Consultancy Opportunity: Coordinator, Global Platform for Action to End FGM/C

Consultancy Opportunity: Coordinator, Global Platform for Action to End FGM/C

Duration: 13 months, anticipated from 15 November 2026 to 15 December 2027
Estimated level of effort: Equivalent to three (3) days per week
Location and availability: This is a remote consultancy open to applicants globally, with applications particularly encouraged from consultants based in Asia and Africa. The Consultant must be able to coordinate across time zones and participate in agreed meetings with the Platform’s international membership.

About the Global Platform:

The Global Platform for Action to End FGM/C is a consortium of civil society organisations, champions, survivors, and grassroots representatives working together to accelerate the abandonment and prevention of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C).

Established following consultations initiated at the 2019 Women Deliver conference in Vancouver, the Global Platform brings together members across regions to exchange knowledge, strengthen collaboration, and advance collective advocacy. Its Global Call to Action to End FGM/C, launched in November 2019, calls for urgent, coordinated action to end FGM/C.

The Global Platform works across intersecting movements, including those addressing sexual and gender-based violence, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and child, early, and forced marriage.

Purpose of the Consultancy:

The Global Platform seeks a consultant to provide coordination, governance, membership, and communications support. The assignment will help translate members’ collective commitments into an achievable programme of joint action and strengthen the Platform’s longer-term sustainability.

The consultancy will focus on three priorities, in the following order:

• Strengthening governance and membership arrangements.

• Establishing consistent coordination and communications.

• Supporting resource mobilisation and longer-term sustainability.

Advocacy activities, events, and other requests will be prioritised within the agreed workplan, level of effort, and available budget.

Scope of Work and Expected Deliverables:

1. Inception and work planning

In consultation with the Core Group and Equality Now, the Consultant will:

• Review existing governance documents, membership arrangements, communications channels, and relevant commitments.

• Prepare an inception workplan within the first month, setting out deliverables, milestones, dependencies, and a realistic allocation of the available consultancy time.

• Identify decisions, member contributions, and resources needed to complete the assignment.

2. Governance and membership

The Consultant will:

• Facilitate consultation on, and prepare a final draft of, the Platform’s membership terms of reference, including the proposed two-tier membership model, for Core Group approval.

• Develop practical guidance on membership, decision-making, and the respective responsibilities of members and the Core Group.

• Establish an organised membership database using an agreed system, with appropriate access and information-handling arrangements.

• Develop a membership outreach and onboarding approach, prioritising grassroots and survivor-led organisations and organisations based in the Global Majority.

• Produce an accessible overview of the Platform, its purpose, and opportunities for participation.

3. Coordination and member engagement

The Consultant will:

• Coordinate monthly Core Group meetings, including scheduling, preparation, and follow-up.

• Circulate agendas and relevant materials at least one (1) week before each meeting, subject to timely input from members.

• Circulate meeting records and an updated action tracker within five (5) working days after each meeting.

• Maintain a central record of agreed decisions, actions, responsibilities, and deadlines.

• Provide a central contact point for Platform enquiries and coordinate responses with the appropriate members.

• Facilitate member contributions and flag outstanding decisions or dependencies that may affect delivery.

4. Communications and shared resources

The Consultant will:

• Develop and implement a proportionate communications schedule covering the internal listserv, public mailing list, and social media channels.

• Coordinate member contributions and prepare content for approval through agreed processes.

• Coordinate website content updates and provide agreed content and member input to the external website redesign consultant.

• Support the development of common messages and positioning for Core Group approval.

• Organise key documents and resources so that members can access and use them.

5. Strategic planning and sustainability

The Consultant will:

• Facilitate the development of a three-year strategic workplan, including objectives, priority actions, indicative responsibilities, and resource requirements, for Core Group approval.

• Develop a practical tracker for commitments under the Movement-led Collective Vision on Ending FGM/C, drawing on updates provided by participating members.

• Map potential funding and partnership opportunities and recommend a prioritised approach to follow-up.

• Prepare a concise impact summary and a core set of materials to support partnership development and fundraising.

• Develop recommendations for sustaining the Platform’s coordination function beyond the consultancy period.

The Consultant will support resource mobilisation but will not be responsible for guaranteeing funding or the performance of individual member organisations.

6. Joint advocacy and events

Within the agreed workplan and available resources, the Consultant will:

• Provide secretariat support for the Platform’s engagement with the FGM/C Donor Working Group.

• Coordinate the preparation and dissemination of three shared advocacy materials during the consultancy period.

• Coordinate at least two webinars during the consultancy period, including agreed co-host arrangements, speaker coordination, and follow-up.

• Support the meaningful participation of grassroots activists and survivors in the planning and delivery of these activities.

• Support selected joint advocacy events were expressly included in the agreed workplan.

Any additional events or travel will require prior agreement on scope, timing, funding, and any effect on other deliverables. Representation of the Platform will require an agreed mandate and approved messaging.

7. Progress reporting and handover

The Consultant will:

• Submit a short quarterly progress report summarising completed deliverables, progress against the workplan, challenges, and decisions required.

• Coordinate agreed narrative inputs for donor reporting and maintain an activity expenditure tracker in collaboration with Equality Now. Financial approvals and formal donor submissions will remain with the authorised organisation.

• Submit a final report and handover package before the consultancy ends, including key documents, outstanding actions, and recommendations for continuity.

Contracting, Coordination, and Duration

Equality Now will contract and administer this independent consultancy, which is not an employee position, for 13 months, from 15 November 2026 to 15 December 2027, with an estimated level of effort equivalent to three (3) days per week.

The Consultant will organise delivery independently, coordinating availability across time zones for agreed meetings and deadlines. Equality Now’s designated focal point will consolidate feedback, coordinate approvals, and accept deliverables, working with the Ending Gender-based Violence team. The Global Platform’s Core Group will guide substantive priorities and approve outputs requiring collective agreement. Member requests will follow this coordination process.

Performance will be assessed against agreed deliverables and milestones. Material changes to scope, timing, or level of effort require prior written agreement with Equality