Eurasia Partnership Foundation's (EPF) mission is to empower people to effect change for social justice and economic prosperity through hands-on programs, helping them to improve their communities and their own lives. EPF engages citizens in social, economic, and political developments, in order to effect substantive and sustainable positive socio-economic change at the local, regional, and national level through both operational programs and grant-making. EPF is supported by USAID, Sida, and other public and private donors, and is a member of the Eurasia Foundation (EF) Network: five local foundations supporting civil society that are based in Russia, Central Asia, the South Caucasus, Eastern Europe, and Washington, DC. In South Caucasus, EPF is present in Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.

Background:

EPF is seeking PR consultation services for its EU-funded project Transparent Convergence to EU Policies in Sanitary Issues: the Case of Georgia and Moldova, which aims at increasing consumer activism in Georgia and Moldova, in order to ensure the quality and safety of food products.As part of this project, EPF and its partners will monitor Georgian and Moldovan food markets, including through random laboratory testing of food samples. The project implementers will also conduct annual assessments of government performance, with respect to their adherence to the food safety regulation and consumer protection. The results of these monitoring efforts will be publicized through various media outlets, to further enhance consumer and business awareness of sanitary and phyto-sanitary (SPS) issues. The project will also contribute to improved advocacy capacity of civil society organizations (CSOs) working in food safety and consumer protection fields, so that they are able to wage successful advocacy campaigns for improved SPS system. For improved protection of consumer rights, consumers in both countries will be provided free legal aid and court representation. A major component of the project is to support informed dialogue between CSOs and business community, namely food operators, so that the efforts directed toward protecting consumer rights take into account legitimate interests of entrepreneurs. To stimulate quality-oriented business practices, EPF and its partners will conduct annual competitions to reveal and acknowledge those businesses that deliver the highest quality food products to consumers. The project will be implemented during the next 30 months in Georgia and Moldova, in partnership with East Europe Foundation (EEF) Moldova and the Center for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia (CSRDG).

PR consultation provider shall ensure visibility of the project and take on strategic and operational leadership for all public relations related activities.

The service provider can be an individual or a company. In the latter case, the company shall offer one, or more of its staff members, who will be assigned to EPF's project to provide PR consultation services. The PR consultant candidates are required to have at least 5 years of successful professional experience in providing PR services. Experience in supporting visibility efforts of EU-funded projects and in dealing with food safety and/or consumer rights activities would be an asset.

Scope of Work:

** Support the project team to plan, organize, and conduct the project's visibility component, including drafting scene setters, agreeing on the forms of participation with partners, media relations, as well as developing talking points, invitations, and press-releases;

**Manage the creation of and ensure regular update of the project website, as well as that of the program page of EPF website;

**Manage preparation of PR materials foreseen by the project: public service announcements, street advertisements, leaflets and other;

** Assist project staff in drafting success stories, articles, briefs and other communication and information materials;

**Maintain a database on media coverage of the project;

**Work proactively to create interest in and attention to the project;

**Manage speaking opportunities and press briefings of the project staff;

**Maintain photo bank of the project;

**Perform other duties as required.

Competencies and skills of PR consultants:

** Academic background: Graduate degree in Public Relations, Journalism or other related field.

** Relevant work experience: At least five years of experience in providing PR services.

Required knowledge and skills:

** Thorough knowledge and understanding of public relations, outreach, and communication principles;

**Excellent oral presentation skills;

**Outstanding writing skills with demonstrated ability to draft articles and stories;

**Demonstrated success in securing media coverage in a variety of outlet types;

**Demonstrated track record of developing successful working relationships with reporters;

**Experience in developing successful, creative public relations campaigns;

**Experience in working closely with senior level executives;

**Fluency in Georgian and English is required (Russian would be an asset);

**Computer literacy;

**Web design/update knowledge will be an asset;

**Excellent interpersonal and strong communication skills;

**Experience in dealing with food safety and/or consumer rights activities would be an asset.

Budget: Total budget of the service contract for 28 months is EUR 5,550.

How to apply:

Interested candidates should submit a CV and a cover letter by e-mail to: vacancy@epfound.ge. Please indicate "PR Consultation" in the subject line. The deadline for applications is October 29, 2013.

Only short listed candidates will be contacted.

source: jobs.ge