Technical Specialist: MENA-H Coalition-Strengthening Activities

The Technical Specialist will support EMPHNET and the MENA-H Coalition in strengthening the Coalition’s governance structure and updating its organizational bylaws. This assignment is aligned with ongoing efforts under the Global Fund MC MENA III  grant to enhance the institutional effectiveness, accountability, and sustainability of regional civil society platforms.

The Technical Specialist will ensure that the revised governance framework promotes transparency, inclusiveness, meaningful engagement of members, including key populations, and effective decision-making. The process will be participatory, incorporating inputs from coalition leadership, members, and key stakeholders.

In addition, the consultant will support the refinement of the MENA-H sustainability strategy, with a focus on strengthening financial resilience and reducing dependency on donor funding. This will include the development of a concise, action-oriented strategy outlining concrete approaches to diversify funding sources, including private sector engagement, income-generating models, and cross-learning from innovative national-level experiences, in line with global guidance on the sustainability of civil society organizations.

Scope of Work

The assigned consultant will be responsible for the following tasks, activities, duties, and responsibilities:

MENA-H Coalition Governance Structure and Bylaws

• Conduct a desk review of existing MENA-H governance documents, including bylaws, organizational structure, and related policies.
• Benchmark current governance arrangements against regional and global best practices for coalitions and civil society networks.
• Identify gaps, inefficiencies, and areas for strengthening in governance, leadership structure, decision-making processes, and accountability mechanisms.
• Facilitate consultations with MENA-H leadership, members, and key stakeholders to gather inputs and ensure alignment and ownership.
• Propose a revised governance structure, including roles, responsibilities, and functional arrangements of leadership bodies.
• Develop a revised and updated set of organizational bylaws reflecting: Clear governance structure, Transparent decision-making processes, Membership criteria and roles, Election procedures and leadership terms, Accountability and reporting mechanisms, and Conflict of interest and ethical standards. 
• Ensure alignment of the governance framework with the Coalition’s evolving mission, strategic priorities, and regional context.
• Support the development of a roadmap for the adoption and operationalization of the revised governance structure.
• Conduct an online validation workshop with MENA-H stakeholders to review and finalize the proposed governance structure and bylaws.
• Incorporate feedback and finalize all governance documents.
• Provide a final report summarizing the process, key changes, and recommendations for implementation.
• Facilitate a hybrid General Assembly with MENA-H Coalition members.

MENA-H Coalition Sustainability Strategy

• Conduct a structured review of the existing Nadoum Sustainability and Transition Plan (STP 2023–2027), including its governance, policy, finance, and program pillars.
• Identify key gaps in the current STP, particularly related to financial sustainability, donor dependency, resource mobilization approaches, private sector engagement, and innovative financing.
• Revise and update relevant sections of the STP to strengthen the operationalization of financial sustainability and resilience.
• Develop a concise, standalone MENA-H Sustainability Strategy (maximum five pages) focusing on civil society organization financial sustainability.
• Ensure the updated strategy includes concrete and implementable actions related to: Diversification of funding sources, Private sector engagement models, Income-generating activities for civil society organizations and networks, Cross-learning from innovative national and regional experiences
• Align all revisions with: Global Fund Sustainability, Transition, and Co-financing (STC) guidance and UNAIDS guidance on financing options for civil society organizations. 
• Ensure proposed approaches are feasible within the regional political and funding context.
• Conduct an online validation workshop with MENA-H stakeholders to review and finalize the STP and sustainability strategy.
• Incorporate feedback and finalize: Updated STP sections and Standalone sustainability strategy

Deliverables

1. Inception report with methodology, workplan, and timeline.

MENA-H Coalition governance structure and bylaws:

2. MENA-H governance assessment and gap analysis report.
3. Draft revised governance structure.
4. Draft revised bylaws document.
5. Validation workshop report.
6. Final governance framework and bylaws documents.
7. Facilitation of the General Assembly, including materials and moderation.

MENA-H Coalition Sustainability Strategy

8. STP gap analysis report.
9. An annotated version of the existing STP highlighting proposed revisions.
10. Revised sections of the STP.
11. Standalone MENA-H Financial Sustainability Strategy (maximum five pages).
12. Validation workshop report.
13. Final consolidated package including: Updated STP sections, Final sustainability strategy, and Implementation roadmap.
14. Facilitation of an online orientation of SRs on the updated STP and sustainability strategy.

Job Specification

Education and Specialization:

• Advanced degree in public administration, law, governance, political science, or a related field.
  

Experience: 

• Minimum years of experience: 7 years. 
• Required experience:
  • Proven experience in governance strengthening, organizational development, or institutional reform.
  • Experience working with coalitions, networks, or civil society organizations, preferably in the MENA region.
  • Demonstrated experience in drafting or revising bylaws and governance frameworks.
• Highly desirable experience:
  • Experience with Global Fund-supported programs or donor-funded initiatives.
  • Familiarity with key population-led networks and human rights-based approaches.
  • Experience facilitating multi-stakeholder consultations.

Functional Competencies

• Strong knowledge of governance models and best practices for coalitions and networks.
• Expertise in organizational structuring and bylaws development.
• Strong facilitation and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Excellent analytical and writing skills.
• Ability to translate complex governance concepts into practical frameworks.

Behavioral Competencies

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work with diverse stakeholders and sensitive topics.
• High level of professionalism, discretion, and integrity.
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Commitment to inclusiveness and participatory approaches.

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Level of Effort: Part-time (30 working days)

Starting Date: July 2026

Ending Date: September 2026

Period of Performance Duration: 4 months

Career Level: Senior-level

Job Role: Technical

Job Location: Remote (with possible regional travel if needed)

Closing Date: June 29, 2026 

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