Vacancies & Calls

Democracy Works Foundation (DWF) is a Southern African non-profit organisation dedicated to strengthening democratic resilience in the face of institutional decline, corruption and shrinking civic space. Established in South Africa in 2014, with additional offices in Angola, Lesotho and Malawi, DWF works to build inclusive, sustainable democracies by developing tools, platforms and research to enhance democratic culture, institutions and leadership.

DWF has established itself as a preeminent voice in democracy development through its distinctive values-driven approach to embedding democracy development activities within broader social development priorities.

DWF is a non-profit organisation working to strengthen inclusive and participatory governance across Africa. Through its Climate, Environment and Resources Governance Programme, DWF advances climate justice and supports democratic participation in the Just Energy Transition (JET), with the aim of advancing socio-economic development and promoting inclusive participation in decision-making.

Purpose of the Proposed Needs Assessment

DWF invites qualified consultant(s) or consulting firms to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment across selected municipalities in South Africa, specifically in Mpumalanga, Gauteng and Limpopo. The assessment will inform programme design aimed at strengthening:

• Civil society participation in climate governance;
• Municipal capacity for climate-responsive planning; and
• Engagement between Independent Power Producers (IPPs), communities, and local government.

Scope of Work

The selected consultant will:

1. Design and implement a mixed method needs assessment, to include both qualitative and quantitative methodologies
2. Conduct stakeholder mapping (CSOs, CBOs, municipalities, and IPPs)
3. Assess: Capacity gaps and training needs across all identified stakeholders.

• Avenues for participation in climate and energy governance decision-making process, with the view to support social compacting among identified stakeholders.
• Alignment of IPP socio-economic development (SED) investments with local priorities.

4. Produce a comprehensive report with actionable recommendations for strengthening inclusive participation of communities in the design SED investments to advance sustainable development.

Project Duration/Timeline:  6 weeks (8 June to 17 July 2026)

Required Technical Qualifications

• Proven experience in conducting research and needs assessments
• Expertise in climate governance, energy policy, or Just Energy Transition
• Experience working with Civil society organisations, Local government, Private sector stakeholders
• Knowledge of South African municipal systems and related public participation processes such as Integrated Development Plans (IDPs), local economic development (LED) commitments, provincial climate actions plans and municipal JET programmes.

Application Requirements for Submission

Interested applicant(s) must submit:

• Technical proposal (methodology and approach), and workplan
• Financial proposal
• Company profile, along with all necessary compliance documentation
• CV(s) of key personnel
• Example(s) of similar work

Please submit your proposal to recruitment@democracyworksfoundation.org by 29 May 2026 at 16h00 SAST.

See more details on the project description and outline for the proposed needs assessment: Terms of Reference (ToR) Needs Assessment Consultant.

Reference: CTICA/001/08052026

Deadline: 29 May 2026 at 16h00 SAST

Submit to: recruitment@democracyworksfoundation.org

For noting, individual consultant(s) or consulting firms are encouraged to apply. Democracy Works Foundation reserves the right not to appoint a consultant should applications not meet the set criteria.