Duration: 3 Months (January 2026 – March 2026)

1. About FEMNET

The African Women’s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET) is a pan- African, feminist and membership-based network based in Nairobi, Kenya with over 800 individual and institutional members across 50 African countries and in the diaspora. FEMNET envisions a society where African women and girls thrive in dignity and well-being, free from patriarchal and neoliberal oppression and injustices.

Over the years, FEMNET has strategically positioned herself as a convener, organizer and facilitator of critical dialogues around women’s economic justice and rights; transformative women’s leadership; sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR); climate justice and natural resource governance as well as, ending all forms of violence and harmful/ discriminatory practices against women and girls.

FEMNET continues to be intentional in influencing decisions made at national, regional and global levels, constantly ensuring African women voices are amplified and their needs, priorities and aspirations are prioritized in key policy dialogues and outcomes that have direct and indirect impact on their lives. FEMNET mobilizes African women to hold their States accountable to women’s rights and gender equality commitments.

For more information about FEMNET’s work, visit our website:  www.femnet.org.

2. Objective/ Purpose of Assignment

The overall objective of this assignment is to design and develop a new FEMNET website from scratch, ensuring it is modern, dynamic, and aligned with FEMNET’s strategic vision and communication needs. Specifically, the assignment seeks to:

• Design, develop, and launch a new website that is visually appealing, accessible, mobile-responsive, and user-friendly, while fully reflecting FEMNET’s brand, values, and mission.
• Establish the website as a central hub for resources, advocacy campaigns, member engagement, and feminist knowledge sharing.
• Integrate modern digital tools and functionalities to enhance visibility, interactivity, and stakeholder engagement.
• Provide ongoing technical support, updates, and maintenance to guarantee functionality, security, and scalability of the platform.

3. Scope of Work and Terms of Reference.

The Website Developer will be responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining a new FEMNET website from scratch. The consultant is expected to work closely with FEMNET Communications Team to ensure the platform reflects FEMNET’s brand, feminist values, and strategic priorities. The link for the current website is provided above for your information and reference.

The scope of work will include, but not be limited to, the following:

A. Website Development

1. Needs Assessment & Planning

• Conduct consultations with FEMNET staff and key stakeholders to capture functional, technical, and design requirements.
• Develop a comprehensive website development plan, including wireframes, information architecture, and timelines.

2. Design & User Experience

• Propose design concepts that are visually engaging, aligned with FEMNET’s brand guidelines, and grounded in feminist digital principles.
• Ensure the website is intuitive, mobile-responsive, multi-language compatible, and meets accessibility standards (WCAG compliance desirable).

3. Development & Functionalities

Build a robust and scalable website with core features including:

• Resource Library for publications, toolkits, reports, and multimedia content.
• Membership Portal with secure login, networking, and interaction features.
• Events Calendar & Registration System for seamless event promotion and sign-ups.
• Social Media Integration for real-time engagement.
• Donation/Payment Gateway (if applicable) to support resource mobilization.
• Blog & News Section for storytelling and advocacy updates.
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) features to increase visibility.
• Analytics Dashboard for tracking user engagement and performance.

4. Content Migration & Structuring

• Migrate relevant content from the existing website.
• Redesign and organize content into a logical, user-friendly structure.
• Incorporate new content where necessary.

5. Testing & Launch

• Conduct rigorous testing across browsers, devices, and operating systems to ensure functionality, security, and responsiveness.
• Finalize and launch the website in collaboration with FEMNET.

6. Capacity Building

• Provide hands-on training and user manuals for FEMNET staff to manage, update, and upload content independently.

B. Website Maintenance

1. Ongoing Technical Support: Offer continuous support to troubleshoot technical issues and ensure smooth operation.

2. Updates, Security & Backups: Implement regular updates, security monitoring, and system upgrades. Ensure scheduled backups and recovery systems are in place.

3. Performance Optimization: Monitor and maintain optimal loading speed, usability, and SEO ranking. Provide periodic performance reports and analytics insights.

4. Continuous Improvement: Recommend and implement new features or improvements to keep the website aligned with evolving organizational and technological needs.

C. FEMNET Ownership

The website developer shall provide a complete handover of all login credentials, administrative rights, and back-end access details to the website owners to ensure FEMNET full ownership, management, and control of the website at all times.

4. Key Deliverables and Outputs.

The Website Developer will be expected to provide the following deliverables in line with the scope of work:

1. Inception Report & Workplan
   • A detailed inception report outlining the approach, methodology, tools, and timelines for the assignment.
   • Website development workplan with milestones and delivery schedule.
2. Needs Assessment Report
   • Documentation of consultations with FEMNET staff.
   • Defined functional requirements and proposed information architecture (site map).
3. Design Mockups & Wireframes
   • At least two visual design concepts aligned with FEMNET’s brand guidelines and feminist identity.
   • Wireframes illustrating the proposed website layout and user journey.
4. Prototype / Beta Version
   • A functional prototype of the website for FEMNET’s review and feedback.
   • Demonstration of key features including resource library, membership portal, blog, events, and integration tools.
5. Final Website
   • Fully developed, tested, and operational website meeting the agreed specifications.
   • Content migrated, optimized, and structured for usability.
   • Mobile responsiveness, SEO optimization, and accessibility (WCAG standards desirable) integrated.
6. Training & Documentation
   • Training sessions for FEMNET staff on content management, updates, and basic troubleshooting.
   • Comprehensive user manual and technical documentation.
7. Maintenance & Support Package
   • Provision of ongoing technical support for an agreed period after launch.
   • Regular updates, backups, and security monitoring reports.
   • Quarterly performance and analytics reports, including recommendations for continuous improvement.

5. Required Qualification, Skills and Competencies

The Website Developer/Consultant is expected to have the following skills, competencies, and experience:

• Technical Expertise
  • Proven experience in designing and developing dynamic websites from scratch, preferably for international NGOs, networks, or advocacy organizations.
  • Proficiency in modern web development technologies and platforms (e.g., WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, or other CMS; HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, PHP, MySQL).
  • Demonstrated ability to integrate functionalities such as membership portals, resource libraries, events systems, donation/payment gateways, and analytics.
  • Strong knowledge of SEO principles, web accessibility standards (WCAG), and mobile responsiveness.
  • Experience in ensuring website security, data protection, and backup systems.
• Design & User Experience
  • Strong graphic and UI/UX design skills, with the ability to produce visually engaging and user-friendly websites.
  • Experience aligning web designs with organizational brand guidelines and values.
  • Understanding of feminist digital principles and inclusive design is highly desirable.
• Project Management & Communication
  • Ability to conduct participatory needs assessments and translate requirements into technical solutions.
  • Strong project management skills with the ability to deliver within agreed timelines and budgets.
  • Excellent communication skills, including the ability to train and build capacity of non-technical staff.
• Experience & Track Record
  • At least 5 years of professional experience in website development and maintenance.
  • A proven portfolio of similar assignments (links to at least three relevant websites developed).
  • Prior experience working with feminist organizations, civil society, or advocacy networks is an added advantage.

6. Duration of Assignment

The assignment is expected to be carried out over a period of three months (January –  March 2026), followed by an agreed period of post-launch support and maintenance.

7. Liaison, Coordination and Reporting

The Website Developer will work with the Communications team at FEMNET and collaborate closely with the IT Manager.

8. Selection of Consultant

The consultant shall be contracted by FEMNET. The contract will include Withholding Tax (WHT) deduction in line with laws of contracting where FEMNET is headquartered. A WHT certificate will be issued to the consultant. Payment will be done through bank transfer to the consultant bank account. FEMNET will not meet the costs of bank charges. Payment schedule will be agreed upon with the consultant upon successful selection. In case of team/firm applicants, a designated assignment contract manager will be the contact between FEMNET and the team and responsible for all deliverables.

9. Intellectual Property Rights

All content; designs, source codes, databases, and materials developed under this assignment shall be the sole property of FEMNET. Upon completion and final payment, the consultant will transfer full ownership rights, including source codes, design files, and administrative access, to FEMNET. The consultant shall not use or reproduce any part of the website for personal or commercial purposes without FEMNET’s written consent and must ensure that no third-party intellectual property rights are infringed, securing all necessary licenses and permissions for tools or resources used.

10. Terms of Service

This is a non-staff contract and therefore the consultant is not entitled to insurance, medical cover or any other status or conditions as FEMNET staff.

11. Application Process

Interested and qualified website developers / firms should submit their Expression of Interest via email. Submissions should include the following:

1. Cover Letter
   • A brief statement of interest, highlighting relevant experience and suitability for the assignment.
2. Technical Proposal
   • Understanding of the assignment and proposed approach/methodology.
   • Proposed workplan and timeline with clear milestones.
   • Description of the technology stack and tools to be used.
   • Draft site architecture and proposed features (optional at this stage).
3. Financial Proposal
   • Detailed budget in, clearly indicating fees, taxes, and any other associated costs.
   • Separate costing for website development and post-launch maintenance support.
4. Profile and Experience
   • Updated CV (for individual consultants) or company profile (for firms).
   • Portfolio of at least three (3) similar websites developed, with links for reference.
   • Demonstrated experience working with NGOs, feminist organizations, or advocacy networks is an added advantage.
5. References
   • Contact details of at least two (2) recent clients who can attest to the consultant’s technical capacity and professionalism.

 Applications are by e-mails only, sent to: recruitment@femnet.or.ke. Please indicate the reference on the subject line as “FNT/EOI/98/2025 – Website Design and Development Consultant”. The deadline for submission of applications is 14^th November 2025.

Please note: FEMNET is committed to prevention any type of unwanted behaviour including sexual harassment, exploitation, abuse, and lack of integrity as well as other ethical breaches. All staff and consultants are expected to share this commitment through our code of conduct and Safeguarding Policy. Offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and fraud.

We welcome people from the widest possible diversity of backgrounds, culture and experience. We will make any practical adjustments to enable people with disability participate fully in an inclusive working environment. By submitting your application, you acknowledge that you have given consent to the collection, use and/or disclosure of your data by us for the purposes set out in this job description.

Only complete applications will be reviewed and applicants who have been shortlisted will be contacted.