Location: Home-based, no travel expected
Type of contract: Consultancy – individual contract 
Languages required: English 
Experience required: 5 years or more  
Consultancy start target date: 20/02/2023
Duration of Contract: 25 – 30 days (to conclude by June)
Application deadline: 27.01.2023

About ACT Alliance

ACT Alliance is one of the world’s largest coalition of churches and church-related organisations engaged in humanitarian, development and advocacy work. It consists of 144 members working together in over 120 countries, with headquarters in 73 countries, whose aim is to create a positive and sustainable change in the lives of poor and marginalised people regardless of their religion, politics, gender, sexual orientation, race or nationality in keeping with the highest international codes and standards. 64% of our members are headquartered in the Global South, 30% in the Global North, and 6% are Global members. For more details about the general work of ACT, please refer to http://www.actalliance.org/. 

Our goal is to promote a locally led and coordinated approach to advocacy, humanitarian and developmental issues.

ACT Alliance’s current Safeguarding-related positions and practices are found in the ACT Quality and Accountability Framework, ACT Code of Conduct, ACT Code of Good Practice, Humanitarian Protection Policy, Complaints Policy, ACT Child Safeguarding Policy, ACT Humanitarian Operations Manual, Communities Data Safeguarding Policy, Communications Policy.

ACT aligns with the following International Standards:

• The Code of Conduct for International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs in Disaster Relief
• The Sphere Standards
• Principles of Partnership
• Core Humanitarian Standard
• Code of Good Practice for NGO’s responding to HIV/AIDS
• Istanbul Principles for Development Effectiveness
• SCHR Misconduct Disclosure Scheme

More details on these policies and standards can be found at https://actalliance.org/about/standards-and-policies 

ACT Alliance currently has a Child Safeguarding Policy (2015), but it is anticipated that the Safeguarding Policy developed in this consultancy will replace this. The ACT Alliance Safeguarding Community of Practice has been in place since 2021.

Purpose

The ACT Alliance seeks to strengthen its policy position and guidance for members in regards to Safeguarding and is seeking a Safeguarding specialist to lead the process of developing a Safeguarding Policy, Safeguarding Guidelines and Safeguarding training to serve as resources for the ACT Alliance secretariat and members. While some members have their own policy positions, procedures and internal resources for Safeguarding, ACT aims for this piece of work to provide a common position for the Alliance on what Safeguarding means for and in our work together, and resources for members who don’t have their own, or are needing support building their Safeguarding capacity. 

Scope of Consultancy  

The consultant is expected to provide leadership in this area of work, but work closely and collaboratively with a small working group (5-6 people), who represent the following key stakeholders: 

• ACT Alliance Safeguarding Community of Practice 
• ACT Quality and Accountability Reference Group
• ACT Gender Reference Group

For buy-in across the Alliance the consultancy will also require opportunities for some input and engagement from across the ACT membership, in the form of for example, survey to members, focus group discussions, comments and contributions on draft documents from members.

From initial discussions within the ACT Safeguarding Community of Practice, ACT members have some different and nuanced perspectives on what “Safeguarding” means in their work. There is broad consensus that it includes Child Safeguarding, Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment, and preventing neglect, psychological harm, racial abuse, neglect and emotional abuse.  Members aim to have strong mainstreaming and awareness of Gender and Disability within Safeguarding as are aspects of faith considerations and/or theology that supports Safeguarding.

Expected Deliverables  (these will be developed in parallel so the content of each aligns and complements the other deliverables)

1. ACT Safeguarding Policy

• This Policy would provide ACT Alliance with a common position of what is meant by Safeguarding, common definitions related to Safeguarding, Safeguarding Principles that ACT and its members will adhere to and guidance on what the ACT Secretariat and members should have in place for a minimum expected standard of Safeguarding. 
• To note there is an existing ACT Child Safeguarding Policy (2015) and this new ACT Safeguarding Policy is expected to replace the Child Safeguarding Policy by building on the Child Safeguarding elements to incorporate other aspects of Safeguarding, such as PSEAH.

2. ACT Safeguarding Good Practice Guidelines

• These Guidelines will be a reference guide for ACT Members with guidance, tools, templates, checklists, and resources they can use to strengthen their Safeguarding practice. We aim for it to be very practical. We would like to include templates, resources from ACT Safeguarding CoP members.
• It’s expected that the majority of content of these Guidelines will not be developed new, but will be a collection and curation of existing resources, from ACT members and from existing publicly accessible materials. To note, some initial work has been done on collecting and collating the members resources that could be included in these guidelines.  
• The Guidelines will also include links  to a curated collection of training resources (that already exist and are publicly accessible)

3. Safeguarding Training for ACT members (to be delivered by end March 2023)

• This consultancy would design a blended-learning training resource that will be housed on the ACTLearn Fabo platform and can be used by ACT members to orient them to the ACT Safeguarding Policy and provide foundational knowledge and skills in Safeguarding.
• To note, there is an existing set of ACT Child Safeguarding e-learning Modules, which can be adapted or referred to.
• If videos are to be used in the training, ACT Alliance will provide the support in recording members to present the online modules, however, the consultant would be expected to provide scripts. 

Skills / Experience 

• Proven expertise in Safeguarding (including PSEAH and Child Safeguarding)
• Demonstrable capacity to develop policies, trainings and guidelines for practitioners
• Experience of working with organisations with a range of capacities. 
• Excellent ability to write concisely and in simple and clear English. Knowledge of French or Spanish would be an advantage.
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Understanding and experience in developing Safeguarding resources for faith-based stakeholders an advantage
• Experience working with networks and alliances is an advantage. 
• Understanding of the ACT Alliance an advantage

 

Tender process

Only registered consultants or companies shall be considered. Qualified and interested parties should send their tender application titled “ACT Alliance Safeguarding Consultancy” to:  recruitment@actalliance.org  by 24.00 CET 27th January 2023.

In your tender, please include:

• Expression of Interest, outlining relevant experience, and suggested approach in implementing the Terms of Reference inclusive of delivery timeline up to a maximum of 30 days work.
• CV of the consultant(s) and where relevant information re the consultancy company.
• Justification of consultant’(s) or company registration.
• Samples of/or links to previous consultancy work. 
• List of 3 professional references.
• Financial offer: gross daily rate for the consultancy in USD, EURO or CHF – including administrative overheads, taxes and charges.

Kindly note that if you do not hear from us within four weeks of the vacancy deadline, you should please consider that your application has not been retained. Only shortlisted participant will be contacted

Important Note: We kindly ask you to read the ACT Code of Conduct and ACT Alliances principles and policies. All consultants are required to sign the ACT Code of Conduct when entering into any kind of engagement with ACT Alliance. We expect you to strictly maintain the confidentiality of all documents shared/produced during this assignment.