Background of the project   

• Scope of work  

Inspiring Girls and Grassroots Networks for Inclusive and Transformative Education (IGNITE) is a consortium funded by the Agence Française de Developpement (AFD) through the Support Fund for Feminist Organizations (SFFO) led by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in partnership with Urgent Action Fund-Africa (UAF-Africa), and the René Moawad Foundation (RMF). IGNITE aims at empowering adolescent girls and advance gender equality in seven target countries in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Jordan, Lebanon, and Nigeria. The overall objective of the project is to facilitate feminist CSOs to advance gender-transformative education and empowerment for marginalized adolescent girls, rooted in sustainable and locally driven approaches. IGNITE supports feminist and youth led CSOs (grantees) to accelerate gender equality in and through education.  

• The Grants and Partnerships Coordinator will support the effective management and orderly closure of Phase 1, while helping to lay the groundwork for a potential Phase 2. Specifically, the consultant will: 

• Ensure effective coordination and close-out follow-up across consortium partners, the IRC IGNITE team, and regional/country offices to align final activities, priorities, and AFD-compliant reporting and closure processes. 

• Strengthen and harmonize communication flows and internal alignment between IRC teams, implementing partners, and IRC offices, with a particular focus on final reporting and grant closure 

• Support the planning, implementation, documentation, and close-out of key programmatic activities, including the coordination and consolidation of final narrative and financial deliverables, learning products, and required supporting documentation. 

• Oversee knowledge-sharing, capitalization, and collaborative decision-making by coordinating working groups and meetings, documenting feedback, and contributing to final collective reflections, lessons learned, and Phase 1 synthesis outputs. 

• Collaborate closely with the MEL consultant to coordinate the collection, validation, and consolidation of final data on project outcomes and impact, including support to the development of final case studies and comparative analyses between MENA and Africa. 

• Collaborate with the Finance and Deputy Director to ensure that all program deliverables, expenditures, and supporting documentation are fully aligned with AFD procurement and financial, and compliance requirements 

• Coordinate the formal closure of partnerships and grants, including follow-up on final deliverables and contribution to the archiving and handover of all Phase 1 project documentation. 

• Contribute to Phase 2 preparation, as relevant, by supporting proposal development, consolidating field-level and partner insights from Phase 1, and coordinating strategic inputs across consortium partners, while ensuring that Phase 1 closure priorities remain fully addressed. 

The Grants and Partnerships Coordinator will work closely with all IGNITE consortium members, under the supervision of the IGNITE Project Director, to ensure a smooth, well-documented, and strategically aligned end to the first phase. 

Deliverables: 

• Monthly or bi-monthly coordination meetings with consortium partners to review project progress, closure priorities, and action plans to address any bottlenecks, with documented follow-up actions. 

• A consolidated and updated workplan for the closure period, based on inputs from all consortium partners, ensuring alignment across final activities, reporting, and timelines. 

• Coordination and consolidation of final narrative reports from all implementing partners for submission to AFD. 

• Support to the preparation and review of the final consolidated financial report, in close coordination with Finance, ensuring coherence with narrative reporting and AFD compliance requirements. 

• Support to the development, maintenance, and effective use of the knowledge management and project management platform (SharePoint / Box), ensuring regular updates, accessibility, traceability, and closure. 

• Regular documented coordination exchanges (e.g. weekly calls) with the Finance and Logistics Director to align program deliverables with AFD financial, procurement, and compliance guidelines. 

• Meeting minutes and documentation from consortium coordination calls and relevant working group meetings. 

• Drafts or contributions to internal briefs (factsheets, summaries, updates), as requested by the Project Director or consortium members. 

• Regular coordination with the IRC MEL Coordinator, including documented exchanges to align program deliverables with the work of the MEL Working Group. 

• Support to the MEL Coordinator in the development of final case studies capturing impact stories from CSOs  

• A planning and coordination tracker for the IGNITE wrap-up event, including preparatory steps, logistical arrangements, participant lists, and post-event documentation of discussions and key outcomes. 

• Coordination and organization of the final IGNITE consortium retreat (May), including agenda development, coordination with consortium partners and facilitators, post-retreat documentation of discussions, decisions, and agreed next steps. 

• A consolidated draft Phase 2 concept note, including inputs from consortium partners and IRC regional and country offices. 

• A final coordination and closure note summarizing Phase 1 implementation, key achievements, challenges, mitigation measures, and outstanding considerations. 

• A lessons learned and recommendations note to inform Phase 2 design and institutional learning. 

• A documented handover and archiving package, ensuring all contractual, financial, programmatic, and governance documents are centrally stored, accessible, and ready for audit and institutional reference. 

Timeline 

The timeline is scheduled to commence in  1 April 2026 until 31 December 2026, aligning with the project's anticipated duration. The detailed timeline for the consultancy milestones will be mutually agreed upon between the selected consultant and the relevant stakeholders. Flexibility in setting the timeline will ensure that the workplan process is well-paced and efficient, accommodating any unforeseen challenges or adjustments required during the course of the project.  

Requirements: 

The Grants and Partnerships Coordinator should possess the following qualifications: 

• An advanced degree in International Development, business administration, management, education, social sciences, gender studies  

• Proven experience coordinating multi-partner or consortium-based development and/or humanitarian projects, ideally across multiple countries or regions. 

• Demonstrated understanding of feminist principles, and experience working with feminist and women’s rights CSOs, movements, and grassroots organizations, particularly in Africa and MENA. 

• Strong knowledge of the civil society ecosystem in Africa and MENA, including funding, advocacy, and capacity-sharing environments. 

• Experience in developing standardized coordination tools and systems, including action trackers, coordination calendars, SOPs, and reporting templates. 

• Proven ability to synthesize complex information from multiple sources into clear reports, summaries, presentations, and concept notes. 

• Solid project planning, monitoring, and documentation skills, including meeting facilitation and minute-taking across remote teams. 

• Experience supporting donor reporting and proposal development, including contributions to concept notes, budgets, and narrative reports. 

• Familiarity with MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning) processes  

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build trust and collaboration among diverse stakeholders. 

• Experience in organizing and facilitating online and in-person workshops, learning events, and coordination meetings. 

• Capacity to work independently, manage multiple deadlines, and adapt in fast-paced, multicultural environments. 

• Proficiency in digital collaboration tools (e.g. Microsoft Teams, Zoom, SharePoint, Google Workspace ..). 

• Fluency in English and French is mandatory 

Work setup 

This is a remote position. Should travel be required the consortium will cover for the related expenses. The Grants and Partnerships Coordinator will report to IGNITE Project Director and closely collaborate with the IGNITE PMU and consortium teams. Regular communication and updates will be necessary throughout the consultancy period. The consultant should be open to feedback and promptly address any inquiries or clarifications from the IGNITE Consortium.  

Ethics and Confidentiality 

The Grants and Partnerships Coordinator is expected to adhere to feminist values, uphold data confidentiality, and obtain ethical clearances and consent from CSOs where relevant. All information shared by grantee partners, individual consultants, or the IGNITE with the consultant will be treated as confidential and utilized exclusively for the purpose of the current consultancy. 

Only qualified candidates (based on their experiences in their curriculum vitae)  will be invited to submit their proposals  and important guidelines for the RFP submission will be shared with them.