About MSI Asia Pacific

MSI Asia Pacific (MSIAP), its entities and affiliates, are a specialist sexual and reproductive health, non-governmental organisation (NGO) working in Australia, Asia and the Pacific to ensure the fulfilment of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of all people.

At MSI Reproductive Choices we are unapologetically pro-choice. We believe that every person has the right to make choices about their own body and future. As one of the world’s leading providers of contraception and safe abortion care, we give everyone the means to do so. Across 36 countries, we provide high quality, safe services, and work with advocacy to create an enabling environment, so every client has safe access to services when and where they are needed.  

MSIAP serves as the Public Engagement and Grant Management office for MSI in Australia and the Asia Pacific region. Working with key institutional donors including Australian Government (DFAT) and New Zealand Government (MFAT), Foundations and individual supporters, MSIAP oversees a number of projects across Asia and the Pacific.

MSI is committed to creating an inclusive environment with a workforce which is representative of the communities we serve. We’re proud to be an equal opportunities employer and give equal consideration to all qualified applicants without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or age. We are committed to promoting equality and safeguarding the welfare of all team members and clients, with a focus on vulnerable groups.

The consultancy:

MSIAP is at once the Asia Pacific regional subsidiary of the MSI Reproductive Choices global partnership, and an Australian NGO. We are governed by a Board of Directors which oversees the Executive Officer who manages a team of 17 employees in total, inclusive of a team of 4 senior managers.

MSIAP is located separately to MSI Australia (MSIA), the Australian clinical business. We are guided by many of the global standards set out by the MSI Global Support Office as well as local policies set by MSI Australia.

Risk Management:

MSI Asia Pacific currently manages organisational risk and monitors project, and safeguarding risks, through a range of mechanisms, culminating in an overarching risk register. The register is reviewed quarterly by MSIAP staff via the ‘Risk Working Group’ and reported quarterly to the Finance, Risk, Audit and Compliance Committee.

New, significant, and changed risks are presented quarterly to the Board of Directors. The Board are ultimately responsible for the effective management of risk and set the risk appetite on an annual basis. MSI Asia Pacific would like to review and revise the risk management process and policy to ensure that:

A) Management of risk is as effective and efficient as possible
B) All staff take a unified approach to the risk management process
C) The MSIAP Risk Management process is accurately documented in policies/procedures
D) The approved Risk Appetite is integrated into the process holistically

Business Continuity:

MSIAP acknowledges that effective risk management also incorporates a robust business continuity policy. This policy update should sure up our ability to maintain critical functions, minimise disruption and resume normal operations with minimal downtime when a crisis occurs.

Key to all of this work will be: MSIAP’s risk appetite, current best-practice in Australian workplaces, sector wide standards, and compliance with DFAT Accreditation and ACFID Code of Conduct requirements. With MSIAP building up to our DFAT Accreditation assessment in 2026, this will be an important consideration throughout all work undertaken.

Terms of Reference

Key objective/s and deliverables:

Risk Management:

• Review of current risk management process and recommend revisions. In particular, ensuring that there is a clear process and flowchart to capture all MSIAP and MSI country program risks impacting MSIAP funded projects.
• Advise on distinguishing between risk (potential) and issues (live).
• Refresh of Risk Management policy, associated processes and risk management flowchart (including approach to organisational, project, and safeguarding risks).
• Support the Risk Working Group with integrating revised risk appetite (2024) into risk management process and risk register.
• Refresh of risk register format, in line with our new strategic plan (2025-2030).
• Review of efficiencies and use of technology (the risk working group would be open to reviewing and integrating risk management software/systems which could replace our current process).
• Present revised documents, and policy recommendations to the relevant stakeholders.

Business Continuity:

• Review and update the MSIAP Business Continuity policy.
• Present revised documents and policies to the relevant stakeholders.

Consultation:

• Within the proposal, please include consultation with the following key stakeholders and outline the proposed process of consultation
• MSIAP Risk Working Group (comprised of 7 MSIAP team members)
• MSIAP Board of Directors (6)
• MSIAP Finance, Risk, Audit and Compliance Committee Members (4, most all of whom also sit on the Board)

In the proposal, please make specific reference to:

• Any experience working with INGO’s or Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights organisations.
• Experience reviewing and updating risk management policies and processes
• Experience reviewing and updating Business continuity plans
• Experience and knowledge of DFAT Accredited organisations / requirements
• Experience with multi-faceted organsations which are part of a global alliance and operate in a complex projects environment

Key Stakeholders:

• MSIAP Risk Working Group
• MSIAP Board of Directors
• MSIAP Finance, Risk, Audit and Compliance Committee Members (most of whom also sit on the Board)
• MSIAP Wider Team
• MSI Australia (business continuity)
• MSI Global - Asia Regional Team

Timing:

• Outside of completion before the end of the calendar year, timing of the consultancy is flexible and required activities may be completed non-consecutively.

Location:

MSIAP is located in Melbourne. Consultants may work remotely.

A TOR is attached.