TOR for the consultant to co-create a project training manuals and materials, provide thematic Child Sexual Exploitations and Abuse (CSEA) prevention and education expertise and guidance, design and implement trainings for professionals and for children

Terms of reference/Job description for the consultant

to co-create a project training manuals and materials, provide thematic Child Sexual Exploatation and Abuse (CSEA) prevention and education expertise and guidance, design and implement trainings for the professionals and for children

1.        Introduction

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In the North-West Balkans and around the world, we work every day to give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. When crisis strikes and children are most vulnerable, we are always among the first to respond and the last to leave. We ensure children’s unique needs are met, and their voices are heard.  We deliver lasting results for millions of children, including those hardest to reach. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share.

Save the Children (SC) is the world’s leading independent organization for children. SC vision is a world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation. SC mission is to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives.

In the North West Balkans Region, SC strives to improve child rights situation in general and especially in the areas of education, child rights governance, protection of children from all forms of violence and emergencies. In all of the mentioned areas SC aims at providing professional and financial support to partners. Since 2000, SC in the North West Balkans (SCNWB), based in Sarajevo,  has programming in the Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Serbia and in Montenegro and it supports implementation of regional initiatives in the region of South East Europe.

2.        Background and Rationale

Child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA) is harmful to a child in both the short and long term.

With the scale of the global problem, it is recognized that preventing CSEA demands cooperation among state actors, civil society, and others. One important aspect of the prevention efforts is ensuring professionals working with children have the skills and knowledge to educate and guide children and education provided directly to children.

The prevention programmes are considered as an important contribution for a resilient and effective

approach to fight against child sexual exploitation both in the cyberspace and offline, and to raise main

stakeholders’ awareness to the issue.

To protect children from all kinds of sexual exploitation, violence, abuse and harassment both online and offline, a comprehensive and strategic approach is required. Children should be taught to recognize sexual violence, abuse and harassment, to enhance their own capacities to recognise possible risks, and to be familiar with the help and support services. Ensuring that children have the skills and knowledge to express their sexuality in an age-appropriate and safe manner and to protect themselves from CSEA is crucial. Children then can voice their concerns and abusive experiences, ensuring that they receive appropriate and holistic support services.

Children need to receive the information and guidance they need through ensuring consistent training of professionals who are in contact with children. Since professionals still find it uncomfortable to speak with children about sexual violence, training and resources to support them in this task would be important.

3.        Objective

Sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children constitute major violation of fundamental rights and in particular of children rights to protection and care necessary for their well-being, as it is stated in the UNHCR Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The project intervention Child Sexual Abuse Prevention and Education (CSAPE) purpose and goals are devoted to improving the capacity of professionals working with children to be aware of and able to address the topic of CSEA with children and to support the children in acquiring awareness, skills and knowledge of safety, their bodies and sex.

Improving the prevention of CSEA by raising the awareness of parents of young children and increasing their skills about addressing sexual topics with their children to promote the prevention of abuse are also important components of CSAPE project intervention

Save the Children in the North West Balkans seeks a consultant (from now on: The Consultant) to provide thematic Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (CSEA) prevention and education expertise and guidance and to design and implement online trainings for the professionals who work with children on the topics related to:  Sexual rights;  Right for information, right to be protected against violence and Social and cultural determinants of sexuality

The development and the implementation of this assignment is expected to be completed between March 2023 and November 2024 in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

4.        Expected outputs 

·        Developed tailored design document and implementation plan related to the consultant task(s)

·        Training manuals and materials on  Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (CSEA) prevention and education related to the following specific topics: Sexual rights; Human Body; Connection to others and yourself; Boundaries and consent and Child sexual abuse and child sexual abuse material.

·        Design and implement at least 10 online one-day trainings for 500 professionals who work with children such as teachers, psychologist, pedagogues, professors, social workers, health care professionals, law enforcement professionals, associates in civil society organizations.

·        Organized online training for professionals who work with children and are in contact with children

·        Organized follow-up online workshops with trained professionals aimed at development of plan for implementation of trainings with children

·        Mentoring of professionals during the process of implementation of the trainings with children

·        Reporting – prepared and submitted reports, in English and local languages, as follows:

-        Report on Training program/modules development, including developed documents

-        Report on conducted training with professionals

-        Report on mentoring process

-        Final report, including overview of whole process; main achievements, challenges, lessons learned and recommendations.

5.  Timeframe and methodology

In order to complete the above-specified tasks, the Consultant will be engaged from April 10, 2023 to November 30, 2024.

The Consultant will develop and implement the work plan in consultations and with the support of SCINWB designated staff, in line with the proposed timeframe below.

*Timeframe can be changed in consultations with SCINWB.

The engaged consultant will be tasked with developing a detailed plan and implementing agreed activities, in collaboration with SCiNWB  and CSAPE project Consortium partner organisations also.

   6. Funding and logistical support and organisations

Funding will be provided by Save the Children in North West Balkans.

The Consultant will design and implement the task in accordance with this ToR and consultation and support from relevant SCiNWB staff.

Responsibilities and duties of the Consultant:

•        The Consultant will be in contact with Save the Children staff throughout the process, regularly updating the process (on a weekly basis) and seeking information and guidance when needed.

•        The Consultant is responsible for developing a document/training modules and plan for implementation of the trainings for professionals

•        The Consultant will include feedback received from Save the Children and CSAPE project Consortium partner organizations in the final version of the said document, where appropriate.

•        The Consultant will develop the training program and agenda

•        The Consultant will organize follow-up online workshops with professionals training participants

•        The Consultant will provide mentoring and support professionals in implementation of trainings with children in the field

•        The Consultant will abide by the timing of the agreed consultancy work.

•        The Consultant will produce a final report about all activities implemented, and outputs developed in local and English language.

  7.Qualifications and Specialized Knowledge/Experience Required 

Minimum expertise and skills an Consultant must possess:

·        Expertise in the prevention of child sexual abuse, sexual education, pedagogy

·        Strong background in Childhood Studies/Rights of the Child/Child Protection/Law

·        A longstanding experience as expert and trainer - years of proven experience in the field of capacity building for professionals 

·        At least five years of domestic and/or regional experience in implementing similar tasks

·        Experience in direct work with professionals from government institutions and local civil society organizations will be considered a definitive asset

·        Good knowledge of present context in BiH;

·        Good knowledge of English language

8. Budget

The Consultant should indicate the amounts of fees and costs of the services it expects in the engagement, with currency. All budget items should be clearly described, explaining how they fit into the proposed methodology and work plan. It is mandatory to indicate the names of budget items as well as specific budget lines within the proposed budget.

Note* - Consultant should take into account travel, food and accommodations, and all other expenses related to their tasks as they will not be reimbursed.

9. Selection criteria

Save the Children will engage an experienced, independent third-party Consultant  to co-create a project training manuals and materials, provide thematic Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (CSEA) prevention and education expertise and guidance, design and implement trainings for the professionals and for children

The third-party Consultant will:

1. Be financially and legally separate from Save the Children and partner organizations
2. Have staff with demonstrated knowledge, skills, and experience in conducting consultancy in area of child protection interventions
3. Provide an outline for the training material, provide thematic Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (CSEA) prevention and education expertise and guidance, design and implement trainings for the professionals and for children, , and schedules prior to initiating the consultancy tasks considering the following guidelines:

a.         Methodological approach

b.         Budget

c.          Curriculum Vitae with a detailed summary of the consultancy / projects conducted previously for individuals/companies. If the consultancy was done for a company/organization, please include a profile of such company/organization

d.         A minimum of two letters of reference from organizations with which it/s/he has conducted previous consulting work

Save the Children will make the award to the Bidder whose proposal provides the best value, considering both technical and cost factors. Technical and cost factors will be evaluated relative to each other, as described herein. The technical evaluation factors, taken as a whole, are of greater importance than cost or price in determining the best value.

Bidders should note these criteria:

(1) serve as the standard against which all proposals will be evaluated, and

(2) serve to identify the significant matters which Bidders should address in their proposals.

The proposal submitted will be the primary document upon which each Bidder will be evaluated. 

Save the Children reserves the right to waive any minor or technical defects or irregularities and reserves the right to reject any or all bids.

Save the Children emphasizes that all the accompanying costs of the process of evaluation and implementation of the engagement (travel costs, accommodation, etc.) should be included in the offer.

Candidates interested in the engagement should send their bids to Procurement.NWB@savethechildren.org no later than April 4 , 2023. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Please find enclosed link for application: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1wFjsKb0_e4TKE6R1jE2V0Pd-cZ9e0zZc?usp=share_link

Special requirement:

No person working on any task for or on behalf of Save the Children may in no way whatsoever be involved or related to child abuse or exploitation as defined in Save the Children's Child Safeguarding Policy.

The contracting authority also requires that the personal data of all evaluation participants must be protected and stored in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation - (EU) 2016/679 and the national law on personal data protection in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH Law on Personal Data Protection, Official Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina No. 49/06)