CSGs Organisational Capacity Strengthening Technical Volunteer

Job Description

Introduction to VSO
VSO is the world’s leading international non-governmental organisation that works through volunteers to create a fair world for everyone. Our work centers on those who are left out by society – those living in extreme poverty or with disability and illness, those who face discrimination and violence because of their gender, sexuality, or social status, and those at risk from disaster, disease, and conflict. These individuals are the “primary actors” at the heart of our efforts. From their perspective, we define the issues, opportunities, and solutions that drive sustainable, local-led change. These individuals are the key agents of their own transformation.

Our Approach
Our Volunteering for Development (VfD) method supports the most vulnerable and marginalised to achieve their rights and bring about lasting change to create a fair world for everyone. Rooted in addressing the fundamental causes of marginalisation and vulnerability, our three core approaches – social inclusion and gender, social accountability, and resilience – guide our work in inclusive education, health, and resilient livelihoods.

The VfD method recognises the importance of relationships in forging a shared understanding and commitment and building collective action to lasting change. With most of our volunteers being national, we build blended teams of community, national, and international volunteers, uniting diverse perspectives and experiences to generate insight, innovation, and action that tackles the complex issues faced by our communities. This fosters active citizenship worldwide, encouraging people to step forward and lead the change that fosters a fair world for all.

Project Background and Contextual Information
The ACTIVE Extension Project is a multi-country programme across 14 countries in Asia and Africa focused on strengthening the capacity of Civil Society Groups (CSGs) by fostering volunteering and civic engagement while simultaneously improving the accountability capacity and practice of duty bearers and service providers, making the system responsive to their collective needs through volunteering for development interventions.

ACTIVE supports CSGs to lead their own development pathways, engage in civic and policy spaces, and build inclusive systems that reflect community priorities. It empowers them to foster inclusion, apply participatory practices, strengthen accountability, build resilience, adapt to risks, mobilise resources, and secure funding to sustain development impacts.

Volunteering acts as a collective catalyst, where volunteers accompany CSGs in building confidence, fostering peer learning, and accessing tools and networks. Volunteers do not deliver services but contribute to locally led development by enabling CSGs to organise, collaborate, and advocate, always centring their voice, pace, and leadership.

Role Outputs
Co-develop tools, frameworks, and resources for CSGs to assess their organisational and operational capacity needs and co-create tailored learning resources that are inclusive, accessible, and adaptable to diverse CSG contexts. Collaborate with VSO team to mentor Accompanier Volunteers to facilitate participatory capacity needs assessment with CSGs and support CSGs to develop their own internal capacity strengthening plans based on priorities they identify.

Provide tailored technical capacity strengthening initiatives and organisational development interventions, coaching, and mentoring designed based on the specific needs and aspirations of CSGs, ensuring they are demand-driven and context-specific to strengthen strategic planning, inclusive governance, shared leadership, reflective practices, and adaptive management.

Coach and mentor Accompanier Volunteers and CSGs to embed tools and approaches in ongoing accompaniment and peer learning. Co-facilitate communities of practice, learning exchanges, and joint reflection spaces between CSGs to strengthen organisational and operational efficiency. Collaborate with VSO, CSGs, Accompanier Volunteers, other Technical Volunteers, and partners to ensure coherent support.

Experience and Skills Required
Expertise in organisation design and organisational development, organisational and operational capacity strengthening, inclusive governance, and leadership practices. Proven ability to strengthen capacity for CSGs, embedding inclusive, accountable, resilient, participatory, and sustainable practices. Experience facilitating participatory self-assessment processes, enabling CSGs to identify priorities and lead their own capacity strengthening plans.

Skilled in co-designing and contextualising technical and learning resources, ensuring accessibility for grassroots groups with varied literacy, digital access, and inclusion needs. Digital and data literacy, including competence in integrating digital platforms for organisational strengthening. Skilled in facilitation, coaching, and mentoring, with the ability to create safe, inclusive spaces where all voices, especially marginalised groups, are heard, valued, and empowered. Commitment to VSO’s Volunteering for Development approach, mission, values, safeguarding policies, Code of Conduct, and demonstrated VSO behavioural competencies.

About the Organization

VSO is an international development charity that works through volunteers. Our vision is a world without poverty in which people work together to fulfil their potential. We bring people together to share skills, creativity and learning to build a fairer world. VSO welcomes volunteers from an ever increasing range of countries, backgrounds and ages. National agencies in Canada, Kenya, the Netherlands and the Philippines recruit volunteers from many different countries worldwide and this international approach allows us to combine and learn from a rich variety of perspectives. Tackling Disadvantage at "Grass Roots" Level Ours is a very individual "people to people" approach to development. Instead of sending food or money, we send women and men from a wide range of professions who want the chance to make a real difference in the fight against poverty. These volunteers work in partnership with colleagues and communities to share skills and learning and jointly achieve change. But we have to be realistic in our expectations. We commit to long-term development goals and long-term partnerships and focus on sustainable development rather than the short-term relief of certain problems. VSO also works to address the structural inequalities and barriers that prevent people from exercising their rights. We use our experience and our supporter networks to work for changes in policy and practice - rich and poor countries - that reduce disadvantage. VSO is by far the largest independent volunteer-sending agency in the world. Since 1958, we have sent out more than 29,000 volunteers to work in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, the Pacific region and, more latterly, Eastern Europe in response to requests from our overseas partners. At the moment we have around 1,500 people working in placements in these regions. Shared Partnerships, Shared Benefits You only have to talk to VSO volunteers to realise that they gain from their experience, personally or professionally, as much as they contribute. Many will enthuse how fascinating it was to explore a different culture at first hand. Others will point to the friendships they have made. But many will also tell you how their professional talents have been stretched, and how they have learnt new skills that will significantly enhance their career prospects on their return home. If ever it was true that "you get out what you put in", VSO is proof positive. This experience makes volunteers passionate in challenging misconceptions about developing countries. In the current climate, it is more urgent than ever that we work to achieve a global community where people of all cultures are seen as equal, learn from each other and share a common sense of rights and responsibilities as global citizens. VSO builds on this experience and passion to support a range of global education activity. To find out more about volunteering with or supporting VSO visit our website at www.vso.org.uk