Consultancy to Facilitate Training on the Role of Media Organizations in the Implementation of Transitional Justice

About the Organization

HCD is a regional think-and-do tank based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with the mission to advance democracy, peacebuilding, inclusive governance, and citizen engagement across the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) region. It was founded in response to the growing need for a regional convening institution dedicated to democratic governance and civic participation in one of Africa's most politically complex, dynamic, and strategically important regions. The organization is also a founding member of the Transitional Justice Consortia-Ethiopia (TJC-E), established to facilitate meaningful contributions by CSOs to Ethiopia's transitional justice processes. Within this consortium, HCD sought to play a critical role in shaping, monitoring, and advocating for an inclusive, victim-centered transitional justice process.

Job Summary

Following the adoption of the National Transitional Justice Policy in April 2024 and the subsequent roadmaps in July 2024, new responsibilities and opportunities have emerged for parliament, civil society organizations, victims' associations, and media institutions to contribute to its implementation. However, overlaps with other national processes, such as the national elections and the National Dialogue, slowed the transitional justice process, preventing it from gaining the required momentum. With the establishment of the new government, renewed attention is expected to be directed toward the policy's effective implementation, which will depend on the active engagement of diverse stakeholders, including journalists and media organizations.

As key stakeholders, journalists and media organizations play a dual role in the transitional justice process: informing the public and monitoring implementation. Their reporting must remain sensitive to victims' interests and the broader national political context to avoid negative externalities. Transitional justice reporting often involves recounting past conflicts, serious human rights violations, allegations, competing narratives, and sensitive political and social issues. Inappropriate coverage risks causing harm, exacerbating tensions, spreading misinformation, undermining public confidence, and affecting victims' psychosocial well-being. Therefore, it is essential to provide capacity-building training for journalists and other media professionals to ensure they understand Ethiopia's Transitional Justice Policy, its roadmaps, next steps, and the professional standards required for responsible reporting.

In this context, HCD, through TJC-E and with support from GIZ, is implementing the project "Making the Ethiopian Transitional Justice Process Accountable through Active Engagement of Oversight Actors". The project has outcomes that focus on enhancing the engagement of media professionals and media organizations in transitional justice advocacy, monitoring, and coverage.

This call for consultancy therefore focuses primarily on the training activity on the role of media organizations in the implementation of transitional justice. The training aims to contribute to the creation of a well-equipped pool of journalists dedicated to transitional justice reporting and increase journalists' and media organizations' engagement in advocacy, monitoring, and program coverage of transitional justice.

The training aims to enhance journalists' awareness of transitional justice, ethical reporting, and responsible communication. By strengthening media capacity, the initiative will shape public discourse on transitional justice issues and enable journalists to engage accurately and informatively in the transitional justice process, an essential foundation for advancing accountability, reconciliation, and truth-telling.

Required Qualifications

While consultants will share responsibility for facilitating the training, they must collectively possess expertise in transitional justice issues as well as experience in journalism and communications. Within this composition, the lead consultant should have a relevant educational background and experience with transitional justice undertakings in Ethiopia, complemented by a solid understanding of continental and regional transitional justice frameworks and the role of journalists in the process.

The co-facilitator should bring professional experience in journalism and communications, thereby complementing the lead consultant's delivery. The team shall therefore demonstrate the ability to guide participants through the practical aspects of reporting, including exercises, simulations, and case studies that illustrate how journalistic practices can positively or negatively influence the transitional justice process.

In line with this, HCD is seeking consultants who can apply and work as a team and possess the following training and experience.

Lead Consultant/Transitional Justice Specialist

• Master's degree or higher in transitional justice, law, human rights, peace and conflict studies, political science, governance, or a related field.
• Substantial professional experience in transitional justice and demonstrated knowledge of Ethiopia's transitional justice process.
• Knowledge of African transitional justice frameworks; experience developing/reviewing TJ training materials and delivering training to professional audiences.
• Strong facilitation skills and understanding of conflict sensitivity, Do-No-Harm and victim-centered approaches.

Co-Facilitator/ Journalism and Media Specialist

• Master's degree or equivalent in journalism, mass communication, media studies, communications, or a related field.
• Relevant professional experience as a journalist, editor, and media trainer with an active social media presence and a strong commitment to journalism ethics.
• Experience in designing and delivering training for journalists on evidence-based, conflict-sensitive, and victim-sensitive reporting.

Key Responsibilities

Scope of the Work and Key Deliverables

• Deliverable 1: Preparation of a training facilitation PowerPoint presentation, drawn from HCD's Transitional Justice Training Handbook, the Transitional Justice Monitoring Toolkit, and other relevant reference materials.
• Deliverable 2: Facilitation of a two-day training program for journalists and media professionals.
• Deliverable 3: Submission of a concise yet substantive training report covering participants, objectives, sessions, methodology, key issues, feedback, assessment results, lessons learned, challenges, recommendations, and proposed follow-up actions. The report should also include recommendations for the subsequent mentoring and coaching of journalists.

Relevant Submissions

Technical Proposal

• Understanding of the assignment; approach and methodology for the training, team composition; division of responsibilities; relevant experience; and proposed work plan.

Financial Proposal

• A clear and detailed financial proposal where lump-sum and hidden costs are not included. The budget breakdown must clearly specify daily professional rates, the number of consultancy days, total professional fees, applicable taxes, and any other consultancy-related costs.

Mandatory Attachments and Budget Requirements

In addition to the technical and financial proposals, applicants are required to submit the following mandatory documents:

• For technical proposals: CV of the applicants must be attached.
• For financial proposals the below mandatory certificate must be attached:
  • Copy of Business registration certificate
  • Renewed Business license
  • TIN Certificate

Note that: Applicant who has not submitted the above three documents will be disqualified from the selection process.

• Where available, relevant work samples such as TJ training manuals, journalism training materials, journalism training assignments, TJ publications or media-related training work.

Evaluation Criteria and Process

Applications will undergo a competitive review and evaluation process, with technical and financial proposal submissions accounting for 70% and 30% of the total weight, respectively.

Required Skills and Competencies

• Consultancy

How to Apply

Only shortlisted applicants will be invited to interviews.

Interested applicants who meet the eligibility requirements are requested to submit their complete application package by October 16, 2026.

Submit a complete application package, including the applicant's name, electronically in a single zipped folder to: hr@horn-center.org with the subject line: "Journalists for Transitional Justice," copying hcdoffice@horn-center.org.