CIVICUS, the global alliance dedicated to strengthening citizen participation and civil society worldwide, has opened applications for an independent evaluator or evaluation team to conduct the end-of-phase evaluation of its strategic partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands (Netherlands MFA).

The consultancy forms part of the Power of Voices Partnerships framework and will evaluate CIVICUS’ work implemented between January 1, 2021, and June 30, 2026. Applications are open until July 13, 2026, with the successful evaluator expected to begin work in July 2026.

The assignment offers an opportunity for experienced evaluation professionals and organizations to contribute to assessing the impact of one of the world’s leading civil society alliances while helping shape its future strategic direction.

About the Consultancy

The end-of-phase evaluation will examine the relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability of CIVICUS’ activities supported through flexible core funding provided by the Netherlands MFA.

The evaluation will focus on several major initiatives, including:

CIVICUS Monitor
Membership and Networks
Stand As My Witness Campaign
Advocacy and Campaigns
Solidarity initiatives
International Civil Society Week

The assessment has a global scope, with particular attention given to CIVICUS’ work across the Global South and its United Nations advocacy hubs in Geneva and New York.

The evaluation is intended to generate independent evidence on programme performance while producing practical recommendations to inform CIVICUS’ next strategic planning cycle and the Netherlands MFA’s future engagement with global civil society organizations.

Scope of Work

The selected evaluator or evaluation team will be responsible for managing the evaluation process from inception through final reporting.

Key responsibilities include:

Conducting a desk-based inception phase
Validating the programme’s Theory of Change
Developing an evaluation matrix
Leading mixed-methods data collection
Conducting key informant interviews
Administering surveys
Undertaking outcome harvesting
Performing contribution analysis
Developing case studies
Preparing a final evaluation report of no more than 60 pages, excluding annexes

CIVICUS expects the evaluation process to be highly participatory, ensuring meaningful engagement with members, partners, and stakeholders, particularly those from the Global South and underrepresented communities.

The consultancy must also comply with the IOB Evaluation Quality Criteria (2024) and the OECD/DAC evaluation principles throughout the assignment.

Project Timeline

The consultancy is scheduled to begin in July 2026, with final deliverables expected in January 2027.

Major milestones include:

Inception report by mid-August 2026
Interim briefing by the end of October 2026
Draft evaluation report and validation workshop by the end of November 2026
Final report, executive summary, and presentation deck by mid-January 2027

Required Qualifications

CIVICUS is seeking either an individual evaluator or a multidisciplinary evaluation team with demonstrated expertise in evaluating international civil society programmes.

Applicants should possess:

Proven experience evaluating global civil society alliances, federations, membership organizations, or international NGOs
Experience working in civic space, democracy, governance, or human rights programmes
Strong expertise in participatory and equity-centred evaluation approaches
Experience applying the IOB Evaluation Quality Criteria (2024) and/or OECD/DAC evaluation criteria
Advanced knowledge of qualitative evaluation methods, including:
- Outcome harvesting
- Contribution analysis
- Process tracing or equivalent causal analysis approaches
Excellent written and spoken English
Spanish, French, or Arabic language skills are considered an advantage
Full independence from the design or implementation of CIVICUS’ Netherlands MFA-funded programme

Preferred Experience

Applications will be strengthened by additional experience such as:

Previous evaluations funded by the Netherlands MFA, including Power of Voices, Dialogue and Dissent, Leading from the South, or VOICE programmes
Diverse evaluation teams with strong Global South representation
Gender and generational diversity within the evaluation team
Knowledge of safeguarding and do-no-harm approaches when working in high-risk environments

Budget Requirements

Applicants must submit a draft budget in United States Dollars (USD) as part of their proposal.

The proposed budget should include:

Daily professional rates
Estimated level of effort
Overall consultancy costs

Budget proposals will be assessed based on value for money relative to the scope of work.

Application Requirements

Interested applicants must submit a proposal of no more than five pages, excluding annexes.

The proposal should address:

Why the applicant or evaluation team is best suited for the assignment
Relevant experience evaluating comparable organizations
Proposed evaluation methodology and approach
Experience working with the Netherlands MFA or similar international development funders
Familiarity with IOB and OECD/DAC evaluation frameworks

Applicants must also include the following annexes:

CVs of the proposed evaluation team
Draft budget in USD
Two writing samples from comparable assignments completed within the past five years
Two professional references from similar assignments completed during the past five years
Declaration of any current or previous engagements with CIVICUS, its members, or the Netherlands MFA for conflict-of-interest assessment

Application Deadline

Completed proposals must be submitted via email no later than 11:59 p.m. South Africa Standard Time on July 13, 2026. Applicants should use the subject line:

“CIVICUS–Netherlands MFA Evaluation 2021–2026 [Applicant Name]”

Late submissions will not be considered.

Through this consultancy, CIVICUS aims to strengthen accountability, generate evidence-based learning, and enhance the effectiveness of future partnerships supporting civic space, democratic participation, and human rights across the globe.

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Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the organization offering this opportunity. For any inquiries, please contact the official organization directly. Please do not send your applications & CVs to GSO, 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.