Request for Proposal: Safeguarding Consultant – Nepal

Location: Nepal 

Reporting To: Senior PROGRAM MANAGER 

Introduction

The Freedom Fund is committed to the safety and protection of the communities we serve and upholding their right to live free from violence, abuse and exploitation. The organization recognizes the risks faced by children and adults in vulnerable circumstances and the difficulties they may face in reporting the harm they experience. 

The Freedom Fund is seeking a highly skilled safeguarding specialist or team, with experience in developing and implementing organizational safeguarding policies and reporting and response procedures. The aim of this consultancy is to build the safeguarding capacity of the Freedom Fund’s implementing partners in Nepal and support them to develop community led response mechanisms.  The consultant will also support the partners to develop maps of services for the communities they work with. 

Background and overview of The Freedom Fund

The Freedom Fund (www.freedomfund.org) is a leader in the global movement to end modern slavery. It:

• Invests in those countries and sectors with the greatest incidence of slavery.
• Analyses which interventions work best and shares that knowledge.
• Brings together a community of activists committed to ending slavery and empowered by the knowledge of how best to do so.
• Generates funding by demonstrating how effective interventions can protect those at risk of being enslaved and free those in slavery.

The Freedom Fund works to combat many different forms of extreme exploitation, including forced labour, sex trafficking, forced marriage, and the worst forms of child labour. The Fund operates anti-slavery programs in Ethiopia, India, Nepal, Thailand and Myanmar and began new programs in Brazil, Indonesia and Bangladesh in 2021. 

The Freedom Fund’s Work in Nepal

The Freedom Fund’s hotspot program in Nepal is working to bring an end to agricultural bonded labour. Some 400,000 people are estimated to be in agricultural bonded labour across Nepal, with families trapped in exploitative labour relationships to repay debt which may be passed down through several generations.

The three largest groups affected are the Harawa-Charawa, Haliya and Kamaiya between whom there has been limited interaction despite many of the challenges being shared. Working with local organisations, the hotspot supports the Harawa-Charawa bonded labourers in Province 2, the Haliya in Province 7 and the Kamaiya in Province 5. Although the government of Nepal has officially ‘freed’ the Haliya and Kamaiya bonded labourers, many failed to access government rehabilitation schemes while a lack of alternative work means that the groups remain highly vulnerable to falling back into bonded labour. The hotspot aims to reduce the prevalence of agricultural bonded labour across Nepal through mobilising a national survivor-led movement, ensuring the government has a robust legal and policy framework and building the resilience of these communities to bring themselves out of bondage.

Scope of Work 

The consultant is required to undertake the following activities on behalf of the Freedom Fund. 

1. Assess eight implementing partners’ safeguarding framework including policies and procedures. 

2. Develop a Safeguarding Action Plan for each partner to ensure they meet the Freedom Fund’s minimum standards.

3. Support the appointment of one Safeguarding Focal Point for each partner NGO.

4. Work directly with each partner to develop the policies and procedures required in the Action Plan.

5. In close collaboration with the Freedom Fund’s Safeguarding Manager, design a training curriculum for all partner staff. Topics will include (but not limited to):

• Creating a safeguarding framework (policies and code of conduct)
• Creating safe programs and conducting risk assessments
• Importance and purpose of community feedback mechanisms 
• How to design a feedback mechanism
• Receiving disclosures using Psychological First Aid
• How to conduct safeguarding investigation

6. Support each partner to hold consultative meetings with communities to identify safeguarding risks and design appropriate mechanisms for reporting

7. Work with each partner and the Freedom Fund team to develop reporting and response mechanisms including tailored training on investigations

8. Support the development of a safeguarding M&E system for each partner and develop a map of services

9. Follow up on the implementation of safeguarding framework and feedback mechanisms

10. Ongoing coaching support based on each partner needs until end of the contract

Key Deliverables

DELIVERABLES

 February 2022 (Proposed Time )

• Desk review of Freedom Fund safeguarding policies and program documents 

March – April 2022 (Proposed Time )

• Assessment of eight implementing partners’ safeguarding policies, procedures and capabilities

              -Assessment reports shared with the Freedom Fund

              -Action plans developed with each partner and shared with the Freedom Fund

May 2022 (Proposed Time )

• Revision of partners’ safeguarding framework and policies

May 2022 (Proposed Time )

• Develop a training curriculum for all partners

June- July 2022  (Proposed Time )

• Safeguarding training package delivered to partner organizations

August 2022 (Proposed Time )

• Support each partner to design and implement community feedback mechanisms

September 2022 (Proposed Time )

• Establish a system for regular monitoring of implementation of partners’ safeguarding framework

Eligibility

Both individual consultants and organisations specialising in capacity building/technical assistance are welcome to apply. Organisations and consultants must be based in Nepal.

Proposal and Budget

Budget

The Freedom Fund has budgeted approximately USD 20,000 for this project. Budgets will be reviewed with respect to the strength of the proposal in meeting the project objectives in a cost-effective manner, we do not simply prioritise the lowest budget.

As part of the proposal, please prepare a brief budget in USD with the following breakdown:

•  Personnel cost
•  Precautions for covid-19 (such as personal protective equipment, infrared thermometers, etc.)
•  Other direct costs to implement deliverables in table above (such as training and meeting costs, travel and accommodation, etc.)
•  Overheads
•  VAT and other taxes, if applicable

Proposal format

Interested parties should prepare a proposal of no more than 3 pages plus annexes. Proposals should contain the following sections:

• Short biography of consultant/key team members, outlining relevant subject matter expertise and prior experience leading similar projects. 
• High-level work plan included estimated number of days for key project phases and deliverables.
• Proposed budget in USD.
• CVs of key staff may be included in the annexes. 

The proposal must be written in English and sent electronically in Microsoft Word or PDF format.

Qualifications and Experience

The successful candidate will have: 

Essential

• Degree in social sciences, social work, human rights and preferably with a focus on protection/ child protection/ child rights. Relevant experience would compensate for educational background.
• Experience designing and implementing comprehensive safeguarding systems for aid/humanitarian organizations. 
• Understanding of international best practice on safeguarding. 
• Experience designing and implementing referral pathways and confidential incident reporting systems within Nepal. 
• Demonstrable experience in providing capacity building support to local organizations. 
• Ability to form good working relationships with survivor groups, local grantee partners and colleagues based outside of Nepal at Freedom Fund HQ. 
• Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly to frontline partners.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to engage appropriately with partners’ staff across various job functions. 
• Excellent written and verbal communications in English and Nepali. 
• Experience using participatory methods to facilitate inclusive community discussion. 
• Ability to take initiative and work independently.

Desirable

• Prior experience working on issues/and with people who have experienced bonded labour, forced labour or human trafficking; experience working with survivors of violence, gender discrimination and marginalized populations.
• Familiarity working in project implementation areas in Provinces 2, 5 and 7. 

Location

• The successful candidate will be required to travel to Provinces, 2, 5 and 7 to support the eight partner organizations and local communities in our project locations. 

Application procedure

Proposals including a high-level work plan and budget should be submitted in English (maximum three pages).

Please send applications by email using Microsoft Word or PDF format to [email protected], including ‘Safeguarding Consultancy – Nepal’ in the subject line by 9am GMT Friday 28th January 2022. 

Please note that only candidates selected for further consideration will be contacted. No phone calls please. No agencies please.

The Freedom Fund is an equal opportunities employer. We value the strength of a diverse workforce and encourage applications from people with disabilities, Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds and the LGBT+ community. Applicants must be eligible to work in Nepal. 

The Freedom Fund is committed to the importance of meaningful survivor inclusion and leadership. As such, particular consideration will be given to applicants with lived experience of trafficking and/or forced labour. 

The Freedom Fund prioritizes Safeguarding. As part of our commitment to the protection of children and vulnerable people in our work, any offer of employment with the Freedom Fund will be subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks to ensure we recruit only those who are suitable to work with children and vulnerable persons. These checks include Disclosure and Barring Service and/or International Criminal Records Checks, satisfactory references, proof of eligibility to work in the national location of this role and checks against the Office of Foreign Assets Control data list (OFAC] which highlights any connections to terrorism or trafficking. Any offer of employment or consultancy with The Freedom Fund will only be made following both successful background checks being conducted on the applicant and upon receipt of satisfactory pre-employment checks by former employers. Such checks may be updated periodically during the course of the period of employment or consultancy. By submitting a formal application, you agree to the Freedom Fund carrying out these checks.