The Dialogue – Agenda and Methodology Design – Terms of Reference
About us
CIVICUS is a growing global alliance of more than 15,000 members in 175 countries. We work together to expand civic and democratic space. We strive to promote excluded voices, particularly from the global south.
Our Strategic Plan is built on the assumption that we are stronger when we work together. Expanding civic and democratic space requires a collective effort where our members and allies design and test sustainable solutions and deliver impact at scale.
To make this happen, CIVICUS works on five core objectives:
- Generate timely knowledge and analyses on civil society actions in relation to civic and democratic space
- Coordinate targeted advocacy to defend and expand civic and democratic space
- Contribute to stronger emergency and sustained support ecosystems for activists and organisations at risk
- Strengthen public discourse on civic space and reinforce civil society narratives
- Build counter power with the most affected groups and their movement
Consultancy Background
In an era of increasing funding disruptions to civil society and exacerbated threats to civic space—from donor budget cuts in Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden to the USAID shutdown—there is an urgent need to rethink how we fund and sustain civil society and citizen action.
In response to these funding disruptions, CIVICUS convened the Global Solutions Lab (GSL) in Bangkok which brought together civil society actors from the Local Leadership Lab (LLL), Digital Democracy Initiative (DDI), Innovation Awards, VUKA! Youth Action Lab, and Innovation for Change (I4C), together with bilateral donors and community philanthropy actors, for three days of strategy, reflection, and co-creation.
Our goal was to provide a vital space to define how we guide transition, ensuring that local actors play a central role in decision-making and implementation.
Together, participants co-created three prototypes:
- Community-led Pooled Fund Model: Centering governance, fundraising, and grantmaking within grassroots communities themselves, with compliance delegated locally, flexible funding structures, and safeguards to balance trust and accountability.
- Civil Society-Donor Dialogues: A multi-stakeholder platform to foster values-based collaboration and shape shared approaches to funding civil society.
- Coalition Hub: A coordination mechanism to bridge capacity gaps and improve access to both financial and non-financial resources for CSOs.
Now we are looking for expert support to refine these prototypes.
In moments of crisis, civil society requires strong, adaptable infrastructure to co-create solutions, connect across sectors, and articulate shared visions, priorities, and strategies. This includes addressing the funding conditions and investments needed for civil society to exist, operate, and thrive.
The Dialogue aims to convene funders, government, business, academia, multilateral bodies and civil society to explore how current funding disruptions can be leveraged to strengthen, reimagine, and invest in the essential systems that underpin a resilient civil society ecosystem. The design of this dialogue will be open-source, enabling replication in different contexts around the world.
By bringing together diverse groups, the dialogue will ensure that funding strategies are informed by the realities faced by those working on the ground. The space will be designed to enable candid exchange, build trust, and co-create approaches that support stronger, more resilient systems for the future.
Scope and Goals:
The consultant or consultancy group will develop a replicable dialogue design package, comprising:
Agenda Design:
- Create a detailed, timed agenda for a half-day (or equivalent) funder dialogue.
- Include session objectives, key discussion prompts, and facilitation guidance.
- Ensure balance between plenary discussions, breakout groups, and interactive elements.
Methodology:
- Design a methodology that fosters open, equitable dialogue between funders and civil society.
- Propose participatory tools and processes to surface practical ideas and commitments.
- Integrate approaches that support candid exchange, trust-building, and creative problem-solving.
- Ensure the design is adaptable to diverse cultural, geographic, and political contexts.
Open-Source Replication Framework:
- Package the agenda and methodology into a clear, user-friendly format that can be implemented by other organisations globally.
- Include facilitator guidance, required materials, and tips for adapting to local contexts.
Ensure the methodology allows for meaningful participation from all actors without any single group dominating the space.
Identify opportunities for funders to share leadership insights, experiences, and reflections while listening to and integrating civil society priorities.
Consultancy Deliverables:
- Draft agenda and methodology for review.
- Finalised agenda and methodology incorporating feedback.
- An open-source facilitation guide for replication (PDF format).
Experience:
Required
- Demonstrated expertise in dialogue design, facilitation, and participatory methodologies.
- Experience designing processes for both funders and civil society actors.
- Understanding of global civil society infrastructure needs and funding landscapes.
- Strong written communication skills in English (additional languages an asset).
- Experience creating open-source tools or frameworks for replication. Development and facilitation of inclusive and safe spaces for meaningful engagement.
- Working with diverse cultures.
- Facilitation skills
- Working with civil society organisations and activists, particularly those belonging to traditionally excluded or marginalised communities.
Preferred knowledge, prior experience and time-zone availability
- Knowledge of influencing, movement-building and/or transformative dialogue processes.
- Availability for team’s meetings between 1 PM– 6 PM Johannesburg time zone
Expected workdays and timeframe
Estimated 5 – 7 workdays between 15 September 2025 to 15 October 2025.
Budget
Please provide a financial proposal which includes human resources and any material cost likely to be incurred, with an accompanying budget narrative.
Application process
Please include the following elements in your proposal and submit to [email protected] by 8 September 2025 with the subject line Funder Dialogue Consultant
- Introduction: Introducing the consultant(s) and motivation/interest in applying for this opportunity.
- Approach: This should include your methodology – responding in more detail to the information set out in the ToR. Please be specific in how your methodology will meet the rationale/purpose of this consultancy, including a high-level workplan. Include how you will measure the success of the expected deliverables.
- Experience and examples/references: Include your CV, relevant experience and capabilities to deliver this consultancy and at least 2 examples and testimonials of similar projects is required. If applying as a team, please identify the specific roles and responsibilities of each member.
- Budget: This should include all costs associated with implementation of the project including major line items such as daily fees and travel. All financial information must be expressed in United States Dollars, unless the applicant is based in South Africa, in which case rates should be included in both South African Rand (ZAR) and USD.
Please ensure all of the above elements are included in one PDF document proposal, whilst keeping it to a maximum of 10 pages (CVs may be included in an annex to the proposal and will not count against the page limit).
Applicants based or operating in Global South or belonging to traditionally excluded communities are strongly encouraged to apply.