Consultancy to perform: Sudan Strategic Engagement Scoping Study Individual Consultant

OBJECTIVE:

Overall, this scoping study aims at generating a comprehensive, gender-responsive evidence base on vulnerabilities and protection gaps of affected women, girls and youth in Sudan, as well as policy entry points, and strategic actors to inform ActionAid’s future engagement on conflict protection, rights protection, and contributing to conflict de-escalation in Sudan.

To achieve this objective, a consultant will need to provide a roadmap for this study, focusing on:

• Core Vulnerabilities and Needs within Sudan: To generate a strategic, gender and age-responsive understanding of the lived challenges and vulnerabilities faced by women, girls, and youth in Sudan, identifying priority humanitarian and resilience needs that will inform targeted, context-sensitive programming and decision-making.
• Regional Protection Gaps and Social Cohesion: To analyze the “invisible” secondary refugee crisis in the DRC and Ethiopia, including the impact of displacement on host community public services and local resources.
• Policy Engagement: Identify the specific AU/Regional entry points where AA’s evidence can contribute to triggering accountability and peace building.
• Stakeholder Analysis: Map all key stakeholders within Sudan (WROs, YLOs, etc.), around the African continent, and globally with whom AAI can contribute to the conflict de-escalation agenda, build peace and social cohesion, as well as protection of lives of vulnerable women, girls and youth in Sudan.

A. Mapping of Affected Communities

The scoping study will follow these paths to have a thorough review of vulnerabilities, capacities, and priority needs among conflict affected Sudanese both at home and away. The tracks below will be used to ensure this:

• Track 1: Protection & Resilience Mapping (Displaced Communities) – Mapping protection needs, economic barriers, and social cohesion tensions among displaced and host communities in DRC and Ethiopia, with a strong conflict-sensitive lens. This will generate evidence to inform humanitarian funding, local procurement, and integrated service delivery.
• Track 2: Political Advocacy Mapping (Sudanese Women and Youth living in Exile) Assessing the capacity of Sudanese women and youth-led actors in key cities to influence AU, Peace, and Security processes and spaces.
• Track 3: Vulnerability and Needs at home (Sudan): Conducting gender, age and conflict-sensitive analysis of vulnerabilities, social cohesion gaps, among women, girls, and youth affected by conflict in Sudan, and generating evidence on priority needs to inform responsive programming and fundraising.

B. Policy Mapping: The AU & Regional Architecture (2026 Context)

• AU Peace & Security Council (PSC) – Map the current 2026 Chairmanship rotation (e.g., Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia) and their specific national interests in the Sudan file.
• Sanctions Sub-Committee – Detailed mapping of the PSC Sub-committee on Sanctions (following the Feb 12, 2026, order to “expedite implementation”).
• The Quintet & High-Level Panel (HLP) – Identify the key influencers within the AU-led Quintet (AU, IGAD, UN, EU, League of Arab States).
• AU Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Architecture – Specifically map the Office of the Special Envoy on WPS and the synergy with the Continental Results Framework (CRF).
• A3 Members – Identify the three African members (A3) currently sitting on the UN Security Council and their alignment with AU Sudan positions.
• Diplomatic Calendar – Track and identify key sessions of the ACHPR and AU Summits for 2026/2027 to inform the Engagement Plan.
• Influencing Calendar: Identify all key policy engagement opportunities in the next two (2) years relevant to the Sudan crisis.

C. Opportunities & Barriers (from an ActionAid Perspective) – Assess strategic risks and opportunities in AU engagement, including bureaucratic dilution, balancing critical advocacy with field access, leveraging field evidence to inform sanctions triggers, and positioning ActionAid as a key feminist leadership partner to the AU Special Envoy on Women, Peace, and Security.

D. Funding Landscape – Map funding landscape for the Sudan crisis, analyzing institutional and philanthropic sources, and assess how geopolitical dynamics influence donor priorities and resource allocation.

E. Specific Focus: The “Invisible” Refugee Crisis (DRC/Ethiopia) – Track secondary displacement from Sudan/CAR into DRC, analyze SGBV risks and resource-based tensions affecting protection, compare regional protection systems and referral pathways, and identify strategies to safeguard vulnerable populations.

F. Targeted Protection and Institutional Analysis – Conduct survivor-focused analysis of SGBV patterns, including its strategic use, examine invisibility of affected groups, and assess ActionAid’s internal capacities, dynamics, and barriers to inform effective engagement.

How to apply

Interested applicants can request the full Terms of Reference from Chris Homann at Chris.Homann@actionaid.org AND Hachangu Hakalima at Hachangu.Hakalima@actionaid.org . Please include both contacts in your email request to ensure timely responses.

Closing date is 14th of May 2026 at 08:00 / 8 AM – GMT time zone

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