TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR) FOR DEVLOPPING THE LOCALIZATION STRATEGY AND ESTABLISHING THE LOCALIZATION INDEX FOR DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS IN RWANDA

1. Background of RCSP

The Rwanda Civil Society Platform (RCSP) is a dynamic coalition of 14 national umbrella Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) with 366 affiliated sector-specific Civil Society Organizations. As the leading voice of civil society in Rwanda, RCSP plays a critical role in promoting good governance, social justice, and sustainable development. It is widely recognized as a champion in advancing the Localization agenda aimed at empowering local actors to take the lead in development processes and decision-making that directly affect their communities.

With a vision of a vibrant, inclusive, resilient, and influential civil society, RCSP is dedicated to strengthening the capacity, voice, and impact of CSOs through evidence-based advocacy, policy engagement, and strategic partnerships. It operates under a national mandate to coordinate, represent, and amplify civil society’s collective voice, fostering dialogue among civil society, government institutions, private sector, and development partners to promote inclusive and participatory governance.

RCSP’s work is grounded in core values of solidarity, transparency, resilience, accountability, and professionalism. Through continuous capacity strengthening and collaborative actions, the platform ensures that civil society organizations remain responsive, empowered, and central to Rwanda’s sustainable development agenda.

2. Context of the assignment

Rwanda has made significant strides in its socio-economic development, with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) playing a vital role in this journey. The Rwanda Civil Society Platform (RCSP) is at the forefront of these efforts, consistently working to strengthen the capacity and impact of CSOs through capacity building, evidence-based policy advocacy, and facilitation of strategic partnerships.

Globally and within Rwanda, there is a growing recognition of the "Localization Agenda" a movement aimed at shifting power, resources, and decision-making to local actors to ensure more effective, sustainable, and contextually relevant development outcomes. This agenda is strongly supported by principles outlined in frameworks such as the Charter for Change (C4C), which calls for international Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs) and donors to implement practical changes in their ways of working to enable more locally-led development.

Despite a clear commitment from various stakeholders in Rwanda, including RCSP, National NGOs, INGOs, and development partners to embrace localization; a systematic and harmonized approach is yet to be fully realized. There is a need for “a coherent national-level Localization Strategy” that outlines clear pathways, roles, and responsibilities. Furthermore, a standardized tool “a Localization Index-Checklist” is essential to guide, measure, and track progress towards meaningful localization for all development actors operating in the country.

To further its leadership in championing the Localization Agenda and to address these identified gaps, RCSP supported by Trócaire is now seeking for a Subject Matter Expert (SME) to develop a Comprehensive Localization Strategy and a practical Localization Index-Checklist. This initiative aims to provide a clear roadmap and actionable tools for both local/national and international actors to advance the localization agenda effectively. This will contribute to a more context sensitive, equitable and empowered development ecosystem in Rwanda, with the potential to inspire similar efforts in the region.

3. Justification of the assignment

The development of a Localization Strategy and a corresponding Localization Index-Checklist for Rwanda, commissioned by RCSP, is a timely and critical undertaking for several reasons:

• Translating C4C commitments into impactful local action: The Localization strategy and Index-checklist will provide all actors with a clear direction and shared tools to move from broad commitments to practical and measurable progress, ensuring their voices are heard and impact recognized.
• Building capacity for leadership and sustainability: Through this initiative, local CSOs will gain the institutional support and capacity development needed to lead programs, manage resources effectively, and sustain development outcomes rooted in local realities.
• Harmonization of efforts & Fostering collaboration, trust, and mutual accountability: The strategy and index-checklist will shape a new era of partnership and will ensure that all development partners from grassroots (local CSOs, INGOs, cooperation agencies, donors) are working towards common localization goals, using a shared understanding and measurement framework, thus reducing fragmentation and duplication of efforts.

This work is therefore essential to equip RCSP and all development stakeholders in Rwanda with an adapted and contextualized strategic direction with required practical tools to systematically advance localization agenda, ensuring that development efforts are increasingly owned, led, and implemented by local actors.

4. Objective and Scope of work

Rooted from our five years Strategic Plan (2024-2029) Strategic objective 3 aimed at Improving coordination, representation and partnership mechanisms at the national and regional level; the main objective of this consultancy consists of “developing a comprehensive, actionable, and nationally-endorsed Localization Strategy and a standardized Localization Index-Checklist, through a consultative and participatory process led by RCSP, to guide and accelerate the effective implementation of the Localization Agenda and Charter for Change principles by Civil Society Organizations and Development Partners in Rwanda”.

To achieve the main objective, the consultant will be expected to accomplish the following intermediate objectives:

• To conduct a thorough situational analysis and literature review of existing localization frameworks, practices, commitments (including C4C), challenges, and opportunities within Rwanda and globally, identifying best practices relevant to the Rwandan context, under the guidance of RCSP.
• To facilitate extensive and inclusive consultations, coordinated with RCSP, with a diverse range of key stakeholders, including RCSP members and other relevant local CSOs , INGOs, bilateral and multilateral donors, Development and Cooperation agencies, UN Bodies and Government institutions (where relevant to gather insights, perspectives, and ensure buy-in for the strategy and index.
• To draft a clear, coherent, and practical Localization Strategy for Rwanda that outlines a shared vision, guiding principles, strategic priorities, key result areas, roles and responsibilities of different actors, and an indicative action plan for advancing localization, for review and endorsement by RCSP and stakeholders.
• To develop a user-friendly, standardized, and comprehensive Localization Index-Checklist that allows the Public Regulators, CSOs, INGOs, and donors to assess their current level of localization, identify areas for improvement, and track progress over time, aligned with the developed strategy and C4C principles, for review and endorsement by RCSP and stakeholders.
• To co-facilitate with RCSP, the validation process of the draft Localization Strategy and Localization Index- Checklist through workshops and feedback sessions with key stakeholders.
• To produce finalized, professionally edited, and ready-to-disseminate versions of the Localization Strategy and the Localization Index-Checklist, incorporating stakeholder feedback, along with recommendations for their dissemination, adoption, and operationalization by RCSP and its partners.

5. Methodology

The consultant will adopt a participatory and evidence-based methodology, beginning with a desk review and inception meetings to align on scope and context. Stakeholder mapping and analysis will identify key actors and dynamics. Mixed-methods data collection will capture localization practices and gaps and the findings will inform the co-creation of a Localization Strategy and a practical, pilot-tested Localization Index-Checklist. The course will be closed with validation sessions and workshops with key stakeholders for further inputs to the work to ensure ownership, usability, and alignment with national context and global localization goals.

6. Timeframe and duration

7. Mandatory requirement and application specifications

Expected Qualification and Expertise: The consultant will have the following key qualifications and competencies with at least 5 years of strong expertise in supporting the strategy development for Civil Society Organizations:

Education: A master’s degree in International Relations, Leadership and Governance, Public Policy, Economics, Development studies, Social sciences and any other closed related field.

Training and research expertise:

• In-depth research skills, knowledge and understanding of research methodologies.
• Strong knowledge and familiarity with CSOs, INGOs and Development partners in general and particularly in Rwanda
• Technical skills including demonstrated knowledge and experience in undertaking similar assignments

Understanding of the context: The consultant should have the required broader understanding of the Rwandan context and tailored priorities vis-à-vis the Localization agenda and Charter for Change.

• A copy of Registration Certificate (if any)
• Excellent writing and communication skills in English

The consultant will work closely with the RCSP technical team and under the overall supervision of the Director of Partnerships and Resource Mobilization and be bound by the RCSP regulations under her/his course of work.

8. Intellectual property

All background intellectual property rights in any material such as reports, data, tools, or designs, whether electronically stored or otherwise developed by RCSP or its personnel, interns, volunteers, members, representatives, or consultants prior to the commencement of any project shall remain the sole property of RCSP. 

Likewise, all intellectual property rights in any material created during the course of this assignment by the consultant or their personnel, members, or representatives shall be fully owned by RCSP.

9. How to apply

• The prospective consultant(s) shall present a detailed CV along with a technical proposal that will include the understanding of the assignment.
• Financial proposal should be prepared in Rwandan francs inclusive of all required taxes.
• The applicant shall present together with the above, copies of Work Certificate of related accomplished consultancy work in the past.

Interested consultant (s) should submit their applications to info@rcsprwanda.org with the mention  “LOCALIZATION STRATEGY &INDEX-CHECKLIST" not later than 13^th June 2025 at 17:00 PM. No hard copies will be accepted.