CHS Project Manager (Consultant)

TERMS OF REFERENCE

1. BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE

Together with our partners, Action Against Hunger has been fighting hunger for more than 40 years, supporting affected communities and people in over 50 countries. People and communities are at the centre of everything we do as we work hand-in-hand with them to develop and implement effective solutions to prevent and reduce hunger.

We pledge to provide assistance and to work with communities to build resilience against the effects of economic crisis, conflict and climate change. Our teams will continue to work with our partners on the front lines to strengthen social protection measures and safety nets to prevent hunger and further suffering. Action Against Hunger are fully committed to the integration of humanitarian protection as a transversal, integrated, and programmatic approach, applying Core Humanitarian Standards in the defense of crisis-affected populations, based on their needs and rights. We are committed to the statement by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) on the centrality of protection, and to the incorporation of protection principles into all aspects of our interventions.

In order to enhance accountability, transparency and illustrate compliance with humanitarian principles and standards and various institutional donors’ emergency aid codes for funding, Action Against Hunger are looking for support to carry out CHS independent verification to measure the application of the Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability (CHS) to the organisation’s work as part of the CHS Verification Scheme.

2. KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

LEAD ON ACTION AGAINST HUNGER’S CHS INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION PROJECT INTERNALLY:

• Work across the Network with HQ, Regional and Country teams to collate, track, analyse and store all relevant data for the independent verification process.
• Establish and engage the CHS taskforce to ensure that all thematic leads relevant to CHS are involved in the project
• Lead on and collaborate with the CHS taskforce to develop a workplan for the independent verification process, considering data collection and reporting phases.
• Providing input and regular updates into organization-wide communications and support efforts to build knowledge and awareness of the CHS and independent verification across the Network.

LEAD ON THE RELATIONSHIP WITH HQAI:

• Liaise with the Humanitarian Quality Assurance Initiative (HQAI) regarding all areas of Independent Verification.
• Ensure all data is shared with HQAI using an appropriate platform, ensuring data security processes and controls are in place.
• Ensure arrangements are in place for auditors to travel to Country Offices as well as helping to organise interviews with key stakeholders.

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT:

• Work closely with MEAL colleagues and IWGs to identify sustainable approaches to data collection against CHS standards for future assessments.
• Provide recommendations on a methodology and structure that allows for easy collation of data in alignment with CHS standards.
• Work closely with a CHS Alliance counterpart to develop tools and input data into the CHS dashboard.

IMPROVEMENT PLANNING & LEARNING:

• Lead on the development of the improvement plan based with the CHS taskforce, using data collected through the independent verification. Ensuring where possible improvements are integrated with existing workstreams.
• Develop communication materials and present independent verification learning points to multiple stakeholder groups within Action Against Hunger, including partner organisations and communities involved in the independent verification process.
• Engage with the CHS representative to learn about the revised CHS independent verification approach launched March 2024.
• Any other duties related to the CHS as required.

TIMEFRAME AND DELIVERABLES
The Independent Verification process will conclude in November 2024. The suitable candidates will start ASAP.
There are six deliverables for the assignment:

1. Successful completion of the CHS verification *including all document management and review
2. Organisation of visits and interviews with key staff, communities and direct observation at Country Offices
3. Ongoing engagement of the CHS taskforce
4. Recommendations on improvements to document management and ways of working to continue to meet CHS Standards
5. Improvement plan completed and shared with HQAI
6. Dissemination of end report and key finding

3. PROFILE
The ideal person/persons would have:

• Experience with humanitarian work, including experience with project implementation and management, as well as knowledge of current humanitarian issues, trends, standards, especially the Core Humanitarian Standards;
• Previous significant experience of organisational development, preferably within humanitarian sector organisations;
• Experience working with the Action Against Hunger Network
• Good written, interpersonal and communication skills
• Capacity to work independently
• Fluent in written and spoken English
• A demonstrable personal and professional commitment to uphold the principles and practices in relation to equality, diversity and inclusion and the vision, mission and values of Action Against Hunger
• Skilled in pulling together different data sources and be able to present to a wide range of audiences
• Proficiency with MS Office software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Optional:
• Working knowledge of French and/or Spanish language (verbally and in writing) would be an asset
• Experience of providing project development support both directly and remotely
• Experience of working in a complex organisational structure

The budget ceiling for this assignment is £25,000.