Proposal Development Consultant

Overview

Global Communities works at the intersection of humanitarian assistance, sustainable development and financial inclusion to save lives, advance equity and secure strong futures. We support communities at the forefront of their own development in more than 35 countries, partnering with local leaders, governments, civil society and the private sector to achieve a shared vision of a more just, prosperous and equitable global community.

Global Communities (GC) is interested in pursuing an anticipated USAID civil society strengthening funding opportunity in Ukraine and requires the support of a consultant to serve as Proposal Director, leading the design of its proposed programing and ensuring the proposal is high quality, competitive, and compelling.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate with GC’s Ukraine Country Director, Sr. Regional Director, chiefs of party, Sr. Regional Manager, Program Manager – Ukraine, U.S.-based technical staff, and local Ukraine staff to complete the 10 GC-required cultivating deliverables, exploring the context and competition of the proposal and plotting out win themes, recruitment and partnering requirements/strategies, and other key proposal design activities.
• Lead the overall design and technical strategy formulation of the proposal (technical approach and activities, targeting, linkages, etc.) in close coordination with Global Communities technical advisors and staff
• Lead/participate in strategy sessions/workshops as requested by Global Communities
• Analyze the NOFO once released
• Travel to Ukraine once or twice as required in agreement with Global Communities in order to:
• Meet with USAID, implementing partners, and civil society actors to gather intel on the current donor-funded civil society programming, potential partners, what a forthcoming USAID civil society project and related donor goals may look like, and when such a new opportunity may be expected.
• Hold preliminary design sessions with local partners and key personnel.
• Make connections and participate in select discussions with partners/join meetings in Ukraine or virtually as requested by Global Communities
• Contribute to proposal elements if/when an opportunity is pursued. Responsibilities may include but would not be limited to:
• Supporting the development of partner strategy, including defining partner scopes and determining partner budget ceilings for GC final approval
• Leading the drafting of key personnel position descriptions and candidate shortlisting; participating in key personnel interviews and the resulting selection process.
• Supporting the revision of drafted proposal sections as agreed upon by Global Communities.
• Working closely with the Budget Lead to develop the budget by providing key inputs and reviews.
• As needed participation in period check-in meetings with the proposal team

Deliverables:

• Phase I (before the release of a solicitation):
• The 10 required Global Communities cultivating deliverables.
• Phase II (during the live phase following proposal release, should such an opportunity be released and GC choose to pursue it):
• Proposal design session outputs as agreed upon with Global Communities, such as theory of change outlines; activity, output, outcome, and result linkages; etc.
• Correspondence with potential partners, stakeholders, and the proposal team to set up meetings, secure partnerships, and inform technical strategy and proposal development.
• Provide 2 reviews of the proposal technical volume by agreed upon deadlines. Participate in proposal review calls to provide feedback and ensure accurate revisions.
• Throughout both phases as required:
• Meeting attendance as requested (and available).
• Timesheet/invoice.
• Regular updates regarding LOE used to date and to confirm use of LOE on priority tasks.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in international development, including substantial knowledge of USAID programming, with an emphasis on civil society strengthening.
• Substantial knowledge of Ukraine and development programming in the Ukrainian context.
• Experience in U.S. public sector proposal development is required.
• Familiarity with USAID proposal structure/development
• Experience working on proposals for Ukraine is strongly preferred.
• Fluency in English is required; proficiency in Ukrainian is preferred.
• Nationality: In order to travel to Ukraine, the consultant must be a national of the U.S. or Ukraine or have a Schengen visa.
• Location of Work: Consultant’s place of work or location agreed upon by Global Communities and Ukraine.
• Period of Performance: November 30, 2024 – July 30, 2025

To be considered please submit an updated CV and cover letter by 11/22/2024.