For the full ToR for this opportunity, please go to the Work With Us page on the ChildFund Australia website.
1. Organisational context
ChildFund Australia is an independent international development organisation that works to reduce poverty for children in developing communities.
We partner to create community and systems change which enables children and young people in vulnerable situations, to assert and realise their rights.
At ChildFund Australia, we want every child and young person to be able to say: “I am safe. I am educated. I contribute. I have a future.”
At ChildFund Australia we directly manage and implement programs with a range of local partners in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, Vietnam, and other countries in the Pacific. We also manage projects delivered by partner organisations throughout Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
ChildFund Australia is a member of the ChildFund Alliance – a global network of 11 child-focused development and humanitarian organizations reaching nearly 32 million children and their family members in 70 countries. ChildFund Australia is a registered charity, a member of the Australian Council for International Development, and fully accredited by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade which manages the Australian Government’s overseas aid program.
2. Background
At ChildFund, we focus on strengthening the protection of children and young people by supporting existing local organisations to build their knowledge, skills and capacities in child protection and to create locally appropriate child-focused service responses and pathways. This is achieved by establishing or strengthening inter-government and local frontline service collaboration aiming to improve responses to child protection cases at the formal system level and through community-based child Protection Mechanisms. With appropriate knowledge and skills, services are able to deliver improved child protection services in accordance with global good practice standards and local contexts.
Under ChildFund Australia’s strategic vision for 2022-2025 we have been refreshing our Child Protection Approach. This has led to focusing efforts on priority interventions, including System Strengthening (that includes GBV and Child Protection helplines) and Community Based Child Protection Mechanisms. As part of this, we have produced guidance papers and accompanying tools that support partners in the provision of quality child protection services and better track our joint effectiveness.
This consultancy will produce or select a tool that will sit across our Community-Based Child Protection Mechanisms (CBCPMs) and system-strengthening priority interventions to measure service satisfaction. It will be used by our country office project and MEL staff, partners and stakeholders. Results can also be collated and analyzed to understand an aggregate picture of protective services across the places where we work.
3. Purpose
This tool will track the level and percentage of satisfaction that individuals who use case management service provision have. The tool will also embed important indicators that will support understanding of service and organisational effectiveness
Satisfaction relates to the quality and effectiveness of the case management service process that aims to achieve an improvement in the level of overall well-being and safety of children and young people: The tool will consider:
Perceived improvement in their situation (safety and well-being)
The voice and age-appropriate agency of children and young people through the case management process and their involvement with the service/ organization.
General quality of the service provided by the service partner and Case Managers
4. Scope of Evaluation
Tool Audience
Children and young people who have received case management services (parameters to be defined).
Who will use/administer the tool?
The tool will be cascaded downstream for use by services, organizations or case managers situated within a Community-based child protection mechanism (CBCPM) delivering case management services to children, young people and their families.
Tool Adaptions
We aim for this tool to become the basis for further adaptation including:
Adults – For use with adult clients accessing support services such as GBV crisis support services and helplines.
Remote support services – The tool will be focused on client-facing work, it will also be contextualized by our country’s offices and partners for use in remote support services (like in crisis/ helpline work).
GEDSI consideration s- This tool will be mainstreamed, the consultant will hold consultations with stakeholders with expertise in social inclusion and disability and produce written recommendations on how the tool can be utilized or contextualized in consideration of gender and for use with children and young people with disabilities.
5. Methodology
The consultant will work closely with a working group of child protection technical advisors (remote) from the Sydney Head office and based at our country offices. The consultant will also be required to hold a consultation with external stakeholders and facilitate consultations with children and young people through our working group (no direct contact with children and young people will be required through this consultancy).
The consultant will work remotely.
6. Deliverables and Indicative Timetable
Deliverables
Presentation of findings and recommendations
Final report
Final tool with guidelines (detailed below)
Work activity timeline
Note that the below is indicative and subject to negotiation with the Consultant.
Dates/Phases of Work/Days/Who is Responsible
1. Research and Project Design
Feb 2024
Establishing a working group with ChildFund Country Office Technical Advisors and list of stakeholders
0 Days
ChildFund Australia and Country Offices
Feb 2024
Initial induction meeting with CFA
0.5 Days
Consultant and CFA
Feb 2024
Develop consultation questions, guidelines and consent tools
(incorporate child-safeguarding)
1 Day
Consultant
Feb 2024
Induction of working group and briefing with working group on undertaking ethical consultation with children and young people
0.5 Days
Consultant, working group participation
2. Consultation, analysis and drafting.
Feb/Early March 2024
Review of existing literature and tools available
3 Days
Consultant
Feb/early March 2024
Workshops held with working group members (2 x 3 hours)
1 Days
Working group led by consultant
March 2024
Remote consultation with stakeholders on children and young people with disabilities
0.5 Days
Consultant
March 2024
Responses collated and analysed
1 Days
Consultant
3. Tool development
April 2024
Present preliminary findings and recommendations for tool for approval by ChildFund Australia
0.5 Days
Consultant with working group and CFA CP team
April 2024
Develop/contextualize selected tool
3 Days
Consultant
4. Tool testing
April 2024
Testing of the tool in 4 locations across Mekong and the Pacific with a sample of partners and children and young people groups
1 Days
Working group through partners and community stakeholders, coordination by Consultant
May 2024
Analysis of the test results
2 Days
Consultant
May 2024
Adjustment of the tool accordingly
2 Days
Consultant with feedback to working group/ CFA
5. Finalizing
May 2024
Provide a summary report of research and findings
1 Day
Consultant
May 2024
Finalize tool and include succinct guidelines on
tool usage
opportunities or parameters for contextualization
child safeguarding considerations
the requirements for contextualizing the tool for children and young people with a disability
3 Days
Consultant
End of May 2024
Final submission of work to ChildFund Australia
Consultant
– Suggested Total Days –
20
7. Management and Reporting Arrangement
The Consultant will report to Sarah Reyes, Child Protection Advisor at ChildFund Australia. All reports must be written in English and provided in an electronic format (Microsoft Word).
8. Confidentiality
All discussions and documents relating to this ToR will be treated as confidential by the parties.
9. Child Safeguarding
The Consultant will undertake the Services to a high standard; use its best endeavours to promote the best interests of ChildFund; protect the reputation of ChildFund and work in a manner consistent with the mission, vision and policies of ChildFund which may include reference checks, police clearance and signing a code of conduct. ChildFund Australia has a zero-tolerance policy to abuse, exploitation and harassment in all its forms.
10. Counter-Terrorism and Anti-Money Laundering
ChildFund Australia acknowledges its obligation under the Australian laws relating to counter-terrorism and anti-money laundering. In order to meet its obligation, the consultant is obligated to provide information required for ChildFund to undertake counter-terrorism screening before engagement. The consultant’s name, date & place of birth and ID number will be checked against Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) consolidated list, National Security Australia list, World Banks listing and the Asian Development bank listing to ensure not engage with entities or individuals appearing on the lists.
11. Conflict of Interest
The Consultant must declare any financial, personal, family (or close intimate relationship) interest in matters of official business which may impact on the work of ChildFund
12. Fraud and Corruption prevention and awareness
ChildFund Australia has a zero approach to fraud and corruption act. The successful consultant will be required to comply with ChildFund Australia’s fraud and corruption prevention and awareness Policy and act against any form of fraud or corruption and not offer, promise, give or accept any bribes.
13. Insurance
The successful applicant will be required to have in place insurance arrangements appropriate to provision of the requirement in this TOR.
14. Acknowledgment and Disclaimer
ChildFund, its Board and staff make no express or implied representation or warranty as to the currency, reliability or completeness of the information contained in this ToR. Nothing in this ToR should be construed to give rise to any contractual obligations or rights, expressed or implied, by the issue of this ToR or the submission of Expression of Interest in response to it. No contract would be created until a formal written contract is executed between ChildFund and a selected consultant.
Selection Criteria for Consultant
The Consultant must be available for distance meetings as necessary.
Core Competencies
Commitment to ChildFund Australia’s vision and values.
Excellent time management and multi-tasking skills.
Teamwork
Ability to work autonomously.
Strong interpersonal and negotiation skills.
Accountability
Functional and Technical Competencies
Specialised knowledge of social work practice, child protection and /or child development in an international development context
Specialist knowledge of child protection services and case management in contexts where there are emerging child protection systems
Specialist knowledge of evaluation and evaluation tools
Excellent verbal and written English language skills
Qualifications & Experiences
Proven track record of working within child protection systems, child protection programs and/or MEL or quality improvement
Understanding and knowledge of evaluation frameworks and data collection
Qualifications or relevant work experience in social work, psychology, child protection or related discipline.
At least three years of professional work experience in child protection, social welfare, or international development projects.
Experience of developing tools for use in community settings
Experience working in the Pacific and or Mekong region
The Expression of Interest should include Resume, Referee contact details, your proposal detailing your competence for the required work, professional fee; and approaches, methodologies and prospective timeline based on the Terms of Reference.
Submit your CV and Proposal to Sarah Reyes, Child Protection Advisor at ChildFund Australia, at: