Terms of Reference for the Consultancy to Conduct a Budget Analysis for Child Protection Agencies

1. BACKGROUND

1.1 About the Project Implementing Partners

1.1.1 ChildFund International

ChildFund is an international child-centered development organization. We are a member of the ChildFund Alliance; a global network of twelve organizations that assists more than thirty-five million children in fifty-eight countries around the world. ChildFund works throughout Asia, Africa, and the Americas to connect children with the people, resources, and institutions they need to grow up healthy, educated, skilled and safe, wherever they are. Delivered through over 250 local implementing partner organizations, our programs address the underlying conditions that prevent any child or youth from achieving their full potential. We place a special emphasis on child protection throughout our approach because violence, exploitation, abuse, and neglect can potentially reverse developmental gains. Last year, we reached 35.9 million children and family members in twenty-four countries.

In Kenya, ChildFund works through 13 Implementing Partners (IPs) and two direct units spread across twenty-seven counties serving over 3.1 million children, families, and community members. The thematic areas that we focus on are Child Protection including Online Child Protection, Household Economic Strengthening, Early Childhood Development, Education, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Emergency Response, Health and Nutrition, Food Security, Climate Change and Resilience Building.

In its 2022-2026 strategy, ChildFund Kenya has committed to advocating against all forms of child exploitation and abuse, including Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (OCSEA), retrogressive cultural practices, advocating for child rights budgeting, recognition of community-based child protection mechanism (CBCPM) in mainstream child protection systems and enactment of laws for promotion of child rights.

1.1.2 LifeSkills Promoters

LifeSkills Promoters (LISP) is an Indigenous development organization working with children and youth to promote holistic development through life skills training. LISP collaborates with schools, religious institutions, community groups, and government departments to equip young people for life and promote the empowerment of children and youth. LISP develops life skills in education and economic empowerment and develops curricula for diverse groups targeting children and youth aged 10-35 years old.

The vision of the organization is to see a future where young people and their influencers well-developed, empowered, and are productive members of their society. The organization’s mission is to transform lives by equipping individuals with the necessary life and technical skills to promote behavior change, employability, and productivity.

1.1.3 Childline Kenya

Childline Kenya, established in 2004, is a prominent non-governmental organization dedicated to addressing child protection concerns in Kenya. Founded by Plan International, SOS Children’s Villages, and the Kenya Alliance for the Advancement of Children (KAACR), Childline Kenya emerged in response to pressing challenges faced by the country, including an alarming increase in child abuse cases and a fractured family system. Recognizing the urgent need for accessible and professional mental health and psychosocial support for children and families, as well as the necessity for coordinated responses to reported cases of children in need of care and protection, Childline Kenya was established with the vision of creating a supportive environment for children to voice their concerns, receive assistance, and access essential services through a nationwide coordinated referral system.

At the forefront of Childline Kenya’s initiatives is its flagship program, the National Child Helpline 116 Service. This telephone-based service serves as a lifeline for children in distress, enabling them to report abuse and other concerns while receiving immediate counseling and effective referrals to child protection services. Operating in partnership with the Directorate of Children Services through a public-private partnership model, Childline Kenya not only responds to cases of violence against children but also implements initiative-taking measures to prevent child abuse. By strengthening the child protection system, building the capacity of individuals working with children, raising awareness in communities, and analyzing helpline data to inform policy and practice, Childline Kenya is committed to ensuring that children in Kenya receive the support they need and deserve, linking them to high-quality services and fostering a safe environment for their growth and development.

1.2. The Safe Community Linkages for Internet Child Safety (Safe CLICS) Project

The Safe Community Linkages for Internet Child Safety (Safe CLICS) Project is a 3-year project funded by Safe Online which is implemented in the Nairobi, Mombasa, Kiambu, and Kilifi Counties by ChildFund Kenya, LifeSkills Promoters (LISP) and Childline Kenya. The “Safe CLICS” project seeks to strengthen capacity, networks, and systems to make the internet safe for children. The project focuses on systematically strengthening Kenyan government agencies’ capacity to prevent and respond to Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (OCSEA), improving children’s self-protection skills with the support of caregivers and communities, and strengthening public awareness of OCSEA and connections to reporting and referral services.

The projects three objectives are:

1. Strengthen Kenya’s national infrastructure, focusing on social care capacity, to prevent and respond to online offending against children.
2. Improve early intervention to prevent victimization of children, and victim support to assist in recovery.
3. Engage families and caregivers in preventing the sexual exploitation and abuse of children and responding to harmful or otherwise unwanted experiences online.

Informed by Disrupting Harm in Kenya report, a multifaceted research project on online child sexual exploitation and abuse conducted in 2021 in Southeast Asia and Southern and East Africa, the project emphasizes collaborative partnerships with the Government of Kenya, private sector, communities, and development partners.

Emphasizing system thinking and a systems practice approach, the project prioritizes system strengthening and change, institutional strengthening, and local capacity development for sustainable results. Specific interventions include improving child protection systems at national and sub national levels of government, enhancing child protection environments in schools, and addressing caregiver capacity and knowledge to identify and respond to online child protection concerns of children at the community level.

In the Disrupting Harm in Kenya report of 2021, under insight 4.0, sub insight 4.2, it is recommended that the government provide adequate and sustainable funding for all agencies involved in tackling OCSEA such as the Directorate of Children’s Services, Anti-Human Trafficking and Child Protection Unit, and Childline Kenya. To contribute to the realization of this recommendation, the project aims to advocate for adequate budgetary allocations in the child protection sector specifically to child protection agencies in Kenya.

This budget analysis will play a crucial role in shaping the project’s deliverable of advocating for increased funding for child protection agencies. This will involve identifying existing gaps and providing recommendations for funding for child protection agencies in Kenya, with specific focus on child online protection. Geographically, the project spans four counties: Nairobi, Kiambu, Mombasa and Kilifi.

1.3. Purpose And Objectives of the Assignment

1.3.1 General objective

The Safe CLICs project seeks to advocate for increased budgetary allocation towards prevention and response to Child Online Protection to key state agencies whose mandate directly entails the protection of children in Kenya.

To achieve this, ChildFund Kenya and its partners are seeking the services of consultant/s to establish the level of financing for Directorate of Children Services (DCS), The Child Welfare Society of Kenya, the Child Online Protection department, and the Victim Protection Trust Fund (VPTF) in the 2023/2024 National government budget.

The budget analysis assessment shall identify and analyze budget gaps and limitations in the current practice of government allocations for child protection agencies, provide insights into the consequences of the identified gaps on the effectiveness of child protection services in Kenya and provide a concise report with clear recommendations in the form of a policy brief.

1.3.2 Specific objectives

1. Undertake a detailed analysis of the national budget allocation to departments, institutions, and agencies responsible for the welfare, development, and protection of children.
2. Conduct a comprehensive analysis to identify the budget allocation for the Directorate of Children Services (DCS), the Child Welfare Society of Kenya, Victim Protection Trust Fund (VPTF), Child Helpline and Child Online Protection Department from the FY2018/2019 to FY2023/2024.
3. Determine the adequacy/deficiency, gaps, and needs for the budget allocation to the Directorate of Children Services (DCS), Child Welfare Society, Victim Protection Trust Fund (VPTF), Child Help Line and Online Child Protection Department.
4. Determine how much allocation Kenya needs to run the Victim Protection Fund effectively.
5. Develop a policy brief to inform our advocacy efforts.

2. SCOPE OF WORK

The budget analysis shall focus on national government budget allocations for child protection agencies for current and past fiscal years, preferably five fiscal years.

3. METHODOLOGY AND APPROACH

In undertaking the assignment, the consultant is expected to provide technical and professional leadership in accomplishing the exercise, propose the appropriate assessment approach and appropriate data collection techniques. Other areas of interest would include sampling design, data collection and analysis procedures, quality assurance and ethical considerations.

3.1 Key responsibilities

1. Review of Existing Budget Documentation: Conduct a thorough review of the budget documentation for the Directorate of Children Services, the National Child Helpline for Kenya, and the Victim Protection Trust Fund.
2. Identification of Funding Sources: Identify and analyze current funding sources for each agency, including government allocations, donor contributions, and other potential revenue streams.
3. Needs Assessment: Work closely with agency representatives to assess the specific needs and priorities for each agency in alignment with their mandate and objectives.
4. Budget Gaps Analysis: Identify and analyze budget gaps and limitations in the current allocations for each agency. Provide insights into the consequences of the identified gaps on the effectiveness of child protection services.
5. Comparison with International & regional standards: Benchmark the funding levels against international and regional standards and best practices for child protection agencies to provide context and recommendations.
6. Stakeholder Consultations: Engage with key stakeholders, including agency representatives, government officials, civil society organizations, and other relevant partners to gather input and insights.
7. Risk Analysis: Conduct a risk analysis to identify potential risks and challenges associated with the current funding levels and propose risk mitigation strategies.
8. Recommendations: Based on the analysis and findings, propose practical recommendations that would address the identified gaps and foster efficient use of allocated budget.
9. Report Generation: Compile a comprehensive draft report and a power point presentation summarizing the budget analysis findings for each agency. Provide clear and evidence-based recommendations and briefs for increased funding, highlighting priority areas.
10. Presentation to ChildFund Kenya, its partners and Joining Forces Alliance: Present the findings and recommendations to ChildFund Kenya, partners and representatives from the Joining Forces Alliance, the DCS and key stakeholders through a virtual meeting or in-person presentation.
11. Feedback Incorporation: Incorporate feedback from ChildFund Kenya, partners and the Joining Forces Alliance into the final report.

4.0 DELIVERABLES

• Inception Report outlining the consultant’s approach, methodology, and work plan within the first week.
• Interim Briefing to discuss initial findings and receive feedback.
• Draft Report of the budget analysis findings and recommendations by the end of the third week.
• Half day Validation meeting with JFA.
• Half day Validation meeting with DCS & key non-state stakeholders.
• Final full Report, an abridged version in MS Word and a PowerPoint summary incorporating feedback and recommendations after the review.

5.0 QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

• Proven experience in budget analysis and financial assessments, preferably in the child protection or social services sector.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to interpret complex budget data.
• Familiarity with child protection issues, budget advocacy in the child protection space and international and regional standards.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Relevant academic qualifications preferably an advanced degree in finance, economics, development/social studies, or a related field.
• Over 5 years’ experience in undertaking research, monitoring, and evaluation related to Child Protection with reputable child-focused International NGOs.
• Previous experience in working in Online Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and related Child Protection Programming in urban/peri-urban settings such as Nairobi, Nakuru, Mombasa, Kilifi, Kisumu, and Kiambu will be highly desirable.

6.0 PAYMENT TERMS

• The Consultant’s compensation will be paid within 30 days of receipt of a proper invoice unless otherwise specified.
• Electronic transfer will make payment unless otherwise specified.
• The payment will be subjected to a 5% withholding tax as required by the Law at the time of payment.
• Budget denomination should be KShs.
• The full costs include consultancy/professional fees, enumerators’ professional fees, and field logistical costs for the entire assignment, as may be appropriate.