The IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation (IUCN Med) delivers a portfolio of donor-funded programmes and projects across the Mediterranean region, including activities in North Africa. Within this portfolio, the Mubadarat – Mediterranean CSO Programme aims to strengthen civil society organisations (CSOs) across the region, building on more than ten years of experience in grant-making and civil society support through initiatives such as PPI-OSCAN and other thematic programmes implemented by IUCN Med.

For the upcoming cycle, IUCN Med has developed a renewed and ambitious strategic framework under the Mubadarat platform, aligned with the IUCN Global Programme 2026–2029 and Mediterranean regional priorities, with a particular focus on North Africa. The programme prioritises grant-making support in Morocco, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt, while also supporting broader CSO capacity development, networking and community engagement in Lebanon, Algeria and across the wider Mediterranean region.

The Mubadarat programme is structured around three complementary components:

-Strategic and sustainable financial support through grant-making mechanisms;

-Capacity building and leadership development for CSOs;

-Strategic communication, networking and support for collective influence.

Through a blended and integrated approach, the programme supports CSOs through grant-making, targeted and community-wide capacity development, and strengthened networking and communication. These components operate within a governance framework that engages regional and national policymakers, IUCN National Committees, donors and strategic partners, ensuring alignment with policy processes and regional conservation priorities.

At the same time, IUCN is strengthening its global role in grant-making by introducing enhanced internal processes, tools and mechanisms to ensure robust grant management, accountability, safeguards compliance and effective support to civil society organisations.

Within this evolving institutional context, the CSO Grants & Impact Officer plays a central operational role in implementing the Mubadarat strategy by managing competitive calls and awarded grants, supporting the operational and organisational capacities of grantees, and ensuring strong monitoring, results tracking and learning from programme investments.

While the CSO Capacity & Community Officer focuses on strengthening the broader civil society ecosystem through capacity development, networking and communication activities, the CSO Grants & Impact Officer focuses on the operational management of grants and the direct support to funded CSOs and their projects.

Note: These Terms of Reference describe the main responsibilities and expected deliverables of the role. In a dynamic and evolving organisation, staff members are expected to demonstrate flexibility and undertake other duties reasonably assigned by their supervisor. Should additional responsibilities become a regular component of the position, the ToR will be reviewed and updated accordingly in consultation with the supervisor, the staff member and Human Resources.

IUCN is committed to providing a safe and inclusive working environment and expects all staff to uphold the organisation’s policies and standards related to safeguarding, prevention of harassment and abuse, and environmental and social responsibility.

1. Major responsibilities

The CSO Grants & Impact Officer is responsible for the operational management of competitive calls for proposals and awarded grants under one or more initiatives or funding streams within the Mubadarat – Mediterranean CSO Programme. The role ensures that grants are designed, awarded, implemented and reported in full compliance with donor requirements, IUCN policies and agreed programme objectives, and that grantees receive appropriate technical, financial and compliance support to deliver high-quality and impactful results.

Working under the strategic direction of the Mediterranean CSO Programme Manager, the CSO Grants & Impact Officer is accountable for the full grant management cycle, from call design and launch through implementation oversight, reporting and close-out.

The role also contributes to strengthening the operational and institutional capacities of supported CSOs, including through organisational development support, operational training related to project implementation, and structured follow-up during grant implementation. These activities complement the broader capacity development and community engagement initiatives led under the programme’s civil society learning and networking components.

The position further contributes to programme-level monitoring, evaluation and learning, ensuring that evidence generated through Mubadarat-supported initiatives informs programme reporting, strategic decision-making and broader regional engagement processes.

2. Specific duties

The CSO Grants & Impact Officer contributes to the implementation of the Mubadarat programme through three main areas of responsibility:

managing competitive grant-making processes and ensuring effective oversight of funded initiatives;

supporting the operational and organisational capacities of supported CSOs to implement their projects in compliance with programme standards and donor requirements; and

contributing to monitoring, evaluation and learning processes to ensure that programme results, lessons learned and evidence from funded initiatives inform programme reporting, adaptive management and regional engagement.

2.1. Grant Call Design, Selection and Contracting

Design and manage competitive grant calls in alignment with programme objectives, donor requirements and IUCN policies, including eligibility criteria, application guidelines and evaluation procedures.

Lead the preparation and launch of calls for proposals, ensuring transparency, accessibility and appropriate outreach.

Ensure that grant calls and evaluation processes integrate gender equality, youth engagement, social inclusion and environmental and social safeguards considerations in line with IUCN standards.

Manage administrative and eligibility screening of submitted proposals and coordinate technical evaluation processes, including engagement with reviewers and consolidation of scoring.

Coordinate due diligence, ESMS screening and risk assessments of shortlisted applicants in collaboration with relevant finance and HQ teams where required.

Prepare award recommendations and support the Programme Manager in final selection and approval processes.

Coordinate the preparation and finalisation of grant agreements, budgets, workplans and amendments with selected partners.

Ensure contractual arrangements comply with donor requirements, IUCN policies and ESMS standards in coordination with the Project Finance Officer and legal services where required.

Oversee the establishment of grants within the IUCN grant management system, ensuring accurate configuration of reporting schedules, milestones and payment tranches.

Ensure that grantees are adequately briefed on contractual, financial and safeguards obligations prior to implementation and that grant documentation is maintained in an organised and audit-ready manner.

2.2 Grant Implementation Oversight and Risk Management

Ensure structured oversight of awarded sub-projects based on regular follow-up conducted by in-country coordinators and consolidated reporting mechanisms.

Guide and support in-country coordinators in the consistent application of programme methodologies, reporting standards and risk management practices.

Review narrative and financial reports submitted by grantees in coordination with the Project Finance Officer, ensuring alignment with approved workplans, budgets and performance indicators.

Ensure that grantees comply with applicable IUCN policies, including procurement, financial management, environmental and social safeguards requirements (ESMS) and promote inclusive participation, including gender-responsive and youth-sensitive approaches.

Identify implementation risks or performance gaps and propose corrective measures or escalation to the Programme Manager where necessary.

Support monitoring visits, spot checks and audits and ensure appropriate follow-up of recommendations.

Maintain updated tracking tools and risk registers to ensure continued oversight and audit readiness.

2.3. Operational Capacity and Organisational Development of Grantees

Structure and oversee the organisational development pathway for grantees, including the integration and monitoring of ancillary organisational development grants allocated to address identified institutional needs.

Guide and support in-country coordinators in the delivery of day-to-day capacity support to grantees, ensuring consistency in approach and quality standards.

Ensure the provision of operational trainings linked to grant implementation, including project management, results-based management, reporting requirements, safeguards compliance and basic financial management.

Ensure that targeted capacity development support to grantees is aligned with the broader Mubadarat capacity development framework.

Provide structured guidance to coordinators and grantees on institutional and operational improvements linked to grant performance.

Ensure systematic tracking of capacity development and organisational strengthening progress to inform programme-level reporting, learning and impact assessment.

2.4. Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Learning

Contribute to the development and maintenance of the programme’s results and indicators framework for grant-making activities.

Ensure coherent and timely monitoring of project and organisation development, including systematic tracking of outputs, outcomes and impact across supported initiatives, and consolidation of results data and institutional strengthening progress at programme level.

Ensure that monitoring processes capture grant results related to equity, gender, youth engagement and safeguards compliance.

Contribute to interim and final donor reporting by synthesising technical results, lessons learned and impact evidence.

Coordinate internal review and evaluation processes, including periodic programme reflection exercises and performance assessments, ensuring that findings inform adaptive management.

Support IUCN and donor-required external evaluations by preparing terms of reference and facilitating access to documentation and stakeholders.

Document lessons learned and good practices from grant implementation and capacity development activities, promoting knowledge sharing and continuous improvement across the programme.

2.5 Programme Operations, Coordination and Compliance

Lead administrative and operational processes related to the implementation of grant-making activities and associated programme components.

Develop, maintain and ensure the effective implementation of operational procedures and manuals for grant management, including guidance related to financial management, safeguards (ESMS) and compliance requirements.

Serve as the primary operational focal point for grantees and in-country coordinators on grant management and organisational development matters, ensuring clear communication and consistent guidance.

Contribute to the refinement of grant management procedures, templates and tracking tools within the Mubadarat platform.

Coordinate procurement processes for consultants, in-country coordinators, implementing partners, evaluators and service providers in accordance with IUCN procedures, including the preparation of terms of reference and selection processes.

Oversee the work of consultants and service providers engaged under the programme, ensuring timely delivery of outputs and compliance with contractual terms.

Maintain effective coordination with internal IUCN teams to ensure programmatic alignment and compliance with institutional standards, including safeguards integration.

Support donor engagement related to grant implementation and performance, including participation in relevant meetings and exchanges when required.

Ensure proper documentation, filing and archiving of grant-related records, procurement documentation, contracts and programme deliverables, supporting transparency, accountability and audit readiness, in coordination with the Finance Officer and Programme Manager.

3. Reporting lines and working relationships

Under the overall guidance and supervision of the Mubadarat – Mediterranean CSO Programme Manager (IUCN Med), the CSO Grants & Impact Officer will:

Work closely with the Mediterranean CSO Capacity & Community Officer (P1), ensuring a complementary division of responsibilities in relation to grant-related capacity support to CSOs, community engagement and communication activities, as defined by the Programme Manager.

Work in close coordination with the Finance Officer (Projects) on grantee financial management, compliance, reporting and related capacity strengthening aspects, ensuring alignment with donor requirements and IUCN policies.

Coordinate with the CSO Capacity & Community Officer and the IUCN Med Communications team to ensure effective outreach and visibility of grant opportunities and programme results.

Provide technical guidance and oversight to in-country coordinators and implementing partners responsible for day-to-day support to grantees at national level.

Provide functional supervision and day-to-day guidance to the CSO Programme Assistant and, where applicable, the CSO Programme Intern.

Coordinate technical inputs for calls for proposals, grant selection processes, and grant monitoring and evaluation with thematic project managers and programme staff at IUCN Med.

Maintain close coordination with relevant IUCN regional and global teams, including Finance, OLA (Legal), IPME (MEL), ESMS and the Grant Management Facility, to ensure alignment with institutional standards and systems.