GPD seeks consultants for technical support and expertise on new project
GPD is seeking two or more expert consultants to provide capacity building support and technical expertise on a new two-year project.
The project, which concludes in September 2026, aims to support civil society groups in countering Internet fragmentation in a range of technical standard setting bodies (TSSBs) and multilateral forums, including the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), and World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+20).
The consultants will act as a ‘technical helpdesk‘ for groups engaged in the project, offering three types of support:
- Capacity-building support and resource development. Including but not limited to: “masterclass” sessions of 1-2 hours each on relevant topics and in alignment with partners’ needs and engagement priorities; bespoke training and mentoring based on specific requests for support; policy briefs, technical explainers, fact sheets and other resources.
- Technical & strategic expertise. Provision of regular and ongoing expert support directly to CS partners to guide their engagement in the identified TSSBs and relevant multilateral forums. This includes reviewing and developing partners’ inputs, answering their technical and policy questions, and attending or facilitating discussions.
- Monitoring and updates. Consultants will monitor relevant processes to ensure that engagement under this project remains up-to-date and responsive to new developments. They will i) flag proposals and emerging issues in relevant groups/processes that could present areas of concern and ii) share information and intel on partner opportunities to engage in these discussions.
Read the full terms of the consultancy here.
Eligibility
The majority of support is likely to be provided remotely, due to the global distribution of civil society groups involved in the project. Candidates from all areas of the world are welcome and strongly encouraged to apply.
Consultants are required to have the following proven expertise and experience:
- Expertise in technical standards and protocols, Internet governance, Internet fragmentation, human rights standards;
- Expertise in navigating and engaging in technical standards-setting bodies (particularly IETF, ITU, ICANN);
- Expertise in understanding the multistakeholder model of Internet governance and related multilateral forums and discussions (particularly WSIS, SotF and the GDC);
- Experience designing and delivering trainings to civil society;
- Strong relationships with stakeholders (including civil society, public and private sectors) within the community of human rights and technical standards;
- Experience in network-building/coordination (desirable);
- Experience in management and/or mentorship (desirable);
- Experience in facilitating civil society engagement in global/international forums (desirable).
Budget
The total budget under this framework agreement is as follows:
- TOTAL VALUE: Up to USD 59,000 (incl. VAT)
- TOTAL DAYS: Up to 74 (up to USD 800/day)
- TIMEFRAME: By September 2026
Tendering process
Interested contractors/suppliers are required to submit:
- Short tender proposal (1-2 pages) including:
- Service area(s) of interest
- Relevant expertise and experience for each service area of interest, including any relevant institutional affiliations with forums identified and spaces currently engaging in
- Pricing (day rate)
- Availability during framework agreement period
- Legal registration/entity details
- Curriculum vitae with relevant expertise and experience (as outlined above)
Tender proposals should be submitted no later than midnight (GMT) on Weds 15 January 2025 to Daniela Schnidrig (Head, Advocacy and Engagement) at daniela@gp-digital.org, and Keerti Rajagopalan (Lead, Project Management) at keerti@gp-digital.org, with the subject line “Proposal_GPD Technical Helpdesk”.
Review of the offers and tenders is scheduled to take place throughout January with framework contracts awarded by mid-February 2025.