Overview
Forus is seeking a consultant or team of consultants to support the development of African regional advocacy strategies, power maps, and an action plan.
This consultancy will facilitate a member-led, participatory process to translate the Forus Strategy 2026–2030 into practical regional advocacy roadmaps across Africa.
Key Information
- Submission Deadline: 30 June 2026
- Consultancy Start Date: July 2026
- Strategy Publication Target: 31 March 2027
- Location: Remote (Flexible)
- Budget: €20,000 (all taxes included)
Background and Rationale
Forus is a global network of national NGO platforms and regional coalitions representing over 24,000 civil society organisations worldwide.
The Forus Strategy 2026–2030 focuses on three pillars:
- Connect
- Support
- Influence
To implement this strategy effectively, Forus is supporting regions to develop advocacy strategies tailored to their contexts.
In Africa, the process will:
- Reflect diverse national and regional realities
- Avoid a top-down continental approach
- Focus on five sub-regions:
- West Africa
- Central Africa
- East Africa
- Southern Africa
- North Africa / MENA
Purpose of the Consultancy
The consultancy will support Forus members to:
- Develop practical sub-regional advocacy strategies
- Identify shared priorities and advocacy opportunities
- Map key actors, influence spaces, and leverage points
- Create action plans for implementation
- Develop a continental advocacy vision based on sub-regional inputs
Scope of Work
Phase 1: Sub-Regional Strategy Development
- Facilitate consultations across five African sub-regions
- Identify advocacy priorities and influence opportunities
- Develop five sub-regional advocacy strategies and action plans
Phase 2: Continental Advocacy Vision
- Synthesize cross-regional findings
- Develop a continental advocacy framework
- Identify shared priorities and opportunities for collaboration
Key Responsibilities
Inception and Planning
- Conduct a kick-off meeting
- Develop methodology, workplan, and risk mitigation strategy
Desk Review and Analysis
- Review Forus documents and member inputs
- Conduct political economy and institutional analysis
- Map regional and continental institutions and stakeholders
Member Engagement
- Facilitate consultations in all five sub-regions
- Use surveys, interviews, and focus groups
- Ensure bilingual participation (English and French)
Power Mapping
- Identify key decision-makers, allies, and influence spaces
- Analyse advocacy entry points at sub-regional and continental levels
Strategy Development
- Draft five sub-regional strategies and action plans
- Develop a continental advocacy framework
- Ensure outputs are practical and actionable
Validation and Finalisation
- Facilitate validation sessions per sub-region and at continental level
- Revise strategies based on feedback
- Submit final deliverables
Deliverables
- Inception report and workplan
- Desk review and power mapping package
- Interim findings (per sub-region)
- Five sub-regional advocacy strategies and action plans
- Continental advocacy framework
- Validation session materials
- Final consolidated package (strategies, plans, power maps, and recommendations)
Required Profile and Qualifications
- Proven expertise in civil society advocacy and civic space
- Strong knowledge of African regional and sub-regional dynamics
- Experience with participatory and mixed-methods research
- Experience facilitating multi-country or regional processes
- Strong understanding of development finance and governance structures
- Fluency in English and French (required)
- Additional African languages are an advantage
- Experience working with diverse and multilingual teams
Preference will be given to:
- Africa-based or African-led teams
- Consultants with experience across multiple African sub-regions
Duration and Workload
- July 2026 to March 2027
- Estimated 30–50 working days
- Remote delivery with online engagements
Payment Schedule
- 30% upon approval of inception report
- 40% upon acceptance of intermediate deliverables
- 30% upon final deliverables
Governance Structure
The consultancy is overseen by a Regional Steering Committee (RSC), composed of Forus members across Africa.
The RSC will:
- Guide methodology and scope
- Review deliverables
- Ensure member ownership of outcomes
Eligibility
- Open to consultants or entities established in EU Member States or eligible ODA countries
- Consortium applications are encouraged
- Forus members may apply, subject to conflict of interest rules
Application Requirements
Applications must include:
- Motivation letter
- Technical proposal (maximum 12 pages)
- Workplan and methodology
- Risk matrix with mitigation measures
- Financial proposal (including all costs and taxes)
- CV(s) of consultant(s)
- Two writing samples (preferably in English and French)
- Two to three references
How to Apply
Submit applications in electronic format to:
[email protected]
Subject line:
Consultancy – Africa Regional Advocacy Strategy
Deadline
30 June 2026
Enquiries
For questions regarding the Terms of Reference, contact:
[email protected]
This consultancy aims to support a member-led, inclusive process that strengthens civil society advocacy across Africa.