Background:

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster and hardship, in more than 40 countries worldwide, we partner to put bold solutions into action, helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities now and for the future.  Mercy Corps has worked in Jordan since 2003 to implement a variety of programs funded by global public institutions, as well as private donors, to meet the urgent needs of vulnerable populations, build cohesive and civically engaged communities, and increase inclusive economic opportunities. Mercy Corps’ current portfolio in Jordan focuses on three domains: resilient individuals, strong communities and governance, and environmentally sustainable and inclusive economic growth. Mercy Corps integrates cross-cutting themes of youth, gender equality and empowerment, governance, natural resource management, and technology.

Mercy Corps is committed to fostering a culture of physical and psychological safety within our teams and our programs and zero tolerance towards abuse.

Safeguarding at Mercy Corps covers the prevention, detection, deterrence, and response to allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse, child abuse, internal sexual misconduct, and human trafficking. Everyone at Mercy Corps shares a responsibility for safeguarding.

Purpose / Project Description:

Tawazon - Promoting the Voice and Leadership of Women Activity is a five-year activity that will create transformational changes in gender relations at the family, community, and national levels to enhance gender equality and advance women’s leadership in Jordan. This will be achieved through 1) strengthening the enabling environment and institutional capacity and addressing structural barriers for women to fully exercise their rights, express their agency, and freely lead and participate in society without restrictions; 2) partnering with local stakeholders to counter prevailing prohibitive social norms that perpetuate gender inequality, undermine women’s agency to exercise their rights, and prevent transformative change in gender relations; and 3) advancing the inclusive and transparent leadership and decision-making participation of girls and women.

Consultant Objectives:

Mercy Corps is looking for a consultant who is expected to develop a comprehensive Code of Conduct and Safeguarding policy for the Social Security Corporation (SSC) that aligns with Jordan's national laws and regulations. This includes clear guidelines for preventing and responding to issues such as harassment, bullying, and violence in the workplace. The expected outcome is a well-defined set of policies that ensure a safe and inclusive working environment at the SSC. The Consultant will closely coordinate with Mercy Corps’ Safeguarding & GESI Manager and the CARM Coordinator to help the SSC strengthen its procedures and practices about safeguarding and code of conduct. All procedures, guidelines, materials, and KPIs ought to be connected, supported, and modified by a framework that addresses gender-based violence (GBV) and creates a safe environment at work.

Consultant Activities:

1. Lead collaboration efforts with the SSC to assess and identify Safeguarding and Code of Conduct prevention and response mechanisms within the national and governmental laws and rules with a specific focus on the SSC context.
2. Use Mercy Corps’ safeguarding and code of conduct policies as a reference and adapt and contextualize these to reflect on the SSC's existing resourcing, knowledge, attitudes, and current best practices to prevent, detect, and appropriately respond to safeguarding and code of conduct concerns.
3. Develop comprehensive policies that outline the full range of SSC safeguarding and code of conduct principles and responding measures, including but not limited to violence, bullying, and harassment in the workplace or similar/related environments.
4. Identify the necessary components and specifications for an effective reporting mechanism to facilitate reporting and addressing incidents of misconduct.
5. Create a reporting mechanism considering the identified requirements, existing resources, and current practices, considering scalability and user-friendliness.
6. Develop a comprehensive training kit and compile educational materials, resources, and tools necessary for awareness training sessions on the policies and the reporting mechanism.
7. Train the SSC-related team (ToT) to equip them with the skills to facilitate the awareness-raising sessions.
8. Create a standardized tool incorporating code of ethics, safeguarding, and reporting structures, adaptable for further development and amendments in the context of public sector, integrating CSB/SPAC for implementation within the Jordanian Public sector.
9. Develop a glossary reference for the technical terms used in the assignment relevant to the public sector, I,e, safeguarding in the public sector (a mixture of definition and application)

Consultant Deliverables:

All deliverables will be in Arabic, except the final report, which needs to be written in English and Arabic.

1. Lead collaboration efforts with the SSC to assess and identify Safeguarding and Code of Conduct prevention and response mechanisms within the national and governmental laws and rules with a specific focus on the SSC context.
2. Inception report with detailed action plan and a clear timeline for the assignment. As a minimum requirement, the report should include and clearly highlight the methodology of the work, key assumptions, and sources of information and data. The inception report should include a list of documents for desk review and be based on initial consultation with SSC, MC and Tawazon teams.
3. Draft proposed SSC Code of Conduct and Safeguarding Policy.  Use Mercy Corps’ safeguarding and code of conduct policies to adapt and contextualize SSC's existing resources, policies, knowledge, attitudes, and current good practices. This is to design categories, procedures, and policies adequately to prevent, detect, and appropriately respond to safeguarding and code of conduct concerns internally at SSC. This process of identification and verification may include but is not limited to conducting KIIs, FGDs, and one-to-one interviews and compared to identified good practices.
4. Present the recommended draft Code of Conduct and Safeguarding Policy. Receive feedback from the SSC to move forward with the development phase and take into account any feedback that is received.
5. Develop a Comprehensive Code of Conduct and Safeguarding Policy: A fully developed and documented policy that outlines the principles and measures (KPIs) for safeguarding and code of conduct at SSC, addressing various aspects such as harassment, violence, and bullying. This document should be ready for immediate implementation.
6. Draft a proposed Reporting Mechanism: A practical and well-defined reporting system that enables SSC employees to report incidents of misconduct. This system should include clear reporting channels and guidelines, ensuring employees feel safe and empowered to report concerns.
7. Present the recommended Reporting System as well as the requirements for its institutionalization considering existing resources, and current practices, scalability, and user-friendliness.
8. Develop the final version of the Reporting System after incorporating feedback received from SSC. 
9. Create a standardized tool incorporating code of ethics, safeguarding, and reporting structures, adaptable for further development and amendments, integrating SPAC for implementation within the Jordanian Public sector.
10. Training materials: Develop together with SSC team comprehensive training materials, including presentations, handouts, and interactive resources for conducting awareness and training sessions. These materials should be tailored to SSC's specific needs and easily adaptable for future use.
11. Train the SSC-related team (ToT) to equip them with the skills to facilitate the awareness-raising sessions.
12. Generate a comprehensive final bilingual (Arabic & English) report highlighting work methodologies, findings, and any associated developed tools. The report should include a glossary reference for the technical terms used in the assignment relevant to the public sector, I,e, safeguarding in the public sector (a mixture of definition and application)

Timeframe / Schedule: 

This contract will be implemented over a period of three months with an estimated Level of Efforts of 35 days maximum starting 1 December 2023.

The Consultant will report to

Institutional and Leadership Development Lead.

The Consultant will work closely with

The Tawazon ILD Senior Gender Capacity Strengthening Specialist, Mercy Corps’ Safeguarding and Social Inclusion lead, MC CARM Coordinator, and Social Security Corporation assigned team members.

Required Experience & Skills:

• A bachelor's or master's degree in a relevant field such as social work, international development, law, or a related discipline. Advanced degrees is preferred.
• A minimum of 8 years of professional experience working in safeguarding, protection, or a related field, with a proven track record of progressively increasing responsibility.
• Solid understanding of the HR system in the public sector.
• Minimum of 8 years of experience, specifically in policy writing, designing, and implementing comprehensive safeguarding systems.
• Previous experience in case management relevant to harassment, violence, and bullying is considered a plus.
• In-depth knowledge of national and international safeguarding and child protection laws, guidelines, and best practices.
• Strong understanding of safeguarding risks and challenges in the specific sector or context relevant to your organization (e.g., education, healthcare, humanitarian aid, etc.).
• Familiarity with the principles of gender equality, diversity, and inclusion in safeguarding efforts.
• Demonstrated experience designing and delivering safeguarding training and capacity-building programs to various stakeholders, including staff, volunteers, partners, and beneficiaries.
• Proven expertise in developing, reviewing, and implementing safeguarding policies, procedures, and protocols within organizations.
• Experience in conducting safeguarding audits or assessments to identify gaps and recommend improvements.
• Flexible with good teamwork skills to effectively work with government stakeholders.  Experience working with the Social Security Corporation will be considered a plus.
• Good command of both Arabic with excellent writing and English skills.
• Any relevant certifications, such as safeguarding training or professional associations, would be advantageous.

Documents to be included when submitting Consultancy Proposals:

• A proposal demonstrating the approach and strategies the consultant will follow in delivering this scope of work.  Proposal length shouldn’t exceed 3 pages.
• Detailed workplan with estimated level of effort for each deliverable.
• Financial offer and daily rate.
• CV of applicant.
• Samples of previous relevant work.
• Three references.

Evaluation criteria:

Applicants will be evaluated according to the below elements and weights. Only applicants that receive a score of 40% and above on elements from one to three will be qualified to present their proposal in-person to the selection committee.

1. Proposal and approach 30%
2. Workplan and distribution of level of effort 10%
3. Previous experience 20%
4. Presentation 20%
5. Financial offer 20%

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we can better leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives. We recognize that diversity and inclusion are journeys, and we are committed to learning, listening, and evolving to become more diverse, equitable, and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity
We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination based on race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our stakeholders and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring, and evaluation of our field projects. Team members are expected to conduct themselves professionally and respect local laws, customs, and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

How to Apply: Mercy Corps Jordan is seeking a qualified consultant to work on the development of safeguarding and code of conduct policy for the Social Security Corporation, and Reporting mechanism under -USAID Tawazon – Promoting the Voice and Leadership of Women Activity.  If you are interested, please send the requirements to the Mercy Corps – human resources department at "jo-recruitment@mercycorps.org" . The last date for submission is on the 26th of November, 2023 indicating the title of the position "Social Security Corporation Safeguarding Consultant " in the subject line.