ChildFund is hiring a
Consultant’s Terms of Reference for Review of Program Partner Engagement Approach and Systems
Selection Criteria for Consultant
ChildFund Australia is seeking a consultant with knowledge and experience in partnership brokering, partnership management, engagement with government and CSOs, change management, international development (preferably in the Asia-Pacific) and Australian DFAT ANCP Accreditation.
The Consultant must be available for distance and face-to-face meetings, as necessary.
The Expression of Interest should include resume, referees, proposal containing competence for the required work, professional fee, approaches/methodologies and timeline based on the Terms of Reference.
PDF Version of the Consultant's Terms of Reference is available on the ChildFund Australia website.
Submit CV and proposal by 9AM AEST, Monday 12 December 2022 via Bamboo HR.
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 vulnerable children and young people, in all their diversity, to assert and
realise their rights.
Our vision is a world without poverty where all children and young people can say: “I am safe. I am
educated. I contribute. I have a future.”
ChildFund Australia directly manages and implements programs with a range of local partners in
Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and other Pacific nations, and
manages projects delivered by partner organisations throughout Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Our
work is funded through child and community sponsorship, government grants as well as donations
from individuals, trusts and foundations, and corporate organisations.
ChildFund Australia is a member of the ChildFund Alliance – a global network of 11 organisations
which assists almost 23 million children and their families 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
ChildFund Australia forms program partnerships with organisations in countries where we work to
deliver on our strategy and create community and systems change which enables vulnerable
children and young people, in all their diversity, to assert and realise their rights. We believe that
partnerships are essential to achieve transformational change at national and international levels, as
well as achieving success in delivering strategy at the sub-national level and community level project
delivery.
Working in partnership enhances our capacity to realise children’s rights and improves the
effectiveness, sustainability and reach of the programs, projects and emergency responses we
support. Partnerships harness existing knowledge and expertise, enhance the capacity for
community needs to be met locally and promote transparency and accountability.
ChildFund Australia’s ambition is that our approach to program partnerships aligns with our
commitment to localisation. ChildFund Australia recognises that a long-term partnership approach is
usually required to effectively support local actors to strengthen their capacity to respond to the
needs of children and communities, take a greater leadership role and ensure their sustainability.
ChildFund Australia believes that partnership can be charaterised by:
• Shared vision and values;
• Complementarity of purpose and value-add;
• Autonomy and independence;
• Transparency and mutual accountability;
• Clarity on roles and responsibilities;
• Commitment to joint learning; and
• A commitment to long-term collaboration
3. Purpose
Localisation and partnerships are central to ChildFund Australia strategic direction for 2022-2025. To
be able to deliver on these commitments, ChildFund Australia will embark on examining and
updating its procedures and systems as they relate to partnerships so that they are aligned to
localisation principles and practices. A secondary focus will be on improving efficiencies. The findings
and recommendations of this review will guide the Executive Team in making decisions about
putting in place appropriate systems and procedures commensurate with the types of partners and
nature of partnerships and will take a risk-based approach, recognising the varied nature of our
partnership portfolio.
4. Scope of Evaluation
The Consultant will:
• Critically assess if the current Partner Engagement policy and approaches used are the right ones
needed to achieve localisation commitments in line with the seven dimensions of localisation:
funding and financing; participation revolution; relationships quality; capacity; coordination;
visibility; and policy.
• Conduct a review of systems and procedures employed through the life of the partnership and
across the different partnership categories, including the below areas. Significant work has
already been done by ChildFund to identify barriers, challenges and gaps in these areas, and
associated documentation will be shared with the Consultant from the outset to guide and help
prioritise this process.
o Program partner engagement approach and systems
o Partner due diligence and selection of partners
o Fraud Awareness and Corruption Prevention
o Counter-terrorism and Anti-money laundering
o Procurement obligations
o Risk Management
o Child Safeguarding
o Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH)
o Gender, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) in programming
o Approach to partner capacity strengthening
• Recommend how systems and procedures could be modified and streamlined, while maintaining
good practice and bringing about the intended outcomes and impact. The intention is that
recommendations result in changes that improve our partnership practices, however any
recommendations need to be cognisant of ChildFund Australia’s compliance commitments
under the ACFID Code of Conduct and DFAT’s ANGO Accreditation. Proposed risk mitigation
measures against any relevant recommendations that may challenge these commitments should
be included.
• Guide the Executive Team and other key actors in partnership engagement to revise/update the
partner engagement systems appropriate to the various type of partners and the nature of
partnership across all aspects of ChildFund Australia’s work.
5. Methodology
The Consultant’s work is based in Australia and will entail desk review of relevant policy and
procedures, research documents, as well as interviews with key groups such as the Executive Team,
Country Office Leadership Team, Head of Finance and Compliance in Sydney, Country and Regional
Offices, Finance Business Partner – Grants and Compliance, Child Protection Advisor, GEDSI Advisor,
Partnership Advisor and focal points in partner organisations, Country Offices and regional teams.
The Consultant will also bring into this review knowledge of other ANGOs/INGOs systems and best
practices that help advance localisation principles and practices.
6. Deliverables and Indicative Timetable
Note that this is subject to negotiation with the Consultant
Indicative dates/Outputs and Activities/(Number of
contract days)
15 November –15 December 2022
• Recruitment of consultant (including advertisement, interviews
and reference check)
18 December 2022
• Signing of contract
9-11 January 2023 (5 Days)
• Rapid review of documents, initial consultation needed to
produce an inception report, preparation of inception report
• Consultant to submit the inception report (this includes initial
understanding of issues and methodology and timeframe)
18 January 2023
• ChildFund Australia to approve inception report
23 January – 10 February 2023 (15 Days)
• Consultant to conduct desk review and interviews; write report
• Consultant to submit draft 1 report
15 February 2023 (0.5 Days)
• Consultant to validate and present key findings and
recommendations in the draft report to the Executive Team,
Country Office Leadership Team and other relevant
management and staff
• ChildFund Australia to provide verbal feedback on the report
17 February
• ChildFund Australia to provide written feedback on the report
21 February 2023 (2 Days)
• Consultant to prepare and submit draft 2 report 2 days
22 February 2023 (1.5 Days)
• Consultant to present draft 2 report and recommendations to
ChildFund Australia Executive Team
23-24 February 2023
• Consultant to prepare and submit the final report 2 days
March 2023
• ChildFund Australia teams to work on any subsequent
revisions to systems and processes system
March 2023 (5 non-consecutive days)
• Consultant to provide technical support and review of any
subsequent revisions/updates to systems and processes (while
the above is being done)
Total number of days: 31 days
7. Management and Reporting Arrangement
The Consultant will report to the Deputy CEO, Operations (Adrian Graham) and the Global Programs
Director, Mekong & Grants (Sarah Hunt). In addition, the Consultant will work closely with the
Partnerships Advisor (Rouena Clemente-Getigan) and the Finance Business Partner – Grants &
Compliance (Siobhan Cowell). All reports must be written in English and provided in an electronic
format (Microsoft Word). In addition, the Consultant will also make oral presentations to the
Executive Team, Country Office Leadership Team and other relevant management and staff as per
the above schedule.
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 endeavors 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 (see Child Safeguarding Policy/Child Safeguarding
Code of Conduct PSEAH policy and Employee Code of Conduct). ChildFund Australia has a zerotolerance 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 counterterrorism 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 Sanction’s List 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 Awareness and Corruption Prevention 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 including (without limitation) travel insurance.
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.