1. Consultancy Summary

Location: Remote (home-based)

Type of Contract: Consultancy (individual or firm)

Languages required: English (required), Spanish (required) and French (desirable)

Starting Date: June 2025

Duration: Up to 35 working days over 12-week period

Application Deadline: 10 June 2025 (24:00 CET)

2. About ACT Alliance

ACT Alliance is the world’s largest coalition of Protestant and Orthodox churches and church-related organizations working in humanitarian response, development, and advocacy. With over 140 members operating in more than 120 countries, ACT Alliance promotes coordinated, locally led responses to global challenges such as humanitarian crises, climate and gender justice, migration and displacement, and peace and security.

3. Background

ACT Alliance is committed to enhancing locally led humanitarian action through improved quality, accountability, and organizational capacity. As part of this commitment, the ACT Secretariat – certified against the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) since 2017 – requires its humanitarian members to apply CHS principles.

To further support local and national members, the ACT Secretariat, in partnership with Kerk in Actie, implemented a CHS Self-Assessment Support Pilot Project from 2023 to 2024. The project aimed to:

• Support members in undertaking CHS self-assessments and understanding CHS principles
• Promote shared learning through webinars and reflection sessions

The pilot attracted 31 interested national members, with 13 ultimately participating (including 3 from a complementary initiative led by ACT’s Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) office).

Building on the outcomes and moment of the pilot, ACT Alliance aims to establish a sustainable capacity-strengthening model. At the same time, ACT is exploring the integration of CHS verification into a broader due diligence passporting tool, designed to streamline quality assurance and reduce duplication.

4. Purpose of the Consultancy

The consultancy will lead an independent, participatory, and evidence-based learning review of the CHS Self-Assessment Support Pilot Project. It will assess the project’s relevance, effectiveness, and impact, capture key lessons learned, and identify opportunities for integration with ACT’s broader quality assurance and due diligence efforts.

Findings will inform decisions on scaling the initiative and aligning it with ACT’s strategic objectives and good practices across the sector.

5. Objectives

5.1 Project Review:

• Assess the relevance, effectiveness, and value of the pilot in strengthening members’ capacity to apply CHS principles and assessing their capacity development needs.
• Evaluate the design and delivery of the pilot, identifying strengths, limitations, good practices, and lessons learned, particularly in the context of remote capacity strengthening approaches.

5.2 Strategic Recommendations:

• Provide practical recommendations to inform future support mechanisms and strategic investment in locally-led capacity strengthening across the alliance.
• Assess and recommend how CHS verification and the due diligence passporting tool can be aligned to create a scaled-up, realistic, streamlined, cohesive quality assurance framework for ACT Alliance; how international members can strengthen their support to local/national members in quality and accountability.

6. Key Review Questions

6.1 Pilot Project Effectiveness

• What were the key outcomes and achievements?
• How was the pilot perceived by participating members?
• What needs were identified, and how should follow-up support look like?
• What common capacity needs emerged across national members?
• What worked well and what could be improved in the pilot’s design and implementation?
• How effective was the ACT Secretariat’s support, and what other support members expect in similar initiatives?
• How inclusive and accessible was the process, particularly for smaller and resource-constrained members?

6.2 Strategic Fit and Forward Planning

• What is ACT currently doing in terms of due-diligence, and how it can improve its approach to strengthen locally led quality response?
• How can CHS verification and due diligence passporting tool be integrated effectively within ACT Alliance?
• What are the risks and benefits of aligning CHS verification with due diligence from the perspective of ACT members (both local and international) and the secretariat?
• What resources are required for a comprehensive due-diligence approach across the Alliance.
• How can international members contribute (technically and financially) to local members capacity strengthening?

7. Scope and Methodology

The consultancy will follow a hybrid approach, combining remote methods with support from local enumerators for in-country data collection in two countries (one in LAC and one in Africa), to be selected jointly with the ACT Secretariat.

Methods may include:

• Online/in-person interviews
• Focal Group Discussions (FGDs)
• Online surveys
• Document review

Key stakeholders:

• Pilot project participants
• Local and international ACT members (including funding members)
• CHS Alliance and HQAI
• ACT Secretariat staff
• ACT Quality and Accountability Reference Group
• CHS auditors involved in ACT's certification

8. Deliverables
9. Inception Report:

• Methodology
• Tools and stakeholder engagement plan
• Timeline

2. Draft Learning Review Report

• Findings, analysis, and preliminary recommendations

3. Final Report (approx. 30 pages)

• Revised after input from designated working group (5-6 representatives from ACT Secretariat and ACT Reference Group).

4. Executive Summary (max. 3 pages)

Concise summary of findings and strategic recommendations.

5. Presentation of Findings

Remote session for stakeholders

6. Proposed Due Diligence Tool (Draft)

Conceptual tool aligned with CHS Self-Assessment framework, ACT policy needs, and draw on relevant due diligence tools used across the humanitarian sector.

9. Consultant Profile

The consultant or consultancy team should demonstrate the following:

• Proven experience conducting evaluations in the humanitarian and development settings
• In-depth knowledge of the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) and its verification mechanisms
• Familiarity with due diligence tools and processes in the sector
• Prior engagement with faith-based or networked organizations (desirable)
• Strong analytical, communication, and participatory evaluation skills
• Fluency in English and Spanish (French is an advantage)
• Culturally sensitive, collaborative, and able to work independently
• Strong time management and ability to meet deadlines

10. Management and Reporting

The consultant will report directly to the ACT Global Accountability and Safeguarding Coordinator at ACT Alliance.

11. Timeline

The consultancy is expected to be conducted over a 12-week period beginning in July 2025, for up to 35 working days. Exact dates will be agreed upon with the selected consultant.

12. Application Process 

Interested Individuals or firms should submit their application by 10 June 2025 (24.00 CET). Applications must include the following documents combined in 1 PDF.  To the following applications page:

https://jobs.world.luccasoftware.com/act-alliance-secretariat-/consultancy-learning-review--acts-chs-selfassessment-pilot-project-0127c04b-204b-4e55-a4b6-4e2f23db08b8

• Expression of Interest outlining your approach, methodology, and availability (July-September 2025)
• CV of the lead consultant and key team members
• Proof of registration (if a firm or company)
• Sample of previous CHS-based evaluation and/or strategy work
• Contact details for three professional references
• Financial offer: daily rate in USD (inclusive of all costs, overheads, and applicable taxes). Any pre-approved expenses will be reimbursed in addition. Value for money will be a key criterion.

Note: Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. The selected consultant(s) will be required to sign the ACT Code of Conduct and comply with relevant ACT Alliance’s Principles and Policies