Media and Information Literacy (MIL) and Countering Hate Speech

JOB DETAILS

Type of contract : Consultant Contract

Level :  Level 2 - Middle

Hiring Unit : Communication and Information Sector (CI)

Duty Station : Khartoum

Work location : On site

Duration of contract : 1 month

Hiring open to : External candidates

Application deadline (Midnight UTC+2 Time) : 30/08/2026

National Consultant on Media and Information Literacy (MIL) and Countering Hate Speech for the Project Humanitarian Support through Job Creation for Youth and Communities in Crisis-Affected Sudan

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

OVERVIEW

 Background
UNESCO Sudan office is implementing the project "Humanitarian Support through Job Creation for Youth and Communities in Crisis-Affected Sudan", which aims to strengthen the resilience and employability of youth through skills development, community engagement, and social cohesion initiatives.
As part of the Communication and Information (CI) component, UNESCO seeks to integrate Media and Information Literacy (MIL) and Countering Hate Speech into the project's capacity-building activities. The intervention will equip youth with the knowledge and practical skills to recognize, prevent, and respond to hate speech and misinformation while promoting critical thinking, responsible digital citizenship, and peaceful dialogue.
To support this objective, UNESCO will engage a national expert to design and facilitate an interactive training course in Arabic, incorporating UNESCO's Facticity educational board game as an experiential learning tool.

2. Objective of the Consultancy

The purpose of this consultancy is to design, develop, and facilitate a comprehensive Arabic-language training course on Media and Information Literacy (MIL) and Countering Hate Speech, from curriculum development through implementation.
The expert will ensure that participants gain both conceptual understanding and practical competencies through interactive learning methodologies, including facilitated discussions, group work, the UNESCO Facticity board game, and reflective assessment exercises.

3. Scope of Work

Under the overall authority of the Head of UNESCO Office in Sudan and in close coordination with the Communication and Information Programme Specialist, the expert will:

A. Course Design

• Design a complete Arabic-language training syllabus according to the UNESCO MIL and Hate Speech Guidelines on:
  • Introduction to Media and Information Literacy (MIL)
  • Understanding hate speech and its impact on individuals and communities
  • Recognizing misinformation, disinformation and harmful online content
  • Responsible online engagement and digital citizenship
  • Youth-led approaches to countering hate speech
  • Practical application of MIL in everyday life
  • Understanding humanitarian communication in crisis settings.
  • Capacity building in designing and recognizing verified humanitarian information and trusted information sources.
  • Identifying misinformation and hate speech that may undermine humanitarian response.
  • Design humanitarian youthful messages that can be publicly used in community radio stations, regular radio stations and TV.

Develop:

• • Training agenda
  • Session plans
  • Participant handbook
  • Presentation materials
  • Interactive exercises
  • Assessment tools
  • Pre- and post-training questionnaires

B. Training Delivery

The expert will facilitate 10 interactive training sessions in Arabic for 250 youth; each session will host 25 youth.

Each session shall include:

• Brief introductory lecture on:
• Media and Information Literacy
• Hate Speech
• The relationship between misinformation, disinformation and hate speech
• UNESCO's approach to countering harmful information especially during conflict.
• Facilitation of the UNESCO Facticity Board Game as the core experiential learning activity.
• Guided group discussions following the gameplay.
• Reflection exercises allowing participants to identify:
• Key lessons learned
• Changes in perception
• Practical actions they can implement within their communities.

C. Interactive Learning Methodology

The expert shall employ participatory learning techniques including:

• Facticity Board game
• Sticky note exercises for the lessons learnt

D. Assessment and Reporting

The expert shall:

• Design participant assessment tools.
• Collect qualitative and quantitative feedback throughout the training sessions.
• Document participant learning outcomes using interactive methods (including sticky notes and group reflections).
• Analyse participant feedback.
• Produce a comprehensive assessment report summarizing:
• Knowledge gained
• Participant feedback
• Lessons learned
• Challenges encountered
• Recommendations for future implementation
• Summary of participant reflections
• Overall evaluation of the effectiveness of the training methodology.

Contract Duration

The consultancy will be conducted over a period of approximately 1 month, according to the project implementation schedule.

Expected Results

By the end of the consultancy:

• A standardized Arabic training course on Media and Information Literacy and Countering Hate Speech will be developed aligning with the UNESCO Guidelines.
• Youth participants will demonstrate improved understanding of hate speech, misinformation, and responsible digital engagement.
• Participants will have strengthened critical thinking and fact-checking skills through the application of UNESCO's Facticity board game.
• A documented assessment of participant learning outcomes and recommendations for scaling the training approach will be available to UNESCO to support future programming in Sudan.

Required Qualifications

Education: 

• Advanced university degree in Media, Journalism, Communication, Education, Social Sciences, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of demonstrated experience in designing and delivering training programmes.

Experiance:

• Proven expertise in:
• Media and Information Literacy (MIL)
• Countering Hate Speech
• Digital literacy
• Youth engagement
• Experience facilitating participatory learning methodologies.
• Familiarity with UNESCO's Media and Information Literacy framework.
• Excellent facilitation skills.

Languages

• Excellent written and spoken Arabic.
• Good command of English.

Application Process

UNESCO invites qualified individual consultants to submit their applications through the UNESCO Careers Website.

• Applicants should submit:

• 1. Curriculum Vitae
  2.  A statement indicating how their qualifications and experience make them suitable for the assignment.

SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information, by the above deadline.

To apply, please visit the UNESCO Careers website. No modifications can be made to the application once submitted. 

The process may include pre-recorded video interviews and/or written assessments, interviews with a Panel, as well as reference checks. In addition, candidates may be requested to provide additional information which may be pertinent to the position’s qualifications.  

Please note that all candidates, whether selected or not, will be informed of the outcome of their application in due course. 

Short-listed candidates may also be added to Talent Pools; subject to their consent (i.e. Data Privacy Statement).