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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