Consultancy for Training Media Personnel and Advocacy through Publications
Media / Advertising / Communication
About the Employer
Job Description
1. Introduction
The Let the Women Decide Their Destiny project is implemented by the Sri Lanka Centre for Development Facilitation (SLCDF) as the lead applicant, in partnership with the Community Strength Development Foundation (CSDF) and the Federation of Social Development Organisations (FOSDOO), with financial support from the European Union.
The project responds to the ongoing socio‑economic crisis in Sri Lanka by supporting 9,000 marginalized women, including Female Sex Workers (FSWs), Deserted Women (DW), and Single Women (SW), along with 5,000 children across six districts: Colombo, Gampaha, Puttalam, Anuradhapura, Kurunegala, and Vavuniya.
This activity, Training Media Personnel and Advocacy through Publications, harnesses the influence of media to amplify the voices of marginalized women and advocate for their rights. It involves strategic steps to leverage media as an advocacy tool, including comprehensive training of media personnel and facilitated publication of articles that spotlight the lived experiences of marginalized women.
2. Purpose of the Consultancy
The purpose of this consultancy is to design and deliver comprehensive media training through five one‑day training programmes for a total of approximately 125 media personnel, including journalists and editors, focusing on responsible and gender sensitive reporting. The training is intended to equip media personnel with the skills to cover issues relating to marginalized women with sensitivity, respect, and accuracy.
3. Scope of Work
- The Consultant / Resource Person(s) will be responsible for the following tasks:
- Develop a context appropriate training module on responsible and gender sensitive reporting on marginalized women, namely Female Sex Workers, Deserted Women, and Single Women.
- Facilitate five one‑day training programmes for approximately 125 media personnel per programme, that is approximately 125 media personnel in total, including journalists and editors.
- Deliver each programme directly in the medium specified for that venue (Tamil, Sinhala, or English). Where the medium differs from the Resource Person's working language, arrangements will be made to ensure effective delivery.
- Prepare simple, practical training materials and handouts in Sinhala, Tamil, and English for participant reference.
- Collaborate with the trained media personnel following the training and provide guidance to facilitate the publication of 25 articles spotlighting the stories, challenges, and successes of marginalized women.
- By engaging the media in this manner, the activity serves as a catalyst for raising awareness about the rights and needs of marginalized women. Sensitized reporting fosters empathy and understanding among the wider public, translating into greater advocacy for policy change, improved services, and a more supportive environment for marginalized women.
- Target Participants: Media personnel, including journalists and editors.
- Venues and Medium of Training:
- Vavuniya – Tamil
- Colombo – Sinhala
- Colombo – Tamil
- Colombo – English
- Puttalam or Gampaha – Sinhala
- Training Structure:
- Duration: 1 day per programme
- Total programmes: 5, one per venue and medium combination listed above
- Total participants across all programmes: approximately 125 media personnel
- Advocacy output: 25 articles published by trained media personnel following the training
4. Methodology
The Consultant / Resource Person(s) is expected to employ participatory and adult learning methodologies throughout the training, including:
- Interactive discussions and case examples on responsible and gender sensitive reporting
- Guidance on ethical reporting standards, do no harm principles, and avoiding victimization in coverage of marginalized women
- Practical exercises on interviewing, language use, and framing when reporting on FSWs, deserted women, and single women
- Guidance on confidentiality, consent, and protection of the identity of beneficiaries featured in media coverage
- Structured follow‑up support to trained media personnel during the article development and publication process
- All training materials should be culturally sensitive, gender responsive, trauma informed, and accessible to participants with varying levels of literacy, and provided in Sinhala, Tamil, and English as required for each programme
5. Deliverables
- 1st: Media Training Module — A context appropriate training module on responsible and gender sensitive reporting on marginalized women, prepared in Sinhala, Tamil and English
- 2nd: Delivery of five one‑day training programmes for approximately 125 media personnel across the venues
- 3rd: Facilitation support for article publication — Guidance and follow‑up support provided to trained media personnel to develop and publish 25 articles spotlighting the stories, challenges, and successes of marginalized women
- 4th: Training and Advocacy Report — Consolidated report covering all five training programmes, including attendance, outputs, outcomes, and a summary of the published articles
6. Timeline and Milestones
Training dates and the overall consultancy period are to be confirmed by SLCDF in coordination with the selected Consultant / Resource Person(s). All five training programmes will be completed by 30th September 2026.
7. Required Qualifications
- The ideal Consultant / Resource Person(s) should demonstrate:
- Professional background and proven experience in media training, journalism, or communications, with a focus on ethical and gender sensitive reporting
- Prior experience designing and delivering trainings for journalists, editors, or media personnel
- Experience working with or reporting on marginalized or vulnerable populations, such as sex workers, survivors of gender based violence, and other marginalized groups
- Strong facilitation and participatory training skills, with the ability to work effectively in Sinhala, Tamil, or English, or through interpreters
- Established relationships with media houses, editors, or journalist networks, which would support the article publication component of this consultancy
8. Reporting and Coordination
- The Consultant / Resource Person(s) will report to the Programme Manager, SLCDF
- Close coordination is required with SLCDF and partner organizations (CSDF and FOSDOO)
- All draft training materials will be reviewed by SLCDF; revisions must be incorporated in a timely manner
9. Logistics
- SLCDF will be responsible for organizing logistics for both participants and the Resource Person(s), including:
- Organizing and mobilizing all media personnel for each of the five programmes
- Arranging the training venues in Vavuniya, Colombo, and Puttalam or Gampaha
- Coordinating all logistical arrangements for the Resource Person(s) during each programme
- Providing food, refreshments, and accommodation for participants and the Resource Person(s) at each venue
- The Resource Person(s) is responsible for their own transportation to and from each training venue; the associated cost should be included in the financial quote
10. Financial Proposal, Quote Requested
- Interested Consultants / Resource Persons are invited to submit a quotation covering:
- Resource person fee (per day and/or per programme, for all five one‑day programmes)
- Transport cost to the Resource Person to and from each training venue (Vavuniya, Colombo, and Puttalam or Gampaha)
- Training Output
- Sample training modules developed by the consultant
- Please submit quotations, along with CV, a brief note on relevant experience, and a brief training methodology note, to [email protected] on or before 20 July 2026
