The African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP)
AFIDEP Consultancy Opportunities 2026: Two Expert Roles Open
The African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP) has announced two consultancy opportunities under the Africa Think Tanks Platform (ATTP) Project. AFIDEP is seeking experienced professionals in financial sustainability and resource mobilisation, and in gender mainstreaming. This article covers the available AFIDEP consultancy opportunities, what each assignment involves, who should apply, and the application deadlines.
Why These AFIDEP Consultancy Opportunities Matter
Both consultancies form part of the ATTP Project, which aims to strengthen the institutional sustainability, effectiveness and long-term policy influence of African think tanks. Each role contributes to institutional strengthening, research quality, policy engagement and the wider effectiveness of African think tanks.
About AFIDEP
AFIDEP is a regional non-profit research and policy institute. Its mission is to institutionalise a culture of consistent use of evidence in public policy formulation and implementation to address development challenges across Africa.
The Institute’s work focuses on five thematic areas:
Population Dynamics and Demographic Dividend
Health and Wellbeing
Transformative Education and Skills Development
Environment and Climate Change
Governance and Accountability
AFIDEP is registered as a Non-Governmental Organisation in Kenya and Malawi, where it maintains offices, and in the United States as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organisation. Established in 2010, AFIDEP works to bridge gaps between research, policy and practice in Africa’s development efforts.
The Two Available Consultancy Positions
Consultant – Financial Sustainability and Resource Mobilisation
Consultant – Gender Expert
Applicants interested in either assignment should carefully review the respective scope of work, expected deliverables, experience requirements and application deadlines before submitting their applications.
Consultant – Financial Sustainability and Resource Mobilisation
Project: Africa Think Tanks Platform (ATTP) Project
Assignment Period and Level of Effort: 60 days between November 2026 and August 2027
Application Deadline: 3 November 2026
Job Description
AFIDEP is seeking an individual consultant to support the Institute in strengthening its long-term financial sustainability and resource mobilisation approach. As an implementing partner under the ATTP Project, AFIDEP intends to review its existing resource mobilisation and donor-engagement strategy and develop a comprehensive, innovative and actionable Financial Sustainability Plan.
The consultant will support AFIDEP in developing a practical pathway towards diversified and resilient financing. AFIDEP is particularly interested in diversifying its funding base through a balanced portfolio of funding sources, which may include philanthropic foundations and charitable trusts, high-net-worth individuals, private-sector and corporate partners, individual giving and other emerging funding sources.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
The consultant’s work will cover several areas:
Situational analysis: Reviewing AFIDEP’s institutional strategy, fundraising performance, donor-engagement approaches and the external funding landscape, including a SWOT analysis and donor mapping.
Financial sustainability strategy: Developing strategies to diversify funding sources, reduce reliance on a limited number of donors, deepen existing donor relationships and cultivate new ones.
Systems and capacity strengthening: Recommending improvements to resource mobilisation planning, pipeline tracking, performance monitoring, donor stewardship and proposal-development processes.
Financial Sustainability Plan and implementation roadmap: Translating findings into a comprehensive plan with strategic objectives, target funding streams, institutional roles, timelines, key performance indicators and a monitoring, evaluation and learning framework.
Expected Deliverables
Inception Report
Institutional and Funding Landscape Assessment Report
Draft Financial Sustainability Plan
Final Financial Sustainability Plan and Implementation Roadmap
Required Qualifications and Experience
A Master’s degree in Development Studies, Public Policy, Economics, Business Administration, Finance or a related field.
At least 15 years of practical experience in philanthropy, development fundraising, resource mobilisation, financial sustainability or donor engagement.
Demonstrated experience developing and implementing resource mobilisation or financial sustainability strategies for mission-driven organisations.
Strong knowledge of the global funding landscape, including philanthropic foundations, charitable trusts, corporate partners, high-net-worth individuals and emerging funding modalities.
Demonstrated ability to conduct institutional assessments, donor mapping, market analysis and stakeholder consultations.
Proven experience developing actionable implementation roadmaps, institutional systems, performance indicators and monitoring frameworks.
Excellent analytical, facilitation, writing and presentation skills.
Demonstrable experience working with African think tanks, research institutions or policy institutes will be preferred.
How to Apply
Interested individual consultants should submit:
A current CV demonstrating the required qualifications and relevant experience.
A technical and financial proposal or brief statement of approach.
Applications should be submitted by email to:
The deadline for receiving applications is 3 November 2026. Only complete applications submitted through the designated channel and received by the stated deadline will be considered.
Consultant – Gender Expert
Project: Africa Think Tanks Platform (ATTP) Project
Assignment Effort: 30 days between October 2026 and August 2027
Application Deadline: 27 October 2026
Job Description
AFIDEP is seeking an individual consultant to serve as a Gender Expert under the ATTP Project. AFIDEP is one of thirteen African think tanks participating in ATTP through the Building Resilience and Impact through Dialogue and Galvanizing Action for Evidence-Informed Policymaking (BRIDGE) Africa consortium.
The Gender Expert will support effective implementation of the ATTP Project by ensuring that gender considerations are systematically and rigorously integrated across the project’s human capital development and climate change studies. AFIDEP is undertaking a landscape study focusing on country investments in policies, programmes and interventions relating to education, training and skills development for harnessing the Demographic Dividend and Gender Dividend.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
Gender mainstreaming in research design: Providing technical guidance to ensure study designs, analytical frameworks, research tools and indicators are gender-responsive, including intersectional considerations such as age, location, disability and socioeconomic status.
Gender analysis for the landscape study: Leading the application of a gender lens when assessing policies, programmes and investments, including analysis of gaps in access, participation, retention, transition, completion and outcomes in education and skills systems.
Reporting, policy engagement and capacity strengthening: Drafting and reviewing gender-sensitive sections of reports and policy briefs, supporting stakeholder consultations and policy dialogues, and designing capacity-strengthening sessions for the project team.
Expected Deliverables
Expected contributions include reviewing study designs, research tools and analytical frameworks; contributing to analysis and reporting for the landscape study; informing policy materials; strengthening the project team’s capacity; providing periodic progress updates; and preparing a final summary outlining key contributions, lessons and recommendations.
Required Qualifications and Experience
An advanced degree, preferably a Master’s degree or PhD, in Gender Studies, Development Studies, Economics, Education, Public Policy or a related field.
At least eight years of relevant professional experience in gender analysis and mainstreaming in research, policy or development programmes.
Demonstrated expertise in gender and education or skills-development systems, including technical and vocational education and training.
Demonstrated knowledge of Demographic Dividend and/or Gender Dividend frameworks.
Strong experience in policy and programme analysis in African contexts.
Proven experience conducting or contributing to multi-country or regional studies.
Strong analytical skills and experience in qualitative and quantitative research methods.
Excellent writing and communication skills, with a record of producing policy-relevant outputs.
Experience working with think tanks, regional consortia or donor-funded programmes will be an advantage.
Working Arrangements
The Gender Expert assignment may be undertaken from Kenya, Malawi or through remote/hybrid arrangements as agreed with AFIDEP. Any travel required under the consultancy will be agreed upon and approved by AFIDEP in advance.
How to Apply
Interested individual consultants should submit:
A current CV demonstrating the required qualifications and relevant experience.
A technical proposal or brief statement of approach.
Applications should be submitted by email to:
The deadline for receiving applications is 27 October 2026. Only complete applications received through the designated application channel and by the stated deadline will be considered.
Important Application Dates
Applicants should take note of the different closing dates for the two AFIDEP consultancy opportunities:
Consultant – Gender Expert: 27 October 2026
Consultant – Financial Sustainability and Resource Mobilisation: 3 November 2026
Candidates should ensure that their applications contain all the documents requested for the specific consultancy and are submitted to the designated AFIDEP recruitment email address before the applicable deadline.
For the Financial Sustainability and Resource Mobilisation consultancy, applicants are required to submit a current CV together with a technical and financial proposal or brief statement of approach. For the Gender Expert consultancy, applicants are required to submit a current CV together with a technical proposal or brief statement of approach. Applicants should therefore carefully distinguish between the application requirements for the two assignments before submitting their documents.
To apply for this job please visit afidep.org.
