ThaiNGO

TITLE:                     Advocacy Consultant position

CONTRACT TYPE:     Fixed Price Contract

DURATION:                June – October 2026

The Asia Foundation (TAF) is seeking a highly qualified and experienced Consultant (the Contractor) to lead the development and delivery of advocacy initiatives under the Mekong Safeguards Program. The Consultant will serve as the Regional Lead and Facilitator, responsible for translating technical Environmental and Social (E&S) safeguard monitoring into actionable, community-led advocacy strategies across Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand. By designing specialized leadership modules and providing technical coaching, the Contractor will empower Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and marginalized groups specifically women and persons with disabilities (PwDs) to meaningfully influence regional infrastructure planning and governance.

BACKGROUND

The Mekong Safeguards Program is a regional initiative designed to ensure that infrastructure development in the Mekong sub-region is sustainable, inclusive, and transparent. One of the main objectives of the program aims to empower Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), women, and persons with disabilities (PwDs) to meaningfully influence infrastructure planning and implementation by 1) Strengthening the technical capacity of CSOs to monitor and engage with Environmental and Social (E&S) safeguards. And 2) Developing the leadership and advocacy skills of marginalized groups, specifically women and PwDs, to ensure their voices are integrated into regional infrastructure governance.

To achieve these objectives, Mekong Safeguards is seeking an experienced consultant to lead the development and delivery of advocacy initiatives. This consultancy is not just about technical training; it is about providing CSOs and their communities with the practical tools and strategic frameworks necessary to translate safeguard monitoring into influential, community-led advocacy.

OBJECTIVES

• Translate co-design and consultation findings into applied advocacy content by incorporating country- and sector-specific priorities and real-world infrastructure impacts identified through in-country co-design visits and partner consultations.
• Develop a Master Advocacy Toolkit that provides a coherent regional framework while remaining adaptable to national and local contexts, including practical templates and guidance (e.g., issue framing, stakeholder mapping, evidence packaging, engagement planning, communications and digital storytelling).
• Strengthen CSO capability to identify and act on safeguards implementation gaps by supporting CSOs to convert monitoring findings into clear advocacy problem statements, feasible “asks,” engagement plans, and action pathways that reflect the operating environment and duty-bearer responsibilities
• Design and support delivery of accessible leadership and advocacy modules for women and people with disability leaders, enabling community-level monitoring, safe participation, and representative engagement in infrastructure decision-making processes, using accessible formats and appropriate safeguarding measures.

SCOPE OF WORK

The Consultant will serve as the Regional Lead and Facilitator, working through three primary phases:

Task 1: Design & Module Development (Phase 1)

The Contractor will:

• Conduct a desk review and draft the Master Advocacy Toolkit, including templates for policy briefs, position papers, and digital storytelling scripts.
• Design a Training Curriculum for regional workshops, focusing on stakeholder mapping and the practical application of advocacy tools.
• Prepare training materials in formats suitable for in-person delivery and later adaptation for partner use (e.g., slide decks, facilitator notes, participant handouts).

Task 2: In-Country Training Facilitation (Phase 2)

• Travel to Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia to facilitate in-person workshops (in June-July), delivering the advocacy components as outlined in the agreed curriculum.
• Facilitate advocacy sessions on transforming safeguard implementation gaps into advocacy issues and defining clear advocacy goals and actions. It is anticipated that the sessions will be delivered as part of the broader 2-day CSO capacity building workshop
• Capture key learning points and partner feedback during workshops to refine the Toolkit and modules for subsequent roll-out.

Task 3: Community Roll-out & Virtual Coaching (Phase 3)

• Facilitate the Online Advocacy Clinic to troubleshoot real-world challenges identified by CSOs during field-based application.
• Develop specialized, community-ready leadership modules for women and PwD leaders in accessible formats.
• Provide remote technical coaching as CSOs lead their own leadership sessions for identified community members.
• Consolidate findings from the in-country workshops, the Online Advocacy Clinic, and the technical coaching sessions into a comprehensive final report. This report must include a summary of CSO progress, a synthesis of "lessons learned" in translating E&S safeguards into advocacy, and strategic recommendations for the sustainability of the women and PwD leadership networks.

All activities under this consultancy will be delivered using a do-no-harm approach, with appropriate safeguarding measures (CP/SEAH) and reasonable accommodation to support safe and accessible participation.

DELIVERABLES, TIMELINE, PAYMENTS

Note: The final report is expected to be approximately 15 pages (excluding annexes).

Qualifications 

• Demonstrated experience (7+ years) in designing and delivering advocacy and/or Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) initiatives within the Mekong sub-region. 
• Proven ability to develop practical advocacy toolkits and training curricula, including templates and step-by-step guidance.
• Strong facilitation skills and experience delivering participatory, applied workshops for CSOs and community leaders, including coaching/mentoring approaches and virtual learning formats.
• Familiarity with GEDSI principles and working with women’s rights organizations, OPDs, and/or marginalized groups.
• Working knowledge of Environmental and Social Safeguards and stakeholder engagement concepts. 
• Demonstrated experience in training grassroots CSOs and community leaders with diverse accessibility needs in Mekong Region is preferred.
• Strong writing and communication skills in English is preferred; Lao/Khmer/Thai language capability is an advantage.

Expected Outcome

This consultancy will establish a robust, evidence-based advocacy toolkit that enables Mekong CSOs and community leaders to effectively influence infrastructure planning and implementation, ensuring that development is inclusive, transparent, and respects the rights of marginalized populations.

Submission requirement

Interested contractors are invited to submit a letter of interest, CV, company profile, and brief proposal (if applicable) by 27 May 2026. Please send all application documents to mekong.safeguards@asiafoundation.org with the subject line: “Application – Advocacy Consultant Position.”