A Terms of Reference for Social Movement Mapping Consultant position is currently open at Action Aid International with the duty station in Somaliland. This role falls within the Consultancies sector and requires candidates with 5 - 6 years of relevant experience. Interested applicants should submit their applications before Jun, 04.
Terms of Reference
for Social Movement Mapping Consultant
ActionAid International Somaliland
Assignment Title
Social Movement Mapping Consultant
Location
Somaliland
Duration
15 Days
Reporting To
ActionAid Somaliland Programme Team
Type of Assignment
Consultancy
Languages Required
English and Somali
Location
Somaliland
Application Deadline
4th June 2026
act
Background
ActionAid International Somaliland (AAIS) works to advance social justice, youth engagement, gender equality, climate justice, humanitarian action, and locally led development through partnerships, movement-building, and community-led approaches. Through the Strategic Partnership Agreement II (SPA II) and Global Platform (GP), AAIS has expanded its engagement of young people, youth hubs, activists, and community-based structures working on issues such as climate justice, peacebuilding, governance, humanitarian action, and civic participation across Somaliland.
Recognizing the growing role of social movements and informal collective organizing in influencing social change, AAIS seeks to better understand the landscape of existing social movements, grassroots initiatives, and informal organizing structures operating across Somaliland.
The Social Movement Mapping exercise aims to identify key movements, understand their priorities and organizing approaches, assess their strengths and challenges, and explore opportunities for collaboration and solidarity between AAIS and social movements.
The mapping exercise will contribute to the development of a contextualized Social Movements Engagement Framework for AAIS and strengthen future movement-building and youth engagement strategies.
Objective of the Assignment
The overall objective of this assignment is to engage a consultant to conduct a Social Movement Mapping exercise in Somaliland.
The assignment specifically aims to:
Scope of Work
The consultant will be responsible for undertaking the following tasks:
Youth engagement.
Climate justice.
Peace building.
Governance and civic participation.
Gender justice.
Humanitarian action.
Human rights and social justice.
Methodology
The consultant is expected to apply participatory and qualitative approaches throughout the assignment to ensure inclusive engagement and contextual understanding of social movements and grassroots organizing structures across Somaliland.
Suggested methodologies include:
The consultant is expected to apply feminist, inclusive, conflict-sensitive, safeguarding, and do-no-harm approaches throughout the assignment process.
The mapping exercise should ensure representation of diverse movement types, thematic focus areas, and geographic locations where feasible, including youth-led initiatives, women-led movements, informal activist networks, grassroots organizing structures, and marginalized groups.
5.
Expected Deliverables
The consultant shall deliver the following:
1.
Inception report outlining the methodology, workplan, and approach for the assignment.
2.
A comprehensive Social Movement Mapping Report including:
ü
Identified movements and profiles.
ü
Thematic focus areas.
ü
Geographic operational areas.
ü
Organizing structures and approaches.
ü
Opportunities and challenges.
ü
Capacity gaps and support needs.
ü
Recommendations for AAIS engagement.
3.
A movement database/contact list of identified movements and key focal persons (where consent is provided).
4.
Presentation/debrief session with AAIS team on key findings and recommendations.
Deliverables Timeline
Deliverable
Timeline
Inception Report
Within
2 working
days after contract signing
Draft Mapping Report
Within 7
working days after submission of inception report
Final Mapping Report
Within 6
working days after feedback on draft mapping report
Duration of the Assignment
The assignment is expected to be conducted within
15
working days from the date of contract signing.
The consultant shall submit the final report within the agreed timeframe.
Reporting and Supervision
The consultant will work closely with the designated AAIS focal person and shall report directly to the Programme Team.
AAIS will provide necessary coordination support relevant to the assignment.
Ethical Considerations
The consultant shall ensure confidentiality, informed consent, and safe handling of sensitive information throughout the assignment.
The consultant is expected to apply conflict-sensitive, safeguarding, feminist, and do-no-harm approaches during engagement with movements and participants.
- Identify and map existing social movements, youth collectives, activist networks, grassroots initiatives, and informal organizing spaces operating across Somaliland.
- Assess the thematic focus areas, operational locations, and organizing approaches used by identified movements.
- Examine the opportunities, challenges, and sustainability factors affecting social movements and grassroots organizing efforts.
- Assess strengths, support needs, and capacity gaps related to organizing, mobilization, advocacy, leadership, and sustainability.
- Explore opportunities for collaboration, solidarity, and engagement between AAIS and identified movements/collectives/networks.
- Generate recommendations to inform AAIS’s future movement-building and social movement engagement approaches.
- Conduct mapping and identification of social movements, youth movements, informal activist networks, grassroots initiatives, and community organizing structures across Somaliland.
- Assess the organizing models and approaches used by identified movements, including leadership structures, membership approaches, mobilization tactics, communication channels, and decision-making processes.
- Analyze the thematic focus areas of movements, including but not limited to:
- Document the societal contribution and influence of identified movements in promoting social change, community engagement, advocacy, or collective action.
- Assess the challenges, risks, and barriers affecting movement organizing, sustainability, safety, participation, and growth.
- Identify movement support needs and opportunities for strengthening organizing capacity, collaboration, and solidarity.
- Facilitate consultations and introductory engagement sessions between selected movement representatives and ActionAid focal persons where appropriate.
- Produce a comprehensive mapping report with findings, analysis, and recommendations for ActionAid Somaliland.
- Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with movement leaders, activists, youth groups, civil society organizations, and relevant stakeholders.
- Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with selected movements and community actors.
- Stakeholder consultations and engagement meetings.
- Desk review and secondary data review.
- Movement ecosystem and stakeholder analysis.
- Observation and contextual analysis where applicable.
About Somaliland
Somaliland is a self-declared republic in the Horn of Africa with a relatively stable political environment and growing economy. Employment opportunities are concentrated in the main cities of Hargeisa, Burao, and Berbera, spanning government, NGOs, telecoms, and the private sector.
Ereyada Soomaaliga (Somali Keywords): Shaqo Cusub • Shaqo Soomaaliya • La-talinta • La-talin