International Press Institute Hiring Risk Assessment Consultant: Remote Climate Journalism Opportunity in Africa (Up to USD 7,000)
Overview of the Consultancy Opportunity
The International Press Institute (IPI) is seeking a qualified consultant to develop a comprehensive risk assessment guide and deliver specialized training for climate and environmental journalists across Africa. This short-term consultancy forms part of IPI’s broader efforts to strengthen climate journalism by improving journalist safety, professional support systems, advocacy, and networking opportunities.
The assignment offers an opportunity for experts in journalist safety, environmental human rights protection, and training development to contribute to the resilience and effectiveness of climate reporting across the continent.
The consultancy will run from July to November 2026 and may involve travel to Nairobi, Kenya, for the final training workshop.
Purpose of the Assignment
Climate and environmental journalists often face significant risks while reporting on issues such as environmental degradation, extractive industries, climate change, land rights, and environmental governance. These risks can include legal challenges, physical threats, digital attacks, and psychosocial stress.
To address these challenges, IPI aims to develop practical resources that will help journalists identify, assess, and mitigate risks in their reporting environments.
The consultancy seeks to:
- Strengthen safety practices among climate and environmental journalists
- Improve awareness of risk management strategies
- Support journalists working in high-risk environments
- Promote sustainable and responsible reporting practices
- Enhance professional resilience across African media landscapes
The selected consultant will play a critical role in producing tools and training that can be adapted to diverse contexts across the continent.
Development of the Risk Assessment Guide
One of the primary deliverables is the creation of a comprehensive risk assessment guide tailored specifically to climate and environmental journalism in Africa.
The guide will be expected to cover:
- Legal risks faced by journalists and media practitioners
- Physical security considerations during reporting assignments
- Digital security and online protection measures
- Psychosocial wellbeing and mental health considerations
- Practical risk mitigation and response strategies
- Context-specific guidance for different African regions
The guide should be both practical and accessible, enabling journalists to apply risk assessment principles before, during, and after reporting assignments.
A key requirement is the integration of an intersectional gender-responsive approach, ensuring that risks experienced by women journalists and other vulnerable groups are appropriately addressed.
Training Design and Facilitation Responsibilities
In addition to developing the guide, the consultant will design and deliver a dedicated training programme for journalists.
Training responsibilities include:
- Developing a comprehensive training agenda
- Creating learning modules and presentations
- Designing practical exercises and case studies
- Producing participant evaluation tools
- Facilitating a training workshop
- Adapting content for different regional contexts
The training session is tentatively scheduled for November 10–12, 2026, and may be conducted either online or in person in Nairobi.
The consultant must ensure that training materials remain relevant across varying political, environmental, and media landscapes throughout Africa.
Required Expertise and Professional Qualifications
IPI is seeking consultants with strong expertise in journalist protection, risk management, and training design.
Preferred qualifications include:
- Demonstrated experience developing risk assessment frameworks
- Experience creating safety guides and training curricula
- Knowledge of environmental and climate journalism
- Understanding of threats facing Human Rights Defenders (HRDs)
- Expertise in journalist safety and protection mechanisms
- Experience applying intersectional and gender-responsive methodologies
- Strong facilitation and presentation skills
- Excellent written communication in English
The ideal candidate will possess both technical expertise and practical experience working with journalists, media organizations, or human rights defenders operating in challenging environments.
Timeline and Key Deliverables
The consultancy follows a structured timeline with several milestones between July and November 2026.
Risk Assessment Guide Deliverables
- First draft submission by August 14, 2026
- Feedback incorporation following IPI review
- Second draft submission by September 4, 2026
- Final guide submission by September 25, 2026
- Additional support and revisions through October 15, 2026
Training Materials Deliverables
- Draft training materials due October 5, 2026
- Finalized materials due October 15, 2026
Training Delivery
- Training workshop scheduled for November 10–12, 2026
- Delivery may be virtual or in-person in Nairobi
This phased approach ensures sufficient time for consultation, feedback, and refinement.
Compensation and Financial Considerations
The consultancy offers a maximum professional fee of USD 7,000.
Applicants are required to submit:
- A detailed financial proposal
- Total consultancy fee request
- Cost breakdown explaining proposed expenditures
Important financial considerations include:
- Professional fees must not exceed USD 7,000
- Consultants are responsible for their own taxes
- Social insurance obligations remain the consultant’s responsibility
- Travel and accommodation costs for in-person training will be covered separately by IPI
This structure allows consultants to focus their proposals on professional expertise while minimizing concerns about workshop-related travel expenses.
Application Process
Interested candidates must submit their applications by June 30, 2026.
Required application materials include:
- A technical proposal outlining understanding of the assignment
- Proposed methodology and implementation approach (1–2 pages maximum)
- Updated CV or consultant profile
- Documentation demonstrating relevant experience
- Examples or links to previous research, training, or related work
Applications should be submitted via email to:
Candidates with questions regarding the consultancy may also contact IPI through the same email address.
Conclusion
The International Press Institute’s Risk Assessment Consultant opportunity offers a meaningful chance to strengthen the safety and capacity of climate and environmental journalists across Africa. Through the development of a practical risk assessment guide and delivery of specialized training, the consultant will contribute directly to protecting journalists working on some of the continent’s most important environmental and climate-related stories.
For professionals with expertise in journalist safety, human rights protection, training development, and environmental reporting, this consultancy represents an opportunity to support independent journalism while advancing climate and environmental accountability across Africa.
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Disclaimer: Remote Job Opportunities (RJO) is not the organization offering this opportunity. For any inquiries, please contact the responsible organization directly. Please do not send your applications to RJO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.
