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: Workplan with the detailed schedule Innovation capacity-building package reviewed and adapted , informed by a review of the SOS Children’s Villages Innovation Playbook, the IES Scalability Pathway and related resources.
The package will include adaptation addressing identified gaps, an agreed virtual training curriculum, learning objectives, methodology, facilitation approach, practical exercises and supporting materials. Delivery and evaluation of the global virtual innovation capacity-building programme , including facilitation of the agreed training sessions for one or two cohorts, as required. This includes a training evaluation, summarising participant feedback, learning outcomes, key lessons and recommendations for future innovation capacity-building.
Programme Innovation Challenge concept package for 2027 , including the proposed objectives, process, phases, participation approach, roles, decision points, templates and other key resources required for implementation. Final report 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