Terms of Reference (ToR)
Consultancy to Develop a Child Safeguarding Policy and Child-Friendly Version for the National Office of Child and Family Services (NOCFS), Papua New Guinea
Project: Together for Safe Families
Organization: Save the Children in Papua New Guinea
Location: Port Moresby
Duration: 40 days over a period of five months
- Background
Save the Children is implementing the Together for Safe Families project in Papua New Guinea, which aims to reduce violence against children by strengthening families, challenging harmful gender and social norms, empowering children, and improving child protection systems.
The project supports the Government of Papua New Guinea in strengthening the child protection system at provincial and national levels, including improvements to policy and legal frameworks and institutional capacity.
As part of this commitment, Save the Children will provide technical support to the National Office of Child and Family Services (NOCFS) to develop a comprehensive Child Safeguarding Policy. This policy will ensure that children are protected from abuse, neglect, exploitation, and harm when engaging with NOCFS staff and services. The policy will operationalize safeguarding standards within NOCFS to ensure that all staff, contractors, volunteers, and partners working with children uphold child-safe practices consistent with PNG’s legal framework. The policy will contribute to improving child protection services and strengthening institutional accountability.
In addition, a child-friendly version of the policy will be developed to ensure children understand their rights, available reporting mechanisms, and the responsibilities of adults working with them.
- Purpose of the Consultancy
The purpose of this consultancy is to:
- Develop a comprehensive Child Safeguarding Policy for NOCFS aligned with Lukautim Pikinini Act and other relevant national laws, international standards, and best practices.
- Ensure meaningful consultation with key stakeholders, including children, to help guide the development of this policy
- Develop a child-friendly version of the (same) safeguarding policy.
- Facilitate validation of the final policy and work with the NOCFS to develop a dissemination plan for the final policy (and child-friendly version).
- Scope of Work
The consultant will undertake the following tasks:
3.1 Review and Analysis
- Review existing national laws, policies, and regulations related to child protection and safeguarding in Papua New Guinea.
- Review relevant international frameworks and standards.
- Map safeguarding requirements under the Lukautim Pikinini Act to NOCFS operational mandates.
- Identify gaps between current NOCFS practices and statutory child protection obligations.
- Ensure the safeguarding policy complements statutory child protection responsibilities under the Act.
- Clarify reporting obligations consistent with national referral pathways and legal requirements.
- Align procedures with PNG’s existing case management and child welfare systems.
3.2 Stakeholder Engagement
- Identify and engage key stakeholders including:
- Relevant government agencies
- NGOs and civil society organizations
- Child protection experts, academic institutions
- Development partners
- Facilitate structured consultations to gather inputs and ensure the policy reflects local realities and institutional capacity.
- Facilitate safe and ethical consultations with children to gather age-appropriate inputs into policy development.
3.3 Policy Development
Develop a comprehensive Child Safeguarding Policy including, but not limited to:
- Policy statement and guiding principles
- Definitions and scope
- Code of conduct
- Prevention measures (safe recruitment, background checks, staff training, supervision)
- Reporting mechanisms and complaint procedures
- Response protocols and case management guidance
- Confidentiality and data protection
- Risk assessment and mitigation measures
- Roles and responsibilities
- Monitoring and accountability mechanisms
- Alignment with Papua New Guinea’s legal and regulatory frameworks
3.4 Validation and Finalization
- Facilitate validation workshop(s) with stakeholders.
- Incorporate feedback and finalize the policy.
- Ensure the policy is practical, implementable, and context appropriate.
3.5 Child-Friendly Version
- Develop an accessible, age-appropriate child-friendly version of the safeguarding policy.
- Use simple language and culturally appropriate examples.
- Ensure clarity on:
- Children’s rights
- Expected behaviour of adults
- How and where children can report concerns
- Deliverables
The consultant will deliver:
- Inception report (methodology, timeline, stakeholder mapping)
- Summary of stakeholder consultation findings
- Draft Child Safeguarding Policy
- Validation workshop report
- Final Child Safeguarding Policy
- Child-Friendly Version of the Policy
- Required Qualifications and Experience
The consultant should have:
- Advanced degree in Child Protection, Social Work, Law, Public Policy, International Development, or related field.
- Minimum 7–10 years of experience in child protection or safeguarding or code of conduct policy development.
- Demonstrated experience developing safeguarding and/or protection policies for government or large institutions is preferred.
- Strong knowledge of Papua New Guinea’s child protection legal and policy environment.
- Experience conducting participatory consultations, including with children.
- Strong facilitation and drafting skills.
- Experience developing child-friendly materials.
- Excellent written and spoken English.
- Ethical Considerations
The consultant must:
- Adhere to Save the Children’s Child Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct.
- Ensure safe and ethical engagement of children.
- Maintain confidentiality of all sensitive information.
- Ensure informed consent and child-appropriate safeguarding protocols during consultations.
- Reporting and Supervision
The consultant will report to the Protection Manager, Save the Children in Papua New Guinea. Technical oversight will be provided jointly by Save the Children and NOCFS.
- Application Process
Interested consultants should submit:
- Technical proposal (methodology and workplan)
- Financial proposal
- CV(s)
- Samples of previous policy work
- Contact details of three professional referees
Email Applications To: [email protected]
