External Review Panel Member

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Risk Pool Alliance is registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) with the Charity Commission for England and

Wales, Risk Pool Alliance (1211645)

Role Description

Risk Pool Fund External Review Panel Member

Responsible to Risk Pool Alliance Executive Director

Areas of expertise At least one of : Education or Economic Empowerment / Livelihoods

programming in development contexts, or Humanitarian

programming

Hours Usually 1-3 hours per review with up to 10 reviews per year

Location Home-based

Travel None

What is the Risk Pool Fund?

Risk Pool Fund, managed by the Risk Pool Alliance, was founded in 2018 as a collaboration

between The Eleanor Crook Foundation, CRI Foundation, Vitol Foundation, and Open Road

Alliance to test a new approach to mitigating unanticipated challenges in the implementation

of maternal and child health and nutrition (MCHN) programmes in low- and middle-income

countries.

The Fund was established on the understanding that even proven interventions can encounter

unforeseen difficulties. However, the philanthropic sector lacked mechanisms to support

organisations in addressing these challenges, placing the burden of risk management entirely

on implementers and the communities they serve. As a result, impact was often compromised

To address this, the Risk Pool Fund was created to provide fast and flexible funding, helping

implementers overcome unexpected setbacks and safeguarding funders’ original

investments.

Originally focused on MCHN, the RPF’s remit was expanded in 2024 to encompass

development projects across the economic empowerment and education sectors, as well as a

humanitarian portfolio. The Livelihoods Impact Fund joined the RPF in the same year.

To protect the intended impact of a programme or organisation, the RPF provides

eligible rostered projects with a grant of up to USD 50,000 towards a solution to

address a challenge that could not been foreseen. Recoverable grants (loans) have

been available since 2022, as an alternative to a standard grant.

In the first six years of operation, the fund received 70 grant applications and funded 50

projects, totalling USD 2,081,803, which protected more than USD 90 million worth of total

project investments, and more than USD 26 million invested specifically by the founding

funders.

Who can apply to the RPF?

Non-profit organisations must be grantees of one of the RPF’s funders and nominated by them

to be eligible to apply for RPF funding. The Risk Pool Fund is not open to the public and does

not accept unsolicited proposals or requests to be nominated.

Rostered projects are currently being delivered in the following countries : Afghanistan,

Bangladesh, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Chad, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the

Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The External Review Panel : Role Purpose

The ERP is an independent pool of programme experts. They are recruited from a variety of

technical / programme management backgrounds and represent a range of geographical,

thematic and sectoral experience relevant to the RPF.

Each application to the RPF is independently reviewed by three members of the RPF’s External

Review Panel (ERP) who assess it against eligibility criteria, ascertain whether the proposed

solution is appropriate and technically sound, and make a recommendation to fund or not to

fund the request. Applications are funded based on the majority decision of the ERP.

Most members of the ERP will be asked to review up to 10 applications in a calendar year. The

number of reviews will vary by ERP member based on their combination of sectoral, thematic

and geographical expertise, and may exceed 10 applications in a year in some cases. Most

applications are 5-10 pages. A review will usually take 1-3 hours (but could be longer depending

on the level of complexity) and reviewers have at least a week to undertake the review, unless

the application is particularly urgent in which case the timeframe will be shorter. If ERP

members are asked to review an application and they do not have the capacity to do so within

the given timeframe, they have the option to say that they are unable to participate in that

Personal specification

For this round of recruitment, the Risk Pool Alliance is specifically seeking applications from

applicants with expertise in one or more of : education and economic empowerment

particularly agriculture) in development contexts, or expertise in humanitarian programming

see below for specific areas of focus).

Applications are not currently being accepted from people whose experience is focused on

health and / or nutrition in development contexts.

Applicants are particularly encouraged to apply at this time if they have relevant experience in

one or more of the following countries : Afghanistan, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Colombia,

Guatemala, Haiti, Pacific Islands and Togo.

Experience / knowledge

• Extensive experience in the education and / or economic empowerment / livelihoods

particularly agriculture) sectors of international development; and / or

following areas : community-led response, emergency relief and disaster resilience;

water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH); maternal and child health, disease outbreak

response, nutrition and health systems strengthening; youth empowerment; and

being implemented (see above)

to, development or humanitarian programmes

particularly in the areas of : impact research; health systems; and humanitarian

Knowledge and skills

relevant to your area(s) of expertise

development and / or humanitarian organisations

appropriately address them

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