Consultancy - Strengthening civil society advocacy for financing to address (tech-facilitated) child sexual exploitation and abuse

Organization: ECPAT International Closing date: 3 Oct 2026 Organisational Context ECPAT International is a global network of organisations working together for the elimination of the sexual exploitation of children (SEC) in all its manifestations i.e., exploitation of children in prostitution, online child sexual exploitation, sale and trafficking of children for sexual purposes, sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism and some forms of child, early and forced marriage. The ECPAT Network currently consists of 141 member organisations working at national and local levels in 113 countries. The ECPAT International Secretariat coordinates the global work of the organisation and is based in Bangkok, Thailand. The Secretariat designs and implements global and regional level programmes, and undertakes programming, advocacy and research and facilitates a range of network initiatives. Background of the Project The Disrupting Harm research, a project jointly implemented by ECPAT International, Interpol and UNICEF Office of Strategy and Evidence – Innocenti and funded by Safe Online, has generated extensive evidence on technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse of children across over 20 countries in 6 regions around the world. The research brings together data and perspectives from children and young people, frontline professionals, law enforcement and other stakeholders, alongside analysis of national legal and policy frameworks. Building on this wealth of knowledge, ECPAT International is conducting a project to transform evidence into concrete roadmaps to action. This includes supporting civil society organisations to understand and use the findings, identify priority areas for action, and strengthen advocacy for changes in policy, practice and investment. A key component of this work will be advocacy for financing. While evidence can demonstrate the scale of (tech-facilitated) child sexual exploitation and abuse and identify gaps in prevention and response, evidence alone does not necessarily translate into increased or better targeted investment. Civil society organisations can play an important role in making the case for investment, holding decision-makers accountable and influencing relevant policy and budget processes. The project therefore seeks to develop a practical, civil-society-oriented approach to advocacy for financing, helping organisations translate evidence into compelling arguments for investment and engage strategically with governments, donors and other relevant financing decision-makers. The financing advocacy component will be closely linked to the project's three regional workshops in the Balkans, Caucasus and Latin America. These workshops will provide an opportunity for civil society organisations to explore the financing implications of the evidence, identify priority investment areas and formulate relevant advocacy asks. The financing discussions will also contribute to the regional advocacy roadmaps developed after the workshops. Alongside this regional engagement, the project will develop global resources for civil society that help civil society organisations beyond the workshops making evidence-based advocacy for financing. This work sits within a wider global effort to mobilise financing for children's safety online. The Safe Digital Futures – Invest in Children coalition has set out a Roadmap to increase and better target investment in child online safety, presented in the context of the G20 (Safe Online G20 Briefing Note). One component of this Roadmap is the study Financing Safe Digital Futures for Children: Investment Pathways to Scale, coordinated by World Vision International with coalition partners. The study identifies and assesses financing mechanisms and provides guidance to governments. Its outputs will be launched at the Second Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children (Manila, 18–19 November 2026). The work will also link to broader initiatives on financing to end violence against children. These include the toolkit Building the investment case for ending violence against children from the Office of the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children (SRSG-VAC), and the investment cases for the Manila Conference's three breakthrough areas (parent and caregiver support, safe and enabling schools, and response systems), which will be launched at the Conference. This consultancy complements these initiatives by filling a specific gap: turning evidence and financing options into tools that civil society can use to advocate for financing and hold decision-makers accountable at national, regional and global levels. The consultant will contribute both to the development of the workshop content and to the translation of the learning and priorities emerging from the workshops and studies into practical global resources for civil society specifically. Objective and Scope of The Consultancy The overall objective of this consultancy is to strengthen the capacity of civil society organisations to use evidence on (tech-facilitated) child sexual exploitation and abuse to advocate for increased, better targeted and sustainable financing for prevention, protection and response. The Consultant will perform the following tasks: • Design and facilitate online a session (approx. 1.5 hours) on advocacy for financing within three regional workshops (Balkans, Caucasus and Latin America)- total three sessions. The aim of the sessions will be to support participating civil society and partners in: exploring the financing implications of the existing evidence; identifying priority areas requiring investment; considering relevant financing opportunities and decision-makers; developing concrete and contextually relevant financing advocacy asks; and linking national and regional asks to global financing processes and commitments, including the G20 Roadmap, the investment cases launched in Manila and national commitments made at the Conference; identifying financing-related actions that can be incorporated into the regional advocacy roadmaps. • Support the development of global advocacy resources for civil society, drawing on the existing evidence, practice-based knowledge, and other resources shared by ECPAT International. The resources should build on existing financing work and avoid duplicating them. ECPAT International may share the relevant materials in addition to what the consultant will identify, including, the Financing Safe Digital Futures for Children study and its related outputs; and the SRSG-VAC investment case toolkit etc. The resources should be designed for ECPAT members, Disrupting Harm partners and civil society organisations more broadly, and should complement the coalition's advocacy. • The resources should provide practical support to civil society organisations to understand and communicate the case for investment in addressing (tech-facilitated) child sexual exploitation and abuse; translate evidence into clear financing messages and asks; identify relevant financing decision-makers and advocacy entry points; and engage strategically with governments, donors and other relevant financing actors. The format of the resources will be agreed between the selected consultant and ECPAT International and may include guidance, advocacy messages, templates, briefing materials or other practical resources. • Review the regional advocacy roadmaps developed through the three regional workshops, with a specific focus on financing, and identify relevant financing priorities, actions and advocacy asks that should be incorporated or strengthened within the roadmaps. The consultancy should take an evidence-basedand practical approach, ensuring that financing advocacy is not treated as a standalone technical exercise but is integrated into the broader advocacy work of the project. This consultancy is part of an ECPAT International-led initiative, funded by Safe Online, that builds on the Disrupting Harm research. To keep it aligned with related global efforts, ECPAT International will coordinate with the Safe Digital Futures – Invest in Children coalition. Coalition partners will be invited, on a voluntary basis, to comment on draft outputs, and to share relevant resources and opportunities. The consultant will take these inputs into account as agreed with ECPAT International and may be asked to join up to two online exchanges with coalition partners, if needed and relevant. Key Outputs • Financing advocacy methodology and materials developed for the three regional workshops and approved by ECPAT International. • Three online financing advocacy sessions designed and facilitated online as part of the regional workshops. • Financing priorities and advocacy asks identified through the regional workshop process and documented for integration into the regional advocacy roadmaps. • Review of the three regional advocacy roadmaps, with recommendations and/or proposed inputs to strengthen their financing-related elements. • Global civil society financing advocacy resources developed, providing practical and adaptable support for evidence-based advocacy for investment in addressing (tech-facilitated) child sexual exploitation and abuse aligned with and complementary to existing financing initiatives. Timeframe It is expected that this consultancy will require a maximum of 20-25 working days to be carried out between the months of October 2026 to May 2027, following the tentative schedule below: Activity and Tentative due date • Design of financing advocacy methodology for the 3 regional workshops, including addressing 1 round of feedback by the ECPAT team (End of October 2026/early November 2026) • Preparation and online facilitation of session on advocacy for financing during regional workshop (Balkans workshop: 26 November (confirmed), Caucasus workshop: Last week of February/first week of March 2027 (tbc), Latin America workshop (April 2027 -tbc)) • Review of regional advocacy roadmaps and integration of financing elements (May 2027) • Development of global civil society financing advocacy resources, including addressing 2 rounds of feedback by the ECPAT team (Early May 2027) Consultant Profile The consultant should have: Skills and experience: • Demonstrated experience in advocacy for financing, public financing or related areas, preferably in the child rights, child protection, or human rights sectors. • Demonstrated experience in translating research and evidence into advocacy strategies, messages and practical tools. • Experience working with civil society organisations. • Experience designing and facilitating workshops, preferably with civil society organisations from diverse regional and national contexts. • Strong understanding of how civil society can engage with government, donor and other financing decision makers. • Experience developing practical advocacy resources, guidance, toolkits, or similar products for civil society audiences. • Strong analytical and critical thinking and excellent writing skills. • Familiarity with child protection issues, particularly issues related to the sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children, is highly desirable. Knowledge: • Advanced degree in relevant field. • Understanding of financing and investment issues relevant to child rights, child protection, child sexual exploitation and abuse or related areas. • Understanding of advocacy and policy processes at national, regional and/or global levels. • Knowledge of issues related to the sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children, including technology-facilitated forms, is desirable. Ability: • Excellent ability to translate evidence into compelling advocacy messages and practical recommendations. • Excellent facilitation and communication skills. • Ability to work independently while maintaining close coordination with the ECPAT project team. • Excellent written and spoken English. • Excellent time management skills. • Experienced and comfortable in collaborating with a broad range of people from different cultures. Additional Information • This is a home-based consultancy. The consultant will use their own equipment and will be expected to be available for online calls across different time zones, including with the ECPAT International Secretariat in Bangkok and selected partners in other regions. • ECPAT International will provide relevant background information and technical inputs, including Safe Online materials, ECPAT resources, the previous humanitarian products on sexual exploitation of children, suggested documents for review, and contact with selected staff, members and external experts. • The consultant will report to the Head of Programme: Justice and Child Rights at ECPAT International and will work closely with other members of the Secretariat as relevant. Our Commitment • As ECPAT’s International Secretariat we recognise that our strength lies in the diversity of the people who make up our global network, staff, volunteers and consultants. We are committed to being an inclusive workplace where people of all backgrounds and cultures can strive and be themselves. This means we will challenge ourselves to do better and to continue learning, to create and maintain a working environment steeped in respect, tolerance, safety, and where all parties are valued equally. • As a child-focused organisation, ECPAT has a strong commitment to child safeguarding and rigorous procedures, and the successful candidate will be required to sign our 2 codes of conduct. How to apply Proposals should be sent in PDF format to vacancy@ecpat.org following instructions: • The proposal must be sent in a single document in PDF format in no more than 5 (five) pages. Any additional files or exceeding pages will not be taken into account, or can be taken as a reason for disqualification. • The proposal must include: Summary of the Consultant resumé Summary of similar works of relevance to the consultancy (if possible, with links to the products) Technical approach Daily fee in USD. Not following the above-mentioned instructions will be taken as a reason for disqualifying the proposal from the selection process. Submission Deadline All proposals must be submitted no later than October 3rd, 2026 (closing time 19:00 GMT/UTC -5)