Consultant-Job Grading, Role Clarity and Salary Structure Review

CIVICUS Consultancy: Request for Proposals for Job Grading, Role Clarity and Salary Structure Review – Remote, US$15,000 Budget

Organisation: CIVICUS
Assignment: Job Grading, Role Clarity and Salary Structure Review
Location: Remote / Worldwide
Contract Type: Consultancy
Duration: 40 working days
Maximum Available Budget: US$15,000
Anticipated Start Date: 7 December 2026
Application Deadline: 23 November 2026
Application Method: Online proposal submission

About the Consultancy

CIVICUS is inviting proposals from experienced consultants and specialist teams to undertake an independent review of its job grading framework, role descriptions and global salary structure.

The consultancy will assess whether the organisation's existing remuneration and job evaluation arrangements remain appropriate for its internationally distributed workforce. The selected consultant will examine the consistency of job levels, responsibilities, internal equity and salary competitiveness, while identifying practical options for improving the organisation's existing systems.

This assignment is particularly relevant to professionals and consulting firms with expertise in human resource management, job evaluation, compensation and benefits, salary benchmarking and organisational development.

The engagement will be conducted entirely remotely, with no requirement for physical presence in a particular country and no travel expected.

CIVICUS has allocated a maximum budget of US$15,000 for the 40-working-day assignment. Interested consultants are expected to submit a technical and financial proposal explaining how they would complete the work within the available budget.

About CIVICUS

<CIVICUS> is a global civil society alliance working to strengthen citizen action and civil society around the world.

The organisation operates through an internationally distributed Secretariat of approximately 85 colleagues, with registered hubs in South Africa, Geneva and New York. Its employees work across different countries, and their locations may change over time.

This international operating structure creates particular considerations for human resource management, including salary fairness, job grading consistency, geographical mobility and remuneration arrangements.

CIVICUS seeks to maintain a compensation framework that supports fairness and organisational sustainability while remaining appropriate for its global workforce.

Background and Rationale for the Review

CIVICUS currently uses a common global salary scale rather than maintaining separate salary structures for every country in which its employees are based.

The organisation provides location allowances for designated positions that must be based in New York or Geneva. Subject to applicable requirements and organisational arrangements, employees may also relocate to countries where they have, or obtain, the legal right to live and work.

This mobility is an important feature of CIVICUS' operating model. Consequently, the organisation does not intend to introduce individual salary scales for every country where employees may temporarily or permanently reside.

The organisation previously undertook a review of its job descriptions and grading framework in 2021, using the Paterson job evaluation approach. A separate review of its broad-banded salary structure was also conducted to address historical inconsistencies, resulting in a revised structure implemented in 2022.

CIVICUS is now seeking an independent assessment to determine whether these arrangements remain suitable and competitive.

The selected consultant will be expected to bring independent professional judgement, credible benchmarking evidence and practical recommendations. CIVICUS has not predetermined the findings or the preferred outcome of the review.

Objectives and Scope of Work

The consultant will work closely with CIVICUS' Human Resources team and relevant stakeholders to undertake a comprehensive but proportionate assessment of the organisation's job grading, role clarity and remuneration arrangements.

The assignment will cover five main areas.

1. Review of the Existing Job Grading Framework

The consultant will examine the current job evaluation and grading framework to determine whether it continues to provide a consistent and appropriate basis for determining organisational roles and levels.

This will include:

• Reviewing the existing job grading methodology and framework.

• Assessing consistency across role levels and organisational positions.

• Examining the alignment between responsibilities, accountabilities and job grades.

• Identifying inconsistencies or areas where the current framework may require improvement.

• Recommending practical adjustments or principles to strengthen grading consistency.

2. Job Description and Role Clarity Assessment

The consultant will assess the quality and consistency of existing job descriptions, with particular attention to whether responsibilities, expected outputs and accountabilities are clearly defined.

The work will include:

• Reviewing the structure and content of existing job descriptions.

• Examining the clarity of role responsibilities and expected deliverables.

• Identifying duplication, gaps or inconsistencies between positions.

• Assessing whether job descriptions adequately reflect the levels of responsibility associated with different grades.

• Recommending practical approaches, guidelines or templates for improving future job descriptions.

The objective is to establish clearer and more consistent role documentation across the organisation.

3. Salary Benchmarking and Remuneration Structure Review

The consultant will undertake proportionate salary benchmarking against relevant international civil society organisations, NGOs and comparable mission-driven institutions.

The review should establish how CIVICUS' existing remuneration arrangements compare with relevant organisations in the sector.

Key activities will include:

• Identifying appropriate organisations for salary comparisons.

• Explaining the rationale for selecting benchmarking organisations.

• Reviewing available remuneration information and relevant salary data.

• Assessing the competitiveness of CIVICUS' existing salary structure.

• Identifying limitations, assumptions and gaps in available benchmarking information.

• Evaluating the suitability of the existing global salary scale within the organisation's international operating context.

The consultant must clearly identify the sources of salary information used and explain any limitations affecting the reliability of comparisons.

4. Internal Equity, Fairness and Affordability Assessment

An important component of the assignment will be examining whether the current remuneration and grading arrangements support fairness and consistency across the organisation.

The assessment will consider:

• Internal equity between roles and organisational levels.

• Fairness and transparency in the application of job grades.

• External salary competitiveness.

• Financial affordability and potential cost implications.

• The practical implications of maintaining a global salary structure for a geographically mobile workforce.

• The advantages and disadvantages of alternative remuneration approaches.

The consultant will develop evidence-based recommendations that reflect CIVICUS' organisational structure and international employment arrangements.

5. Development of Practical Recommendations and Implementation Options

Following the assessment, the consultant will present feasible options for strengthening the organisation's existing systems.

Recommendations should explain the potential benefits, risks, indicative costs and implementation requirements of each proposed approach.

The consultant is expected to provide practical guidance that CIVICUS can use when considering future changes to its job grading, role descriptions and remuneration framework.

Expected Deliverables

The selected consultant will be responsible for producing five key deliverables.

All deliverables should be sufficiently clear and practical to support decision-making by CIVICUS' management and relevant stakeholders.

Consultancy Duration and Budget

The assignment is expected to take 40 working days.

CIVICUS has established a maximum available budget of US$15,000 for the consultancy. Applicants are invited to develop a realistic work plan explaining how the required activities and deliverables will be completed within this financial envelope.

The financial proposal must provide an itemised budget and clarify whether the proposed fees include:

• Professional consultancy fees.

• Applicable taxes.

• Costs associated with obtaining external salary benchmarking data.

• Any other relevant assignment expenses.

Consultants should ensure that their proposed methodology, work schedule and budget are consistent with the available resources.

<badge color="success">Maximum budget: US$15,000</badge>

<text color="secondary" size="xs">The stated amount is the maximum consultancy budget, not a guaranteed payment or individual salary.</text>

Duration and Working Arrangements

The consultancy will be conducted remotely, and physical presence in any particular country is not required.

There is no planned travel for this assignment.

Key dates:

The consultant will collaborate with CIVICUS' HR team and relevant stakeholders throughout the assignment.

Consultant Qualifications and Experience

CIVICUS welcomes proposals from individual specialist consultants or consulting teams with demonstrated experience in job evaluation, remuneration design and salary benchmarking.

The organisation is particularly interested in professionals who have previously supported international NGOs, civil society organisations or institutions operating with geographically dispersed workforces.

Relevant experience should include:

• Job evaluation and grading framework development or review.

• Job description development and role clarification.

• Salary structure design and remuneration reviews.

• Internal pay equity and fairness assessments.

• Salary benchmarking using credible international comparator data.

• Compensation analysis within international NGOs or similar organisations.

• Financial and organisational impact assessments relating to remuneration changes.

• Stakeholder engagement and presentation of complex findings in an accessible manner.

Access to credible salary benchmarking information, strong analytical capabilities and the ability to communicate findings clearly to diverse stakeholders will be important.

Both individual consultants and specialist teams are encouraged to submit proposals where they can demonstrate the required expertise.

How to Submit a Proposal

Interested consultants and consulting teams should submit a concise technical and financial proposal through the CIVICUS recruitment and consultancy submission platform.

The proposal should cover the following:

1. Understanding of the assignment: Explain your understanding of CIVICUS' requirements and the key challenges associated with reviewing job grading, role clarity and remuneration arrangements in a global organisation.

2. Proposed methodology: Describe the approach, assessment methods, benchmarking strategy and stakeholder consultation process you intend to use.

3. Relevant experience: Provide evidence of previous assignments involving job evaluation, salary benchmarking, remuneration design or similar HR consultancy work.

4. Proposed team: Identify the consultant or team members who will undertake the assignment, including their relevant expertise and responsibilities.

5. Work plan: Present a realistic work plan covering the 40 working days and showing how each deliverable will be completed.

6. Deliverables: Clearly identify the outputs that will be produced during the consultancy.

7. Itemised financial proposal: Provide a detailed budget within the maximum available allocation of US$15,000, specifying whether professional fees, taxes and external salary-data expenses are included.

CIVICUS welcomes alternative approaches and will assess submissions based on technical quality, relevant experience, independence, feasibility and value for money.

Official Submission Portal: Submit Your Consultancy Proposal through CIVICUS

Application Deadline: Monday, 23 November 2026.

Selection and Shortlisting Process

CIVICUS appreciates the effort made by all consultants and teams submitting proposals.

However, due to the expected volume of applications, the organisation may not be able to respond individually to every applicant immediately.

Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for the next stages of the selection process, with notification expected within three weeks.

CIVICUS will subsequently update applicants once the selection process has been completed and the assignment has been awarded.

The organisation also reserves the right to withdraw the opportunity at any time.

Why This Consultancy Is Worth Considering

This assignment presents an opportunity for experienced HR and organisational development specialists to contribute to the improvement of employment practices within an internationally recognised civil society alliance.

The work goes beyond reviewing salary figures. It requires a comprehensive understanding of how job responsibilities, organisational structures, remuneration fairness and financial sustainability interact within a geographically dispersed workforce.

Consultants with experience in international compensation systems, job evaluation methodologies and NGO human resource management may find this assignment particularly relevant.

The findings will help CIVICUS consider practical ways to strengthen transparency, consistency and fairness in its employment and remuneration arrangements.

Interested consultants and specialist teams are encouraged to submit their technical and financial proposals through the official CIVICUS portal by 23 November 2026.