Consultancy Contract.
Project Start Date: May 2026.
Project Duration: Six (6) months - Extension possible contingent on expansion of use cases
Deadline for Applications: 20 April 2026 at midnight CET
About CGIAR
CGIAR is a global research partnership for a food-secure future. CGIAR science is dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources and ecosystem services. Its research is conducted closely with hundreds of partners, including national and regional research institutes, civil society organizations, academia, development organizations, and the private sector.
Background and Objectives
The CGIAR System Organization (SO) is implementing an AI Strategy to enable an Enterprise AI Transformation that strengthens governance, improves executive decision making, and increases operational efficiency in a highly volatile funding environment. While the SO benefits from a strong, Microsoft centered digital backbone, decision making and operational processes remain fragmented and largely retrospective, limiting the organization’s ability to anticipate risks, respond proactively, and reduce leadership burden.
The AI Strategy introduces an AI enabled executive decision and operations layer that integrates data across core enterprise platforms—including ERP, CRM, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), collaboration tools, and other enterprise and specialist systems introduced over time. The objective is to move beyond descriptive reporting toward proactive, model driven steering, using AI advisers to support leadership, strengthen institutional memory, and improve governance and operational outcomes across the organization.
The objective of this consultancy is to provide product level coordination and hands on delivery enablement for Enterprise AI Transformation. The consultant will ensure that the AI Strategy is translated into a structured, governed, and phased product delivery, with clear milestones, aligned stakeholders, managed risks, and measurable outcomes.
The role combines two complementary dimensions:
- Working Agents Delivery: hands on delivery of the design, build, and operation of AI solutions, leveraging Microsoft low code platforms (notably Microsoft Copilot Studio and Microsoft Foundry), in close collaboration with internal teams and external vendors.
- AI product coordination: structuring, coordinating, and governing AI initiatives across the System Organization to ensure coherence, prioritization, and alignment with enterprise governance and strategic objectives; and external vendors.
2. Scope of Work
Reporting to the Senior Manager, Digital Transformation, and in close coordination with Finance, Governance, People & Culture, ICT, and senior leadership, the consultant will be responsible for the following:
2.1 Delivery Coordination and Technical Enablement
- Deliver design, build, configuration, governance, and lifecycle management of AI agents, with a strong focus on Microsoft low code platforms (notably Copilot Studio and Foundry) and related Microsoft technologies. Where appropriate, identify and coordinate the involvement of additional specialist expertise to support complex or highly specialized components.
- Support the integration of AI solutions with enterprise data sources and systems, ensuring architectural coherence, security, compliance, and alignment with enterprise data and AI standards.
2.2 AI Product Structuring and Governance
- Translate the approved AI Strategy into a set of clearly defined Enterprise AI Transformation products, aligned with the agreed phased roadmap and governance model.
- Define and maintain AI product workstreams for AI for Management & Governance and AI for Operations, including clear scope, sequencing, dependencies, and success criteria.
- Establish and operate AI product governance structures, including decision making forums, escalation mechanisms, reporting cadence, and alignment with existing enterprise governance bodies. Act as the primary coordination point between external vendors, internal technical teams, and business stakeholders, ensuring clarity of scope, roles, and delivery expectations.
- Coordinate and support the delivery of AI products, including executive AI advisers, decision support use cases, scenario modelling, institutional memory, and operational AI solutions.
2.3 Risk, Dependency, and Change Management
- Identify and manage cross product risks and dependencies, including data readiness, security, capacity, and adoption risks.
- Support change management activities to enable adoption of AI solutions, with a focus on senior leadership and governance users.
2.4 Vendor and Investment Oversight
- Support oversight of external vendors and consultants, monitoring delivery against agreed scope, milestones, and outcomes.
- Track delivery against the approved investment envelope and flag deviations or risks early.
3. Deliverables
Indicative deliverables include:
- Working agents in Copilot Studio and Foundry
- Enterprise AI Transformation Product Plan
- AI Product governance and reporting framework
- Consolidated risk, dependency, and issue register
- Regular status reports and executive dashboards
- Inventory of deployed AI agents and documented AI use cases (as applicable)
- Phase end reviews and lessons learned documentation
Deliverables will be refined and agreed at contract inception
4. Timelines
5. Key Performance Indicators
The consultant’s performance will be measured against the following Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The technical lead will be responsible for monitoring and reporting on these KPIs. Renewal or re contracting will be conditional on documented performance against these indicators.
- Quality of Work: Accuracy, completeness, and overall quality of submitted deliverables, including product plans, AI use cases, governance artefacts, and documentation.
- Timeliness: Ability to meet agreed milestones and deadlines as outlined in the 6 month delivery timeline and any subsequently approved workplan.
- Client and Stakeholder Satisfaction: Feedback from key stakeholders (senior leadership, governance users, functional teams, and technical counterparts) regarding professionalism, effectiveness, and collaboration.
- Adherence to Scope and Budget: Delivery of agreed outputs within the approved scope, level of effort, and budget, with proactive management and early escalation of risks or deviations.