Background on Save the Children
Save the Children is the leading global independent organisation for children. Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. 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.
Our vision: A world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation.
Our mission: To inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives.
Our values: Accountability, ambition, collaboration, creativity and integrity.
We are committed to ensuring our resources are used as efficiently as possible, in order to focus them on achieving maximum impact for children.
Background information/context
The prevalent use of case management in humanitarian settings as an approach to respond to the child protection needs of individual children has led to an increased emphasis on the importance of being able to assess the quality of the response and the system in which it operates.
Case management is defined in the Guidelines on Case Management and Child Protection (2014) as:
‘a way of organizing and carrying out work to address an individual child’s (and their family’s) needs in an appropriate, systematic and timely manner, through direct support and/or referrals, and in accordance with a project or programme’s objectives.’
The Case Management Quality Assessment Framework (QAF)[1] was developed under the Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action by the Global Case Management Task Force. The purpose of the QAF is to provide a framework and tool for assessing how a particular case management system (either within an organization or as an inter-agency / national case management system) operates and functions and, by extension, how it can be improved. This includes the practice of case management – that is how case management is implemented in the field and the quality with which this is done.
By identifying the strengths and weaknesses within the case management response and system, the QAF provides a basis for supporting the ongoing development of case management in a particular context. It also applies to the implementation of new case management interventions within a wider child protection including emergency responses to ensure they are aligned and/or are contributing to the existing protection system in country.
The QAF has been developed for use in humanitarian settings (including protracted crises), as a tool to assess the quality of a case management response and system (either within an organization or at the inter-agency / national level) and/or as a framework of thought to be used as a basis for planning / designing a case management response and system[2]. Save the Children and the Child Protection Area of Responsibility (CP AoR) are working in closed collaboration with relevant child protection agencies and local actors involved in case management to support the effective use of the QAF whether it is to its full extent or specific dimensions to ensure timely and effective assessment and planning of their case management interventions.
Based on recent experiences conducting the QAF in WCA region, it appears challenging to process a large volume of paper-based questionnaires, track progress and analyse important volume of data, including cross-countries/sub-regional context trends analysis, in particular in humanitarian settings. In order to help technical teams, programme managers and M&E teams to run effective QAF exercises, Save the Children, its global partners and the CP AoR seek to develop a web-based data collection, processing, analysis and visualization platform – based on the ODK Toolkit and Power BI.
Objective
The aim of the consultancy is to develop a user-friendly digital platform that will allow real-time mobile data collection, storage, processing, analysing and visualisation of the Child Protection Case Management Quality Assessment Framework (QAF) Tools, using ODK Toolbox, and Power BI dashboard for evidence-based decision making.
The data management and visualization pipeline shall include the development of a system for data capture, submission, cleaning and shaping, and an interactive dashboard which will be the main system interface for Child Protection Case Management assessment, accessible both in French and English. This consultancy will be developed in alignment with the SCI internal procedures and global policies on data protection and confidentiality.
The digital QAF will then be field-tested in different humanitarian responses in WCA and ESA. Save the Children will set up a Review Committee involving child protection and M&E experts in the area of community-level child protection, who will be responsible to review the different deliverables. The piloting countries will be identified through inter-agencies coordination and country interest and capabilities.
The consultant will report directly to the assigned focal person from the established Review Committee which will report progress to the Case Management Task Force of the Alliance.
Location and official travel involved
Due to operational constraints, this consultancy will not evolve travel times to any of SCI location of intervention. Field testing needs will be coordinated and conducted across inter-agency channels already in place.
Services the Supplier will provide
The consultant will be responsible for delivering results through a number of technical deliverables, but not limited to the following:
- Platform design and key specification: At inception phase, the consultant will be expected to submit his/her plan for the design of the digital platform and highlight any specifications that require consultation.
- Digitalize Case Management Quality Assessment Framework (QAF) Tools: The consultant will work with the Save the Children and the CP AoR to digitalize the QAF paper-based Tools into Kobo/ODK compliant formats, and publish them to the dedicated ODK Toolbox server.
Note: The QAF toolkit is comprised of 2 sets of tools available in 4 languages (See QAF resources, Prioritized tools in Annex):
- Quality Assessment Framework | Cadre d’évaluation de la qualité
- Resource Collection – Data Collection Tools | Collecte des ressources – Outils de collecte de données
For this project, the Toolkit will be unpacked into 4 modules (Fig-1):
- Module 1: Overall Quality (Quality Assessment Framework)
- Module 2: Case File & Process (tool 1, tool 2)
- Module 3: Capacity Assessment (tool 3, tool 4, tool 5)
- Module 4: Services Satisfaction (tool 6, tool 10, tool 11)
- Power BI dashboard: Develop a Power BI dashboard that consolidates and visualizes data from digitalized QAF Tools and data cleaning R/Python scripts including consolidation of multiple QAFs exercises to analyse trends across contexts.
- Training, technical guidance and support for field-testing: The consultant should be able to develop a user-friendly basic operating manual that will document the technical and development process, and guide users on the use of the platform and the related tools. It is expected that the consultant to act as sounding board and offer potential support during the field testing.
Experience and skill set required
The following are minimum requirements for the consultant to be considered for carrying out the assignment.
- Ability to design and implement of v1/v2 Kobo Toolbox APIs for both internal and external data access
- Excellent analytical, detail-oriented, presentation and problem-solving skills
- Proven work experience as a data/system analyst, and developer including use of web enabled systems; prior experience in development of an information management system for humanitarian organization will be an added advantage.
- Experience in developing data visualization tools/dashboards using Power BI
- Experience with data modelling and statistical tools, preferably in R and Python
- Familiarity of mobile data collection platforms including Kobo Toolbox, ONA and ODK
- Advanced degree in a relevant field (computer science, data/information management, advanced statistical analysis, information technology, software engineering and Monitoring and Evaluation)
- Evidence of similar works done in the last 3 years. Save the Children will be interested to verify related assignments conducted in the past 2 years.
Expected Deliverables
SCI expects the following deliverables to be provided:
| Deliverable number | Deliverable title | Description | Format and style |
| 1 | Inception report | Outlining the Plan of the platform design, functionality including key features | Presentation delivered to the Review Committee |
| 2 | Digitalize QAF Toolkit (All Modules) | Digitalize 4 modules of the QAF paper-based Questionnaires into Kobo -English/French versions (see details in annex) | Source files and sharable links |
| 3 | Power BI dashboard | Power BI dashboard for data visualization and trends analysis | .pbix/.html source files and sharable links |
| 4 | Training, technical guidance | User-friendly technical guide on the use of the platform operations and the related tools |
Timeline
Estimated Commencement Date: September 1, 2023
Estimated End Date: November 15, 2023
Other important information
This consultancy does not apply to sub-contracting parts of the services is acceptable or any particular complications you expect as part of the project.
[1] See the ‘Introduction and Guidance’ for more details on the Case Management Quality Assessment Framework (QAF)
[2] See the Inter-agency Guidelines on Case Management and Child Protection (2014) section 2 on consideration to take into account when planning and/or developing a case management response and system.
Expression of Interest Form- Consultancy