Regional Global Platforms (GP) Consultant / Youth Specialist

Terms of Reference (TOR)

Regional Global Platforms (GP) Consultant / Youth Specialist

Project Title Regional GP Journey – Practical Implementation Support

Location Hybrid / Remote with regional travel as required (MENA Region)

Duration Approximately 6 months (July-December 2026)

Reporting To Humanitarian and Resilience Programs Team, ActionAid Arab Region (AAAR)

Background

ActionAid Arab Region (AAAR), through its network of Global Platforms (GPs)—youth-led civic spaces operating across Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Tunisia and advancing feminist leadership, democratic participation, climate justice, economic empowerment, and the protection of civic space—is launching the first cycle of the “Regional GP Journey” in 2026, an initiative designed to strengthen a coordinated regional ecosystem of youth-led civic spaces across the Arab region through democratic participation, feminist leadership, co-design, regional solidarity, and adaptive learning. GPs are not standalone country projects. They form an interconnected regional ecosystem grounded in the ActionAid Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA), feminist principles, and a commitment to youth leadership that is substantive — not symbolic.

The Regional GP Journey will bring together existing and emerging Global Platforms from Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Tunisia, Morocco, and Palestine through a phased process that includes:

• GP elections and representative selection
• Establishment of new GPs
• Regional co-design workshops
• Joint regional youth-led initiatives
• Mentoring and learning exchanges
• Closing reflection and forward-planning workshops

To support this process, AAAR seeks to recruit an experienced Arabic-speaking Regional GP Consultant / Youth Specialist to facilitate the design, implementation, accompaniment, and documentation of the full GP regional journey.

Purpose of the Consultancy

AAAR is seeking an experienced, Arabic-speaking Youth Specialist/Consultant to design, facilitate, and accompany the first cycle of the Regional GP Journey from May to September 2026. This is a co-design and facilitation role — not a training or delivery role.

The consultant will work alongside AAAR's program team and elected GP representatives to bring the Regional GP Journey to life. They will translate strategic intent into facilitated experiences that are grounded, participatory, politically aware, and genuinely owned by young people.

The consultant is expected to bring a feminist lens, a deep understanding of the MENA civic and political landscape, and the ability to hold space for complexity, diversity, and emergent process across five country contexts.

Scope of Work

The consultant will be responsible for the following key tasks:

1. Co-Design of the Regional GP Journey

• Support AAAR in translating the GP regional vision into a practical implementation framework
• Facilitate planning and co-design sessions with AAAR teams and youth representatives
• Develop detailed methodologies, agendas, and facilitation plans for all phases of the journey
• Conduct pre-consultation sessions with selected youth representatives to gather expectations and priorities

2. Support to GP Elections and New GP Development

• Provide technical input into participatory election frameworks and youth engagement approaches
• Advise on inclusive and feminist participation methodologies
• Support the establishment and onboarding of new GPs, particularly in Jordan and Tunisia
• Ensure safeguarding and Do No Harm considerations are integrated throughout

3. Facilitation of Regional Workshops

• Design and facilitate the regional launch workshop for elected representatives
• Facilitate participatory discussions, thematic dialogues, initiative co-design processes, and collective reflection sessions
• Support youth-led facilitation and co-ownership of workshop processes
• Facilitate the final regional closing workshop and forward-planning sessions

4. Mentoring and Accompaniment

• Provide ongoing mentorship and accompaniment to elected youth representatives and GP partners
• Establish and coordinate mentoring structures and regular check-ins
• Support adaptive management processes and troubleshooting during implementation
• Provide technical guidance on youth-led advocacy, civic engagement, and regional collaboration

5. Facilitation of Learning & Coordination Processes

• Facilitate online regional learning and coordination meetings
• Document lessons learned, emerging challenges, and good practices
• Support collective decision-making and peer learning processes

6. Documentation and Reporting

• Produce workshop reports, facilitation summaries, and learning documentation
• Contribute to outcome harvesting and documentation processes
• Develop concise recommendations and reflections to inform future GP cycles
• Ensure all youth-facing materials are accessible and available in Arabic

Expected Deliverables

The consultant is expected to deliver the following:

Deliverable 1: Inception and GP Journey Design

Includes:

• Inception meeting and workplan
• GP Journey design and facilitation framework
• Mentoring and accompaniment plan

Deliverable 2: Launch and Stakeholder Engagement

Includes:

• Pre-consultations with elected representatives
• Launch workshop design and materials
• Facilitation of the regional launch workshop

Deliverable 3: Facilitation and Progress Support

Includes:

• Learning and coordination meetings
• Monthly progress updates

Deliverable 4: Closure and Final Reporting

Includes:

• Closing workshop package
• Final report with achievements, lessons learned, and recommendations for future GP cycles and regional collaboration.

Duration and Level of Effort

The consultancy is expected to span approximately 6 months during the 2026 implementation cycle, with an estimated level of effort to be agreed upon based on the final workplan and implementation timeline.

The consultant is expected to be available for:

• Regular online coordination meetings
• Workshop facilitation
• Mentoring and accompaniment sessions
• Regional travel where required

Required Qualifications and Experience

The consultant should demonstrate:

Essential

• Native fluency in Arabic and strong English communication skills
• At least 7 years of experience working on youth engagement, civic participation, social movements, or regional programming in the MENA region
• Strong facilitation and participatory co-design experience
• Experience working with youth-led and feminist movements
• Strong understanding of Human Rights-Based Approaches (HRBA), safeguarding, and Do No Harm principles
• Experience facilitating regional and cross-cultural processes
• Strong political and contextual understanding of the Arab region
• Ability to work adaptively in complex and changing environments

Desirable

• Previous experience working with ActionAid or Global Platforms
• Experience supporting regional youth networks or coalitions
• Experience in mentorship and leadership development processes
• Knowledge of outcome harvesting and participatory MEL approaches

Management and Coordination

The consultant will work under the supervision of the AAAR Humanitarian and Resilience Program Team and in close coordination with:

• GP partners
• AAAR Programs and MEAL teams
• Global Platforms Secretariat
• Elected youth representatives

Application Process

Interested consultants are invited to submit:

1. Technical proposal outlining understanding of the assignment and proposed approach 2. Financial proposal 3. Updated CV 4. Samples of relevant previous work (facilitation, youth programming, regional engagement, etc.) 5. Contact details of at least two references

Evaluation Criteria

Applications will be evaluated based on:

• Relevant technical experience
• Quality and relevance of proposed approach
• Facilitation and regional experience
• Understanding of youth-led and feminist programming
• Financial competitiveness

Safeguarding and Ethical Considerations

The selected consultant will be expected to adhere to ActionAid’s safeguarding, protection, feminist leadership, and ethical engagement policies throughout the assignment.

AAAR is committed to ensuring safe, inclusive, participatory, and youth-centered engagement processes across all phases of the Regional GP Journey.