The global civil society alliance CIVICUS has officially opened applications for an international consultancy opportunity focused on designing and Unit operationalizing its Digital & Civic Space Strategy. This high-level consultancy seeks experienced researchers, strategists, policy experts, and civil society professionals who can help shape the future of civic and democratic space in the digital age.
The consultancy is being coordinated through the Digital Democracy Initiative (DDI), a global programme that emerged from Denmark’s Tech for Democracy initiative. The opportunity is fully remote and open to qualified applicants worldwide. Selected consultants will work over a seven-month period to develop thematic advisory notes, facilitate global consultations, and support the drafting of CIVICUS’ long-term strategy on digital civic space.
About CIVICUS and Its Global Mission
CIVICUS is one of the world’s leading alliances dedicated to strengthening citizen action and defending civic freedoms. The organisation has more than 15,000 members spread across 175 countries and works closely with activists, civil society organisations, grassroots movements, and democratic institutions.
CIVICUS focuses on expanding civic and democratic space globally, especially in contexts where freedoms of expression, association, and assembly are under threat. The organisation places particular emphasis on amplifying voices from the Global South and supporting collective approaches to sustainable democratic change.
The alliance works around five strategic objectives:
- Generating timely knowledge and research on civic space
- Coordinating advocacy efforts to protect democratic freedoms
- Supporting activists and organisations facing threats
- Strengthening public discourse around civic participation
- Building collective power among affected communities and movements
Understanding the Digital Democracy Initiative (DDI)
The Digital Democracy Initiative was created in response to growing threats to democracy and civic freedoms in digital environments. Governments, corporations, and hostile actors increasingly use surveillance technologies, internet shutdowns, AI-driven disinformation, and digital manipulation to silence civil society voices.
At the same time, digital technology also creates opportunities for:
- Cross-border movement building
- Real-time accountability and transparency
- Amplification of marginalised voices
- Civic participation and innovation
- Digital organising and advocacy
The DDI consortium includes globally recognised organisations such as:
- Access Now
- CIVICUS
- Digital Defenders Partnership
- European Partnership for Democracy
- Witness
- IWGIA
- Global Focus
- Fundo de Mujeres del Sur
After two years of implementation across multiple regions including Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, East Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East, the initiative has generated significant evidence and learning that now forms the foundation for the CIVICUS Digital & Civic Space Strategy.
What the Consultant Will Do
The selected consultant or consulting team will play a central role in transforming CIVICUS’ strategic framework into a practical, implementation-ready strategy.
The consultancy has two major streams of work:
1. Development of Five Thematic Advisory Notes
The consultant will produce five detailed advisory notes, each between 8 and 12 pages long. These documents will provide strategic and analytical guidance on critical digital civic space themes.
The five thematic areas include:
Digital Security and Resilience
This area focuses on:
- Digital safety for activists and organisations
- Emergency digital response systems
- Psychosocial resilience
- Legal compliance in digital spaces
- Civil society peer training networks
Information Integrity, Disinformation, and Electoral Civic Space
Topics include:
- Fact-checking systems
- Deepfake detection
- AI-generated misinformation
- Electoral integrity technologies
- Platform accountability advocacy
Civic Technology and Digital Democracy
This note will explore:
- AI tools for civic engagement
- Civic participation technologies
- Accountability platforms
- Low-bandwidth participation systems
- Civic tech innovation ecosystems
Digital Rights and Policy Advocacy
Key areas include:
- Tracking digital repression globally
- Digital legislation advocacy
- AI governance
- Human rights policy engagement
- Coalition building
Digital Inclusion and Equity
This pillar focuses on:
- Supporting digitally marginalised communities
- Feminist digital organising
- Regional equity
- Hybrid civic participation
- Digital literacy as a civic competency
Multi-Stakeholder Consultation Process
A major aspect of the consultancy involves facilitating consultations with diverse stakeholder groups. The consultant will engage:
- CIVICUS staff
- DDI programme participants
- Digital rights organisations
- CIVICUS members and networks
- Civil society actors across six global regions
The consultation process may involve:
- Virtual focus groups
- Interviews
- Surveys
- Regional roundtables
- Stakeholder mapping exercises
Particular emphasis will be placed on ensuring participation from Global South communities and multilingual engagement where necessary.
Deliverables Expected from the Consultant
At the end of the consultancy, the selected applicant will submit:
- Five thematic advisory notes
- Consultation frameworks and instruments
- Stakeholder engagement reports
- A consultation synthesis report
- A consolidated strategy input package
- Draft versions of the Digital & Civic Space Strategy
- Presentation of findings to CIVICUS leadership and staff
Required Qualifications and Experience
CIVICUS is looking for highly experienced professionals with expertise across digital rights, policy, strategy, and civil society development.
Applicants should demonstrate:
- Strong analytical and writing skills
- Experience with strategic planning and policy analysis
- Expertise in digital civic space and technology governance
- Experience facilitating participatory consultations
- Familiarity with global digital rights advocacy
- Understanding of challenges facing activists and civil society organisations
- Ability to communicate complex concepts to non-technical audiences
Additional language skills in French, Arabic, Portuguese, or Spanish are considered highly valuable.
Duration, Location, and Deadline
- Location: Global / Remote
- Consultancy Duration: 7 Months
- Application Deadline: 31 May 2026
Required Application Documents
Interested applicants must submit:
- A cover letter
- Detailed CV
- Technical proposal and methodology
- Work plan and timeline
- Budget proposal
- Two relevant work samples
- Three professional references
Applications should be sent via email andmust use the subject line:
“Proposal: Digital Civic Space Strategy”
Incomplete applications or submissions sent through external download links may not be considered.
Why This Opportunity Matters
This consultancy represents a major opportunity for digital rights experts, civic technology professionals, and international development strategists to contribute directly to shaping the future of global civic space.
As digital threats to democracy continue to evolve, organisations like CIVICUS are investing heavily in long-term, evidence-based, and globally inclusive strategies. Consultants selected for this project will help influence international civil society responses to issues such as AI governance, digital surveillance, disinformation, civic technology, and democratic resilience.
For professionals passionate about democracy, technology policy, and human rights, this consultancy provides a chance to work with one of the world’s most influential civil society alliances while contributing to transformative global impact.
Deadline:
31st May,2026.
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