Consultant for Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment

Terms of Reference (TOR)

PSEAH (Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment) Consultant

Organization: Gravity Water Vietnam

Position Title: PSEAH Consultant

Duration: 1 day training

Location: Hanoi or nearby

1. Background

Gravity Water (GW), in collaboration with its implementing partner Cloudwell and with financial support from UNICEF, is organizing a training course on Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (PSEAH). This initiative reflects UNICEF and GW’s strong commitment to safeguarding, accountability, and ethical conduct, especially in the context of delivering clean water solutions to schools and communities. As GW and its partners frequently work in close contact with children, teachers, and other vulnerable populations often in remote or underserved areas, ensuring a safe and respectful environment for all individuals involved is not only a priority but a fundamental responsibility.

Given the sensitive and impactful nature of our work, it is critical that every staff member, volunteer, and partner representative fully understands what constitutes sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (SEAH), and recognizes the power dynamics and vulnerabilities that can exist in humanitarian and development settings. Beyond understanding, they must demonstrate professional and respectful behavior at all times, take proactive steps to prevent misconduct, and respond promptly and appropriately if concerns or incidents arise. This training aims to equip participants with the knowledge, tools, and practical skills needed to uphold the highest standards of conduct, create a culture of safety, and ensure that no harm is caused through our interventions. By strengthening our collective understanding and capacity, Gravity Water strives to embed PSEAH principles into every aspect of our work and create lasting, positive change in the communities we serve.

2. Objective

The primary objective of this assignment is to strengthen the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Gravity Water and Cloudwell staff in preventing and responding to sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (SEAH) in the context of their work with schools and communities.

Specifically, the training aims to:

Build a shared understanding of what constitutes sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (SEAH), including common misconceptions and the power dynamics that contribute to such behavior in development and humanitarian contexts;
Equip Gravity Water and Cloudwell staff with the skills and confidence to identify risks, maintain professional conduct, and take proactive steps to create safe, respectful and enabling environments particularly when
working with children, teachers, and vulnerable groups;
Promote a strong culture of safeguarding and accountability that does not tolerate abuse and exploitation by reinforcing individual responsibilities and encouraging reporting, the early identification and mitigation of risks;
Support the practical application of PSEAH principles in day-to-day operations, including site visits, installations, and community engagement activities.

Through this training, Gravity Water seeks to ensure its programs do no harm and that all individuals affected, especially those most at risk are treated with safety, dignity, and respect.

3. Scope of work

The consultant will be responsible for designing and delivering a participatory, context-specific PSEAH training for approximately 8 staff members from Gravity Water and Cloudwell. The scope of work includes:

Review Gravity Water’s internal PSEAH policy, Code of Conduct, and relevant UNICEF guidelines to ensure alignment of training content;
Develop a training agenda, session plans, and supporting materials tailored to the roles and field context of GW and Cloudwell staff;
Facilitate a 1 day in-person training using interactive, learner-centered methods such as case studies, group discussion, role-play, and scenario analysis;
Introduce clear definition (that is aligned with the UN’s definition) and core concepts of SEAH, appropriate professional conduct including a clear prohibition of SEA and statement of the zero tolerance policy, reporting channel including whistleblower protection measures, response protocols including victims assistance and referrals, and practical risk mitigation strategies for fieldwork;
Guide participants through real-life scenarios relevant to school and community-based work, discuss the short, mid and long-term impacts of SEA on the victims, community and the organisation, discuss their specific roles and responsibilities, and provide tools for reporting and survivor-centered response;
Conduct pre- and post-training assessments to evaluate knowledge gains and gather participant feedback;
Submit a concise final report summarizing training implementation, key outcomes, evaluation results, and recommendations for further capacity building or integration into operations.

4. Deliverables

The consultant is expected to deliver the following:

Training Agenda, covering key definitions and concepts, impacts on SEAH, core principles, and response (prevention, reporting, investigation, victim assistance and referrals, and investigation);
Training Materials – PowerPoint slides, handouts, case scenarios (in Vietnamese);
Pre- and Post-training Assessments;
Training facilitation of a 1 day in-person training;
Final Report – A concise report (max. 3 pages in English and Vietnamese) summarizing the training process, participant feedback, key outcomes, and recommendations for follow-up or institutional strengthening.

All materials will be submitted in soft copy and may be adapted for future internal use by Gravity Water.

5. Timeline and Level of Effort

Contract duration: Up to 4 working days, including preparation, delivery, and reporting.
Tentative training date: in January 2025 (to be finalized in coordination with Gravity Water).
Location: Hanoi or nearby (to be confirmed by GW in coordination with participants and venue availability).

The consultant is expected to be available for pre-training consultation and responsive during the preparation period.

6. Consultant qualifications

The ideal consultant will have the following qualifications:

A Master’s degree in Social Work, Psychology, Gender Studies, or a related field;
At least 5 years of experience in the field of protection, safeguarding, gender-based violence prevention, or related areas, preferably with NGOs or international organizations;
Proven experience in designing and facilitating trainings on Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (PSEAH), child safeguarding is a must, using participatory and adultlearning approaches;
Experience working directly with SEAH cases is a strong asset;
Solid understanding of international safeguarding standards and frameworks, particularly

UNICEF’s PSEA principles and field-level implementation practices;

Familiarity with school-based or community-based programming, and experience working with vulnerable groups such as children, persons with disabilities, and ethnic minorities;
Be able to prepare and deliver training materials in Vietnamese, and report in both English and Vietnamese.

7. Application process

Interested consultants are invited to submit the following documents:

A brief technical proposal outlining your understanding of the assignment and proposed approach;
A financial proposal indicating daily rate and estimated total cost;
Updated CV detailing relevant experience;

Deadline for application: 14 January 2025

Interested consultant submit to: [email protected]

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further discussion.

8. Safeguarding and Ethics

Gravity Water is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable groups. All consultants engaged in this assignment must adhere to GW’s PSEAH Policy and Code of Conduct. Prior to contract signing, the selected consultant will be required to:

Sign Gravity Water’s Code of Conduct and PSEAH commitment statement;
Provide a self-declaration form;
Undergo a reference check including questions related to past conduct and safeguarding.