Strengthening Innovation Capacities across SOS Children’s Villages

Review of the SOS Children’s Villages Innovation Playbook, development and delivery of a global innovation training programme, and design of a 2027 innovation challenge.

1.      Background

SOS Children’s Villages is a global federation working to ensure that children and young people, who have lost or are at risk of losing parental care, can grow with the relationships, support and opportunities they need to thrive. Across the federation, Member Associations respond to diverse and evolving programme challenges, requiring approaches that are locally relevant, evidence-informed and increasingly able to make use of new methods, partnerships and technologies.

In 2026, SOS Children’s Villages International launched the Innovation, Evidence & Scale (IES) Unit to support SOS Children’s Villages Member Associations and partners in moving more effectively through the IES Scalability Pathway from priority challenges to designed and tested solutions and ultimately to greater impact and scale. IES acts as a catalyst: supporting teams to identify and frame challenges, co-create and test solutions, generate evidence, capture learning and help promising approaches travel across contexts. An important part of this role is strengthening capacities across the federation so that Member Associations are equipped to apply innovation approaches within their own programme development and programme change processes.

Innovation within this context is not understood as technology alone or as the development of entirely new solutions. It involves starting from the challenges and the needs of children, young people, families and communities, engaging relevant stakeholders in the design process, testing assumptions and potential solutions, learning through experimentation and considering how appropriate technologies and emerging tools can strengthen programme responses. This reflects the wider IES approach of supporting locally led solutions through co-creation, safe experimentation, evidence and learning.

SOS Children’s Villages’ Innovation Playbook, developed in 2020, provides an existing framework, methodology and set of practical tools for innovation across the federation. Building on this foundation, IES now aims to update and translate these resources into a practical capacity-building offer for SOS Children’s Villages partner Member Associations. This ToR describes a consultancy that will be responsible for:

• Reviewing and, where needed, adapting the existing Innovation Playbook and related resources to design an Innovation capacity-building programme, including its training curriculum and materials.
• Facilitating the Innovation capacity-building programme for SOS Children’s Villages partner MAs, combining conceptual framing, practical methodologies, interactive learning and peer exchange.
• Developing the concept for a potential Programme Innovation Challenge in 2027, including the proposed approach, key steps, process and templates.

SOS Children’s Villages International is seeking external expertise to complement internal capacities and bring current innovation practice, methodologies and perspectives into the organisation. The consultancy should build on existing SOS Children’s Villages resources while strengthening them with relevant external expertise and practical experience

2.      Objectives

2.1. General

To design and deliver a global virtual innovation capacity-building programme for approximately 20–60 programme colleagues from 15–20 SOS Children’s Villages Member Associations, accommodating different experience levels and time zones, while laying the foundation for a potential programme innovation challenge in 2027.

2.2. Specific

• Review the existing SOS Children’s Villages Innovation Playbook, the IES Scalability Pathway and related resources to identify relevant updates/gaps and adapt it to a global virtual innovation capacity-building programme, including training curriculum, methodology and supporting materials.
• Facilitate a highly interactive virtual innovation capacity-building programme, combining practical innovation methods and tools with exercises, peer exchange and group work focused on programme-related challenges.
• Develop a practical concept for a potential Programme Innovation Challenge in 2027, including the proposed process, phases, templates and other resources required for implementation.

3.      Scope and methodological approach

The consultancy should build on the existing SOS Children’s Villages Innovation Playbook while allowing for targeted adaptation and supplementation where relevant. The intention is not to redesign the existing innovation framework from scratch, but to review its continued relevance, identify gaps or opportunities for improvement and translate it into a practical virtual learning experience for SOS Children’s Villages partner Member Associations.

The proposed approach should be guided by the following principles:

• Practical and application-oriented learning, enabling participants to understand and practise innovation methodologies through concrete examples and exercises.
• Participatory virtual facilitation, including breakout groups, peer exchange, discussions, collaborative exercises and other interactive formats.
• Stakeholder-centred innovation, emphasising the importance of understanding and involving relevant stakeholders, including children, young people, families and communities where appropriate, throughout innovation processes.
• Context sensitivity, ensuring that methods and examples are relevant and applicable across diverse organisational, cultural and programme contexts.
• Appropriate use of technology and emerging tools, considering how these can support innovation processes while remaining a means to achieve better programme outcomes.

The expected activities include:

Phase 1. Induction and review

• Participate in an initial induction with the IES team to align on objectives, scope, timeline and available resources.
• Review the SOS Children’s Villages Innovation Playbook, the IES Scalability Pathway and other relevant internal innovation resources.
• Identify relevant gaps, outdated elements or opportunities for adaptation and propose complementary methodologies or tools, where useful.
• Develop and agree with IES the overall capacity-building approach, curriculum, learning objectives and training structure.

Phase 2. Development of training materials and preparation

• Adapt the required virtual training materials, facilitation resources, practical exercises and participant materials.
• Design a training approach suitable for participants with basic to moderate previous exposure to innovation methodologies.
• Prepare interactive exercises that allow participants to apply selected methodologies to realistic or programme-related challenges without requiring the development of complete innovation proposals.
• Propose appropriate approaches for assessing participant learning and collecting feedback.
• Lead the organisation of one or, if required, two parallel training cohorts to accommodate participant numbers and different time zones.

Phase 3. Facilitation and evaluation of the innovation capacity-building programme

• Facilitate the agreed virtual training programme for approximately 20–60 SOS Children’s Villages co-workers from an estimated 15–20 Member Associations.
• Ensure a highly interactive learning environment, with particular emphasis on cross-country exchange, peer-to-peer learning and practical application.
• Facilitate exercises and discussions on key stages of innovation, align to the IES Scalability Pathway, including challenge identification, problem understanding and validation, ideation, co-creation, prototyping, testing and learning.
• Assess learning and participant experience and consolidate relevant findings and recommendations for future innovation capacity-building activities.

Phase 4. Development of possible 2027 programme innovation challenge concept

• Building on the training programme and the wider IES approach, develop a practical concept for a potential programme innovation challenge in 2027.
• Define the proposed objectives, process, phases, participation criteria, roles and decision points.
• Develop the main templates and supporting resources required for subsequent implementation.
• Present the proposed concept to IES and incorporate agreed feedback.

The implementation of the innovation challenge itself is not part of the scope of this consultancy but may be considered separately in 2027.

4.      Expected deliverables

The consultancy is expected to deliver the following products:

5.      Detailed schedule of deliverables

The consultancy is expected to run from October 2026 to end of February 2027 and will be implemented fully virtually.

Deliverable

Key considerations

Indicative timeline

Approval criteria

Indicative payment*

Deliverable 1:Workplan

Work plan, including a timeline and the methodology for the review and facilitation process

By W1 of October, 2026

Alignment with the Terms of Reference (ToR) and a realistic timeline

10%

Deliverable 2:Innovation capacity-building package reviewed and adapted

Review of the Innovation Playbook, the IES Scalability Pathway and related resources; adaptations on the methodology gaps; agreed training curriculum, learning objectives, session structure, facilitation methodology, exercises and supporting materials.

By W3 of October, 2026

Training package is practical, coherent and suitable for virtual delivery; builds appropriately on existing SOS Children’s Villages resources; incorporates IES feedback and is ready for implementation.

30%

Deliverable 3: Delivery and evaluation of the global virtual innovation capacity-building programme

Facilitation of the agreed training programme for approximately 20–60 participants, through one or two cohorts as required, including interactive exercises, group work and peer exchange. This includes a post-training evaluation and report.

Mid-November to mid-December 2026

Agreed sessions delivered as planned; strong participant engagement and practical application of innovation methodologies; required participation and learning documentation completed. Post training report is submitted.

40%

Deliverable 4:  Programme Innovation Challenge concept package for 2027

Detailed concept including objectives, proposed phases and process, participation approach, timeline, roles, decision points, templates and other key implementation resources.

By end of December 2026

Concept is practical and implementation-ready; aligned with the IES approach and learning from the capacity-building programme; incorporates IES feedback.

20%

Deliverable 5: Final report

Preparation of a final report outlining results, challenges, lessons learned and recommendations

By end of December 2026

Clear and actionable report; complete data; realistic recommendations

*The percentages above are indicative and may be adjusted during contracting. Payments will be linked to the satisfactory completion and approval of the respective deliverables.

6.      Duration of the Consultancy

The consultancy is expected to run from early October 2026 to end of December 2026 and will be implemented fully virtually. The exact level of effort across the different phases and deliverables should be proposed by the consultant as part of the technical and financial proposal.

The consultant should have sufficient availability during the main training period, expected to take place between mid-November and mid-December 2026, including the flexibility to facilitate sessions at times suitable for participants joining from different regions and time zones. The consultancy will be supervised by the Innovation, Evidence & Scale (IES) Unit of SOS Children’s Villages International, with regular coordination and review points throughout the assignment.

7.      Consultant profile

The consultant, consultancy team or organisation should demonstrate the following qualifications and experience:

• Minimum 5 years of relevant professional experience in innovation for social development projects and programmes, including practical application of innovation methodologies such as human-centred design, design thinking, lean innovation, prototyping and testing.
• Strong experience in designing and facilitating engaging capacity-building programmes, particularly in virtual and adult-learning settings.
• Proven ability to translate innovation concepts into practical, accessible methodologies, tools and learning experiences.
• Experience working with diverse, international groups and organisational contexts. Consultants based in low- and middle-income countries, as well as those with substantial professional experience working in these contexts, are particularly encouraged to apply.
• Strong facilitation, communication, organisational and stakeholder-management skills, including effective use of participatory and collaborative digital tools.
• Excellent written and spoken English. French and/or Spanish, experience in the international development/NGO/social-impact sector, and relevant innovation certifications are considered assets.

Applications may be submitted by individual consultants, consultant teams or consultancy organisations.

8.        Safeguarding, Ethics, Confidentiality and Data Protection

The consultant will be required to comply with applicable SOS Children’s Villages policies and standards, including the Child and Youth Safeguarding Policy, Code of Conduct and Anti-Fraud and Anti-Corruption Guideline.

No direct interaction with children or young people is currently foreseen within the scope of this consultancy. However, all methodologies, examples and materials developed should reflect the organisation’s commitment to safeguarding, meaningful stakeholder participation, inclusion and ethical programme development.

The consultant may receive access to internal SOS Children’s Villages documents and resources. All non-public information made available during the consultancy must be treated as confidential and used exclusively for the purposes of this assignment.

Any personal or organisational information processed during the consultancy must be handled in accordance with applicable SOS Children’s Villages data protection requirements.

9.        Intellectual Property

All final products developed within the scope of this consultancy, including adapted methodologies, training curricula, training materials, facilitation resources, templates, reports and the Innovation Challenge concept package, shall be provided to SOS Children’s Villages International upon completion of the assignment.

SOS Children’s Villages International shall hold the rights to use, reproduce, adapt, modify and further develop materials produced specifically under this consultancy.

Where the consultant proposes the use of existing third-party or proprietary methodologies, tools or materials, these must be clearly identified in advance, including any applicable restrictions on their future use or adaptation by SOS Children’s Villages International.

10. Fees

The maximum available budget for the consultancy is EUR 30,000.00 including professional fees, applicable taxes and any other costs required for the virtual implementation of the assignment. Applicants are requested to submit a financial proposal including:

• the proposed total lump-sum fee for the assignment;
• the estimated number and allocation of consultancy days or hours; and
• applicable taxes and any other associated costs.

Financial competitiveness and overall value for money will be considered as part of the selection process.

Payments are expected to be linked to the satisfactory completion and approval of the deliverables outlined in Section 6. The indicative payment schedule may be adjusted and agreed during contracting.

No international or national travel is foreseen within the scope of this consultancy.

11. Submission and evaluation of proposals

Interested applicants are requested to submit:

• curriculum vitae / profile of the consultant or key members of the proposed consultancy team;
• a technical proposal, outlining the proposed approach and methodology, work plan
• a financial proposal, including the total lump-sum amount and applicable taxes.

Proposals should be submitted electronically to martin.schmid@sos-kd.org & jessica.ugalde@sos-kd.org no later than 21 September 2026.

Applications may be submitted by individual consultants, consultant teams or organisations. Proposals will be assessed based on relevant experience and qualifications; quality and relevance of the proposed technical approach; demonstrated understanding of the assignment and SOS Children’s Villages context; feasibility of the proposed work plan and availability during the required period; and financial competitiveness and overall value for money.

Only proposals meeting the requirements outlined in these Terms of Reference will be considered. SOS Children’s Villages International may invite shortlisted applicants to an interview as part of the selection process.