CALL FOR CONSULTANCY APPLICATIONS

Lead Process: 2027–2030 Overall Advocacy Strategy Development

Organisation: Zambia NGO WASH Forum

Assignment Type: Short-Term Consultancy

Location: Lusaka, Zambia (with preparatory/reporting remote work)

Estimated Level of Effort: 8–10 working days

Target Timeline: Final quarter of 2026 / ahead of the 2027–2030 cycle

About the Zambia NGO WASH Forum

The Zambia NGO WASH Forum is a dynamic civil society coalition dedicated to advocating for improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) outcomes across Zambia. As our current strategic cycle concludes, the Forum is repositioning its collective advocacy around four critical pillars: Financing, Accountability & Citizen Participation, Service Sustainability & O&M, and the Human Rights to Water and Sanitation (HRWS).

To ensure our new Overall Advocacy Strategy (2027–2030) is completely member-owned, evidence-based, and strictly anchored in a Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA), the Forum is seeking a seasoned, neutral Lead Process to design, guide, and document this pivotal strategic process.

Purpose & Scope of the Assignment

The Lead Process will manage a structured, participatory, and consensus-oriented process that transforms member inputs and the Secretariat's technical expertise into a cohesive strategic framework.

Crucial Distinction of Roles: This is strictly a process role. The is not expected to act as the source of technical HRWS content. Technical framing, sector evidence, and rights-standard references sit with the Forum Secretariat, while the strategy content and choices belong to the members. The’s mandate is to maintain process discipline, neutrality, and equal voice.

The consultancy comprises three main phases:

1. Preparatory Phase (2–3 days): Inception planning, a technical briefing with the Secretariat, document review, and the co-development of process templates (problem trees, power-interest grids, scorecard frameworks).
2. Delivery Phase (2.5 days in Lusaka): of a half-day pre-workshop framing session, followed by an intensive two-day strategic workshop with members.
3. Documentation & Strategy Drafting Phase (4–5 days): Consolidating outputs into a comprehensive workshop report and drafting the formal NGO WASH Forum Advocacy Strategy 2027–2030 document through a member validation loop.

Key Objectives & Deliverables

The successful consultant will guide members to achieve specific milestones, translating them into the following finalized deliverables:

• Inception Note & Plan: Detailed session designs and tailored participatory templates.
• Facilitated Workshops: High-energy, inclusive delivery of the pre-workshop and the 2-day main workshop.
• Documented Process Outputs: 4 distinct problem trees, power maps (identifying 3–5 targets and entry points per focus area), 4–8 completed outcome sheets, tactics/roles tables, and advocacy scorecards.
• Comprehensive Workshop Report: Capturing the narrative flow, consensus points, and agreed follow-up timelines.
• Draft Advocacy Strategy 2027–2030 Document: A polished, structured strategy document refined via a feedback/validation loop, fully ready for formal adoption by the Forum.

Required Profile & Qualifications

We are looking for an expert process architect who can hold a rights-framed space with confidence, rigour, and absolute neutrality.

Essential Requirements:

• Facilitation Excellence: Demonstrated mastery in designing and leading complex, multi-stakeholder civil society strategic planning sessions.
• Methodological Toolkit: Proven proficiency in deploying participatory tools, including problem tree analysis, power–interest grids, outcome mapping, and structured prioritisation frameworks.
• HRBA Grounding: Strong foundational knowledge of Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA) programming principles (such as duty-bearer/rights-holder dynamics, accountability, non-discrimination, and empowerment).
• Inclusivity & GESI Competence: Experience in managing diverse group dynamics to ensure smaller, district-based, or less-resourced member organisations have an equal voice alongside larger partners.
• Climate-Aware Design: Ability to seamlessly integrate cross-cutting themes like climate resilience and emergency response (e.g., cholera, droughts, floods) into structural problem analysis.
• Communication Skills: Exceptional synthesis, report-writing, and strategic drafting skills in English.

Desirable:

• Familiarity with the Zambian WASH sector landscape (including national budget cycles, legal/policy frameworks, and utility regulation).

How to Apply

Interested and qualified independent consultants or firms should submit their application package to the NGO WASH Forum Secretariat. The package must include:

1. Technical Proposal: A brief note outlining your understanding of the TOR and your proposed methodology.
2. Financial Proposal: An all-inclusive fee breakdown for the 8–10-day assignment.
3. Curriculum Vitae (CV): Highlighting specific relevant assignments.
4. References: Contact details for two professional references from organisations where you successfully led similar strategy formulation or coalition-building processes.

Please submit your application electronically to the Secretariat at admin@ngowash.co.zm and copy Nonde.lwatula@ngowash.co.zm with the subject line "Application: Lead Process – NGO WASH Forum Strategy".

Closing Date for Applications: 13th July 2026

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted