DIGITAL EMPOWERMENT AND INCLUSION ADVISOR (CONSULTANT)

Position / Consultancy	Digital Empowerment and Inclusion Advisor (Consultant)
Organization	Hashtag Generation 139/11, Pagoda Road, Pittakotte
Assignment Type	Individual / Company
Reports To	Manager – Programmes & Operations
Period of Assignment	4 weeks
Project Title	Strengthening Civic Space to Resist Disinformation and Harmful Narratives in Sri Lanka and the Maldives
Purpose	The Consultant Advisor will be responsible for conducting in-depth digital safety audits for four organizations in Sri Lanka. The audits will focus on identifying vulnerabilities and threats within the digital environment of each organization and providing tailored solutions.
Expected Start Date	27th May 2025
Expected End Date	27th June 2025

 

1. Project Background

Fundamental freedoms and human rights in Sri Lanka and the Maldives have faced significant setbacks over the past 15 years. Both countries have witnessed threats to human rights defenders (HRDs), aid workers, journalists, and the overall freedom of expression, both offline and online. This has been exacerbated by a growing environment of disinformation and the shrinking of civic space. As part of a collaborative project with International Media Support (IMS), Hashtag Generation aims to contribute to a more resilient and inclusive civic space by promoting the fundamental rights and freedoms of the people in these two countries. The focus is on supporting independent media, CSOs, and HRDs to counter disinformation, protect their safety, and ensure they have access to reliable information and digital safety measures.

2. Overall Objective of the Action

The goal of this project is to contribute to a resilient civic space that protects and promotes fundamental freedoms and democracy in Sri Lanka and the Maldives. The specific objectives include enhancing digital safety measures for journalists, HRDs, and CSOs to ensure their safety in the digital space, where attacks and threats against these groups have escalated.

The Consultant Advisor will play a key role in assessing and strengthening the digital safety of select organizations, addressing threats, and ensuring organizations have practical and actionable recommendations to enhance their resilience against digital threats.

3. Role of the Consultant Advisor

The Consultant Advisor will be responsible for conducting in-depth digital safety audits for four organizations in Sri Lanka. The audits will focus on identifying vulnerabilities and threats within the digital environment of each organization and providing tailored solutions. The Advisor will also review and enhance the digital safety recommendations based on feedback received from previous audits and ensure these recommendations are specific, actionable, and suited to the organizations’ scope of work, culture, and budget constraints.

4. Main Responsibilities and Deliverables

Main Responsibilities / Deliverables
1. Collaboration with Hashtag Generation and Relevant Personnel	Work closely with the Programmes Specialist and other relevant personnel at Hashtag Generation to identify four CSOs/media organizations to be audited.
2. Conduct Digital Safety Audits for four organizations	Undertake physical visits to the selected organizations (both in Colombo and outside Colombo) to conduct the audits in person. It is mandatory that these audits are conducted with in-person meetings to better understand the organization’s work and to engage with the team. Assess the organization’s digital infrastructure, including but not limited to: Devices used by staff and the organization. Networks and communication channels the organization uses. Security of internal systems, including data storage, devices, and websites. Identify potential digital security risks and vulnerabilities that could affect the organization’s ability to perform its functions. Conduct a detailed review of existing digital safety measures and identify gaps in protection. Develop tailor-made recommendations that directly address the organization’s needs, ensuring that they are context-specific and culturally relevant.
3. Enhanced Recommendation Implementation Reports	Enhance the tailor-made recommendation reports and provide detailed steps for implementing each recommendation, prioritizing them based on the organization’s risk level and financial capacity. For example, recommendations such as “develop an incident response plan” should be expanded with specifics—detailing what kind of plan is necessary for each organization, what tools, services, or apps are needed, and steps to implement these plans. Prioritize recommendations by risk level (high to low) and cost of implementation to help organizations make informed decisions based on their available budgets.
4. Post-Audit Support and Implementation Guidance	Provide support to organizations in implementing the recommendations, which may include: Conducting follow-up online meetings or in-person meetings to assist in the implementation process. Offering email coordination and advice to ensure smooth progress.
5. Reporting and Deliverables	Weekly updates to the Project Lead summarizing activities, progress, and challenges. Final digital safety audit reports that provide tailored recommendations for the selected organizations. Reports should not only address what needs to be done but also outline clear steps for implementation and provide ongoing support options for the organizations.

 

5. Selection Criteria / Qualifications 

• Expertise in Digital Safety: A strong understanding of cyber safety, digital safety, system safety, and device safety audits.
• Experience in Tailored Recommendations: Proven ability to create customized digital safety solutions for organizations with varying needs and risks.
• Leadership and Collaboration Skills: Strong leadership qualities with the ability to motivate and guide organizations through digital safety implementations.
• Communication Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex technical recommendations in a clear and actionable manner.
• Experience with Diverse Organizations: Ability to work with organizations across different sectors and understand the unique challenges each sector faces in terms of digital safety.
• Language Requirement: Fluency in Sinhala/Tamil is a requirement. Fluency in all three languages (English, Sinhala, and Tamil) is an added advantage.

6. Timeframe 

The consultancy is for a period of 12 weeks, as per the effective dates mentioned on page 1. However, an extension to the term could be affected on mutual agreement of both parties if deemed necessary.  

7. Remuneration & Logistics

The Consultant Advisor will receive an all-inclusive fee per audit, which covers their professional services for conducting each audit, including travel, accommodation, and meals. The consultant will be responsible for organizing and covering the costs for their own transport, meals, and accommodation (if overnight travel is required) during visits to the organizations for the audits.

8. Terms and Conditions

• Physical Presence: The Consultant Advisor is required to visit the organization’s office in person as part of the audit. A member of Hashtag Generation may accompany the Advisor to observe the process.
• Confidentiality: The Advisor must maintain confidentiality about any sensitive information related to the project or the organizations being audited.
• No Conflict of Interest: The Advisor should disclose any potential conflicts of interest.
• Termination: Hashtag Generation reserves the right to terminate the contract in case of non-performance or breach of terms.

9. Application Process

Interested individual consultants or companies are requested to submit the following documents:

1. Updated CV / Company Profile outlining relevant experience in digital safety, cyber security audits, and any prior consultancy assignments of similar nature.
2. Portfolio of Work including digital evidence or brief case studies of previous audits, assessments, or recommendations conducted (preferably within Sri Lanka or similar contexts).
3. Brief Proposal highlighting the applicant’s understanding of the role, proposed approach to conducting digital safety audits, and initial ideas for tailoring recommendations to diverse organizational needs.
4. Quotation specifying the all-inclusive fee per audit, including travel, meals, and accommodation costs.

Please send your application before May 26th, 2025 to Hashtag Generation HR at [email protected] with the subject line: Application – Digital Empowerment and Inclusion Advisor (Consultant)