Organizational Legal Structure Consultant

DIAL

About The Position

The Digital Impact Alliance (DIAL) is a global non-profit organization focused on leveraging data and digital technology to address societal challenges. DIAL aims to empower policymakers in Africa to safely utilize data for the benefit of governments, markets, and people. The organization conducts research, develops tools for digital public infrastructure, and facilitates knowledge exchange. DIAL has recently refined its strategic focus to support countries in Africa directly, emphasizing participatory engagement and strengthening local institutional capacity. DIAL is seeking an external firm to conduct a strategic assessment and lead the selection process for an ideal organizational structure to become "Africa rooted". This involves evaluating various institutional models, considering factors like funding, registration, financial implications, compliance, and staffing needs.

Requirements

Demonstrated experience in organizational legal structure consulting.
Experience in strategic assessment and organizational model evaluation.
Understanding of non-profit organizational structures and fiscal sponsorship.
Knowledge of legal and regulatory compliance in African countries.
Ability to conduct stakeholder interviews and analysis.
Experience in developing institutional design frameworks and decision-making rubrics.
Proven ability to deliver comprehensive reports on organizational models.
At least 3 examples of similar past work.
CVs/resumes of key personnel.
Detailed budget, including assumptions and costs, and level of effort for staff and any sub-contractors.
Separate line item for any sub-contractors.
Expenses budget by type of expenses (e.g., travel, research).
Travel estimates indicating anticipated destination and duration of each trip.
At least two professional references (past clients or colleagues).

Nice To Haves

Experience working with global non-profits.
Familiarity with digital impact and data ecosystems.
Experience in Africa-focused initiatives.

Responsibilities

Conduct a strategic assessment of DIAL's long-term strategy and implementation plan.
Review DIAL's strategy, implementation plan, communication, and fundraising plans.
Interview key stakeholders including DIAL’s Board of Advisors, Senior Management Team, and select donors.
Review comparable organizations.
Assess DIAL’s Africa-rooted localization objectives.
Define success criteria for organizational evaluation.
Assess potential institutional models including, but not limited to: continuing DIAL’s fiscal sponsorship with CFG and African subsidiary, independent non-profit and African subsidiary, African headquartered nonprofit, for-profit and non-profit arm, dual entity partnership, federated/networked regional model, and other alternative models.
Evaluate donor funding requirements, registration considerations, financial implications, compliance requirements to local laws and regulations, funding considerations, and staffing and management needs for each potential model.
Develop an inception report confirming strategic objectives and outlining the analytical framework, methodology, stakeholder engagement plan, and workplan.
Develop an institutional design framework capturing important aspects for consideration across multiple organizational structures.
Lead DIAL through a process to establish optimal criteria for an organizational design rubric.
Deliver a preliminary options report outlining final optimal options for DIAL’s future legal and organizational structure, matching them to developed criteria, and narrowing the focus to a maximum of three options for further research.
Develop a thorough analysis of the costs, benefits, drawbacks, and implications of each chosen organizational model in a final options report.