Call for Consultancy at Catholic Relief Services 94 views0 applications

Call for Consultancy

Terms of Reference Linkages to Temporary Foster Care Consultancy CRS Uganda

1. Purpose

This Terms of Reference (TOR) outlines the activities and deliverables for the recruitment of a Consultant to support the Keeping Children in Healthy and Protective Families (KCHPF) Project. This consultancy is designed to meet a key child safeguarding deliverable by supporting the development of a strategy to effectively link children to temporary foster care. The maximum duration of this consultancy is a maximum of 20 days over a period of one month, starting September 25, 2017 and running through October 30, 2017.

1. Project Background

4Children is a five-year USAID‐funded project implemented by a consortium of organizations led by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) with partners IntraHealth, Maestral International, Pact, Plan and Westat. 4Children is designed to improve health and wellbeing outcomes for OVC affected by HIV and AIDS and other adversities. 4Children’s work utilizes global evidence establishing that HIV and other adversities are best prevented and addressed when families and children have access to both high quality health and social welfare services. The project supports systems and structures at country and regional levels to implement evidence-based interventions that protect against risk, interrupt cycles of vulnerability, and build pathways to resilience leading to an AIDS Free Generation and contribute to overall improvements in quality of life and productivity for vulnerable children and their families.

Within this larger 4Children initiative, the KCHPF Project is as an operational research project funded by USAID/Displaced Children and Orphans Fund (DCOF). KCHPF supports the reintegration of approximately 640 children living in residential care back into family-based care in order to evaluate the impact of a package of family support interventions on successful reintegration. The package which is being tested includes reintegration case management support, a cash grant, and a parenting training intervention.

While preparing for the safe and sustainable reintegration of children, the project is also linking to existing child protection mechanisms, including temporary foster care. There is a need to ensure that the existing structures and practices are mapped and engaged, and that the project’s strategy for foster care referrals is one that is generally accepted and driven by the community with full support and leadership of the government.

III. Objectives

The Linkages to Foster Care Consultant will work closely with the 4Children Senior Technical Advisor for Child Protection, the 4Children Project Director and consortium partners to lead a consultative process with government and civil society to gather information regarding existing mechanisms for temporary foster care in the three identified districts. S/he will also conduct a desk review of the national guidelines and standards regarding foster care in Uganda to inform KCHPF practices. Finally, s/he will draft a project-level strategy to enable the project to utilize existing foster care options, and/or provide support to strengthen and/or increase accessibility of these services.

1. Activities

The following outlines key activities that will be undertaken over the consultancy:

1. Desk review of existing policies, guidelines, and standards for foster care, together with relevant child protection and alternative care guidance.
2. Stakeholder consultations including but not limited to: (a) Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD) (b) Probation and Social Welfare Officers operating in the respective districts; (c) existing foster care networks; (d) Representatives from the Police’s Child and Family Protection Units, and (3) Faith-based organizations intervening in this area.
3. Analysis of the rapid mapping exercise which included foster care options in the three districts to include the number of foster care providers, level of training provided/needed, and capacity for referrals.
4. Draft recommendations to inform KCHPF’s strategy for securing temporary foster care – including recommendations to strengthen and supporting existing GOU initiatives.
5. Draft the KCHPF strategy for ensuring beneficiary linkages to temporary foster care, as needed for child safeguarding.

1. Deliverables

The consultant is expected to produce the deliverables outlined below. Deadlines may be subject to change based on internal or external factors and in such cases new deadlines will be agreed upon between the 4Children Senior Technical Advisor, 4Children Project Director and the consultant:

Deliverable

Timeline / Deadline

1. Desk review of existing policies, guidelines, and standards for foster care, together with relevant child protection and alternative care guidance.

Within three (3) days of signing the consultant contract

1. Draft tool to guide stakeholder consultations.

Within three (3) days of signing the consultant contract

1. Report of stakeholder consultations with analysis of the mapping findings.

Within nine (9) days of signing the consultant contract

1. Draft recommendations to inform KCHPF’s strategy for securing temporary foster care – including recommendations to strengthen and supporting existing GOU initiatives.

Within 11 days of singing the consultant contract

1. Draft KCHPF strategy for ensuring temporary foster care and present to KCHPF team for feedback and input.

Within 14 days of signing the consultant contract

1. Finalize strategy incorporating feedback and develop workplan outlining next steps.

Within three (3) days of submitting the first draft

1. Timeframe

September 25, 2017 to October 30, 2017, up to a maximum of 20 days.

VII. Qualifications

• A Master’s degree in Social Work, Public Health, Community Development, or a related field. At a minimum, a University degree in Social Work is required.
• 5+ years of program experience in child protection, ideally working in the alternative care sector in Uganda or East Africa.
• Demonstrated knowledge and technical capacity in child protection programming including an understanding of the issues facing separated children and families in vulnerable contexts.
• Demonstrated ability to network effectively with high-level stakeholders in government, civil society, and umbrella organizations to promote synergies and collaboration.
• Strong critical thinking and organizational skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English required.
• Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office suite, including Word and PowerPoint.

VIII. Daily rate and payment

Daily rate will be agreed upon between the consultant and CRS and paid as outlined in the final consultancy agreement.

1. Background documents to share

• KCHPF Project Description
• Data from Fit Families Mapping

How to apply:

HOW TO APPLY:

Please Submit Technical and Financial Proposals To; [email protected] by October 1^st, 2017.

Only selected candidates that meet the requirements will be notified. EOE/M/F/D/V**