Deadline: 4th September 2026 at 23:59 GMT
CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation is a global alliance of over 17,000 member organisations and individuals in 189 countries. Since 1993, it has worked to strengthen citizen participation and defend civic space worldwide. Headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, since 2002, CIVICUS operates through a distributed team and hubs connected to key multilateral institutions in New York, Geneva and London. Its work focuses on five objectives: generating timely knowledge and analysis, coordinating targeted advocacy, strengthening the civil society ecosystem, advancing civil society narratives, and building counterpower with the most affected groups.
About the Assignment
As CIVICUS approaches the end of its 2022–2027 strategic period, it seeks an experienced external facilitator to co-design and lead a participatory, evidence-based planning process. The process will deliver a credible, actionable, and member-owned strategy for July 2027–June 2032. Working closely with the CIVICUS Strategy Core Team and Membership Committee, the consultant will facilitate six phases: Set-up; Evidence and Sense-making; Consultation and Co-creation; Drafting; Validation; Approval and Launch; and Transition to Implementation. The process will be member-driven, inclusive, adaptive, transparent, and ethical.
Key Responsibilities
- Facilitate inclusive, participatory strategy processes with diverse stakeholders across globally distributed, multi-regional organisations.
- Synthesise evidence from CIVICUS sources, including CIVICUS Monitor, CIVICUS Lens, State of Civil Society Reports, programme evaluations and staff input, alongside external evidence, to inform strategic choices.
- Design and facilitate regional online workshops, focus groups, and Membership sessions to collect input into the strategy development process.
- Lead the drafting and validation of the strategic framework, including goals, outcomes, indicators, and a Theory of Change.
- Facilitate a Board Strategy session for final approval.
- Support the transition to implementation, including operational planning and development of MEL frameworks.
Required Qualifications and Experience
- At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience leading or facilitating organisational strategy development, strategic reviews and transformation processes for international NGOs, membership-based organisations, networks or alliances.
- Proven ability to facilitate inclusive, participatory strategy processes with diverse stakeholders across globally distributed organisations.
- Demonstrated experience integrating evaluation findings, organisational learning and evidence into strategic planning and decision-making.
- Experience designing, facilitating or refining Theories of Change, results frameworks and performance measurement approaches.
- Experience conducting environmental scans, political economy analyses, scenario planning, and organisational assessments.
- Experience engaging governing bodies, Boards, senior leadership teams and multi-stakeholder committees, including facilitating Board strategy retreats.
- Strong facilitation, consensus-building and conflict management skills, including experience leading in-person and virtual workshops across regions, cultures and time zones.
- Strong strategic analysis, systems thinking and qualitative research skills, with excellent synthesis and report writing ability.
- Strong understanding of global civil society, civic space dynamics, human rights, democracy and citizen participation, including membership-based organisations and network governance models.
- Understanding philanthropy, international development financing and donor landscapes, with familiarity in digital transformation and emerging technology trends. Knowledge of safeguarding, diversity, equity and inclusion, and feminist and decolonial approaches to organisational strategy is essential.
Desirable Qualifications
- Previous experience working with CIVICUS or similar global civil society alliances.
- Fluency in English is required; proficiency in French, Spanish or Arabic is an advantage.
- Experience supporting strategy development for organisations operating across Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Europe.
- Knowledge of civic space monitoring, analysis and advocacy, including experience integrating organisational evaluations into strategy formulation.
- A team composition that reflects diversity in geography, with strong Global South representation, as well as gender, generation and experience.
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Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Consultants or firms must disclose any use of AI in preparing or delivering their proposed solutions. They are solely responsible for ensuring the accuracy, originality, and compliance of all AI-generated content.
Indicative Budget
The indicative budget for this consultancy is US$ 25,000 to 30,000, inclusive of professional fees and all associated costs. Consultants should submit a detailed financial proposal that demonstrates value for money and itemises all anticipated costs.
How to Apply
Qualified consultants or firms interested in this assignment should submit:
- Technical Proposal (maximum of 10 pages, plus annexes): Demonstrating their understanding of the assignment, proposed methodology, workplan, and team composition.
- Financial Proposal: Providing a detailed budget, including daily rates and total fees. Any travel assumptions should be clearly stated.
- Annexes: Including examples of previous work, at least three client references, and CVs of key personnel.
Please submit your application to: strategy32@civicus.org with subject line: Strategy Consultant_[Your Name/Name of Firm]
Deadline: 4th September 2026 at 23:59 GMT.
Interview process
Shortlisted candidates, typically three to five, will be invited to a 45-minute virtual interview with a selection panel.
Contact and Queries: For questions about this assignment, please email: strategy32@civicus.org
Terms and Conditions
- Confidentiality: All proposal materials will be treated confidentially and used solely for evaluation purposes.
- Conflict of interest: Bidders must disclose any existing or potential conflicts of interest with CIVICUS, its Board or its major funders.
- Data protection: Consultants must comply with applicable data protection laws, including GDPR where relevant.
- Subcontracting: Any proposed subcontractor must be named in the proposal, with their roles and qualifications clearly stated.
- Intellectual property: All deliverables produced under this contract will be owned by CIVICUS, with attribution to the facilitator permitted.
- Payment schedule: Payments will be cost reimbursable and linked to deliverables
CIVICUS is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from qualified individuals regardless of race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age or disability. We particularly welcome applications from candidates based in the Global South.