1. Purpose
The purpose of this consultancy is to help ACFID members create or improve their policies and
guidance documents on locally led development and humanitarian actions. The consultant will
run an online workshop where members can learn together, share ideas, and support each
other to develop these policies. The consultant will also use ideas and examples from this
workshop to produce a clear, practical guide that will help other members develop their own
locally led action policies, in line with ACFID’s updated Code of Conduct.
2. Background
2.1 ACFID Code of Conduct
The ACFID Code of Conduct (the Code) is a voluntary, self-regulatory sector code of good practice. The Code aims to improve international development and humanitarian action outcomes and increase stakeholder trust by enhancing the transparency, accountability and effectiveness of ACFID Members. The Code sets out 9 Quality Principles that describe high level principles of practice. Each Quality Principle has a set of associated Commitments, which are the behaviours that apply directly to ACFID’s members and to which members commit.
2.2 Locally Led Action and the Code
In 2024 a revised version of the ACFID Code came into effect, following an 18-month review. The Code now includes a commitment from ACFID members to seek to reduce power imbalances and invest in locally-led development and humanitarian initiatives (Commitment 2.1). Members are expected to demonstrate their compliance by having the following in place:
• Policy, statement or guidance document that commits the member to locally-led action.
• Evidence of naming and addressing power imbalances in organisational relationships relevant to the member’s development and humanitarian initiatives.
There are other additional requirements in the Code related to locally led action, which can be found
in this Topic Guide.
2.3 Resources and support mechanisms for ACFID members
To support members, ACFID created a Locally Led Action Toolkit. This toolkit includes practical tools to help members reflect on their work and take steps to improve their commitment to locally led action. ACFID has also collected other useful resources, including examples from members, in an online resource hub.
In 2024, ACFID members set up a Locally Led Action Community of Practice, which meets monthly and has two co-leaders. A small group of members regularly participates and actively engages in discussions.
While ACFID has already provided policy guidance in other areas of the Code, we have not yet created specific guidance on locally led action.
3. Deliverables
3.1. Planning and facilitating a Policy Writeshop for ACFID members
The objectives of the Writeshop are:
• Help ACFID members meet the Code of Conduct requirement (Indicator 2.1.1) to clearly show their organisation’s commitment to locally led action by creating or updating policies, statements, or guidelines.
• Provide an opportunity for participants to work together on developing or improving their own locally led action documents.
• Enable participants to learn from other organisations’ examples and experiences with locally led action.
• Help members identify opportunities to include locally led action into their existing organisational documents.
• Give participants a chance to share drafts and receive feedback from others.
• Allow the consultant to gather valuable insights from members to inform the guidance document (next deliverable).
Format:
– An online workshop with two sessions, each lasting 2-3 hours.
– Staff from ACFID member organisations are encouraged to participate, with representation from a range of roles.
3.2. Developing a guidance document on creating a Locally Led Action Policy or Statement
Using ideas from the Writeshop, the consultant will create a clear, practical guidance document to help ACFID members write their own locally led action policies or statements. The guidance will be a maximum of 8 pages and include:
• References to relevant international agreements or frameworks, including ACFID’s Code of Conduct.
• Examples and explanations of important content that could be included in policies, statements, or guidance documents.
• Simple, clear steps for developing these policies or statements.
ACFID will be responsible for the final design of the guidance document.
4. Timing and duration
Subject to discussion and availability of the successful consultant, the following is provided as an indicative timeline:
• By end-APRIL 2025 – Consultant engaged. Initial scoping and planning discussions with ACFID personnel undertaken.
• By end-MAY 2025 – Writeshop sessions delivered.
• By mid-JUNE 2025 – First draft of guidance produced.
• By end-JUNE 2025– Final version of guidance submitted.
5. Management
The Director of Effectiveness and Engagement Team (EET) is responsible for endorsing this TOR, and for reviewing and endorsing the project deliverables. The ACFID Learning and Impact Lead is responsible for day-to-day project management and ongoing engagement with the consultant, with support from the EET Director and ACFID’s Development Practice Committee.
ACFID will be responsible for:
• Coordinating ACFID member participation in the online writeshop.
• Collaborating with the consultant on design and detailed requirements.
• Coordinating consultations with key stakeholders on the guidance document as needed.
• Graphically presenting the final guidance document and distributing to members.
6. How to apply
Applicants are requested to submit the following via email to [email protected] by 9am (AEDT) Monday 28th April 2025:
• CV
• Intended approach, including a summary of proposed methodology and ideas for the project (max 2 pages)
• Fee per day, and expected number of days
ACFID will select the Consultant based loosely on the following considerations:
• Knowledge and understanding of the principles and driving rationale for locally led development and humanitarian action.
• Experience working with Australian or other international NGOs on issues related to locally-led action.
• Experience facilitating interactive online workshops.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including experience developing user-friendly guidance documents.
Interested applicants can contact Anne Fitzpatrick, Learning and Impact Lead, with queries at
[email protected], or at 02 8123 2225.