Development of War Child Alliance Partnership Framework - Consultant

Freelancer, Full-time · Amsterdam office, London office, Hamburg office, Stockholm office, Kampala office, Juba office, Bukavu office, Bangui office, Amman office, Beirut office, Jerusalem office, Sana'a office, Herat office, Bogota office, Kiev office, Malakal office, Raqqa office, Kabul office, Badghis office, North office, Nablus office, Hebron office, Aden office, Goma office, Baraka office, Minova office, Masisi office, Melut office, Renk office, Bor office, Ndele office, Gaza office, Balkh office, Jawzjan office, Buenaventura office, Cali office, Jambalo Cauca office, Caloto Cauca office, Quibdo office, Riohacha office, Al-Mukalla, Farah Office, Obo office, Hybrid / Remote, Taiz

Your mission

1. Background

War Child Alliance (WCA) is an international network of organisations working to protect and support children affected by conflict. Under its 10-year Impact Strategy, WCA is committed to advancing a transformational localisation agenda that shifts power, resources, and decision-making toward communities and local actors.
This shift requires a strong and values-based Partnership Framework that operationalises WCA’s commitments across its four strategic pathways: Programme Engagement, Research, Scaling, and Advocacy. The framework should guide War Child’s relationships with external entities—including local and national NGOs, community-based organizations (CBOs), international NGOs, academic institutions, governments, and private-sector actors — with a focus on equity, sustainability, and mutual accountability.

2. Objective of the Assignment
To support the co-creation of a Partnership Framework that formalises War Child Alliance’s approach to building and sustaining equitable partnerships with local, national, and global actors, particularly in conflict-affected contexts. The framework will articulate principles, models, and operational mechanisms for partnership engagement across the Alliance.

3. Scope of Work

The consultant will:
Phase 1: Inception & Contextual Review

Conduct a desk review of existing WCA strategy documents, localisation framework, previous Partnership Policies, partnership MOUs, and global best practices (e.g. Charter for Change, Grand Bargain, etc.).
Interview key stakeholders across War Child entities, including programme teams, local partners, youth representatives, and Alliance governance structures.

Phase 2: Co-Design and Consultation

Facilitate co-creation workshops with internal stakeholders and external partners to develop shared values, principles, and partnership typologies.
Integrate perspectives from children and youth, especially those in conflict-affected contexts.

Phase 3: Framework Development

Develop a comprehensive Partnership Framework that includes:

War Child’s definition of PARTNERSHIP
Guiding principles and values
Types and modalities of partnerships
Partnership lifecycle (initiation, capacity sharing, risk management, exit)
Roles and responsibilities across WCA entities
Mechanisms for mutual accountability, partner feedback, and dispute resolution
Recommendations for review of tools & templates (due diligence, assessments, and agreements)

Phase 4: Validation and Finalisation

Present the draft framework to key stakeholders for validation.
Incorporate feedback and finalise the framework.

4. Deliverables

Deliverable	Description	Timeline
Inception Report	Work plan, methodology, stakeholder map	Week 2
Situational Analysis Report	Key findings from internal review and consultations	Week 4
Draft Framework	First draft of the framework	Week 6
Validation Workshop	Facilitation and feedback integration	Week 8
Final Partnership Policy Framework	Full document with annexes	Week 10

5. Payment Schedule
Payments by War Child are delivery-based. The proposed payment schedule for this assignment is (1) upon submission of draft framework and (2) after submission of the final document. The contractor will be paid upon presentation of an original invoice.

6. Management and Coordination
The consultant will report to the Partnership & Localisation Lead. Coordination support will be provided by the PQSA Unit.

Your profile

7. Required Qualifications and Experience

At least 5 years’ experience in partnership development, localisation, or organisational change within INGOs or humanitarian/development networks.
Proven track record in developing partnership policies, frameworks or toolkits.
Strong understanding of power dynamics, decolonisation, and equity in the aid sector.
Experience working in conflict-affected contexts and with local/national actors.
Excellent facilitation, consultation, and participatory design skills.
Familiarity with child rights-based and gender-responsive approaches.
Exceptional writing and synthesis skills.

What we offer

Location : We work with global teams with team members being based in different locations. War Child is currently operates in: Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Colombia, DR Congo, Germany, Jordan, Lebanon, the occupied Palestinian territory, South Sudan, Sweden, Syria, Uganda, Ukraine (soon to be registered), and Yemen. We also have offices in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Preference is given to applicants who reside and have valid working permits. War Child does not offer relocation.
Type of Contract : Consultancy
Contract Duration: 120-160 hours over 2.5 months
Start date: 01 July 2025

How to Apply
Qualified candidates are encouraged to submit their applications by 10 June 2025. We are reviewing submissions on a rolling basis, so early applications are strongly recommended.

Interested consultants are invited to submit:

Financial proposal (daily rate and total cost estimate)
CV
Two examples of similar assignments delivered
Contact information for two references

Why You Should Apply

Make a Real Impact: Your work will directly contribute to providing quality education to children who need it most, creating lasting change in their lives.
Career Growth: Join a dynamic organization that values your professional development and offers opportunities for learning, growth, and innovation.
Global Reach: Play a key role in scaling a ground-breaking programme that operates in multiple conflict-affected regions around the world.
Collaborative and Mission-Driven: Work alongside passionate colleagues and partners united in a mission to protect children and help them thrive despite adversity.

_______________________________________________________________________________
By submitting your application you certify that all of the statements made in your application are true, complete, and correct and are made in good faith. You understand that falsifying, misrepresenting or intentionally withholding information will be grounds for rejection of your application or withdrawal of any offer of appointment or, if an appointment offer has been accepted, this will be ground for employment sanctions, such as, but not limited to, instant dismissal. In addition, you understand that you need to submit a Criminal Record Certificate and that, if you fail to submit it, no employment relationship can be established.

War Child is an international organisation, and we are committed to be a diverse and inclusive employer, placing human and child rights at the centre of our existence and work. We hire our new colleagues based on their talents, competences and shared values; we do not distinguish them based on their age, gender and gender identity, race, color, ethnicity, religion, culture, sexual orientation, disability etc.

The safety of children and youth is a paramount and essential to War Child’s work. War Child has a zero tolerance policy towards any form of abuse. To prevent placing children and youth at any risk this subject is addressed in our recruitment and selection procedures. Moreover, the accepted candidates will be required to state their commitment/ intent to be aware, consider and adhere to the minimum standards applicable in development and humanitarian settings, such as humanitarian values and principles, Sphere Humanitarian Charter, Standards in the Humanitarian Standards Partnership, Core Humanitarian Standard, International Humanitarian Law, Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Disaster Relief and IASC Six Core Principles Relating to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.
Disclaimer

Only applications received via our website are processed.
If we appoint a suitable candidate before the given closing date, we reserve the right to remove the vacancy from our website before that date. In such a case, any responses received after that time are not processed.
It could be that during our selection process the closing date for the vacancy is extended. If so, and you have not yet heard from us, your application will remain active.

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About us

The War Child Alliance is an international non-governmental organization committed to providing psychosocial support, child protection, youth empowerment programming and quality education to the children affected by armed conflict. We implement evidence-based interventions to empower key stakeholders—including governments, educators, caregivers, and communities—to foster children’s wellbeing, education, and self-determination. We work with global teams with team members being based in different locations. War Child is currently operates in: Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Colombia, DR Congo, Germany, Jordan, Lebanon, the occupied Palestinian territory, South Sudan, Sweden, Syria, Uganda, Ukraine (soon to be registered), and Yemen. We also have offices in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
Learn more about War Child and our programmes https://www.warchild.net/

Safeguarding
War Child is committed to humanitarian values, standards and norms and we expect the same from job applicants. War Child is especially committed to safeguarding the children and youth we support and doesn’t tolerate any form of abuse. Because we want to prevent and deter any actions that place children and youth at risk, conduct references are an important part of our recruitment procedure. As part of the selection process, War Child will request standardized references in accordance with the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme and a recent Criminal Records statement.
The safety of children is essential to War Child. War Child does not tolerate or accept any form of abuse. This subject is addressed in our recruitment and selection procedures.

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We are looking forward to hearing from you!

Thank you for your interest in War Child. Please fill out the following short form to complete your application.