Save the Children Construction Policy, Benchmark Standards and Tools

Save the Children has primary responsibility for building quality, irrespective of whether the design is developed by others or implementation is accomplished with community involvement or the involvement of a building contractor. The aim of these standards is to promote a change in Save the Children’s approach to construction programming. It has been recognised following extensive review that a systematic process of change is needed to ensure that SC construction programmes are delivering responsibly on our commitment to children. The document draws on experience from past and present programming around the world and provides a basis for ensuring the safety of the children and families that we seek to support. The Construction Policies describe the globally agreed standard that Save the Children set out to achieve in all of our global programming irrespective of local context. The Benchmark Standards are a universal set of benchmarks that apply in all countries but must be interpreted for the local context. The benchmark standards set out in simple terms the activities that need to be done well for a construction programme to be safe and successful. They do not prescribe a construction process or standard set of designs since every operational context is different. The Tools and Guidelines are a set of non-mandatory templates and reference material that are available in the library linked to this document to assist and guide construction project staff with meeting the benchmark standards.

Version 4 November 2020