Call for Technical Consultant

About the Project

Code for MENA is the first civic-tech hackathon and fellowship of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), launched under the Digital Democracy Initiative, in partnership with CIVICUS and led regionally by SmartGov. This ambitious regional initiative brings together over 50 developers, designers, and civil society activists to design and deploy bold civic-tech solutions that address urgent challenges and expand civic spaces across the region.

The fellowship spans three transformative months, providing participants with tailored training, expert mentorship, and seed funding to develop and scale their digital tools. The program culminates in a regional virtual hackathon where selected teams pitch their solutions to a global jury.

About the Consultancy

SmartGov is seeking a Technical Consultant to provide responsive, high-quality technical support throughout the implementation of the Code for MENA Fellowship and Hackathon. The consultant will be expected to allocate up to 10 flexible working days to assist fellows with technical challenges, provide expert guidance on software-related decisions, and troubleshoot emerging issues during the program cycle.

Responsibilities:

The selected consultant will be responsible for:

• Providing on-demand technical consultation to program participants and SmartGov’s team.
• Advising fellows on MVP development, open-source frameworks, and software architecture best practices.
• Support in debugging or resolving unexpected technical challenges.
• Recommending tools, platforms, and approaches aligned with fellows' civic-tech project needs.
• Participating in virtual sessions  (if needed) to address common inquiries.

Time Commitment

The consultant must be available upon request, for a total commitment not exceeding 10 working days, between Mid-August and late October 2025.Days are non-consecutive and will be requested based on real-time needs throughout the program timeline. All work will be conducted remotely.

Eligibility & Requirements

• Proven experience in software engineering, agile product development, or technical project management.
• Strong understanding of digital security, open-source tools, and scalable tech architecture.
• Ability to communicate clearly with non-technical stakeholders and adapt advice to varying skill levels.
• Problem-solving & Critical thinking mindset 
• Ability to communicate clearly with non-technical stakeholders and adapt advice to varying skill levels.