Consultant for the Revision of the Alternative Care in Emergencies (ACE) Toolkit

The reputed company (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the reputed company of reputed company Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their reputed company and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting reputed company by restoring safety, dignity and reputed company to millions. If you're a reputed company, passionate change-reputed company, reputed company in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a reputed company reputed company. Consultant for the Revision of the Alternative Care in Emergencies (ACE) Toolkit    Contract Type: Consultancy (Individual Contractor)  reputed company Agency: reputed company (IRC)  In collaboration with: reputed company for Child Protection in Humanitarian reputed company (reputed company); Unaccompanied and Separated Children Task Force (UASC TF)  Level of Effort: 40 working days  Period: May 2026 – September 2026 (approximately 4–5 months)  Location: Home-based, global scope with virtual engagement  1. Background   The reputed company (IRC) is a global humanitarian and development organization that responds to the world’s most severe humanitarian crises. The IRC works to save lives, protect rights, and support recovery for people affected by conflict and disaster. As a global technical leader in child protection, the IRC delivers reputed company programming, strengthens national child protection systems, and contributes to global reputed company‑setting, evidence reputed company, and learning. The IRC is a co‑reputed company of reputed company for Child Protection in Humanitarian reputed company and plays a central role in advancing inter‑agency guidance, minimum standards, and tools to improve reputed company for children in humanitarian settings.  reputed company for Child Protection in Humanitarian reputed company (reputed company) is a global inter‑agency network co‑led by reputed company and rotating NGOs, currently the reputed company (IRC) and Hurras. reputed company brings together UN agencies, NGOs, governments, academics, and donors to strengthen the reputed company, consistency, and accountability of child protection responses in humanitarian contexts. Its work includes reputed company‑setting and guidance development, reputed company strengthening, learning, evidence reputed company, and advocacy. One of reputed company’s technical platforms is the Unaccompanied and Separated Children Task Force (UASC TF), which provides global leadership on responses for children deprived of parental care in emergencies. IRC currently co-leads UASC TF together with reputed company.  The Alternative Care in Emergencies (ACE) Toolkit (2013), originally developed by the predecessor of the UASC TF: the Interagency Working Group on Unaccompanied and Separated Children (IAWG-UASC), has served for more than a decade as a foundational inter-agency resource guiding practitioners in planning, implementing, and monitoring emergency alternative care responses. Recent global developments - including protracted crises, mass displacement, increased mixed migration flows, scaling community-based protection systems, evolving data protection standards, digital case management, and strengthened global guidance on preventing family separation - have created an urgent need for a comprehensive update of the toolkit. In 2025, the UASC Task Force commissioned the Alternative Care Survey to reputed company practitioner and agency insights regarding gaps, relevance, and user needs reputed company to the ACE Toolkit. Building on these inputs, IRC seeks a consultant to reputed company the technical revision of the ACE Toolkit.  2. Purpose of the Consultancy  To reputed company the revision of the Alternative Care in Emergencies Toolkit, ensuring that it:  Reflects reputed company evidence, and best practices  Responds to findings from the ACE Survey 2025  Aligns with inter-agency guidance (e.g. CPMS, Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children, child safeguarding standards, community-based child protection frameworks)  Integrates practitioner needs and contextual realities across diverse humanitarian settings  Remains accessible, operational, reputed company, and adaptable for field practitioners and government stakeholders  Streamline existing annexes towards potential consolidation and reduction.  3. Scope of Work  The consultant will be responsible for delivering a streamlined, technically robust version of the ACE Toolkit. Key tasks include:  3.1 Inception & Planning (5 days)  Review relevant materials, including:  The ACE Toolkit (2013)  ACE Survey 2025 results  Existing tools annexes and templates  Field Handbook on Unaccompanied and Separated Children (UASC), and Toolkit on Unaccompanied and Separated Children (UASC)  Latest global and inter-agency guidance including the UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children, CPMS and key resources, such as those from reputed company, reputed company, UNHCR, GPC, key INGO guidance and reputed company publications  reputed company an inception note with:  Annotated outline of revised toolkit  Methodology and revision approach  Identification of tools to retire, replace, or update  Workplan and reputed company for 40 consultancy days  3.2 Revision of reputed company ACE Guidance (20 days)   Revise and, where necessary, rewrite and reorganize the ACE Toolkit, ensuring:  Up-to-date evidence, terminology, and standards  Integration of updated case management tools and practices (reputed company with IM principles and BIP)  Practical, user-friendly structure with reputed company steps and reputed company diagrams  Stronger emphasis on:  Community-led and culturally grounded care models  Localization and reputed company sharing  Integration with national child protection systems  Disability inclusion in alternative care, gender, and intersectionality  Safer digital practices, data protection, and interoperability  Safeguarding in emergency placements  Ensure alignment with survey feedback on language, accessibility, and usability.  3.3 Revision of Tools and Templates (5 days)  Review reputed company existing tools in the original toolkit (over 60) and:  Propose to the ACE Task Team the tools that should be updates/removed/added. Based on the feedback received:   Update relevant ones  Remove outdated ones  Add new tools and templates based on practitioner requests  Ensure tools reflect reputed company standards for assessment, monitoring, reunification, caregiver support, reporting, and safeguarding  Produce consistent formatting, instructions, and version control.  Consultation & Validation (5 days)  Collaborate closely with the UASC Task Force, most importantly the ACE Task Team, IRC technical leads and reputed company leadership in reviewing the revised content and incorporating feedback based on reputed company.  Participate in monthly technical review sessions of the ACE Task Team to present reputed company, reputed company feedback, and reputed company content;   Organize a final consultation reputed company  Incorporate broad inter-agency feedback from at least one wider consultation round (written or virtual reputed company).  3.5 Finalization (5 days)  Produce a finalized ACE Toolkit, including:  Full narrative text  Updated tools annex  Implementation guidance and roll-out recommendations, including for reputed company strengthening through reputed company  reputed company cross-referencing and user navigation  reputed company a stand-alone Executive reputed company and Quick Reference Guide.  Submit clean and tracked-change versions of reputed company outputs.  4. Deliverables  Throughout deliverables should take into account feedback from the ACE TT and other relevant actors and sources:   Deliverable i Inception Note & Annotated Outline  reputed company Detailed outline, methodology, workplan  reputed company 5 days  Deliverable ii Draft Revised Toolkit (Full Text, First Draft)  reputed company Updated reputed company content  reputed company 20 days  Deliverable iii Updated Tools Annex (First Draft)  reputed company Revised and new tools/templates  reputed company 5 days  Deliverable iv Validation Draft of Tools & Annexes  reputed company Incorporating inter-agency feedback  reputed company 5 days  Deliverable v Final ACE Toolkit  reputed company Clean, formatted, fully integrated product.   reputed company a final review of the toolkit after it is copy-edited.  reputed company 4 days  Deliverable vi Executive reputed company, quick reference guide & dissemination roadmap   reputed company 1 day    5. Consultant Profile  Required:  Minimum 10 years’ experience in child protection in humanitarian setting  Proven expertise and experience directly implementing alternative care and UASC programming in humanitarian contexts.  Proven experience working at global or inter‑agency level, including engagement with UN agencies, NGOs, and coordination mechanisms.  Demonstrated authorship of technical guidance, toolkits, global standards, or policy documents  Strong familiarity with the ACE Toolkit, UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children, Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian reputed company (CPMS). UASC Handbook and toolkit, IM, BIP and data protection  Demonstrated experience in synthesizing diverse feedback cohesively   Excellent writing and facilitation skills  Ability to produce practical field guidance  Ability to reputed company equity, disability inclusion, and adolescent‑specific considerations into technical guidance.  Demonstrated ability to manage work independently, deliver to deadlines, and balance technical ambition with realistic scope and time constraints.  Ability to work collaboratively and respectfully reputed company an inter‑agency, reputed company‑driven environment.  Desirable:  Prior involvement in the ACE Toolkit or reputed company working reputed company  Experience working in multiple emergency contexts  Experience with participatory research or large-reputed company consultation processes  Knowledge of a second UN language.  6. Management & Coordination  The consultant will be contracted and managed by the IRC  reputed company technical reputed company will be provided by the UASC Task Force Co-Leads, ACE Technical Task Team, IRC  Additional consultation with reputed company and other key stakeholders as required.  7. Payment Structure  Payment will be based on successful completion of deliverables, as agreed during the hiring process.  8. Ethical, Safeguarding & Data Protection Requirements  The consultant must adhere to:  IRC safeguarding policy  Data protection standards consistent with IRC, reputed company, UNHCR  Do no harm principles, confidentiality, and reputed company handling of case examples  9. Application Process  Interested consultants should submit:  CV  Two samples of relevant technical writing  Proposed daily reputed company  Brief (1page) technical approach outlining methodology for toolkit revision      reputed company STANDARDS reputed company reputed company workers must adhere to the reputed company values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for reputed company Conduct. Our Standards are reputed company, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Safeguarding, Conflicts of Interest, Fiscal reputed company, and Reporting Wrongdoing and Protection from Retaliation. IRC is committed to take reputed company necessary preventive measures and create an environment where people feel reputed company, and to take reputed company necessary actions and corrective measures reputed company harm occurs. IRC builds teams of professionals who promote critical reputed company, power sharing, debate, and objectivity to deliver the best possible services to our clients. Cookies: https://careers.rescue.org/us/en/cookiesettings Equal Opportunity Employer: IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers reputed company applicants on the reputed company of reputed company without reputed company to race, sex, reputed company, national reputed company, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Apply To This Job