About the Job

Introduction

The Ethiopian Human Rights Defenders Center (EHRDC) is a non-governmental, non-partisan, and not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advocacy, capacity building, and protection of human rights defenders (HRDs) in Ethiopia. Registered with the Ethiopian Civil Society Agency on November 12, 2020 with registration number 5220, EHRDC conducts various capacity-building initiatives for HRDs and civil society organizations (CSOs), focusing on enhancing their skills, resilience, and protection mechanisms.

Background

The Ethiopian Human Rights Defenders Center (EHRDC) developed its current five-year strategic plan for the period 2022–2026 G.C. to guide its interventions in protecting and supporting human rights defenders (HRDs) in Ethiopia. While the plan remains in effect, the evolving realities of Ethiopia’s civic space and the shifting global and national human rights context have underscored the need to revisit and revise it.

This activity is therefore designed to ensure that EHRDC’s interventions remain aligned with these changing circumstances, enabling the organization to continue providing meaningful and effective support to HRDs. It will involve a comprehensive review of the existing five-year strategic plan and the initiation of a revised strategic planning process. The review will help assess progress made, identify challenges, and capture lessons learned, while also incorporating new priorities such as trauma-informed approaches to strengthen long-term impact.

Through this process, EHRDC seeks to remain relevant, responsive, and impactful in advancing human rights and protecting defenders in Ethiopia.

Objective

The overall objective of revising the strategic plan is to ensure that EHRDC’s strategic direction remains relevant, responsive, and impactful in the evolving national and global human rights context, enabling the organization to effectively fulfill its mandate of protecting and supporting human rights defenders in Ethiopia.

Specific objectives

• Review and assess the current 2022–2026 strategic plan to identify achievements, challenges, and lessons learned.
• Engage stakeholders and analyze the changing context to ensure the revised plan reflects organizational priorities, the civic space, and the needs of HRDs.
• Develop a revised strategic plan for five years that sets clear priorities, integrates cross-cutting issues (such as trauma-informed approaches, gender, and inclusion), and provides a roadmap for EHRDC’s future interventions.

Responsibilities

• The consultant will be responsible for the following:
• Review EHRDC’s current strategic plan, related organizational documents, and progress reports.
• Facilitate consultations with EHRDC management, staff, board members, and key stakeholders.
• Assess achievements, challenges, and lessons learned from the current plan.
• Analyze external factors, risks, and opportunities that may affect the work of EHRDC.
• Propose revised strategic priorities, objectives, and outcomes for the next strategic period.
• Draft the revised five year Strategic Plan and present it for feedback.
• Incorporate feedback and submit a final, comprehensive revised Strategic Plan document.

Expected Deliverables and output

• The consultant is expected to provide:
• An inception report outlining methodology, tools, and work plan.
• A stakeholder consultation summary report (findings and key insights).
• A draft revised Strategic Plan for review and feedback. A final revised Strategic Plan (English, editable and PDF formats)

Duration of the Assignment

The consultancy will be carried out over a period of one month, starting from the signing of the contract. A detailed timeline will be agreed upon with EHRDC.

Safeguarding

Everyone has a role in creating and sustaining a safe and respectful working environment, where no one comes to any harm or is maltreated. At the Ethiopian Human Rights Defenders Center (EHRDC), we take our responsibilities very seriously and will not tolerate wrongdoing or people who pose a safeguarding risk. We will undertake criminal record checks and references as deemed necessary while recruitin

About You

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Advanced degree in Strategic Management, Development Studies, Human Rights, or related fields.
• Five years or more of proven experience in strategic planning, organizational development, or consultancy work with CSOs/NGOs.
• Demonstrate knowledge of human rights, civic space, donor landscape, and socio-political context of Ethiopia.
• Strong facilitation and participatory research skills.
• Excellent analytical, writing, and communication skills in English (knowledge of Amharic is an asset)

Requirement Skill

Analytical skills

Communication

Strategic planning

How To Apply

Interested consultants are invited to submit both a technical and financial proposal to EHRDCenter@ethdefenders.org and carbon copy Hewan@ethdefenders.org, utilizing the subject line [Revision of EHRDC’s strategic plan]. The total budget in the financial proposal should include a detailed breakdown, including applicable government taxes. All costs should be stated in ETB.

Closing date: October 8, 2025 G.C