Girl Effect Enterprises India PVT LTD(GEEI)
Terms of Reference: Digital Safeguarding Consultant (Individual)
January 2023
Who We Are
Girl Effect is an international non-profit that builds media that girls want, trust and need. From chatbots to chat shows, and TV dramas to tech, our content helps adolescent girls in Africa and Asia make choices and changes in their lives.
We create safe spaces for girls, sharing facts and answering questions about health, nutrition, education, and relationships, empowering girls with the skills to negotiate and redefine what they are told is possible “for a girl”.
Our reach is 50 million and counting. And we’re using technology to reach girls at scale so every girl can choose to be in control of her body, her health, her learning and her livelihood.
Because when a girl unlocks her power to make different choices that change her life, it inspires others to do so too. She starts a ripple effect that impacts her family, community, and country.
That’s the Girl Effect.
Background
Working with girls in India, Girl Effect has created Chhaa Jaa (Go Forth and Shine) – a powerful youth brand that girls can access via social media. Chhaa Jaa focuses on inspiring, entertaining and empowering girls with the right skills and confidence to navigate adolescence – from accessing information about sexual and reproductive health to preparing them to enter the workforce.
The Brand
Chhaa Jaa – Girl Effect India’s youth brand co-designed with girls in India
In June 2019, Girl Effect launched Chhaa Jaa (छा जा) – an online youth brand inspiring, entertaining and empowering girls with the right skills and confidence to navigate adolescence, from accessing information about sexual and reproductive health to preparing them to enter the workforce.
Chhaa Jaa’s content is aimed at girls aged 16-22 and is accessible online and via mobile – because we know that’s the best way to reach and interact with girls. Our ecosystem of products includes:
- Digital media content that girls can access on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram that is both entertaining and informative. Characters and storylines have been developed with girls and are designed to reflect their lives and the challenges they might face;
- Bak Bak Gang: An online, moderated peer-to-peer community that acts as a safe space for girls 16 and above years of age to discuss sexual and reproductive health concerns, interact closely with Chhaa Jaa’s content, explore the themes and topics that have been taboo, discuss their SRH journeys and apply what they’ve learnt to their own lives;
- Bol Behen: A chatbot that offers a private way for girls to ask questions about the themes and topics raised by Chhaa Jaa content and safely get information;
- Sahi Salah: An online events programme featuring experts on SRH topics.
The Objective
The role of the consultant will be to support strengthening the digital safeguarding framework for Chhaa Jaa products and other initiatives undertaken under programmes by Girl Effect in India.
This consultant role will provide the following inputs to Girl Effect on an ongoing basis.
- Digital safeguarding expertise in the design process for new and existing digital platforms and applications to ensure girls are safe and enhance their privacy;
- Digital trends and safeguarding best practices across different social media platforms.
- Knowledge and guidance on how we can develop healthy digital communities and keep platforms safe and available for girls by mitigating and preventing the risks of online harm and abuse;
- Support and advice on tightening Chhaa Jaa’s data privacy and security practices in keeping with India’s data protection laws or GDPR to protect girls’ data throughout the data life cycle. This may include, but is not limited to, developing a data breach plan and supporting the organisation with creating a workflow for secure data storage and file transfer.
- Advising Girl Effect India in-country team on emerging digital safeguarding challenges to help future-proof the organisation, collaborating with the Global Safeguarding team at Girl Effect.
The Scope
Working in close collaboration with the Global Safeguarding Manager and the Programmes team at Girl Effect - the Digital Safeguarding Consultant will look at the following, as decided by the Country Lead and Global Safeguarding Manager.
Below is an indicative list of functions to be taken up per the priorities of the safeguarding and programmes team.
Implementation of Global Safeguarding policy in collaboration with the Safeguarding team and wider Programme team for India
- Ensure Global Safeguarding Policy is adapted to the local context - and support reviewing and updating the Girl Effect India Safeguarding Policy
- Play a key role in supporting the completion of annual Girl Effect safeguarding self-assessments, including identifying priority areas from each self-assessment and developing action plans to implement to address
Thought leadership on digital safeguarding for Girl Effect’s programmes
- Interpret the Girl Effect Global Safeguarding Policy meaningfully for a digital-first brand in India and contextualising it accordingly
- Aligning India’s digital laws for data privacy, security and consent for young people to our digital products
- Advise and support teams to ensure that Girl Effect has robust measures in place to ensure the implementation of digital safety and data protection laws to safeguard our users' online
- Work with the safeguarding Manager to conduct surveys and develop digital-specific safeguarding training for staff (e.g. specialist safeguarding training for moderators)
- Review the current reporting and response process and create an easy and systematic way to ensure that confidential records of digital safeguarding concerns are maintained and appropriate follow-up is conducted.
Implementation of safeguarding processes for the Chhaa Jaa programme
- Work closely with the Chhaa Jaa team to effectively implement Girl Effect India’s safeguarding policy and procedures within the programme
- Feed into the design and development of new initiatives to ensure that risks identified are mitigated and that safeguarding measures are built into all activities (risk assessment facilitation)
- Reporting and response focal point for Chhaa Jaa
- Ensure that there are clear reporting and response procedures for all activities, events and initiatives related to Chhaa Jaa
- Whenever Chhaa Jaa safeguarding concerns arise, ensure staff are given appropriate support to effectively and efficiently manage cases
- Along with the Global Safeguarding Manager, support with establishing and building relationships with key protection agencies and networks to ensure that safeguarding cases can be signposted to these agencies quickly and effectively as appropriate
- Monitor and document the outcomes of safeguarding cases signposted to agencies
- Analyse the types of cases received, and the response provided biannually to inform organisational learning and improve safeguarding practice.
● Review and update Chhaa Jaa’s key policies and procedures - privacy policy, terms and conditions, community guidelines
● Work closely with moderators to effectively respond to online comments and messages from our users and solve their specific challenges, including support by updating canned responses and updating these in line with new disclosures or questions that users ask.
● Work with programme managers to ensure that signposting services are relevant to our online user needs.
- Function-specific support and streamlining safeguarding; Create
- Leading Safeguarding Due diligence for any partners and agencies contracted (and reviewing long-term partnership agreements and updating these for those over 2 years old)
- Developing safeguarding agreements for partners
- Onboarding partners and/or young people (activity-specific)
- Developing Risk Assessments and consent forms
Reporting
The consultant will report to the Senior Programme Manager in India, supported by the broader Programmes and local country team.
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Location
The consultant will be remote in India and must be conducive to working with teams in the UK, USA, & Sub-Saharan Africa.
Expected Commitment
- The assignment will take approximately six months to complete*.*
- The consultant will be expected to work 3 days a week and is expected to spend up to 72 days on this assignment.
- The consultant's assignment period is from Mid February 2023 to Mid July 2023.
Tentative Timelines:
● Terms of reference published: 18th January 2023
● Deadline for responses:26th January 2023
● Project commencement: Mid-February 2023
Who You Are
Expertise:
- Knowledge of India’s data protection laws and/or GDPR and the application of it in the digital safeguarding sphere;
- Relevant qualifications and certifications around community management, data protection and rights, and online communications management;
- Relevant experience of 4-6 years with deep knowledge of data protection and rights, communications management and/or safeguarding;
- Experience in gender-focused work, especially adolescent girls and young women;
- Experience managing digital safeguarding mechanisms, including baking privacy and safety into the design of platforms and products, protecting and securing data, social media community management and moderation, conducting risk assessments and knowledge of the legal basis for processing data;
Skills:
- Proven ability to present complex digital issues to a non-specialist audience; good training skills and excellent English writing skills;
- Ability to manage sensitive issues and maintain the highest levels of confidentiality
- Strong interpersonal skills with an ability to work across departments
- Strong communication skills, both written and verbal
- Flexibility and resilience; can adapt to a fast-paced and entrepreneurial environment;
- Positive, proactive approach; takes the initiative, exceeds expectations and actively looks for opportunities to improve the way we work
Suitability:
- You have an approach that focuses more on older teens and young women rather than ‘children’
- You have a balanced, pragmatic approach - that balances the need to create spaces free of abuse and exploitation while helping them grow and become places where young women can express themselves freely and discuss things they find hard to share elsewhere.
- You understand digital and the unique challenges and opportunities accompanying digital safeguarding.
- You are an excellent communicator who can weigh up contradictions and challenges regarding digital safeguarding and legislation and communicate this in a way that informs the GE team to take the best interest course of action to safeguard GE Chhaa Jaa users.
Proposal Submission
Your proposal, should you be interested, should cover
Technical Proposal
- Yourunderstanding of the brief and why you feel you are well-placed to advise us on this
- Credentials - Please showcase any previous work that you consider relevant to what we are trying to achieve, how we approach our work, and the audience we cater to. Describe the qualifications, experience, and capabilities of the firm or consultant in providing the requested services.
- **Reference-**Provide at least three references for similar contracts with a description of
Financial Proposal
- Breakdown of Costs with applicable taxes and other charges clearly identified. Consultants should provide their daily or hourly billing rate or their proposed fixed fee for the requested deliverables.
In their technical proposal, the bidder must demonstrate an understanding of the requirements described in the RFP and demonstrate how the bidder will meet the requirements of the evaluation criteria.
Technical and Financial proposals will need to be submitted as separate documents. Financial bids will not be opened until the technical evaluation and then only for those proposals deemed qualified and responsive.
GE is not liable for any cost incurred during the award/contract preparation, submission, or negotiation of the award/contract. All submitted documentation and/or materials shall become and remain the property of GE.
VALIDITY of the proposal shall be for 90 days from the date of bid closure.
Evaluation Criteria
The criteria against which proposals will be evaluated are listed below.
Technical Evaluation
- Interpretation and understanding of this TOR - 10%
- Qualifications and certifications of the consultant - 20%
- Previous experience working on digital programmes/projects and safeguarding– 20%
- Demonstrated experience working with young people in India - 10%
- Client testimonials (At least 3 references) – 10%
Financial Evaluation
- Value for money/proposed budget breakdown - 30%
How To Apply
Please submit proposals, as described above, to suppliers@girleffect.orgby 26th January 2023, 5:00 pm IST latest. Please clearly mark your email with the subject ‘GEEI Digital Safeguarding Consultant TOR submission.’
Payment Terms
The Consultant will invoice Girl Effect for the number of days worked. Payment terms are 30 days within invoice receipt, subject to approval from Girl Effect.
- Monthly fixed fees, Invoice after each deliverable and time and expense.
- The professional fee quoted by the consultant shall be valid for the entire contract period.
- Statutory Taxes will be paid at the prescribed rate during the contract period.
- TDS will be deducted as per prevailing rates prescribed in the Income Tax Act from all payments made by GEEI.
Tax
When developing their proposals, applicants are advised to ensure that they clearly understand their tax position regarding local jurisdiction tax legislation provisions.
Disclaimer
Girl Effect reserves the right to determine the structure of the process, the number of short-listed participants, the right to withdraw from the proposal process, the right to change this timetable at any time without notice, and reserves the right to withdraw this tender at any time, without prior notice and without liability to compensate and/or reimburse any party. Girl Effect shall inform ONLY successful applicant(s). The process of negotiation and signing of the contract with the successful applicant(s) will follow.
Safeguarding
You may be required to undertake safeguarding checks. Shortlisted consultants will be assessed on our organizational values at the interview stage. The successful consultant will be expected to adhere to our safeguarding policy. We encourage you to read and understand our safeguarding policy, the executive summary of which can be found Here. We have zero tolerance for all forms of violence against children, beneficiaries, and staff.
Equal Opportunities
Girl Effect Services is committed to equal opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression. We are proud to be an equal-opportunity workplace.
We are committed to building an organization that is increasingly representative of and works extensively with the communities that we serve. To this end, due regard will be paid to procuring consultancy service organizations and individuals with diverse professional, academic and cultural backgrounds.
How to apply
How To Apply
Please submit proposals, as described above, to suppliers@girleffect.orgby 26th January 2023, 5:00 pm IST latest. Please clearly mark your email with the subject ‘GEEI Digital Safeguarding Consultant TOR submission.’