Kenya: Safeguarding Consultant

The Freedom Fund is seeking a highly skilled Safeguarding Specialist, with experience in developing and implementing organizational safeguarding policies and reporting/response procedures. The aim of this consultancy is to build the capacity on Safeguarding of the Kenyan Freedom Fund implementing partners staring with two partners based in Busia County. This work builds on the recommendations coming out of the due diligence conducted on the Freedom Fund’s new Kenyan partners in May 2023.

Kenya Hotspot Program: 

Using our innovative hotspot model, we bring together strategically aligned networks of antislavery NGOs in high prevalence areas worldwide to amplify the capacity, impact, and influence of frontline partners. In December 2022, the Freedom Fund introduced the Kenya Hotspot Program, which specifically focuses on addressing child domestic servitude within the larger child labour context.

The Hotspot Program aims to address the invisibility of Child Domestic Workers (CDWs) in Kenya and bring about significant changes in their realities. A recent formative assessment conducted by the African Institute of Childhood Studies, in partnership with the Freedom Fund found that the informality of child domestic work means it is often overlooked – literally invisible to the society - and framed as an acceptable way for children to ‘help’ their families. Yet, like other forms of child labour, it is exploitative, harming children’s well-being and longterm development.

In response, the Kenya hotspot program seeks to combat exploitative and abusive child domestic work, which refers to children’s work in the domestic work sector in the home of a third party or employer. The overarching goal is to create an empowered collective of child domestic workers, their allies, civic organisations, and government institutions with strengthened capacity to transition communities away from child domestic work (CDW) and to protect children in domestic work from abuse and exploitation.

The program will be centred around four key objectives: strengthening child-centred advocacy on domestic work, strengthening, and broadening the reach of survivor-centred services for children in domestic work and child survivors of domestic work, increasing economic resilience amongst at-risk households and communities and strengthening the policy framework.

The Kenya Hotspot Program is set to be implemented in Nairobi, Kisumu, Busia, and Kakamega for the next three years.

About the Consultancy: 

The scope of the consultancy will depend on how soon a Safeguarding consultant can be recruited in Kenya and his/her capacity. Ideally, to ensure partners ownership of the process, we would like locally funded partners to lead on the development of a Safeguarding capacity building plan, with technical oversight from the consultant and the Freedom Fund Safeguarding Manager.

Freedom Fund aims to engage a consultant to support partners’ organisation in creating safeguarding capacity and procedures in programme management, to ensure all programme and policy staff have the capacity to design and deliver on their initiatives, to the highest standards of safeguarding and minimum standards in protection.

The consultancy is anticipated to span from September to December 2023, lasting a minimum of 20 days and up to a maximum of 30 days (detailed breakdown provided below). While the preferred location for the role is Nairobi, the consultant will be required to travel frequently to Busia to provide support to the two partners. Additionally, some work might be conducted remotely from Nairobi.

Key Deliverables: 

The consultant will work in close collaboration with the Safeguarding and Programmes teams to effectively deliver against the requirements below. The scope of work will focus on the following areas:

1. Revise the 2 implementing partners’ Safeguarding Framework and related procedures in line with the recommendations based on Freedom Fund safeguarding standards, including the development of Freedom Fund partners’ standards and liaison with staff on, for example, the safeguarding policy. [6 days]
2. Support partners to localize the global FF Safeguarding Policy and related procedures such as a reporting and response system (including safeguarding register) for staff and programs’ participants, ideally with the London Safeguarding Manager and in country Program Advisor [up to 6 days]
3. Follow up on the implementation of the policy and safeguarding framework [up to 4 days]
4. Training package for all staff of both partners in safeguarding essentials and policy with a specific focus on safe programming and risks assessment [2 days for preparation/4 days training for both partners]
5. Mentoring 1:1 with each partner based on needs [up to 8 days]

The expected outcomes will be finalized in collaboration with the selected consultant but are likely to include:

• Inception meeting with the Freedom Fund and the two partners to discuss and agree the scope of work
• Revised partners’ safeguarding framework and related procedures
• Designing of training package with the FF Safeguarding Team and successful delivery of the training to both partners.

Essential Requirements: 

• Degree in social sciences, social work, human rights and preferably with a focus on protection/ child protection/ child rights. Relevant experience would compensate for lack of educational background
• Experience designing and implementing comprehensive safeguarding systems for aid/humanitarian organisations
• Understanding of international best practice on safeguarding
• Experience designing and implementing referral pathways and risks assessment within the Kenya context • Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly to partners
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to engage appropriately with partners’ staff across various job functions
• The person or firm engaged will be expected to have worked with safeguarding, protection, child protection and gender in both development and emergency settings.
• Fluent in English & Kiswahili

Desirable: 

• Previous knowledge of the Freedom Fund an asset
• Knowledge of child labour in the Busia region
• Based in any of the mentioned locations
• Good written and fluent spoken English

BID Requirements: 

Budget:

We anticipate proposals in the range of 10,000 – 15,000 USD, inclusive of travel costs. Please note however that travel costs will be reimbursed based on actual costs. Budgets will be reviewed with respect to the strength of the proposal in meeting the project objectives in a cost-effective manner.

Interested consultants or firms are requested to submit:

• An expression of interest detailing their interpretation of the TOR and work schedule
• A detailed budget for proposed costs including all taxes liable to be paid, transport, per diem costs and translations’ costs
• A capability statement demonstrating how they meet the required qualifications and competencies • Copy of Curriculum Vitae per each consultant(s) (CV).
• N/B: The entire bid should be a MAXIMUM OF SEVEN (7) pages including the budget.

How to Apply: 

If you believe you qualify for this post and you are the candidate(s) that we are looking for, please submit your applications as per the bid requirements in English by submitting proposals to Freedom Fund Safeguarding Manager: lcuzzuol@freedomfund.org