Advice – Study on the sustainability of the Conflicts Sensitivity Center (Conflict Sensitivity Hub) (CSH)
We are looking for a highly qualified consultant, with solid experience in carrying out strategic studies, institutional evaluations and organizational planning. You must have a good knowledge of the Great Lakes region, an expertise in institutional and financial sustainability, as well as a capacity to design hybrid economic models. A proven experience in peacebuilding, sensitivity to conflicts or capacity building is essential.
This is a stimulating opportunity for an experienced consultant to conduct a strategic study on the sustainability of the Conflict Sensitivity Center (CSH) in the DRC. The consultancy will analyze the modalities, opportunities and scenarios to ensure the institutional empowerment and the financial viability of the CSH beyond March 2026.
1) context
Humanitarian, development and peace actors (HDP) are active in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to respond to the various humanitarian crises and support communities to organize development and peace actions. These HDP actors do their work in areas, most of which, are affected by conflicts, particularly in the east of the DRC. This help provided by HDP actors requires being more and more sensitive to conflict and gender to reach a greater impact.
It is in this context that International Alert implemented a pilot project of the Center for Conflict (CSH) in the DRC, between March 2021 and February 2022 with the financing of the Foreign Affairs and Commonwealth of the United Kingdom (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, FCDO in acronym). This pilot project made it possible to test the implementation of the conflict sensitivity center and to bring together the lessons and the recommendations to take into account to operationalize in the long term a center of sensitivity to the effective conflict in the DRC. Thus, from August 2022, the main phase of implementation of the CSH began in the DRC with the funding of the German company for International Cooperation (GIZ), Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), World Affairs Canada (GAC) and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Developed as a center of expertise for the humanitarian community, development and peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the CSH1 aims to strengthen the understanding and capacities of HDP actors in terms of sensitivity to conflicts. The CSH supports these actors in the adoption of an approach sensitive to conflicts, in order to guarantee that their actions have a positive and lasting impact on the beneficiary communities in the DRC.
The overall objective of this project is to contribute to improving the routing and the efficiency of help in the DRC thanks to programming of HDP actors increasingly sensitive to conflicts and gender. It pursues two main specific objectives:
Specific objective 1 : Provide HDP actors with continuous access to adapted resources in terms of conflicts and gender sensitivity, capacity building, technical assistance and learning.
Specific objective 2 : Increase the credibility, capacities and sustainability of the CSH.
The DRC CSH is structured around four main areas:
1) Research and analysis. The CSH conducts research and analyzes on conflicts and contexts, and makes recommendations to help its partners better orient their interventions. He also assists them in the development of their research and analysis skills.
2) Reinforcement of technical capacities. The CSH helps its partners to create and share tools to follow the contexts and the impact of interventions, in order to guarantee that the sensitivity to conflicts is taken into account both at the programmatic and institutional level.
3) Technical support. The CSH offers three types of training: conflict analysis, programming and management sensitive to conflicts and gender. Thematic regulations are also offered for specific areas (humanitarian aid, education, monetary transfers, etc.).
4) Learning. The CSH facilitates and encourages learning between peers, the sharing of experiences and the lessons learned between local organizations, national and international NGOs as well as donors, within a community of practice.
For almost three years, the CSH has demonstrated its relevance and added value by supporting a wide range of actors – international NGOs, UN agencies, local OSCs and cluster – in strengthening their capacities and the liable for their interventions in the face of local conflictual dynamics. However, this experience remains strongly dependent on external institutional funding, several funding of which ended in March 2026.
The CSH enters a critical phase of its development because it must lay the foundations for its sustainability beyond the funding of the current phase, by strengthening its financial, institutional and operational autonomy.
In addition, the CSH is now hosted by the NGO International Alert, which provides administrative and logistical management. This modality has been conceived as transitory because the CSH aims to become an autonomous structure, carried by a consortium of national and international actors engaged in its governance. Reflection around the sustainability of the CSH must be part of this perspective of empowerment of the CSH.
This double issue – reduction of financial dependence and transition to autonomous governance – calls for in -depth strategic reflection, fueled by concrete data on the CSH services market, viable economic models, risks and opportunities related to empowerment, as well as a clear implementation plan.
There are several center of sensitivity to conflicts in the world that have different models. The consultant will have to get in touch with these centers to clear carry out a comparative analysis in order to identify learned lessons and models that could be adapted to the CSH in DRC2.
2) Objectives of the study
The main objective of this study is to examine the possible methods, opportunities and scenarios to ensure the empowerment and sustainability of the CSH on the post-Mars 2026 horizon, and to propose a concrete and realistic strategy which will ensure its institutional independence and its financial stability. It should make it possible to identify and analyze the different financial sustainability options of the CSH, including the feasibility of the partial or complete monetization of its services, access to new types of financing (in particular private funds), and market capacity to absorb a paid offer. The analysis must include an action plan to be implemented from January 2026 and which will specify the stages and a calendar to allow to move to a financial and institutional empowerment of the CSH.
It will have to include several components:
- Cartography of potential demand for CSH services/Market analysis: what types of organizations (NGOs, donors, public institutions, OSC, private sector) would have an interest in contracting or funding CSH services directly? What is their capacity and provision to pay? Who could pay and who couldn’t?
- A Comparative analysis of relevant economic models and proposal of an economic model with various funding : What model of service would work concretely – for example, payments by training, subscription, private contributions to the CSH which would essentially replace the current institutional financing, the cost of these services.
- Identification of institutional empowerment scenariosby assessing the legal, logistical, human and strategic implications of a transition from the status of project hosted to that of autonomous organization or of consortium entity.
- Identification of risks, opportunities and success factors linked to the transition to independent governance and autonomous financing, and propose a strategy to overcome the risks
- From the analysis of the current operating mode, proposal for a clear and operational roadmap to implement the sustainable sustainability strategy, With a calendar, milestones, necessary resources and shared responsibilities.
3) proposed methodology
The methodology will be defined by the consultant but may indicate the following elements:
• Documentary review: internal documentation, evaluation reports, similar experiences of CSH in the world.
• Focus Groups: in particular with national, international organizations and agencies of the United Nations system.
• Organization of workshops to validate the findings and scenarios.
4) Deliverables
• A methodological note/start -up report 10 days after the start of the consultancy
• A final report including all analyzes and recommendations including an executive summary
• An operational roadmap for the sustainability of the CSH with steps, priorities, and needs (legal, HR, techniques).
• a power point of presentation for donors
5) Duration and calendar
The mission is planned over a period 50 days, from September 2025. The deadline to finish the consultancy is November 30, 2025.
6) Profile of the consultant or desired cabinet
• Academic qualifications: Master level university diploma or more in political science, international relations, development, economy, project management or related areas.
• Minimum 7 to 10 years of experience in conducting strategic studies, institutional assessments or organizational planning.
• In -depth knowledge of the context of the Great Lakes region or the DRC.
• Mastery of approaches to institutional sustainability and financial viability: demonstrated expertise in institutional analysis, in organizational sustainability, ability to develop hybrid economic models and organizational development, ability to develop prospective scenarios.
• Proven experience in the peacebuilding sector, sensitivity to conflict or capacity building of national, international organizations and agencies of the United Nations system.
• Good knowledge of the Congolese context and financing dynamics in the humanitarian, development and peace sectors.
• Ability to work in French and English an asset.
7) Submission methods
Interested candidates are invited to submit:
• A technical note detailing the understanding of the TDRs, the methodology and the proposed calendar.
• A detailed CV of the consultants (s).
• A financial offer.
• Examples of similar studies carried out.
How to apply
The offers will be sent only by email to the addresses ofrc-hr@international-alert.org and a copy to drc-programmes@international-alert.org And no later than 05/09/2025 at 5:00 p.m., any offer received late will be rejected automatically.
In the object of your email, please mention: ” Alert/DRC/007/2025,
All candidates must have permanent labor law in the Democratic Republic of Congo. International Alert does not sponsor working visas in the DRC, or in any other country where this position is offered.
International Alert is proud to be an employer who advocates equal opportunities and particularly encourages applications from under-represented people, including women, people from southern countries, bipoc, LGBTQIA+, disabled and other historically marginalized people.
Although International Alert strives to contact all candidates within a reasonable time, this is not always possible due to limited resources. Therefore, if you have not received an answer from us within two weeks of the closing date, you can consider that your application has not been retained this time.
