in Poland. This role will be hosted and led by a local organisation in Poland and supported by HLA for joint capacity strengthening initiatives.
The role holder will be sector-facing. The Adviser will serve as a focal point to other organisations, providing guidance, support, and implementing approaches and frameworks to enable a more inclusive humanitarian response in Poland, all while addressing the needs of LGBTQ+ refugees and their families.

Through funding a partner organisation in Poland to host the role, rather than host the role within HLA, we can help further our shifting the power agenda by harnessing the experience and expertise of a partner organisation. It will also reinforce their capabilities by funding a role embedded within their own organisation. This is a novel approach for the HLA which will enable us to explore new ways of joint action, to generate support and funding to local actors, that will enable local actors to adopt, own and sustain capacity strengthening. Furthermore, this approach is in line with our Engine 2 objectives which aim to introduce innovative approaches to transform humanitarian aid delivery.
Therefore Save the Children International will identify an organisation who is committed to diversity and LGBTQ+ rights that we can partner with to host a LGBTQ+ Humanitarian Adviser. With the support of HLA, the host organisation is expected to undertake the following responsibilities:
– Recruit an LGBTQ+ advisor in line with the scope of work described below, eg. a consultancy based or employment full-time role, depending on the availability and preference of the selected candidate and the opportunities of the hosting organisation.
– Collaborate with the HLA, local organisations, humanitarian actors, and relevant stakeholders in the field of capacity strengthening, ensuring the needs of LGBTQ+ community are included in the overall humanitarian response .
– Provide required reporting (both financial and narrative) to the designated focal point in HLA.

Partnership period: December 2023 – November 2024 (12 months)

About the role

The LGBTQ+ Humanitarian Adviser could contribute to the following areas:
1) Comprehensive needs assessments, including identified challenges, recommendations, and gaps.
• Collaborate with local organisations and other relevant institutions e.g. universities, research centres to conduct comprehensive needs assessments to identify the specific needs and assets (community and individual) of LGBTQ+ individuals in response settings.
• Collect and analyse data to understand the barriers faced by LGBTQ+ refugees in accessing humanitarian services.
• Collect and analyse data to understand the barriers faced by LGBTQ+ employees in terms of labor rights and job opportunities in the context of humanitarian assistance
2) Recommendations and advocacy for best practices for LGBTQ+ inclusion in the humanitarian context.
• Develop a set of recommendations and best practices for local organisations and humanitarian actors to ensure the inclusion and safety of LGBTQ+ employees and refugees in response settings.
• Advocate for the adoption of these recommendations by engaging with relevant stakeholders, such as government bodies, NGOs, and community groups.
• Raise awareness about the specific needs, assets and vulnerabilities of LGBTQ+ individuals among humanitarian actors and facilitate training sessions when necessary.
3) Training materials, session reports, and evidence of capacity building activities.
• Provide guidance and support to local organisations and humanitarian actors on implementing inclusive policies and practices in terms of humanitarian assistance and employment of staff.
• Conduct training sessions and workshops to increase the knowledge and sensitivity of staff members regarding LGBTQ+ equality.
• Promote the creation of safe spaces within organisations by fostering a culture of respect, inclusivity, and non-discrimination.
4) Monitoring and evaluation information, including data on progress, challenges, and impact.
• Regularly assess the effectiveness of implemented strategies and adapt as necessary.
• Prepare reports and share findings with relevant stakeholders to inform future programming and decision-making processes.

The LGBTQ+ Humanitarian Adviser is expected to:
• Regularly communicate with the HLA, for example, by participating in the team meetings of HLA’s Eastern European Centre.
• Actively contribute as a member of relevant sector-facing groups, e.g., the Capacity Strengthening Task Force in Poland
• Build networks and alliances to support their mission, both within Poland and across the response.
• In cooperation with the regional HLA Learning Solutions Specialists, conducts activities such as training or workshops regionally on relevant topics, such as anti-discrimination.
• Attending relevant conferences and cooperation meetings with other humanitarian organisations in the region, such as the NGO Forum in Poland.
• Provide advice on policies to be considered by local organisations.
• Recommend policy-friendly best practices to INGOs and LNGOs.
• Advocate for the needs of LGBTQ+ refugees.
• Spot existing gaps in research, practice and policy
• Cooperate closely with other HLA representatives especially with MEAL.
• Address systemic barriers and biases that perpetuate inequalities and marginalisation.
• Encourage active participation and meaningful engagement of all stakeholders, including affected communities, in decision-making processes.

About you

The LGBTQ+ Humanitarian Adviser should possess the following qualifications and skills:
– Demonstrated expertise and experience in working on LGBTQ+ equality, preferably in humanitarian or development contexts.
– Knowledge of the local context, including cultural, legal, and social factors influencing LGBTQ+ inclusion.
– Strong analytical and research skills, with the ability to conduct needs assessments and provide evidence-based recommendations.
– Excellent communication and advocacy skills to effectively engage diverse stakeholders with sensitivity, respect, and empathy towards LGBTQ+ individuals and their experiences.
– Fluency in Polish and proficiency in English. Ukrainian language skills are a plus.
– Previous experience in capacity strengthening and conducting training sessions is desirable.

Expression of Interest (EOI) Guidelines

EOIs must include:

1. Narrative Proposal including:

• Description of capacity in identified activities, both technical capacity and operational experience in working on LGBTQ+ equality, preferably in humanitarian or development contexts.
• Description of key outcomes and proposed activities describing how you will implement the project based on the EoI above.

2. Partner Budget

Templates: Narrative Proposal, Partner Budget.

The deadline for EOIs is 20 November 2023.

Applications may be submitted to:
Aleksandra Zablocka – Partnership Manager aleksandra.zablocka@savethechildren.org