Home-based: Child Protection and Humanitarian Diplomacy

Background Information on Plan International: 

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. 

We believe in the power and potential of every child but know this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it is girls who are most affected. Working together with children, young people, supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges girls and vulnerable children face. 

We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood and we enable children to prepare for and respond to crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.

For over 85 years, we have rallied other determined optimists to transform the lives of all children in more than 80 countries.

We won’t stop until we are all equal.

Read more about Plan International's Global Strategy: Girls Standing Strong at https://plan-international.org/strategy

Plan International has been an active Steering Committee member of the Alliance for Child
Protection in Humanitarian Action (the Alliance) since its founding in 2016. Plan International currently co-leads the Child Protection Minimum Standards and Learning and Development Working Groups, under the Alliance, and has been providing extensive support to the Alliance’s advocacy efforts as well as the Annual Meetings across the years.

Background: 

Against the backdrop of a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian environment, marked by shrinking humanitarian space, increasing violations against children, and declining funding for protection, humanitarian diplomacy has emerged as a key priority for the Alliance. In this context, programming alone is no longer sufficient to achieve sustainable child protection outcomes. There is a growing need for child protection actors to influence the broader political, legal, and operational conditions that shape risks to children, including through humanitarian diplomacy, advocacy, and policy engagement.

Plan International, on behalf of the Alliance, will implement an initiative which will examine and define how child protection actors can more intentionally and strategically engage in humanitarian diplomacy – both directly as well as through strategic partnerships – and how the role of child protection actors can be strengthened to support ongoing diplomacy efforts.

Requirements (to be met in full):

1. Conduct Research & Analysis on Humanitarian Diplomacy and Child Protection

The research will combine a desk review with key informant interviews with key actors engaged in humanitarian diplomacy and child protection. The desk review should include grey literature (including NGO and UN reports, evaluations, situation reports, assessments, policy briefs, and other resources as relevant) on humanitarian diplomacy for child protection outcomes. Key informant interviews with relevant stakeholders will be conducted to capture learning relevant to humanitarian diplomacy, with a specific focus on the use of humanitarian diplomacy for child protection outcomes.

The focus of the research and analysis should be the following:

• Define conceptual foundations: review key definitions, underlying principles, concepts and frameworks relevant for humanitarian diplomacy, define their relevance to child protection in humanitarian action, define linkages between humanitarian diplomacy and child protection, explore how humanitarian diplomacy supports child protection outcomes and vice-versa - particularly in reducing violence, advancing access, protecting civilians and securing resources (i.e., CRC, humanitarian principles, Paris Principles, UNSC resolutions on CAAC).
• Map humanitarian diplomacy spaces and the different categories of actors present within
  them, so that child protection actors can better understand their roles, potential influence, and how to engage with them effectively and strategically when opportunities
  arise.
• Identify existing practices: how humanitarian diplomacy (public and private) is being used to advocate for child protection, how child protection actors leverage diplomacy to advance child protection outcomes, what specific types of humanitarian diplomacy efforts and approaches have been more successful in supporting child protection outcomes, what lessons can be drawn from these to help inform future humanitarian diplomacy efforts.
• Identify risks and ethical considerations: what risks and ethical considerations child protection actors engaging in humanitarian diplomacy need to consider (i.e. access, humanitarian principles, reputation) and how these can be managed.
• Identify competencies needed for humanitarian diplomacy on child protection and capacity-strengthening gaps within the child protection sector.

2. Develop a Background Information Paper on Humanitarian Diplomacy for Child Protection Outcomes

The background information paper will include findings from the research, as well as practical recommendations for child protection actors to support humanitarian diplomacy for child
protection outcomes, including competencies needed, humanitarian diplomacy positioning,
opportunities to engage in humanitarian diplomacy and strategic partnerships. 

The contracted party shall deliver the expected outputs mainly through remote and desk-based work.

Management Arrangements: 

The contracted party will be identified and contracted by Plan Global Hub. Plan Global Hub will be responsible for overall management of the contract. The Global Child Protection in Humanitarian Action & Humanitarian Policy, Advocacy and Diplomacy Units at Plan International will provide technical oversight and support to the contracted party and support progress on deliverables, in coordination with the Alliance Director.

Qualifications: 

• Significant practical experience of advocacy and humanitarian diplomacy in complex
  crisis settings.
• Demonstrated experience in conducting research studies, policy analysis, or relevant evaluations for humanitarian organisations.
• Significant understanding of the international humanitarian system, relevant policy issues, and dynamics between NGOs, the United Nations, Red Cross-Red Crescent movement and nation states.
• Excellent qualitative research and analysis skills and an ability to translate research into
  concise and practical recommendations.
• Very strong communication and presentation skills and fluency or very strong command
  of English and at least another language between French, Spanish and Arabic.
• Proven ability to handle sensitive and confidential information appropriately.
• Verbal and written French, Spanish or Arabic is an asset.

How to Apply:  

Offers must be received before the deadline specified in the “Request for Quotations”

The offer must be sent via email to Procurement@plan-international.org.

With the subject line ‘RFQ FY26-214 Child Protection and Humanitarian Diplomacy’.