TERMS OF REFERENCE - CONSULTANT “Lead author for the publication of an article on the MIHARI network”
Location: Remotely
Deadline: 12 August 2020
Start date: 20 August 2020
1. Context
MIHARI (“MItantana HArena and-Ranomasina avy eny Ifotony”) is a network created in 2012 which brings together communities managing LMMA (Locally Managed Marine Areas) in Madagascar. An LMMA is defined as “a predominantly marine and/or coastal area, which is managed locally by coastal communities, landowners and/or government officials who reside or are based in the area”. The members of the network are composed at the moment of around 200 LMMAs as well as 25 supporting partner organisations (NGOs, etc).
The network was created at first to address the isolation issue that coastal communities are facing. Since then, its main objective has been to ensure the exchange of experiences and good practices between LMMAs, alongside capacity building, to allow them to solve common problems (www.mihari-network.org). But MIHARI has also become a network of civil society, which allows the voices and requests of fishermen communities to be heard at regional, national and international levels.
Throughout the years, the network has achieved numerous successes. Among them are the increased connection between coastal communities, multiple events at local and national levels, the formulation of three motions validated by all of the LMMA leaders of the country, the increased support from the Government, a better collaboration with industrial fisheries, and more.
Currently, the network is moving forward in the process of becoming an independent institution. In the course of this period of transition towards its independence, the network plans on writing and publishing a paper that aims to champion the multiple success stories, the lessons learned from its own experience accumulated over the past eight years, as well as its future perspectives.
The network is recruiting a lead author for this paper.
2. Aim
The aim of the project is to write a paper concerning the success stories, lessons learned and perspectives of the MIHARI network, and coordinate its writing and publication process.
Therefore, under the supervision of the national coordinator and in collaboration with the other authors, the consultant’s tasks will be to:
- Collect and synthesise relevant information from reports and other documents
- Lead brainstorming and content generation with other main contributors
- Coordinate information gathering from key informants
- Produce draft outline of paper and get feedback and further input
- Develop full draft of the paper
- Coordinate review and editing process
- Help identifying the journals
- Finalise paper for submission
- Coordinate submission to journals, including the review of any comments received
3. Timeframe and deliverables
Outline noted content for paper (bullet points / sketch) : mid-September
Full first draft of paper : mid-October
Final draft of paper incorporating feedback and edits : mid- November
Submission to journals and coordination of publication process: from end of November
4. Required qualifications
- Experience in writing academic papers ;
- Knowledge of the academic paper publication process ;
- Interest in coastal communities in Madagascar and in the LMMA concept;
- Experience in working with multi-stakeholder networks and platforms;
- Excellent writing skill in English (writing, spelling, grammar) ;
- Ability to read french
- Good skills in synthesising information ;
- Autonomous, proactive and good coordination abilities.
5. Application
Interested parties should compile a tender for the project including:
- Workplan and estimated number of days of work
- Financial proposal
- CV
- Examples of similar work (published papers)
Please send these required documents to [email protected]