Cowater International is inviting qualified safeguarding professionals to join its Safeguarding Roster of Consultants for Southeast Asia, an opportunity focused on strengthening organisational safeguarding systems among organisations working to prevent gender-based violence (GBV) across the region.

The consultancy is part of the Southeast Asia Gender-based Violence Prevention Platform, a regionally led and Australian-funded initiative designed to increase investment, coordination, evidence-based practice, advocacy, and capacity for the primary prevention of gender-based violence against women and girls across Southeast Asia.

The position offers experienced safeguarding specialists an opportunity to provide technical assistance to civil society organisations, women’s rights organisations and other local partners while contributing to stronger safeguarding policies, systems, and practices across the region.

About the Southeast Asia Gender-Based Violence Prevention Platform

The Southeast Asia Gender-Based Violence Prevention Platform was established in response to the need for greater investment and coordination in gender-based violence primary prevention initiatives across Southeast Asia.

The initiative is built around a shared commitment to ending gender-based violence against women and girls in all their diversity. It seeks to strengthen locally led approaches by promoting evidence-based advocacy, dialogue, policy development, and programming.

The Platform is led by a regionally based Secretariat and works in collaboration with Cowater International, Social Development Direct and the Equality Institute. These collaborating organisations provide organisational development and technical assistance to support the Platform’s work.

The programme operates through three major pillars:

1. Demonstrate

This pillar focuses on generating and sharing evidence about what works in preventing gender-based violence in Southeast Asia.

The objective is to ensure that evidence on effective GBV prevention approaches is accessible and applied by practitioners and policymakers across the region.

2. Advocate

The Advocate pillar seeks to expand regional and bilateral cooperation among multiple stakeholders working on GBV prevention.

It aims to strengthen collaboration and commitment to gender-based violence prevention among governments, organisations, practitioners, policymakers, and other relevant stakeholders.

3. Facilitate

The Facilitate pillar is designed to strengthen the capacity of practitioners and policymakers to develop, implement, and monitor high-quality, evidence-based GBV prevention policies and programmes.

The Platform also provides competitive grants to civil society organisations and women’s rights organisations in Southeast Asia. These grants are offered through several funding cycles and range from AUD 20,000 to AUD 150,000.

About the Safeguarding Consultant Position

The Safeguarding Consultant will provide tailored technical assistance to a portfolio of Platform grantees to help them strengthen their organisational safeguarding systems and practices.

The work is intended to ensure that participating organisations operate in accordance with DFAT safeguarding standards and the safeguarding standards established by the Platform.

The consultant will work under the overall guidance of the Platform’s Safeguarding Specialist, with technical support from the Safeguarding Adviser of the Technical Partner.

Rather than simply producing safeguarding documents for organisations, the consultant will act as a technical partner throughout the grant lifecycle. The approach is intended to help organisations build sustainable safeguarding capacity based on their existing systems, strengths, risks, and organisational context.

Key Responsibilities of the Safeguarding Consultant

Successful consultants will be expected to undertake responsibilities across grant assessment, safeguarding planning, technical assistance, monitoring, and coordination.

Grant Assessment and Onboarding

At the beginning of the grant process, the consultant will contribute to safeguarding-related assessment and onboarding activities.

Key responsibilities include:

• Providing technical input into the safeguarding review of grant applications.
• Supporting due diligence processes.
• Contributing to safeguarding risk assessments.
• Helping identify safeguarding risks associated with proposed projects.
• Recommending appropriate measures for mitigating identified risks.
• Helping grantees understand DFAT safeguarding standards.
• Ensuring grantees understand their safeguarding responsibilities throughout the grant period.

This means candidates should be comfortable assessing organisational risks and translating safeguarding standards into practical requirements that local organisations can understand and implement.

Safeguarding Action Planning

Another major responsibility will involve helping grantees develop and strengthen their safeguarding action plans.

The consultant will be expected to:

• Review safeguarding policies, procedures, and supporting organisational documents.
• Assess existing organisational safeguarding capacity.
• Compare existing systems against DFAT and Platform safeguarding standards.
• Facilitate the development or refinement of risk-proportionate Safeguarding Action Plans.
• Build on the organisation’s existing safeguarding systems, strengths, and priorities.
• Help grantees identify realistic and achievable safeguarding priorities.
• Ensure agreed priorities are aligned with relevant DFAT standards and expectations.

The emphasis is therefore not on imposing a standardised safeguarding model. Instead, consultants are expected to help organisations strengthen systems that are appropriate to their specific circumstances and levels of risk.

Ongoing Technical Assistance and Capacity Strengthening

The successful consultant will provide continuing technical support throughout the grant lifecycle.

This may include:

• Providing tailored safeguarding advice and technical accompaniment.
• Reviewing safeguarding policies and procedures.
• Providing feedback on safeguarding tools and resources developed by grantees.
• Supporting organisations to operationalise safeguarding systems.
• Strengthening reporting mechanisms.
• Supporting risk management processes.
• Advising on safe recruitment practices.
• Supporting safeguarding training and governance.
• Delivering or facilitating safeguarding learning sessions.
• Providing coaching or mentoring where necessary.
• Working with grantees, mentors, mentees, and other Platform partners.
• Identifying emerging safeguarding concerns.
• Working with the Platform Secretariat to develop appropriate responses to emerging issues.

The position therefore requires more than theoretical knowledge of safeguarding. Candidates need to demonstrate an ability to work directly with organisations, understand their practical challenges, and help them implement workable solutions.

Monitoring, Documentation, and Coordination

The consultant will also be responsible for following up on safeguarding progress and maintaining effective communication with assigned organisations.

Responsibilities include:

1. Maintaining regular communication with grantees.
2. Monitoring progress against agreed Safeguarding Action Plans.
3. Documenting progress and emerging challenges.
4. Recording agreed next steps and technical assistance provided.
5. Identifying situations where safeguarding priorities or action plans need to change as projects evolve.
6. Escalating complex safeguarding concerns, incidents, or significant organisational risks to the Platform Safeguarding Specialist.
7. Ensuring that technical advice remains consistent with DFAT safeguarding requirements and Platform guidance.

A Facilitative and Locally Led Approach

One of the most important aspects of this consultancy is the expected working approach.

Consultants are expected to use a facilitative, collaborative, and capacity-strengthening approach. Rather than taking over the safeguarding responsibilities of partner organisations or simply writing policies on their behalf, consultants should help organisations develop and implement their own safeguarding systems.

This makes experience in organisational development, mentoring, coaching, and locally led development particularly relevant.

Candidates should therefore be able to work respectfully with different types of organisations and support them to build on their existing strengths and systems.

Qualifications Required for the Safeguarding Consultant Role

Educational Requirements

Applicants should have at least a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline.

Acceptable fields include:

• Social work
• Gender and development
• International development
• Community development
• Human rights
• Social sciences
• Another relevant field

A postgraduate qualification is desirable but not essential.

Additional training or professional certification can strengthen an application. The position particularly values training or certification in areas such as the following:

• Safeguarding
• Child protection
• Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (PSEAH)
• Gender-based violence
• Protection
• Investigations
• Related safeguarding fields

Professional Experience Requirements

Candidates must have a minimum of five years of relevant professional experience in safeguarding, child protection, PSEAH, gender-based violence, or related areas.

Importantly, this experience should include providing technical assistance, organisational capacity strengthening, or safeguarding support to:

• Civil society organisations
• NGOs
• Development partners
• Women’s rights organisations
• Community-based organisations
• Other local partners

Specific Skills and Experience

Applicants should be able to demonstrate experience in developing, reviewing, and strengthening organisational safeguarding systems.

Relevant experience includes:

• Developing and reviewing safeguarding policies.
• Strengthening safeguarding procedures.
• Developing or reviewing codes of conduct.
• Establishing reporting mechanisms.
• Strengthening case-handling mechanisms.
• Developing safeguarding prevention and response systems.
• Conducting safeguarding risk assessments.
• Developing risk mitigation measures.
• Implementing and monitoring risk mitigation measures.
• Providing technical assistance and mentoring.
• Facilitating safeguarding training and workshops.
• Providing safeguarding coaching and organisational mentoring.

Candidates should also have a strong understanding of:

• Safeguarding principles.
• Victim-survivor-centred approaches.
• Child safeguarding.
• PSEAH.
• International donor safeguarding standards.
• DFAT safeguarding requirements or comparable standards.
• Locally led development principles.

Interpersonal and Professional Competencies

The role requires strong interpersonal and analytical abilities because consultants will work with organisations that may have different levels of safeguarding capacity and different operational contexts.

Applicants should demonstrate:

• Strong analytical skills.
• Excellent facilitation skills.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• The ability to explain complex safeguarding concepts in practical and accessible language.
• Sound professional judgement.
• The ability to maintain confidentiality.
• The ability to manage sensitive safeguarding information with professionalism and integrity.

Experience working with diverse organisations is also highly desirable. This includes experience with women’s rights organisations, organisations of persons with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ groups, and other organisations representing or supporting different communities.

Language Requirements

Applicants must have proficiency in English and at least one Southeast Asian language, both written and oral.

This requirement is important because the consultant will work with organisations and stakeholders across Southeast Asia and will need to communicate technical safeguarding concepts effectively in relevant local contexts.

Who Can Apply?

The opportunity has a specific geographic eligibility requirement.

It is open to citizens of the following Southeast Asian countries:

1. Brunei Darussalam
2. Cambodia
3. Indonesia
4. Lao PDR
5. Malaysia
6. Myanmar
7. The Philippines
8. Singapore
9. Thailand
10. Timor-Leste
11. Viet Nam

Applicants must be based in and legally authorised to work in the country concerned. The organisation states that applications from citizens of other regions or countries will not be considered and that it cannot issue a working visa for this purpose.

Diversity and Equal Opportunity

The opportunity places emphasis on diversity, inclusion, gender equality, and intersectionality.

Women in all their diversity, persons with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and people from historically marginalised or underrepresented communities are strongly encouraged to apply.

The organisation also states that it is committed to hiring based on merit and qualifications and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, sex, gender identity, disability, age, or other legally protected grounds.

Application Deadline

Deadline: 28 August 2026 at 17:00 Bangkok/Jakarta time (GMT+7).

Candidates interested in the opportunity should ensure that their applications are submitted before the stated deadline and meet the specified eligibility and documentation requirements.

How to Apply

Applicants are required to submit application documents that demonstrate their suitability for the Safeguarding Consultant position.

The application should include:

1. Updated CV

The CV should clearly highlight relevant safeguarding experience, professional achievements, qualifications, and technical expertise in relation to the requirements of the consultancy.

Applicants should particularly emphasise experience in:

• Safeguarding system strengthening.
• GBV prevention.
• Child protection.
• PSEAH.
• Risk assessment.
• Safeguarding policy development.
• Technical assistance.
• Organisational capacity strengthening.
• Training, coaching, and mentoring.
• Work with civil society or women’s rights organisations.

2. Cover Letter

Applicants should submit a cover letter explaining their interest in the position and demonstrating their suitability for the role.

The application instructions state that documents should be uploaded using the candidate’s last name, first name, date, and position title format.

For further information or to apply, candidates can contact collaborate@prevention-platform.org or visit the Prevention Platform website.

APPLY HERE

About Cowater International

Cowater International is a global development consulting company founded in 1985 and headquartered in Ottawa, Canada.

The organisation has corporate hubs in several locations, including Auckland, Berlin, Brussels, Helsinki, London, Madrid, Manila, Nairobi, Singapore, and Stockholm.

According to the opportunity information, Cowater International has delivered more than 2,500 projects and assignments in over 95 countries, working with governments, private-sector actors, and communities on initiatives involving socioeconomic development, institutional strengthening, environmental improvement, and equal opportunities.

The company describes itself as a diverse and experienced organisation committed to supporting sustainable development and building better outcomes for communities.

Safeguarding Commitment

The organisation emphasises its commitment to maintaining a safe and inclusive working environment and has a zero-tolerance approach to violence, sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment.

Individuals working under the programme are expected to uphold safeguarding standards and contribute to a culture of respect, safety, and protection.

Why This Opportunity Is Important

The Safeguarding Consultant roster offers experienced professionals an opportunity to contribute to the strengthening of safeguarding systems within organisations working on gender-based violence prevention in Southeast Asia.

The role is particularly relevant because safeguarding is not limited to having policies on paper. Effective safeguarding requires organisations to have functioning systems for identifying risks, preventing harm, reporting concerns, responding appropriately to incidents, and continuously improving their practices.

Through technical assistance, coaching, mentoring, risk assessment, and capacity strengthening, the consultant will help partner organisations build safeguarding systems that are practical, proportionate to risk, and responsive to their specific organisational contexts.

The emphasis on locally led development also means that consultants will be expected to work alongside organisations rather than imposing externally designed systems. This approach can help strengthen local ownership and create more sustainable safeguarding practices.

Key Details at a Glance

Detail	Information
Opportunity	Safeguarding Roster of Consultants
Category	Job / Consultancy
Sector	Gender-Based Violence Prevention
Position Type	Part-time
Duration	Short-term
Location	Southeast Asia / eligible Southeast Asian countries
Minimum Education	Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field
Postgraduate Qualification	Desirable but not essential
Minimum Experience	5 years of relevant professional experience
Languages	English plus at least one Southeast Asian language
Eligible Countries	Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Viet Nam
Work Authorisation	Applicants must be based in and legally authorised to work in an eligible country
Deadline	28 August 2026, 17:00 Bangkok/Jakarta time (GMT+7)
Application Documents	Updated CV and cover letter

The key requirements and application details are drawn directly from the published opportunity information.

Who Should Consider Applying?

This consultancy is particularly suited to professionals who have built substantial experience in safeguarding and related protection fields and are comfortable providing technical support to organisations.

Potentially strong candidates include professionals with backgrounds such as the following:

• Safeguarding specialists.
• Child protection professionals.
• PSEAH specialists.
• GBV prevention practitioners.
• Gender and development specialists.
• Human rights professionals.
• Social workers with relevant safeguarding experience.
• Protection specialists.
• Safeguarding trainers and facilitators.
• Organisational development specialists with safeguarding expertise.
• Consultants who have strengthened safeguarding systems within NGOs and civil society organisations.

However, candidates should carefully assess their qualifications and professional experience against the specific requirements before applying, particularly the five-year minimum experience requirement, relevant technical expertise, and geographic eligibility.

Visit HERE for more information about the Safeguarding Consultant Jobs in Southeast Asia 2026.

Conclusion

The Safeguarding Roster of Consultants for Southeast Asia presents an important professional opportunity for experienced safeguarding practitioners seeking to contribute to gender-based violence prevention and stronger organisational protection systems in the region.

The consultancy goes beyond policy development. Successful candidates will provide practical technical assistance, support risk assessments, facilitate safeguarding action planning, strengthen reporting and risk-management systems, provide training and mentoring, monitor implementation, and help local organisations develop safeguarding practices that are appropriate to their own needs and circumstances.

Applicants should have at least a bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline, a minimum of five years of relevant professional experience, strong safeguarding expertise, and proficiency in English and at least one Southeast Asian language. Eligibility is geographically restricted to citizens of the specified Southeast Asian countries who are based in and legally authorised to work there.

Interested candidates should submit their updated CV and cover letter by 28 August 2026 at 17:00 Bangkok/Jakarta time (GMT+7). Given the specific country and work-authorisation requirements, applicants should confirm their eligibility and ensure their application clearly demonstrates the safeguarding experience and organisational capacity-strengthening expertise sought by the platform.

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