Individual National Consultancy for Technical Assistance and Coordination to Respond to Children and Parents’ Mental Health and Psycho-social Support Needs in Central Vietnam Floods Emergency , Viet Nam

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

UNICEF Viet Nam is one of more than 190 offices of the United Nations Children’s Fund globally and part of the United Nations system in Viet Nam working in close collaboration with all UN agencies in the country. Guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF has a universal mandate to promote and protect the rights of all children, everywhere – especially those hardest to serve and most at risk.

UNICEF’s mission in Viet Nam is to make sure every child in the country is healthy, educated and safe from harm, therefore having the best start in life and a fair chance to reach her or his full potential and benefit from the country’s prosperity. We believe children have a right to live in a more equitable society, where their voices are heard and needs met as a matter of priority in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. More information on what we do in Viet Nam is available at https://www.unicef.org/vietnam/

Background:

Since 6 October, the Central region of Viet Nam (Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Kon Tum and Binh Dinh Provinces) has experienced prolonged, heavy rains, storm surge and strong winds that caused severe flooding and landslides. Viet Nam Disaster Management Authority (VNDMA) has estimated 7.7 million people live in the affected areas and that about 1.5 million people have been directly affected. Of whom, an estimated 177,000 people had already been vulnerable (poor or near-poor) and 36,500 children should be prioritized for urgent humanitarian assistance.

VNDMA reported that at least 75,000 households were evacuated. Evacuation sites were often public places (community houses or commune People’s Committee (PC) offices) or neighbor’s houses. These locations often do not have sleeping areas separated by gender. Adults and children shared overcrowded spaces with both family and non-relatives, which limit their privacy and can lead to conflicts between families, harassment and intimidation, increase risk of violence, sexual harassment against women and girls and boys.

Children’s mental health and psychosocial (MHPS) well-being are heavily impacted as they face increased protection risks, stress, trauma and anxiety. Although there have not been reported cases of child abuse, school closures have exposed children, particularly girls, to domestic violence and posed them at higher risk of neglect, sexual exploitation and abuse. Children face numerous safety risks due to accidents, with at least two child casualties due to drowning already reported. Children without parental care are particularly vulnerable. Loss of family livelihood is expected to translate into an increased risk of child labor in the coming months.

Under UNICEF Response Plan to to the Floods Emergency in Central Viet Nam and in line with the overall UN coordinated response to the emergency in support to the Government of Viet Nam, UNICEF Viet Nam plans to collaborate with the Department of Children’s Affairs (DCA), Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) to support the children affected by the disasters in Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, and Kon Tum provinces by offering technical support for effective provision of psycho-social assistance to affected children. In order to do that frontline workers in these provinces need to be quickly trained on psycho-social support during emergencies and natural catastrophes and coached in their implementation of MHPSS sessions.

DCA is therefore planning to deploy a group of trained social workers to the affected provinces to conduct short training and coaching to frontline workers for their provision of psycho-social support to affected children and parents.

Objectives:

In close cooperation with UNICEF, the consultant is expected to provide technical assistance to MOLISA, DOLISAs and selected social workers to ensure quality mental health and psycho-social support sessions are provided to affected children and parents in the selected provinces, including close follow-up of trainings to local front-line workers at commune level.

Specific objectives are:

• Develop a training programme and materials for one-day training for frontline workers on MHPSS. This also includes development of a reporting template for specialists in the field to use.
• Facilitate a one-day orientation session for selected specialists (who have been trained on MHPSS but might have not had experience in providing training for others) on the training programme for frontline workers on MHPSS + PFA following a participatory approach.
• Provide coaching to specialists while they are on the field with 2 days travel to three provinces and distance coaching
• Develop a report on results achieved and ensure standard monitoring and reporting of all children and parents receiving MHPSS in targeting provinces.
• Draft a guideline on MHPSS for CPiE.

The objectives of the one-day training programme for frontline workers should focus on:

• Provide the participants with fundamental understanding on psychosocial well-being on children and families facing trauma and loss during natural catastrophes;
• Provide the participants with essential knowledge and skills to identify children who need MHPSS.
• Provide participants with understanding of basic principles and techniques to provide focused, non-specialised psycho-social support, primary first aid (PFA) and communicate with children in distress; including how to assess the needs of children and parents.
• Inform participants of referral pathways and mechanisms to refer children to specialized MHPSS services as needed.

Specific Tasks:

In consultation with UNICEF and MOLISA, the consultant shall perform the following tasks:

Task 1: Develop a one-day training programme, guideline/short manual, presentations or handouts on MHPSS for child protection in emergencies (CPiE), and a reporting template for use in the field for frontline workers. Facilitate one-day orientation for selected social workers (who will be deployed to the field) on how to conduct the one-day training on MHPSS for CPiE for frontline workers and how to provide individual counselling to children in needs. (8 days)

Task 2: Provide regular support and coaching to selected social workers while they are on the field, with 2 days travel to each of three selected provinces and distance coaching, to ensure MHPSS for CPiE is correctly implemented in all targeting provinces. (15 days)

Task 3: Provide ongoing support to ensure standard monitoring and reporting of all children and parents receiving MHPSS in targeting provinces on a bi-monthly basis during the overall duration of the response. Conduct a quick assessment to two selected provinces on results of MHPSS onterventions. Consolidate report on MHPSS of CPiE from all social workers who are deployed to targeting provinces to provide an analysis on child protection issues in emergencies, how MHPSS has been implemented and how children have been supported through MHPSS. (10 days)

Task 4: Finalise the guidelines and standards on MHPSS for CPiE. (5 days)

Total: 38 days

Methodology and deliverables:

The consultant is required to work closely with UNICEF and MOLISA Department of Children’s Affairs to get technical guidance and exchange information on the implementation of the consultancy. The consultant is required to work in collaboration with selected social workers to implement the consultancy.

Full TOR and deliverables as attached  Vacancy Notice MHPSS Coord Consultant CPiE.docx

Reporting:

The consultant will work under the supervision of the Child Protection Specialist Alternative Care and under overall guidance of the Chief of the Child Protection Section. 

Performance indicators for evaluation:

Timeliness, inclusion of and response to UNICEF and MOLISA comments, quality of services rendered.

The performance evaluation is conducted upon the completion of deliverables according to timeline as mentioned above.

Qualification/Specialized Knowledge and Experience:

The consultant should have the following qualifications to effectively carry out the proposed tasks:

• Advanced Degree in social work and/or related field;
• At least 5-year experience in working with the Governments and Organizations in improving social work;
• At least 10-year experience in developing and facilitating training programme in social work; and in implementation of case management;
• Excellent knowledge on and understanding of the roles and functions of social workers and social work services in various fields especially on child protection in emergencies;
• Strong knowledge on the community-based child protection system;
• Good working experience and familiarity with UNICEF vision, mission and programming on child protection;
• Good written, communication skills and computer skills;

Applications will be evaluated technically and points are attributed based on how well the application meets the requirements of the Terms of Reference using the guidelines detailed below.

Technical Evaluation (70%):

Advanced Degree in psychology, social work and/or related field: 10%.

At least 5-year experience in research and study on relevant areas such as social work, psychology, sociology, child protection, child welfare working with the Governments and Organizations: 15%

At least 5-year experience in developing, facilitating training programmes in social work, and experience in MHPSS for children or in (CPiE): 20%

Familiarity with UNICEF vision, mission and programming, monitoring and reporting especially on MHPSS and CPiE: 15%

Excellent English writing and communication skills: 10%

Financial Evaluation (30%).

Submission of applications

Interested candidates are kindly requested to apply and upload the following documents to the assigned requisition in UNICEF Vacancies: http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/

1. Letter of interest and one-page document expressing how to undertake respective assignment;
2. Performance evaluation reports or references of similar consultancy assignments (if available)
3. Financial proposal: All-inclusive lump-sum cost including consultancy fee, travel and any other costs for this assignment.
4. CV/P11 form (UN Personal History Form)

View our competency framework at

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.