Forus Opens €20,000 Remote Consultancy for African Regional Advocacy Strategy Across Five African Sub-Regions

Forus is inviting applications from experienced consultants and consulting teams to lead the development of an African Regional Advocacy Strategy that will help strengthen civil society influence and collaboration across the continent. The remote consultancy offers a maximum budget of €20,000 and will run from July 2026 through March 2027.

This opportunity is ideal for professionals with expertise in civil society advocacy, strategy development, governance, policy engagement, and regional development across Africa. Applications are open until 30 June 2026.

About Forus

Forus is a global network of national NGO platforms and regional coalitions committed to strengthening civil society’s collective voice and influence. The network brings together 74 National NGO Platforms and 8 Regional Coalitions representing more than 24,000 civil society organizations across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas, and the Pacific.

As part of its newly adopted Strategy 2026–2030, Forus is supporting members worldwide to transform global priorities into practical regional advocacy plans that address local challenges and opportunities.

Consultancy Overview

Forus is seeking a consultant or consultancy team to facilitate a member-led process aimed at developing advocacy strategies across five African sub-regions while creating a unified continental advocacy vision.

Consultancy Details

• Position: Consultant / Consultancy Team
• Organization: Forus
• Location: Remote
• Contract Type: Consultancy
• Duration: July 2026 – March 31, 2027
• Budget: Up to €20,000 (all taxes included)
• Application Deadline: 30 June 2026

The consultancy will focus on the following regions:

• West Africa
• Central Africa
• East Africa
• Southern Africa
• North Africa / MENA

Purpose of the Assignment

The selected consultant will help Forus members translate the organization’s 2026–2030 Strategy into practical advocacy frameworks that respond to the unique realities of each African sub-region.

The assignment aims to:

• Identify regional advocacy priorities.
• Strengthen civil society influence and engagement.
• Develop actionable advocacy roadmaps.
• Enhance collaboration among African civil society organizations.
• Create mechanisms for monitoring advocacy progress.

Key Responsibilities

The consultancy involves several interconnected phases designed to produce practical and impactful advocacy strategies.

Inception and Planning Phase

The consultant will begin by:

• Facilitating a kick-off meeting with the Africa Regional Steering Committee and the Forus Secretariat.
• Confirming methodology and consultation approaches.
• Developing an inception report and detailed work plan.

This phase will establish the foundation for successful implementation throughout the consultancy period.

Regional Research and Landscape Mapping

The consultant will conduct a comprehensive review of the advocacy landscape across Africa.

Tasks include:

• Reviewing existing Forus strategy documents.
• Conducting political economy analyses.
• Identifying policy trends and advocacy opportunities.
• Mapping key institutions and development actors.
• Assessing regional and continental governance structures.

This research will help identify strategic opportunities for civil society engagement.

Member Consultations and Stakeholder Engagement

A central component of the assignment is ensuring meaningful participation from Forus members across all five regions.

The consultant will:

• Design and facilitate consultations.
• Engage national NGO platforms and regional coalitions.
• Gather perspectives from diverse stakeholders.
• Ensure participation in both English and French.

The process is expected to be highly participatory and member-driven.

Power Mapping and Influence Analysis

The consultancy will also involve identifying opportunities for advocacy influence.

Activities include:

• Mapping key decision-makers.
• Identifying strategic allies and partners.
• Analyzing influence pathways.
• Assessing access points for policy engagement.
• Evaluating opportunities at national, regional, continental, and global levels.

This analysis will inform advocacy priorities and action plans.

Strategy Development

One of the primary outputs will be the creation of:

• Five sub-regional advocacy strategies.
• Five action plans.
• One continental advocacy vision.
• Inter-regional collaboration frameworks.

The strategies will be designed to support practical implementation while remaining adaptable to changing policy environments.

Validation and Finalization

The consultant will facilitate review and validation workshops before finalizing all deliverables.

This phase includes:

• Presenting draft strategies.
• Collecting stakeholder feedback.
• Revising documents.
• Preparing final versions for adoption and implementation.

Required Qualifications

Forus is seeking highly experienced consultants with a strong understanding of African civil society and advocacy processes.

Applicants should demonstrate:

• Proven expertise in advocacy strategy development.
• Knowledge of civic space and civil society issues.
• Strong understanding of African regional contexts.
• Experience working with the African Union and regional institutions.
• Expertise in participatory research methodologies.
• Experience facilitating multilingual consultations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English and French.

Preferred Profile

Preference will be given to:

• Africa-based consultants or teams.
• Individuals with extensive experience across multiple African regions.
• Professionals familiar with regional economic communities and development finance institutions.
• Candidates with knowledge of EU–Africa engagement frameworks.
• Consultants with additional African language skills.

Deliverables

The selected consultant will produce:

• Inception note and work plan.
• Desk review and power mapping package.
• Regional findings reports.
• Five sub-regional advocacy strategies.
• Five action plans.
• Continental advocacy vision.
• Validation workshop materials.
• Final consolidated strategy package.

Budget and Payment Schedule

The consultancy budget is capped at €20,000, including all taxes.

Payment will be made according to the following schedule:

• 30% upon approval of the inception phase.
• 40% following acceptance of core strategy deliverables.
• 30% upon submission and approval of final outputs.

How to Apply

Interested consultants should submit:

• Motivation letter
• Technical proposal (maximum 12 pages)
• Risk matrix
• Financial proposal
• CV(s) of consultants
• Two writing samples
• Two to three professional references

Applications should be sent to:

recruitment@forus-international.org

Subject Line: Consultancy – Africa Regional Advocacy Strategy

Final Thoughts

The Forus African Regional Advocacy Strategy Consultancy presents an exciting opportunity for experienced advocacy and policy professionals to contribute to strengthening civil society influence across Africa. With a generous €20,000 budget, flexible remote work arrangements, and the opportunity to engage stakeholders from five African sub-regions, this assignment offers meaningful impact for consultants passionate about governance, civic participation, and social change.

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Disclaimer: Remote Job Opportunities (RJO) is not the organization offering this opportunity. For any inquiries, please contact the responsible organization directly. Please do not send your applications to RJO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of  emails we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.