Consulting service of Review/Adoption of Child Safeguarding Policy and Development of Reporting and Investigation systems

The Consortium of Christian Relief and Development Association (CCRDA), through the CORE Group Partners  Project (CGPP), invites qualified consultancy  firms and research institutions to submit technical and financial proposals for CCRDA for support of reviewing or adopting its Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy, while designing and rolling out practical, context-appropriate Reporting and Investigation systems. This consultancy service is initiated by  the CDC-Strengthening Immunization Program Implementation Project.

Scope of the Assignment

The consultant will be expected to complete the following tasks:

Phase 1: Internal, External  Review and Consultations within CCRDA

• Analyze current internal policies, human resource guidelines, and codes of conduct used by CCRDA.
• Review relevant national policies and guidelines, including National Child Protection Case Management Framework, and national child laws.
• Conduct brief consultative meetings with relevant CCRDA  staff,
• Conduct consultative interview with external partner networks, such as the Ethiopian Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA)  Network, SOS Children villages and others, including implementing partners of the CDC-SIP Implementation Project.
• Map internal and external child protection/safeguarding gaps using the information from consultations to draft policy for CCRDA.

Phase 2: Policy Revision / Adoption, Development of Reporting & Investigation Systems

• Draft a context specific Child Safeguarding Policy for CCRDA that addresses CCRDA’s child safety issue , and to ensure the protection of children from abuse, neglect, exploitation and harassment when engaging with CCRDA projects and partners.
• Embed core protective principles: the best interest of the child, non-discrimination, confidentiality, and do no harm.
• Include risk prevention guidelines for personnel recruitment, partner onboarding, program management, and interactions in digital spaces.
• Formulate clear, confidential, and safe reporting systems  for staff, partners, and communities.
• Create ready-to-use, standardized operational templates, including:
• • Child Protection Incident Reporting Form
  • Initial Risk Assessment & Eligibility Matrix  (Does this case fall within the organization’s mandate to respond to, or should it be referred elsewhere?)
  • Investigation Procedure Flowchart & Formal Template
  • Case Closure and Referral Tracking Sheet

Phase 3: Validation and Finalization

• Present the draft policy and systems  during a validation workshop to compile input from CCRDA management and its partners.
• Finalize all documents based on the feedback received.

Phase 4: provide training and roll-out of the systems and deliver final training report

Expected Deliverables

The consultant must submit the following milestones within the agreed-upon timeframe:

• Inception Report: Detailing the methodology, tools, and work schedule. The inception should include summary of child protection/safeguarding in Ethiopia and situational analysis.
• Revised/updated CCRDA Child Safeguarding Policy and comprehensive reporting and investigation systems overview, with all associated forms, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs),  summary of all feedback and input from the consultative process or other resources
• Comprehensive Internal and External Feedback Report: This should include a summary of the Validation Workshop and all internal and external consultations
• Training materials of child safeguarding for CCRDA staff and partners, this includes in-person training materials and user-friendly tools.
• Training of responsible bodies and delivery of training report.

Required Qualifications

Interested firms must have the following qualifications

Education:

• Minimum of a master’s degree in human Rights Law, Social Work, Development Studies, or a related social science field.

Experience:

• At least 5–7 years of demonstrable experience in developing organizational safeguarding policies, child safeguarding strategies, or human rights guidelines.
• Sound understanding of civil society frameworks in Ethiopia and prior engagement with networks like CCRDA is highly preferred.

Skills:

• Excellent legal drafting skills, and capable of synthesizing complex legal frameworks into actionable organizational procedures.

Language Requirements

• Ability to deliver written and oral communications in English that meets high standards.
• All reports are to be submitted in English.

Competencies:

• Ability to communicate effectively to varied audiences.
• Ability to work under tight schedules.
• Ability to coordinate and collate information obtained from various sources.
• Ability to guide team members to achieve better results promptly.
• Experienced in providing training.