1. Background and Context
The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) is a pan-African institution dedicated to building sustainable human and institutional capacity for Africa’s development. Through its programmes across multiple thematic areas—including governance, public health, agribusiness, climate, and trade—ACBF works extensively with civil society organizations (CSOs) and non-profit institutions. These organizations play a critical role in policy advocacy, service delivery, and development outcomes across the continent.
A recurring challenge observed across ACBF-supported institutions is the heavy reliance on external donor funding, which is often short-term and project-based, limited in scope and flexibility, and concentrated among a small pool of largely external funders.
This has resulted in weak financial sustainability, limited diversification of funding sources, inadequate capacity for strategic and innovative resource mobilization, and constraints in sustaining long-term programmatic impact.
While these insights have been strongly informed by ACBF’s Tobacco Control (TC) Programme (2014–2027), similar patterns are evident across other sectors. ACBF’s experience further demonstrates that resource mobilization challenges are not only externally driven but are significantly influenced by internal institutional weaknesses, including:
- Weak governance structures and limited board effectiveness
- Inadequate financial management systems and internal controls
- Lack of transparent and accountable processes
- Weak organizational systems, policies, and procedures
- Limited strategic clarity and institutional positioning
- Limited skills in mapping and engaging funding partners
Such deficiencies undermine donor confidence and constrain the ability of organizations to attract, manage, and sustain funding.
ACBF recognizes that effective resource mobilization is not merely a fundraising function but an outcome of strong institutional capacity, governance, financial integrity, leadership, and organizational credibility.
In response, ACBF seeks to develop a comprehensive, practical, and cross-sectoral training program that integrates resource mobilization with institutional strengthening. The program will be piloted through a face-to-face training workshop involving ACBF-supported institutions and sub-grantees and subsequently refined and digitized for hosting on ACBF’s UBORA Academy Platform as a flagship capacity development product for CSOs across Africa.
Objective of the Assignment
The overall objective of this consultancy is to develop, deliver, validate, refine, and package a comprehensive, practical, and cross-sectoral training program on resource mobilization, partnerships, and institutional sustainability for CSOs and non-profit organizations in Africa.
The training program shall integrate institutional strengthening, governance, leadership, financial management, and organizational sustainability as critical enablers of effective resource mobilization. The assignment shall culminate in the delivery of a face-to-face pilot training workshop for ACBF-supported institutions and sub-grantees, whose feedback and learning experiences will be used to refine and package the course as a high-quality online learning programme for hosting on ACBF’s UBORA Academy Platform.
Specific Objectives
The consultant will:
- Conduct a cross-sectoral diagnostic assessment of resource mobilization capacities and constraints among ACBF-supported institutions.
- Identify institutional, structural, and contextual factors affecting resource mobilization.
- Map possible donors, partners, and financing opportunities relevant to civil society organizations, with particular attention to tobacco control and public health.
- Develop a modular, practical, and application-oriented training curriculum, including learning objectives, course structure, instructional content, practical exercises, case studies, tools, and assessment methodologies aligned with the needs of African CSOs.
- Integrate innovative, diversified, and sustainable financing approaches relevant to African CSOs.
- Develop comprehensive learning materials and training tools to support both face-to-face and online delivery.
- Deliver a face-to-face pilot training workshop for selected ACBF-supported institutions and sub-grantees.
- Assess participant learning outcomes and collect feedback to strengthen and refine the program.
- Deliver, validate, refine, and package the training program into a structured e-learning course suitable for hosting on ACBF’s UBORA Academy Platform.
Portée des travaux
The assignment will be implemented in six interrelated phases.
Phase I: Inception and Conceptual Framing
- Engage ACBF technical teams to refine expectations and approach.
- Develop an inception report detailing:
- Conceptual framework linking resource mobilization to institutional capacity.
- Diagnostic Assessment and Insight Generation based on TC CSOs experiences
- Detailed workplan and timelines.
Phase II: Curriculum Design and Course Development Development
The consultant will develop comprehensive content for the training curriculum that covers, but not limited to:
A. Resource Mobilization Fundamentals
B. Partnerships and Strategic Positioning
C. Institutional Foundations for Sustainability
D. Innovative Financing Approaches
E. Sustainability and Organizational Resilience
Phase III: Pilot Training Delivery and Validation
The consultant will organize and facilitate a face-to-face training workshop for selected ACBF-supported institutions and sub-grantees.
The consultant will:
- Deliver the full training program.
- Facilitate practical exercises, simulations, and case discussions.
- Conduct pre- and post-training assessments.
- Collect participant feedback.
- Evaluate participant learning outcomes.
- Identify opportunities for improving the training program.
Learning Design Requirements:
- Clear learning objectives.
- Practical tools and templates.
- Real-life case studies, including ACBF-supported institutions.
- Interactive exercises and simulations.
- Participant assignments and action planning tools.
Phase IV: Course Refinement and Validation
The consultant will:
- Review training outcomes and participant feedback.
- Refine curriculum content, methodologies, tools, and learning materials.
- Strengthen modules based on practical implementation experience.
- Finalize the validated training programme.
Expected Output:
The consultant will ultimately submit the following to ACBF,
- Facilitator Guide.
- Participant Manual.
- PowerPoint Slide Decks.
- Assessment Tools.
- Practical Exercises.
- Case Studies.
- Knowledge Checks and Assignments.
- Resource Library and Templates.
• Structure content into online learning modules suitable for UBORA Academy.
• Prepare course architecture and learning pathways for digitization.
Assignment Duration and Timelines
The assignment is expected to be implemented in 30 days over the period July to October 2026, covering the design, piloting, refinement, validation, and packaging of the Resource Mobilization, Partnership Development, and Sustainability Training Program.
Given the strategic importance of the training component, the Consultant shall prioritize the development of the core curriculum and associated learning materials to enable the delivery of the pilot face-to-face training workshop during the first week of August 2026, in conjunction with the TC3 Mid-Term Review Validation Workshop.
While the indicative assignment period is June–October 2026, bidders are required to submit a detailed and realistic workplan outlining their proposed timelines, milestones, and sequencing of activities. The proposed workplan should clearly demonstrate how the pilot training workshop will be delivered by the first week of August 2026 while ensuring sufficient time for post-training refinement, validation, and final packaging of the program.
Deliverables
| Phase | Key Deliverable | Description | No. Of Days | Daily Rate(USD) | Amount ( USD) |
| Phase I: Inception and Conceptual Framing | Inception Report | Comprehensive inception report detailing the assignment methodology, conceptual framework linking resource mobilization and institutional capacity, diagnostic assessment findings and insights from TC CSOs, stakeholder engagement approach, workplan, timelines, and quality assurance arrangements. | |||
| Phase II: Curriculum Design and Course Development | Draft Resource Mobilization and Sustainability Curriculum | Comprehensive training curriculum covering: (i) Resource Mobilization Fundamentals; (ii) Partnerships and Strategic Positioning; (iii) Institutional Foundations for Sustainability; (iv) Innovative Financing Approaches; and (v) Sustainability and Organizational Resilience. | |||
| Draft Training Package | Complete draft training package comprising facilitator guide, participant manual, PowerPoint presentations, practical exercises, case studies, assessment tools, knowledge checks, assignments, templates, and resource materials. | ||||
| Phase III: Pilot Training Delivery and Validation | Pilot Training Workshop Delivered | Delivery of a face-to-face pilot training workshop for ACBF-supported institutions and sub-grantees, including facilitation of practical exercises, simulations, case discussions, and action planning sessions. | |||
| Training Assessment and Validation Report | Report summarizing participant attendance, pre- and post-training assessment results, participant feedback, learning outcomes achieved, lessons learned, and recommendations for strengthening the curriculum and delivery methodology. | ||||
| Phase IV: Course Refinement and Validation | Final Validated Training Program | Revised and validated curriculum incorporating lessons from the pilot training, participant feedback, and ACBF technical review comments. | |||
| Final Training Package | Finalized facilitator guide, participant manual, PowerPoint slide decks, practical exercises, case studies, assessment tools, knowledge checks, assignments, templates, and resource library ready for deployment. | ||||
| Final Assignment Deliverable | Completion Report | Final consultancy report summarizing methodology, key findings, training outcomes, recommendations, lessons learned, and all developed training products submitted to ACBF. |
#Please make use of this table for your financial proposal to indicate your timelines and the daily rate
Qualifications and Experience Requirements
The consultant should possess:
- Advanced university degree (Master’s level or higher) in Development Studies, Business Administration, Public Administration, Economics, Finance, Organizational Development, or related disciplines.
- Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in resource mobilization, fundraising, partnerships, and institutional capacity development.
- Proven experience supporting CSOs and development organizations in Africa.
- Demonstrated expertise in governance, financial sustainability, institutional strengthening, and organizational development.
- Extensive experience in curriculum design and adult learning methodologies.
- Proven experience in facilitating professional training workshops and capacity-building interventions.
- Experience in training-of-trainers (ToT) methodologies.
- Experience in developing online learning products and e-learning content.
- Strong facilitation, communication, analytical, and stakeholder engagement skills.
- Multi-sector experience within Africa will be an added advantage.
Reporting and Coordination
The consultant will report to the Head of Special Programs and work closely with designated ACBF technical teams throughout the assignment.
Evaluation Criteria
The selection of the successful candidate will be based on Individual consultant selection Method. Evaluation of the proposals will be evaluated based evaluating the qualifications and experience of the consultant at a minimum technical score of 80% and above. The evaluation committee shall evaluate the technical Proposals based on their responsiveness to the Terms of Reference, applying the evaluation criteria, and point system specified below:
| Critères | Description | Score |
| Understanding of the Assignment | Demonstrates understanding of the assignment objectives, context, sustainability challenges facing African CSOs, and the link between institutional capacity and resource mobilization. | 10 |
| Technical Approach and Methodology | Quality, coherence, innovation, and practicality of the proposed methodology, including diagnostic assessment, curriculum development, pilot delivery, validation, and digitization approach. | 20 |
| Resource Mobilization and Institutional Sustainability Expertise | Demonstrated experience in resource mobilization, fundraising, donor engagement, partnership development, governance strengthening, financial sustainability, and institutional development. | 25 |
| Training, Curriculum Development and Adult Learning Expertise | Demonstrated experience designing and delivering high-quality training programmes, learning materials, facilitation tools, and e-learning or online learning products. | 20 |
| Tobacco Control and African CSO Experience | Experience working within the tobacco control ecosystem and/or supporting African CSOs, public health, advocacy, or development organizations in sustainability and resource mobilization. | 20 |
| Quality and Feasibility of Workplan | Realism, sequencing, and feasibility of proposed timelines and deliverables, including ability to deliver the pilot workshop by August 2026. | 5 |
| Total | 100 |
Application Process
The application should include:
The Consultant’s CV and cover letter including three references with full contact details. If applying as a team, CVs for all the team members should be provided, and a clear detail of the roles they will play, is essential.
A technical proposal detailing the proposed approach and methodology for the assignment.
A financial proposal detailing the consultancy fee and other related costs encrypted with a password (The financial proposal with a password protected should have budget breakdown as per the deliverables depicted in table 1 above). Please note that this assignment is being implemented within a restricted budget; therefore, applicants are strongly encouraged to submit efficient, realistic, and competitive financial proposals to enhance their chances of success.
Three examples of similar assignments undertaken in the past 5 years. The name and contact information of three referees for contact regarding relevant experience of the consultancy firm is required.
Submission Process
Consultancy firms are being requested to submit their technical & Financial proposals with the subject clearly marked,” “Consultancy Services for RM Curricular Development” to email address: submission@acbf-pact.org au plus tard à 17h00 (heure locale de Harare), on 23rd June 2026.