CIVICUS External Consultant – Strategy Development (2027–2032) | Remote | US$25,000–30,000 Consultancy | Apply by 4 September 2026
Table of Contents
CIVICUS is seeking an experienced External Consultant to support the development of its July 2027–June 2032 organisational strategy. This is a remote consultancy opportunity open to qualified consultants or consulting firms with extensive experience in organisational strategy development, strategic reviews, transformation, facilitation and international civil society organisations.
The CIVICUS External Consultant Strategy Development consultancy offers an indicative budget of US$25,000 to US$30,000, inclusive of professional fees and associated costs.
Qualified candidates and firms are encouraged to apply before the 4 September 2026 deadline.
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CIVICUS External Consultant Strategy Development – Job Details
| Job Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Organisation | CIVICUS |
| Position | External Consultant – Strategy Development |
| Assignment | CIVICUS July 2027–June 2032 Strategy Development |
| Location | Remote – Global |
| Contract Type | Consultancy |
| Process Period | August 2026 – September 2027 |
| New Strategy Go-Live | 1 July 2027 |
| Indicative Budget | US$25,000–US$30,000 |
| Application Deadline | 4 September 2026 |
| Deadline Time | 23:59 GMT |
About CIVICUS
CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation is a global alliance comprising more than 17,000 member organisations and individuals across 189 countries.
Since 1993, CIVICUS has worked to strengthen citizen participation and defend civic space around the world. The organisation is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, and operates through a distributed team and hubs connected to key multilateral institutions in New York, Geneva and London.
CIVICUS works across areas including civic space, civil society, citizen participation, advocacy, human rights, democracy, organisational learning and global civil society networks.
About the External Consultant Assignment
As CIVICUS approaches the end of its 2022–2027 strategic period, the organisation is looking for an experienced external facilitator to co-design and lead a participatory, evidence-based strategy development process.
The objective of the CIVICUS Strategy Development Consultant will be to help deliver a credible, actionable and member-owned strategy covering July 2027 to June 2032.
The consultant will work closely with the CIVICUS Strategy Core Team and Membership Committee throughout the strategy development process.
The process will include phases covering:
- Set-up
- Evidence and sense-making
- Consultation and co-creation
- Drafting
- Validation
- Approval and launch
- Transition to implementation
The CIVICUS external consultant will be expected to ensure that the strategy process is member-driven, inclusive, adaptive, transparent and ethical.
Key Responsibilities of the Strategy Consultant
The successful CIVICUS Strategy Development Consultant will be responsible for several major areas of work.
Facilitate Participatory Strategy Processes
The consultant will facilitate inclusive and participatory strategy processes involving diverse stakeholders across globally distributed and multi-regional organisations.
Analyse and Synthesise Evidence
The consultant will synthesise evidence from CIVICUS sources, including CIVICUS Monitor, CIVICUS Lens, State of Civil Society Reports, programme evaluations and staff input.
External evidence will also be considered to support strategic choices.
Lead Regional Consultations
The CIVICUS consultant will design and facilitate regional online workshops, focus groups and Membership sessions to gather input for the strategy development process.
Develop the Strategic Framework
The consultant will lead the drafting and validation of the strategic framework, including:
- Strategic goals
- Outcomes
- Indicators
- Theory of Change
- Results frameworks
- Performance measurement approaches
Facilitate Board Strategy Sessions
The successful consultant will facilitate a Board Strategy session supporting final approval of the new CIVICUS strategy.
Support Implementation
The assignment will also include supporting the transition from strategy development to implementation, including operational planning and development of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) frameworks.
External Consultant Qualifications and Experience
Applicants for the CIVICUS External Consultant – Strategy Development opportunity should demonstrate significant professional experience.
Required Experience
Candidates should have:
- At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience leading or facilitating organisational strategy development, strategic reviews and transformation processes.
- Experience working with international NGOs, membership-based organisations, networks or alliances.
- Proven ability to facilitate inclusive and participatory strategy processes.
- Experience working with diverse stakeholders across globally distributed organisations.
- Demonstrated experience integrating evaluation findings, organisational learning and evidence into strategic planning.
- Experience designing, facilitating or refining Theories of Change.
- Experience developing results frameworks and performance measurement approaches.
- Experience conducting environmental scans, political economy analyses, scenario planning and organisational assessments.
- Experience engaging Boards, governing bodies, senior leadership teams and multi-stakeholder committees.
- Experience facilitating Board strategy retreats.
- Strong facilitation, consensus-building and conflict-management skills.
- Experience leading virtual and in-person workshops across regions, cultures and time zones.
- Strong strategic analysis, systems-thinking and qualitative research skills.
- Excellent synthesis and report-writing skills.
Knowledge and Sector Expertise
The ideal CIVICUS Strategy Consultant should have a strong understanding of:
- Global civil society
- Civic space dynamics
- Human rights
- Democracy
- Citizen participation
- Membership-based organisations
- Network governance models
- Philanthropy
- International development financing
- Donor landscapes
- Digital transformation
- Emerging technology trends
- Safeguarding
- Diversity, equity and inclusion
- Feminist approaches to organisational strategy
- Decolonial approaches to organisational strategy
Desirable Qualifications
The following experience will be considered an advantage:
- Previous experience working with CIVICUS or similar global civil society alliances.
- Fluency in English.
- Proficiency in French, Spanish or Arabic.
- Experience supporting strategy development across Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Europe.
- Knowledge of civic space monitoring, analysis and advocacy.
- Experience integrating organisational evaluations into strategy formulation.
- A diverse consulting team with strong Global South representation.
- Diversity across geography, gender, generation and professional experience.
Consultancy Budget
The indicative budget for the CIVICUS External Consultant Strategy Development assignment is US$25,000 to US$30,000.
The budget is inclusive of professional fees and associated costs.
Applicants are expected to submit a detailed financial proposal demonstrating value for money and clearly itemising anticipated costs.
The financial proposal should include:
- Daily rates
- Total professional fees
- Other anticipated costs
- Travel assumptions, where applicable
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Artificial Intelligence (AI) Requirements
CIVICUS requires consultants and consulting firms to disclose any use of artificial intelligence when preparing or delivering proposed solutions.
Consultants remain responsible for ensuring that any AI-assisted content is accurate, original and compliant with the requirements of the assignment.
How to Apply for the CIVICUS External Consultant Position
Qualified consultants and consulting firms interested in the CIVICUS External Consultant – Strategy Development opportunity must submit a complete application containing the required documents.
1. Technical Proposal
Submit a technical proposal of no more than 10 pages, plus annexes.
The proposal should demonstrate:
- Understanding of the assignment
- Proposed methodology
- Workplan
- Team composition
2. Financial Proposal
Applicants must provide a detailed financial proposal including:
- Daily rates
- Total fees
- Associated costs
- Travel assumptions, where applicable
3. Supporting Annexes
Applicants should include:
- Examples of previous work
- At least three client references
- CVs of key personnel
Application Email
Send the application to:
strategy32@civicus.org
Use the following subject line:
Strategy Consultant_[Your Name/Name of Firm]
CIVICUS External Consultant Application Deadline
The deadline to apply for the CIVICUS External Consultant – Strategy Development consultancy is:
4 September 2026 at 23:59 GMT
Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their proposals before the deadline to avoid last-minute technical or submission problems.
Interview Process
Shortlisted candidates, typically three to five applicants, will be invited to participate in a 45-minute virtual interview with a selection panel.
The interview will form part of the consultant selection process.
Terms and Conditions
Applicants should take note of the following conditions:
Confidentiality
All proposal materials will be treated confidentially and used solely for evaluation purposes.
Conflict of Interest
Applicants must disclose any existing or potential conflicts of interest involving CIVICUS, its Board or major funders.
Data Protection
Consultants must comply with applicable data protection requirements, including GDPR where relevant.
Subcontracting
Any proposed subcontractors must be identified in the proposal, including their roles and qualifications.
Intellectual Property
Deliverables produced under the contract will be owned by CIVICUS, with attribution to the facilitator permitted.
Payment
Payments will be cost reimbursable and linked to agreed deliverables.
Who Should Apply for the CIVICUS Strategy Consultant Opportunity?
The CIVICUS External Consultant opportunity is particularly suitable for senior strategy consultants, organisational development specialists, international development consultants, NGO strategy advisers, civil society experts and consulting firms with extensive experience leading complex organisational strategy processes.
Professionals with experience in global civil society, international NGOs, membership organisations, networks, alliances, civic space, human rights and organisational transformation may find this consultancy particularly relevant.
CIVICUS also particularly welcomes applications from candidates based in the Global South.
Why Apply for the CIVICUS External Consultant Consultancy?
This CIVICUS consultancy provides an opportunity to contribute to the development of a major global civil society organisation’s five-year strategy.
The successful consultant will have the opportunity to work with diverse stakeholders across regions and contribute to strategic decisions covering the organisation’s July 2027–June 2032 strategic period.
The assignment may be especially attractive to consultants looking to expand their portfolio in:
- Global civil society strategy
- NGO organisational development
- International development
- Strategy facilitation
- Organisational transformation
- Civic space
- Human rights
- Membership organisations
- Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning
- Global South-focused development
Final Thoughts
The CIVICUS External Consultant – Strategy Development opportunity is a senior-level consultancy for an experienced strategy professional or consulting firm with a strong background in organisational strategy, international NGOs, civil society networks and participatory planning.
With an indicative budget of US$25,000–US$30,000, this CIVICUS consultancy offers an opportunity to support the development of the organisation’s July 2027–June 2032 strategy.
Qualified consultants and firms should prepare their technical proposal, financial proposal, references and CVs and submit their application to strategy32@civicus.org before 4 September 2026 at 23:59 GMT.
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