DEMOCRATIC VOICE OF BURMA (DVB)

Consultancy Opportunity

Emergency Response, Preparedness and Civilian Protection Specialist

Project: KNOW BEFORE YOU NEED TO KNOW — Multimedia Civilian Safety, Early Warning and Emergency Preparedness Campaign in Myanmar

Organisation	Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB)
Consultancy Position	Emergency Response, Preparedness and Civilian Protection Specialist
Contract Type	Individual consultancy
Level of Engagement	Part-time, as needed
Expected Duration	Approximately 3 months during the project period
Project Period	November 2026–May 2027
Duty Station	Chiang Mai, Thailand, with remote working arrangements subject to agreement
Application Deadline	29 October 2026
Application Email	[email protected]

1. About DVB

The Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) is an independent media organisation committed to providing accurate, independent and impartial news and information to the people of Myanmar. Through journalism, digital media and public-interest programming, DVB documents political, social, economic and humanitarian developments affecting Myanmar and its people.

DVB is developing a multimedia campaign to improve civilian access to practical, reliable and accessible information on early warning, civilian safety and emergency preparedness in conflict-affected and other emergency-prone areas of Myanmar.

2. About the Project

The campaign, KNOW BEFORE YOU NEED TO KNOW, will produce and disseminate multimedia public-information materials designed to help civilians understand warnings, prepare for emergencies, make informed safety decisions and improve family preparedness.

The campaign will develop 10 core products, including videos, podcasts/video podcasts and visual materials. Topics include responding to airstrike warnings, shelling and nearby fighting; household preparedness; family communication; safer shelter preparedness; and awareness of unexploded ordnance (UXO) and other potentially explosive objects.

DVB will work with technical specialists to review and validate relevant content before publication. The campaign will be disseminated through DVB's media platforms and participating media partners, with appropriate language adaptation and accessibility measures.

3. Purpose of the Consultancy

DVB seeks an experienced Emergency Response, Preparedness and Civilian Protection Specialist to provide technical advice and review of campaign content related to early warning, emergency preparedness, civilian safety and practical emergency-response information.

The consultant will help ensure that proposed messages are credible, practical, understandable and appropriate to the Myanmar context. The consultant will work with DVB's Project Lead, Programme Researcher, editorial and production teams, and other relevant specialists.

The role is advisory and technical. The consultant will not be responsible for editorial decision-making, managing production or independently approving final publication.

4. Scope of Work and Key Responsibilities

A. Technical Advice and Research

• Provide technical advice on civilian emergency preparedness, early warning, emergency communication and civilian protection.
• Review the relevance and accuracy of proposed safety messages in the context of conflict-related and other emergencies affecting civilians in Myanmar.
• Identify important information gaps, misconceptions and potential risks in draft public-information materials.
• Recommend credible technical references and resources to support content development.
• Advise on how to communicate practical preparedness information in clear, accessible and context-sensitive language.

B. Review of Multimedia Content

• Review relevant scripts, storylines, key messages, podcast outlines, visual materials and other draft products.
• Provide written technical comments and recommendations to the Project Lead and production team.
• Assess whether proposed messages are understandable, realistic and consistent with appropriate civilian safety and preparedness principles.
• Identify statements that are potentially misleading, overly general, unsupported or likely to be misunderstood.
• Review revised content to assess whether key technical comments have been addressed.

C. Civilian Preparedness and Protection

• Advise on appropriate public-information messages concerning household emergency preparedness, family communication and responding to warnings.
• Review proposed information relating to airstrike warnings, shelling, nearby fighting and other emergency situations within the consultant's expertise.
• Help ensure that content communicates relevant precautions without creating a false sense of safety or promising that a particular action will guarantee protection.
• Consider the needs of different civilian audiences, including people living in conflict-affected areas and communities with limited access to reliable information.
• Recommend appropriate adaptations for different contexts where a single message may not be suitable for all locations.

D. Coordination and Knowledge Transfer

• Participate in agreed technical review meetings or consultations with DVB staff.
• Coordinate with the Programme Researcher and the Technical Protection, Shelter Safety and Explosive-Ordnance Risk Awareness Specialist to clarify evidence gaps and avoid contradictory advice.
• Provide concise written explanations for significant recommendations so that DVB staff can understand and apply them during content development.
• Support the incorporation of technical feedback into revised materials.
• Identify issues that require further specialist review rather than making recommendations outside the consultant's expertise.

5. Expected Deliverables

The consultant will be expected to provide:

1. Technical input and reference materials: Relevant technical guidance, source references and recommendations for the assigned campaign topics.
2. Content review comments: Written technical feedback on assigned scripts, key messages and multimedia products.
3. Revision review: Follow-up review of revised materials where required.
4. Technical consultation: Participation in agreed meetings or consultations with the project team.
5. Final technical review summary: A concise summary of the materials reviewed, key issues identified, recommendations made and outstanding considerations.

The exact number of products and review rounds will be agreed with the selected consultant based on the production schedule and scope of work.

6. Required Qualifications and Experience

• Relevant academic qualifications or professional training in emergency response, disaster risk management, humanitarian affairs, civilian protection, emergency preparedness or a related field.
• Demonstrated professional experience in emergency preparedness, civilian protection, humanitarian response or a closely related technical area.
• Experience developing, reviewing or communicating practical emergency-preparedness or civilian safety guidance.
• Ability to assess technical information and translate it into clear recommendations for non-specialist audiences.
• Strong analytical and written communication skills.
• Understanding of the humanitarian and conflict context in Myanmar is a strong advantage.
• Experience working with media organisations, public-information campaigns or multimedia production teams is desirable.
• Ability to work collaboratively with researchers, journalists, editors and production personnel.

7. Professional Competencies

The consultant should demonstrate sound technical judgement, attention to evidence, clear communication, responsiveness to feedback, cultural sensitivity and an understanding of the risks associated with disseminating safety information in conflict-affected environments.

The consultant must be able to distinguish general preparedness guidance from advice that requires context-specific technical assessment.

8. Working Arrangements and Reporting

The consultant will report to the designated DVB Project Lead and coordinate with the Programme Researcher and relevant production personnel.

The engagement is expected to last approximately three months, on a part-time, as-needed basis, during the campaign's content-development and production period. The timing of assignments, review rounds, meetings and deliverables will be agreed with DVB.

The consultant is expected to meet agreed deadlines and maintain the confidentiality of non-public project materials and sensitive information.

9. Application Requirements

Interested candidates should submit:

1. An updated CV highlighting relevant qualifications and experience.
2. A cover letter outlining their suitability for the consultancy and relevant technical expertise.
3. Examples of relevant work, publications, guidance materials or technical reviews, where available and appropriate.
4. An indication of availability during the expected consultancy period and a proposed daily consultancy fee (in USD).

Please email applications to [email protected] with the subject line:

Application — Emergency Response, Preparedness and Civilian Protection Specialist

Application deadline: 29 October 2026

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. DVB may request additional information or references during the selection process.

10. Consultancy and Funding Notice

This consultancy is proposed under a project subject to funding availability and approval. Selection, contracting and commencement of the assignment will be conditional upon confirmation of the necessary funding.

The consultancy does not constitute an offer of permanent employment. The scope, schedule and level of engagement will be agreed through the consultancy contract.

DVB reserves the right to amend, suspend or withdraw this announcement, or decide not to proceed with an appointment. Issuing this announcement or receiving applications does not constitute a commitment to engage a consultant.

DVB is committed to fair and inclusive recruitment and welcomes applications from qualified candidates with diverse backgrounds and experiences.