1. Background 

The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC/Committee) is a treaty body established by the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (Charter) to monitor its implementation. The ACERWC monitors the implementation of the Charter through various functions entrusted to it including consideration of State Party Reports and Communications, undertaking investigation, interpreting the Charter among others. 

The ACERWC implemented its Strategic Plan 2021–2025 to guide the execution of its mandate and strategic priorities. At the conclusion of this period, the Committee undertook an evaluation of the Strategic Plan 2021–2025 to assess achievements, challenges, lessons learned, and areas requiring strategic repositioning. The findings and recommendations of this evaluation constitute a key foundation for the Committee’s forward-looking planning.

In 2025, the ACERWC commenced the development of a new Strategic Plan for three years aligning its timeline with the AU Strategic Plan covering the period 2026–2028. An initial draft Strategic Plan was developed by an external consultant. While the draft provides a substantive basis, it requires further technical refinement, consolidation, and validation to ensure coherence, results-orientation, alignment with African Union policy frameworks, and collective ownership by the Committee.

In this regard, the ACERWC is seeking to engage a short-term individual consultant to finalize the existing draft Strategic Plan 2026–2028 and to facilitate a two-day validation consultation with Committee Members and the Secretariat. The finalized Strategic Plan will be presented to the Committee at its upcoming 47th Ordinary Session for consideration and adoption.

2. Objectives 

    Overall Objective

Consolidate and incorporate the outcomes of the validation consultation and produce a final Strategic Plan ready for adoption.

   Specific Objectives

• Review and technically refine the existing draft Strategic Plan 2026–2028;
• Ensure alignment with the evaluation findings of the Strategic Plan 2021–2025 and relevant African Union policy frameworks;
• Facilitate a two-day validation consultation with ACERWC Committee Members and the Secretariat;
• Incorporate the outcomes of the validation consultation and produce a final Strategic Plan ready for adoption

3. SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY

The Consultant shall:

The Consultant shall apply a consultative and results-oriented approach, building on the existing draft Strategic Plan 2026–2028 and the evaluation findings of the Strategic Plan 2021–2025. The assignment will focus on technical refinement and validation, including structured discussions with Committee Members and the Secretariat. The Consultant shall prepare facilitation tools and guiding questions, facilitate a two-day validation consultation, and consolidate the outcomes of the consultation to finalize a coherent, results-based Strategic Plan aligned with relevant African Union policy and results frameworks.

In Consultation with the ACERWC members, the Secretariat and AU organs with the same mandate, the consultant with propose the strategic objectives, the results-based activities and SMART indicators at output and outcome levels 

4. Expected outputs

The Consultant is expected to:

• A refined draft Strategic Plan 2026–2028 prior to the validation consultation;
• Facilitation materials and discussion guides for the validation consultation;
• A brief validation report summarizing key discussions and agreed revisions;
• A final, clean Strategic Plan 2026–2028, consolidating the outcomes of the validation consultation and ready for submission for adoption at the 47th Ordinary Session of the ACERWC

5. Required professional qualifications and experience

The Consultant must have the following qualifications and experience:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or PhD) in human rights, law, international development, public policy, strategic planning, or a related field;
• At least ten (10) years of proven experience in strategic planning, review, or Monitoring & evaluation for international or regional organizations, including human rights mechanisms;
• Demonstrated experience in developing, reviewing, or finalizing strategic plans and results frameworks for intergovernmental or complex institutional settings;

• Extensive knowledge and experience of the African Union, African Human Rights System and the international Human Rights System is essential

• Excellent analytical, drafting, and report-writing skills, with the ability to deliver high-quality outputs within agreed timelines;
• Fluency in English is required; working knowledge of French or another AU working language is an asset

• Track record of delivering high quality documents within agreed timeframe

6. Application 

The ACERWC invites eligible Individual Consultant to indicate their interest in providing the consultancy services. The application document should consist of the following:

1. A cover letter summarizing the applicant’s background and with names and contacts of three references.
2. A Customized Curriculum Vitae not exceeding three pages.
3. A Technical Proposal on:

• Understanding and interpretation of the TOR;
• Methodology to be used in undertaking the assignment; and
• Time and activity schedule

4. A Financial proposal on:

• Consultant’s Professional Fees in US$;
• AU rates will be applicable where necessary on travel and Daily Subsistence Allowance.

The Financial Proposal shall be sent separately in a PDF format, and it should be password protected. However, the Consultant shall submit the password to the ACERWC upon request and after concluding the evaluation of CVs. 

Applicants should submit evidence of educational background and professional experience; and samples of publications, professional undertakings or related activities which demonstrate the applicants’ expertise in the areas and any related field.

7. Evaluation criteria 

For evaluation of the expressions of interest, the following criteria will be applied:

• General Education Qualification and Relevant Training (20 points);

• Experience Related to the Assignment (30 points);

• Technical approach and methodology (40 points)

• Work plan (10 points)

8. Duration

The estimated duration of the consultancy shall be ten (10) working days, which include the facilitation of the two-days validation consultation at the margin of the 47th Session of the ACERWC. 

9. Consultancy Fees

The payment will be done upon finalization of the assignment and is inclusive of all costs and profits as well as tax obligations that may be imposed on the Consultant.

10. Child safeguarding clause

The selected consultant(s) will receive the African Union (AU) Policy on Child Safeguarding and the ACERWC Code of Conduct upon engagement. The consultant(s) shall read, sign, and adhere to these instruments, which constitute binding standards applicable to all external experts engaged by the ACERWC.

Compliance with the AU Child Safeguarding Policy, the ACERWC Code of Conduct, and all related safeguarding standards shall be a mandatory condition of the contract and shall apply throughout the duration of the assignment and during any activity conducted under the auspices of the ACERWC. Failure to comply with these safeguarding obligations may result in termination of the contract and other appropriate measures.