Individual Advocacy Consultant (Senior Level)

Vacancy Notice

Position: Individual Advocacy Consultant (Senior Level)

Organization: BVS-Nepal

Duration: 9 Months

Contract Type: Consultancy (Deliverable-Based) 

Application Deadline: 2026 March 9

Background

Constitutional provisions and legislative enactment ensure basic health services and emergency health services to be regular, effective, quality-driven, and accessible. At the international level, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) also recognize lifesaving surgical and anesthesia care including in burn care under the Universal Health Coverage component, thereby creating an obligation to expand essential emergency services. Despite national and international provisions, significant gaps remain in the realization of the right to health for burn victims in Nepal.

Burn injuries remain a major public health, social, and human rights concern in Nepal, disproportionately affecting women, children, and economically vulnerable communities. Burn survivors often face long-term medical complications, disability, psychosocial trauma, stigma, and economic hardship. Despite these issues, burn prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and reintegration are insufficiently prioritized within national laws, policies, strategies, and budgetary frameworks.

BVS-Nepal works to promote burn prevention and ensure protection, treatment, rehabilitation, and reintegration of burn survivors through a holistic and rights-based approach. To strengthen systemic and sustainable policy change, the organization seeks to engage a highly qualified and experienced Advocacy Consultant to lead strategic, high-level, and result-oriented advocacy initiatives at the national level.

Key Advocacy Issues

Key advocacy issues related to burn injuries generally focus on prevention, treatment access, long-term recovery, and survivor rights.

• Discrepancies in the punishment and treatment of burn- and acid-related offenses. 
• Limited access to quality, affordable, and universal burn care services, especially for rural and economically marginalized populations.
• Weak regulatory oversight and inadequate safety standards in the manufacturing, distribution, storage, and use of fire-hazardous materials and equipment.
• Hazardous public infrastructure, including mismanaged and exposed electrical wiring, coupled with procedural and legal barriers that hinder victims of electrocution from obtaining compensation.
• Limited community awareness on burn prevention, safe handling of fire and electrical hazards, and essential first aid management, resulting in complications and delayed treatment.
• Children are particularly vulnerable to burn injuries, yet burn prevention education is not adequately incorporated into the school curriculum.

Purpose of the Consultancy

The overall purpose of this consultancy is to design, lead, and implement effective high-level advocacy that results in tangible policy, legal, institutional, and budgetary improvements for burn prevention and burn survivor care in Nepal. The consultancy is expected to contribute to:

• Increasing the visibility and recognition of burn issues at the national policy and legislative levels.
• Promoting informed initiatives and stakeholder engagement to strengthen legal and policy frameworks and their implementation concerning burn prevention and survivor support.
• Facilitating inter-ministerial consultations and dialogue to improve coordination and institutional mechanisms.
• Facilitating strategic advocacy efforts to guide government budget allocation toward burn prevention and care.
• Providing strategic inputs and lobbying for law and policy reforms to address gaps in the response to different forms of burn-related violence.
• Drawing attention to oversight mechanisms, such as National Human Rights Institutions and Parliamentary committees, to mainstream the burn agenda into their actions.
• Mainstreaming burns related policy reform and implementation agenda within human rights and civil society initiatives.
• Utilizing the means of strategic advocacy and litigation

Scope of Work and Key Responsibilities

In close coordination with BVS-Nepal core team, the Advocacy Consultant will be responsible for designing, leading, and implementing strategic, evidence-based, and result-oriented advocacy including:

Situational Analysis and Policy Mapping

• Conduct review of relevant laws, policies, strategies, and action plans.
• Identify policy gaps, legal barriers, institutional weaknesses, and reform opportunities.
• Map key stakeholders, decision-making processes, and advocacy entry points.

Advocacy Strategy Development

• Develop a comprehensive advocacy strategy with clear objectives, outcomes, indicators, and timelines.
• Prepare a detailed 6-month advocacy action plan aligned with organizational priorities.

High-Level Policy and Legislative Engagement

• Plan and support high-level meetings, policy dialogues, and consultations.
• Engage parliamentarians, ministries, and senior officials to influence policy and legislative processes.
• Advocate for inclusion and strengthening of burn-related provisions in laws, policies, and national plans.

Legal and Policy Advocacy

• Provide legal and policy analysis to support reform initiatives.
• Support amendment or development of policies and legal instruments where gaps exist.
• Position burns issues within broader public health, human rights, disability, and social protection frameworks.
• Advocate for increased and sustained government budget allocation.
• Prepare policy briefs, position papers, advocacy notes, and talking points.
• Advocate for increased and sustained government budget allocation.

Results Monitoring, Documentation, and Reporting

• Define measurable advocacy indicators.
• Document advocacy engagements, commitments, and policy outcomes.
• Submit monthly progress updates and a comprehensive final consultancy report.

Advisory and Capacity Support

• Provide strategic advice to strengthen internal advocacy capacity.
• Mentor relevant staff where appropriate.
• Provide recommendations to sustain advocacy efforts beyond the consultancy period.

Required Qualifications and Experience

Education

• Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Law.

Professional Experience

• Minimum 7–10 years of proven experience in result-oriented advocacy preferably in legal and policy reform.
• Demonstrated track record of influencing laws, policies, or government decisions.
• Strong experience engaging with parliamentarians, senior government officials, and ministries.
• In-depth understanding of Nepal’s legal, policy, and governance systems.
• Experience in health, injury prevention, human rights, or social sector advocacy is an added advantage.

Skills and Competencies

• Excellent strategic advocacy and negotiation skills.
• Strong legal and policy analysis and drafting abilities.
• Excellent writing and communication skills in Nepali and English.
• Ability to work independently and deliver results within a short timeframe.
• Strong professionalism, integrity, discretion, and political sensitivity.

Application Requirements

Interested candidates are requested to submit:

1. Updated Curriculum Vitae (CV) 

2. Prior policy influence documents and publications

3. Proposal outlining:

• Understanding of burn issues in Nepal
• Proposed advocacy approach and strategy
• Key target stakeholders and advocacy entry points
• Detailed work plan with deliverables
• Expected results and indicators
• Budget Breakdown

Application Submission

Interested and qualified candidates are requested to complete the Google Form Here with accurate and complete information. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for the interview.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interview.

BVS-Nepal is an equal opportunity organization and encourages applications from qualified professionals committed to policy reform, social justice, and evidence-based advocacy.