Civil Society Groups & Networks Capacity Building Accompanier - Kilifi North

VSO is a not-for-profit organisation that promotes volunteering as a powerful and practical way to tackle poverty and inequality. Our purpose is to create lasting change through volunteering.At VSO, we believe in bringing about change, not by sending aid, but by working with volunteers and partners to empower people in some of the world’s poorest and most fragile regions. We know that people in developing countries have the desire, power, courage and determination to shape their own futures. Through our Volunteering for Development (VfD) approach, we put the most marginalised people first. Grounded in years of evidence and learning, this approach develops active citizens who drive local community-led change and deliver sustainable development goals long after a project or grant ends.
The ACTIVE Extension Project

1. The ACTIVE Extension Project is a multi-country programme across Asia & Africa focused on strengthening the capacity of CSGs by fostering volunteerism and civic engagement while simultaneously improving the capabilities of governments and services, making the system accountable to their collective needs through VfD interventions.

ACTIVE supports CSGs to:

• Lead their own development pathways
• Engage in civic and policy spaces
• Build inclusive systems that reflect community priorities
• Foster inclusion, apply participatory practices, strengthen accountability, build resilience, adapt to risks, mobilise resources and secure funding for sustainable development impacts
• Volunteering plays a role of 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 centering their voice, pace, and leadership. Volunteers support a shift in power through equitable partnerships and mutual respect.

Role OutputsCapacity Building/Strengthening through Relational Volunteer Mode:

• Build trust and accompany CSGs through holistic capacity strengthening using participatory approaches, peer learning, coaching, mentoring, and experiential learning. Conduct Communities of Practice and connect CSGs to technical support.

Organizational Capacity:

• Empower CSGs with leadership, inclusive governance, strategic planning, equitable decision-making, and adaptive management skills.

Participatory Practices:

• Through collective volunteer leadership, enhance CSGs’ ability to apply participatory practices for social inclusion, accountability, and resilience using VfD tools such as Volunteer-led SEGA, Washington Group Questions, Intersectional Analysis, and Community Scorecards.

Network, Advocacy and Policy Engagement:

• Facilitate linkages, build CSGs’ confidence to expand networks, engage in civic participation, and influence policy through advocacy.

Resource Mobilization and Financial Sustainability:

• Link CSGs to technical assistance for financial sustainability and co-create resource mobilization and funding strategies.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL):

• Support participatory MEL through VSO’s MILE process. Enable CSGs to use digital tools for citizen-led monitoring, evidence generation, and learning documentation.

Experience and Skills Required for this Volunteer Placement

• Experience working with civil society groups (e.g., grassroots groups, youth networks, women’s collectives, disability associations, farmer federations, etc.) through sharing of lived experience in specific locations or causes.
• Understanding of civil society capacity for locally led development, equitable local partnerships, sustainability, and rights-based approaches.

Ability to apply participatory tools and link CSGs to relevant technical support based on context (familiarity with inclusive governance, adaptive management, citizen-led monitoring, and community-led advocacy is an advantage).

• Skilled in facilitation, coaching, and mentoring — able to create safe and inclusive spaces where all voices are heard and valued. Ability to apply inclusive digital tools for development action.

Basic understanding of the value of volunteering in driving collective action, governance, policy, and advocacy. Awareness of power dynamics, and a commitment to inclusion and shifting power to local actors.

• Commitment to the Volunteering for Development approach, VSO’s mission and values, and upholding safeguarding policies, the Code of Conduct, and VSO’s behavioural framework. competencies.

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