- Background
Strengthening Adolescent Girls’ Sexual & Reproductive Health (FOUNDATIONS) is a 6-year (July 27th, 2021 – June 30, 2027) multi-country, gender-transformative project funded by Global Affairs Canada. The project aims to enhance the empowerment of adolescent girls, particularly the most marginalized and vulnerable, to exercise their Adolescent Sexual & Reproductive Health Rights (ASRHR) in Mali, Niger, and Sierra Leone. In order to achieve this ultimate outcome, the project is grounded in a rights-based and gender-transformative approach that places women and girls at the centre.
FOUNDATIONS is being implemented by Save the Children in three countries (Niger, Mali and Sierra Leone) and in partnership with multiple international partners, including the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Equipop, ODI (formerly Overseas Development Institute), and the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids).
In alignment with Global Affairs Canada (GAC) requirements and its Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP), FOUNDATIONS promotes gender equality and girls’ empowerment by using a socio-ecological approach that recognizes the multiple and interdependent spheres of influence shaping adolescent behaviours and norms. By engaging parents, other adult caregivers, teachers, community leaders, health providers, civil society organizations (CSOs) including women’s rights organizations (WROs), and government decision-makers, the project addresses these spheres simultaneously in order to generate sustainable and meaningful change. To achieve this ultimate outcome, three key intermediate outcomes are being realized:
- 1100: Increased decision-making by in-school and out-of-school adolescent girls on adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) issues and the use of ASRH services
- 1200: Improved provision of gender-responsive, adolescent-friendly and quality ASRH services for adolescent girls
- 1300: Improved effectiveness of key stakeholders, particularly women & girls’ rights organizations and government decision-makers, to advocate for evidence-based, accountable and equitable ASRH policies, legal frameworks and services
The 1300 Pillar of the FOUNDATIONS project is focused on promoting the rights that are relevant to its constituents and to hold duty-bearer to account. At the national level, this is being done by working with local Women and Girls’ Rights Organizations (WGROs) in the three countries of implementation to build collective capacity to promote ASRHR, influence policy change and implementation processes, and hold government and community leaders accountable. At the regional level, the project has supported the West African Feminist Network in creating spaces for learning and sharing, and implementing regional advocacy campaigns both online and internationally.
As the project is nearing its end, FOUNDATIONS seeks to ensure the sustainability of advocacy interventions by: 1) Showcasing the impact of regional advocacy activities; 2) Developing capacity building tools that can be used by WGROs beyond the life of the project.
- Purpose of the consultancy
FOUNDATIONS seeks to engage an external consultant for up to 55 working days to support advocacy efforts under Pillar 1300, between the dates of October 1st, 2026 and February 28th, 2027. The consultant will work remotely and collaborate closely with project teams and WGRO representatives in Mali, Niger, and Sierra Leone. No travel is expected for this consultancy.
The consultancy has two core objectives:
1. Assess the impact of FOUNDATIONS’ regional advocacy activities (up to 15-20 days)
This includes documenting national government stakeholders’ commitments, identifying best practices, capturing lessons learned, and highlighting contributions to regional feminist movement building and influence. Key findings will be summarized in a short 5–10-page brief.
2. Develop an SRHR advocacy curriculum for youth and women in rural areas (30–40 days)
The curriculum should strengthen the advocacy skills of young feminists and WGROs, with applicability in low-resource settings such as remote or rural communities in Sierra Leone, Mali, and Niger. The curriculum should be practical, accessible, and in accessible language. It is expected that
- Scope of work
Objective 1: Assessment of Regional Advocacy Impact
The consultant will:
- Review existing documentation, reports, and advocacy products, including project impact indicators for advocacy initiatives
- Devise a methodology, inclusive of key impact indicators, for the assessment
- Conduct virtual consultations with the WGROs involved in the development of FOUNDATIONS’ regional advocacy strategy, both to refine the assessment’s impact indicators and methods of measurement, and collect data on regional advocacy impact
- If relevant, conduct virtual interviews with youth groups, government stakeholders, and project teams
- Map engagement with national and/or regional bodies, national/regional/ international stakeholders (i.e. donors, conference attendees, media, etc.), and commitments from key influencers and decisions stemming from this engagement
- Identify strengths, gaps, opportunities, and risks in regional advocacy approaches
- Produce a concise, evidence‑based 5–10-page brief highlighting regional advocacy impact, key enabling factors and contributors, challenges, and recommendations for sustainability
Objective 2: Development of an SRHR Advocacy Curriculum
The consultant or consultant team will:
- Conduct a participatory needs assessment with WGROs and youth groups to identify priority advocacy skills to be embedded in the SRHR advocacy curriculum
- Develop a curriculum tailored to rural contexts, including modules, exercises, and facilitation guidance, to be validated by key points of contact from the WGROs
- Ensure content is grounded in feminist, rights‑based, and participatory approaches
- Integrate themes such as:
- Stakeholder mapping
- Influence strategies
- Message development and storytelling
- Youth‑led advocacy and intergenerational collaboration
- Safe, ethical, and inclusive participation
- Produce accompanying tools such as templates, checklists, and sample advocacy materials
- Validate the curriculum through consultations with country teams and WGROs
- Consultant Profile
Location
- Strong preference for a consultant or consultant team based in West Africa
Values and Ways of Working
The consultant or consultant team must be:
- Committed to feminist and human rights‑based approaches, centering the voices of marginalized women and girls
- Able to work in a collaborative, co‑constructive, participatory, and non‑extractive manner
- Respectful of grassroots knowledge, collective decision‑making, and local feminist leadership
- Adaptable to resource‑constrained environments, with sensitivity to advocacy risks and power differentials
- Open to feedback and able to foster a culture of reflection and self‑reflection
Skills and Competencies
The consultant or consultant team must possess:
- Advanced degree in public health, SRHR, social sciences, communications, or a related field
- Demonstrated experience supporting advocacy efforts and mobilizing resources to amplify women’s and girls’ voices
- Background in SRHR, Gender Equality and feminist approaches
- Strong communication skills and ability to tailor messages to diverse audiences
- Excellent writing, research, editing, and synthesis skills
- Experience working with international development or feminist organizations (an asset)
- Language requirements: Fluency in both French and English (spoken and written)
As FOUNDATIONS is strongly committed to centering leadership from those most impacted by gender inequalities, we highly encourage applications from women, particularly those belonging to historically marginalized groups, including young women, women with disabilities, rural women, members of minority ethnic or linguistic communities, and more.
- Deliverables
For Objective 1: Advocacy Impact Assessment
- Inception report outlining methodology and workplan
- Summary of findings from consultations
- 5–10-page brief
For Objective 2: SRHR Advocacy Curriculum
- 1–2-page needs assessment summary
- Full curriculum including modules, exercises, and facilitator notes
- Practical tools and templates (e.g., stakeholder mapping tools, message development guides, advocacy planning templates)
- Final validated version incorporating feedback from WGROs and project teams
- Payment terms
Payment schedule may be structured as:
- 30% upon approval of Inception Report
- 20% upon submission of the summary of findings from consultations
- 25% upon submission of the first drafts of the Regional Advocacy Impact Brief and SRHR Advocacy Training tools
- 25% upon delivery of all final approved outputs
The consultant is responsible for contracting and covering fees for the graphic designer within this budget.
- Application requirements
Interested applicants should submit:
- CV
- Short proposal (5 pages maximum) outlining:
- Understanding of the assignment
- Proposed approach
- Detailed timeline for the consultancy
- Overall engagement with WGROs and deliverable validation processes
- Financial proposal inclusive of translation costs
- Samples of work, i.e. research studies, training tools, curricula, etc.
Please submit proposals to Floriane Dumoulin, Senior Award Manager at fdumoulin@savethechildren.ca by Thursday 17 September, 2026.
- Context
The “Strengthening Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (FOUNDATIONS)” project is a six-year multinational project (July 27, 2021 to June 30, 2027) focused on transforming gender relations and funded by Global Affairs Canada. The project aims to empower adolescent girls, particularly the most marginalized and vulnerable, so they can exercise their sexual and reproductive health (SRH) rights in Mali, Niger, and Sierra Leone. To achieve this ultimate goal, the project uses a rights-based, gender-transforming approach that puts women and girls at the center.
The FOUNDATIONS project is implemented by Save the Children in three countries (Niger, Mali and Sierra Leone) in collaboration with several international partners, including the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Equipop, the ODI (formerly Overseas Development Institute) and the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids).
In accordance with the requirements of Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and its Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP), FOUNDATIONS promotes gender equality and the empowerment of girls by adopting a socio-ecological approach that takes into account the multiple and interdependent spheres of influence that shape adolescent girls’ behaviours and norms.
By mobilizing parents, other responsible adults, teachers, community leaders, health workers, civil society organizations (CSOs), including women’s rights organizations (WROs), and government decision-makers, the project simultaneously addresses these spheres to generate lasting and meaningful change. To achieve this ultimate outcome, three key intermediate results are being worked towards:
- 1100: Strengthening the capacity of adolescent girls, whether in school or not, to make decisions regarding adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) issues and the use of ASRH services
- 1200: Improvement of adolescent girls’ sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services delivery that is tailored to girls’ needs, gender-sensitive, and of high quality
- 1300: Improving the effectiveness of key stakeholders, particularly women’s and girls’ rights organizations and government policymakers, in advocating for evidence-based, accountable, and equitable adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) policies, legal frameworks, and services.
Pillar 1300 of the FOUNDATIONS project aims to promote the rights relevant to its target groups and to hold those in power accountable. At the national level, this is achieved by collaborating with women’s and girls’ rights organizations (WFRROs) in the three implementing countries to build collective capacity to promote adolescent girls’ sexual and reproductive health, influence policy changes and implementation processes, and hold government and community leaders accountable. At the regional level, the project has supported the West African Feminist Network in creating learning and sharing spaces, as well as in implementing regional advocacy campaigns, both online and internationally.
As the project draws to a close, FOUNDATIONS seeks to ensure the sustainability of advocacy interventions by: 1) highlighting the impact of regional advocacy activities; 2) developing capacity-building tools that can be used by WGROs beyond the duration of the project.
- Objective of the consultation mission
FOUNDATIONS is seeking to engage an external consultant for a maximum of 55 working days to support advocacy efforts under Pillar 1300, between October 1, 2026, and February 28, 2027. The consultant will work remotely and collaborate closely with project teams and SDG representatives in Mali, Niger, and Sierra Leone. No travel is required for this consultancy.
The consultation mission has two main objectives:
1. Evaluate the impact of FOUNDATIONS’ regional advocacy activities (up to 15-20 days)
This includes documenting the commitments of national government stakeholders, identifying best practices, synthesizing lessons learned, and highlighting contributions to strengthening and influencing the regional feminist movement. The main findings will be summarized in a concise 5- to 10-page report.
2. Develop a training program in advocacy on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for young people and women in rural areas (30 to 40 days)
The program must strengthen the advocacy skills of young feminists and SDG activists and be applicable in low-resource contexts, such as remote or rural communities in Sierra Leone, Mali, and Niger. The program must be practical, accessible, and written in plain language.
- Scope of work
Objective 1: Evaluation of the impact of advocacy activities at the regional level
The consultant will need to:
- Develop a methodology, including key impact indicators, for the evaluation
- Conduct virtual consultations with the SDGs that participated in the development of FOUNDATIONS’ regional advocacy strategy, both to refine impact indicators and evaluation measurement methods, and to collect data on the impact of regional advocacy
- Conducting virtual interviews with youth groups, government stakeholders, and project teams
- Map interactions with national and/or regional organizations, national, regional, and international stakeholders (i.e., donors, conference participants, media, etc.), as well as commitments made by key influencers and decisions resulting from these interactions
- Identify the strengths, gaps, opportunities and risks associated with regional advocacy approaches
- Prepare a concise, evidence-based report of 5 to 10 pages highlighting the impact of regional advocacy, key enabling factors and actors, challenges, and recommendations for ensuring sustainability.
Objective 2: Development of a training program on advocacy in the areas of sexual and reproductive health and rights
The consultant or team of consultants will need to:
- Conduct a participatory needs assessment with the SDGs and youth groups to identify priority skills in rights advocacy to be integrated into the training program on sexual and reproductive health rights advocacy.
- Develop a program adapted to rural contexts, including modules, exercises and facilitation tips, which will be validated by the main stakeholders of the ODDFF
- Ensure that the content is based on feminist, rights-based, and participatory approaches.
- Incorporate themes such as:
- Stakeholder mapping
- Influence strategies
- Message development and storytelling
- Youth-led advocacy and intergenerational collaboration
- Safe, ethical and inclusive participation
- Produce support tools such as templates, checklists and examples of advocacy materials
- Validate the tools through consultations with national teams and the SDGs
- Consultant profile
Place
- Strong preference is given to a consultant or team of consultants based in West Africa
Values and working methods
The consultant or team of consultants must:
- Committed to feminist and human rights-based approaches, placing the voices of marginalized women and girls at the center
- Capable of working in a collaborative, co-constructive, participatory and non-extractive manner
- Respectful of community knowledge, collective decision-making, and local feminist leadership
- Capable of adapting to contexts where resources are limited, while taking into account the risks associated with advocacy and power imbalances
- Open to feedback and capable of fostering a culture of reflection and self-reflection
Skills and abilities
The consultant or team of consultants must possess:
- A graduate degree in public health, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), social sciences, communication or a related field
- Proven experience in supporting advocacy efforts and mobilizing resources to amplify the voices of women and girls
- Experience in the fields of sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender equality, and feminist approaches.
- Strong communication skills and the ability to adapt messages to diverse audiences
- Excellent writing, research, editing and summarization skills
- Work experience within international development or feminist organizations (an asset)
- Language requirements: fluency in French and English (spoken and written)
As FOUNDATIONS is firmly committed to promoting leadership from those most affected by gender inequality, we strongly encourage applications from women, especially those from historically marginalized groups, including young women, women with disabilities, women living in rural areas, members of ethnic or linguistic minority communities, and more.
- Expected results
For objective 1: Evaluation of the impact of advocacy activities
- Launch report describing the methodology and work plan
- Summary of conclusions from the consultations
- 5-10 page report
For objective 2: Training program on advocacy in the area of sexual and reproductive health and rights
- Summary of the needs assessment (1-2 pages)
- A complete program including modules, exercises, and notes for facilitators.
- Practical tools and templates (e.g., stakeholder mapping tools, message development guides, advocacy planning templates)
- Final version approved, incorporating feedback from regional women’s organizations (WGRO) and project teams
- Payment terms
The payment schedule can be structured as follows:
- 30% upon approval of the launch report
- 20% upon delivery of the summary of consultation conclusions
- 25% upon submission of the first drafts of the information note on the impact of regional advocacy activities and advocacy training tools related to sexual and reproductive health and rights.
- 25% upon delivery of all approved final deliverables
The consultant is responsible for hiring and paying the graphic designer’s fees within the limits of this budget.
- Application requirements
Interested candidates must submit:
- A CV
- A brief proposal (maximum 5 pages) describing:
- Understanding the mission
- The proposed approach
- Proposed calendar
- Inclusive process for validating deliverables and involving the SDGs
- Financial proposal including translation costs
- Examples of work include research studies, training tools, study programs, etc.
Please submit proposals to Floriane Dumoulin, Senior Grants Manager, at fdumoulin@savethechildren.ca, no later than Thursday, September 17, 2026.
How to apply
Please submit proposals to Floriane Dumoulin, Senior Award Manager at fdumoulin@savethechildren.ca by Thursday 17 September, 2026.
Please submit proposals to Floriane Dumoulin, Senior Grants Manager, at fdumoulin@savethechildren.ca, no later than Thursday, September 17, 2026.