Terms of reference
Overview: The Digital Democracy Initiative (DDI) team at CIVICUS is seeking experienced and knowledgeable civil society organisation(s) in Zambia to lead the implementation of pre-, during and limited post-election related interventions. The interventions will last between three to six months and focus on the broad topics of countering mis- and disinformation around elections, supporting electoral integrity using digital tools – civil society monitoring of elections using digital tools and approaches, advocacy and mobilising for improved civic participation and engagement in the electoral process especially for women, girls, youths and other marginalised groups using digital approaches.
This is a short-term grant. If you are interested in submitting a proposal, please read the terms of reference carefully.
About CIVICUS
CIVICUS is a global alliance of civil society organisations and activists established in 1993 and dedicated to strengthening citizen action and civil society globally. We have been proudly headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, since 2002, with additional hubs across the globe. The alliance currently comprises over 15,000 members in more than 189 countries. Our membership is diverse, spanning a wide range of issues, sizes and organisation types, and our staff is based across the globe in over 20 countries. This diversity is one of our most significant strengths, and we are continually searching for practical ways to implement diverse and inclusive principles within the civil society. Our definition of civil society is broad and covers non-governmental organisations, activists, civil society coalitions and networks, protest and social movements, voluntary bodies, campaigning organisations, charities, faith-based groups, trade unions and philanthropic foundations.
Background
The Digital Democracy Initiative (DDI), Enable and Amplify Project, led by CIVICUS in partnership with Global Focus, aims to help expand and protect inclusive democracy and civic space through the improved use of digital technology for civic engagement. The project focuses on supporting local civil society actors operating in restrictive contexts in global south countries. More information on DDI can be found here.
The civic space and democratic context in Zambia are marked by challenges related to mis- and disinformation, dwindling electoral integrity, and low civic engagement, especially among marginalised groups. To address these challenges, civil society partner(s) will lead a three to six-month implementation of interventions aimed at countering misinformation, supporting electoral integrity through digital tools, and mobilising marginalised groups for enhanced civic participation.
The objective of the assignment is to support civil society organisation(s) in Zambiato lead interventions to promote electoral integrity, countering misinformation and disinformation, and enhance civic participation and engagement in the electoral process, with a focus on marginalised groups.
What we need
The Digital Democracy Initiative (DDI) team at CIVICUS is seeking experienced and knowledgeable civil society organisation(s) in Zambia to lead the implementation of pre-, during and post-election related interventions. The interventions will last between three to six months and focus on countering mis- and disinformation and supporting electoral integrity using digital tools – civil society monitoring of elections using digital tools and approaches, advocacy and mobilising for improved civic participation and engagement in the electoral process especially for women, girls, youths and other marginalised groups using digital approaches.
We are open to accepting joint proposals from two partner organisations delivering the process together. The grant in each country will focus on either or a combination of the following:
1. Countering Mis- and Disinformation:
- Conduct a comprehensive assessment of prevalent misinformation and disinformation threats and patterns related to elections in the country of application.
- Develop and implement fact-checking initiatives.
- Create and disseminate counter-narratives to combat misinformation.
- Collaborate with social media platforms to flag and remove false information.
2. Supporting Electoral Integrity:
- Develop and utilise digital tools for civil society monitoring of elections, including tracking, tallying and compilation of election results and other forms of incidents.
- Develop and implement election observer training programmes based on the unique tools developed.
- Collaborate with electoral management bodies to enhance transparency and accountability.
- Disseminate findings to aid civic engagement around elections.
3. Advocacy and Mobilisation:
- Design and implement advocacy campaigns to promote civic participation and engagement.
- Develop and disseminate inclusive and diverse messaging to reach marginalised groups.
- Collaborate with various civil society organisations to amplify messaging.
4. Others
- Evaluate the effectiveness of interventions and identify lessons learned.
- Disseminate findings and recommendations through various channels to inform future electoral processes.
- Continue advocacy efforts to sustain momentum for improved civic participation and engagement beyond the election period.
Deliverables
- Bi-monthly progress reports.
- Assessment report on prevalent misinformation and disinformation threats and patterns in the proposed country of intervention.
- Fact-checking and counter-narrative content and strategy.
- Training materials and reports.
- Advocacy campaign materials and reports.
- A digital tool whose purpose meets one or more of the abovementioned thematic areas
- Final project report on effectiveness or otherwise of interventions, findings, lessons learnt, recommendations and strategies for sustainability of interventions.
Essential application requirements
Interested applicants must:
- Be a local civil society organisation based in Zambia.
- Have expertise in and a proven track record of successfully delivering interventions related to any of the three thematic areas mentioned above.
- Have an extensive network of direct experience working with civil society, including DDI target groups in the regions where they are applying.
- Have extensive national and sub-national project implementation experience and reach.
- Be formal/legally registered organisations.
- Have excellent written and verbal communication skills in English. While selected partners will implement all the work in the relevant local languages in their region, they will communicate and submit all deliverables to CIVICUS in English.
Desirable requirements
- Applications made by a consortium of organisations from Zambia that join forces to pool expertise, reach a wider audience and deliver a more comprehensive process.
- Direct experience working on the nexus between digital/tech for good, inclusive democracy and promoting democratic practices in election processes.
Governance and implementation
The Digital Democracy Initiative takes an ecosystem approach which recognises our work as part of a larger effort of varied actors. It builds on our own core capacities and on the knowledge and expertise of other stakeholders to jointly make services available for frontline activists and movements to advance inclusive democracy. We use our strategic niche as a trusted convener to make connections, amplify voices, and facilitate collective actions that increase the impact on inclusive democracy.
An initial implementation plan will be agreed between the DDI project team and each delivery partner. The subsequent planning, delivery, and synthesis of outcomes from each country level implementation will be the responsibility of the chosen partner(s). However, CIVICUS will remain available to provide overall guidance and support to the delivery partners, as required.
Location
We are looking to engage a partner (or two in the event of joint proposals) in Zambia.
Expected timeframe
The selected partners will have three to six months between April 2026 and September 2026 to complete the grant.
How to apply and deadline
The closing deadline for applications is 27 February 2026. Please follow this process to apply for this grant:
Submit the following documents to digitaldemocracy@civicus.org:
- A technical proposal detailing the interventions to be undertaken in line with the Terms of Reference, a detailed work plan, results framework and communications plan. Please also include examples of past related projects undertaken by your organisation(s).
- CVs of the main team members involved.
- A simple budget in United States Dollars.
Feedback to applicants
Proposals will be reviewed on a rolling basis. As we will receive many proposals for this grant, we may not be able to provide detailed feedback on each application. However, we will inform each organisation of the success or otherwise of their application.