Consultancy: MHPSS Knowledge Management Consultancy – Education Section, PD, NYHQ/Home based – Req # 539228

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.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, hope.

Consultancy Title:  MHPSS Knowledge Management Consultancy.

Section/Division/Duty Station: Education Section/ PD/ NYHQ (Home Based).

Duration: May 1st, 2021 to September 31st, 2021 (52 days).

About UNICEF

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world’s leading children’s rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children’s survival, protection and development. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates the commitment of children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfil their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

In line with Every Child Learns, the 2020-2030 education strategy, UNICEF is investing more improved learning and skills development for boys and girls from early childhood to adolescence, in particular for the most marginalized and those affected by humanitarian situations. UNICEF strategy promotes intersectoral approaches that use schools as platforms to deliver integrated services, including the promotion of mental health and psychosocial well-being of children, adolescents, and teachers and the integration of mental health and psychosocial support services in UNICEF and partners interventions in humanitarian and fragile contexts. Investing in children and adolescents’  learning,  skills and mental health and wellbeing is a priority for UNICEF.

UNICEF advocates for mental health as a holistic issue that is relevant to every sector of development and embraces all SDG’s as determinants of mental health and psychosocial well-being, underpinning the prevention, promotion, treatment continuum and an approach that is collaborative, multi-sectoral, and spam across health, social and child protection, education, gender, and other sectors in order to be effective in addressing the global burden of mental health problems. UNICEF MHPSS interventions approach is multilayered and multi-sectoral. It encourages a life cycle intervention to promote positive mental health (supporting people to adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles and create supportive environments), together with prevention measures by addressing the root causes of stigma, hopelessness, distress, and trauma; the protection of human rights and the care and treatment of children, adolescents, and caregivers affected by mental health conditions.  UNICEF framework for mental health and psychosocial support highlights education as a critical entry point. It promotes the use of schools and non-formal learning spaces to offer multiple critical services for children and adolescents’ mental health and well-being.

UNICEF’s has a focus on the most disadvantaged children and adolescents, including those who have dropped out of school or are at risk of dropping out, and older adolescents who are not in employment, education or training.  All programming aims to be multi-sectoral, address issues of exclusion, tackle gender inequities and negative social norms, and provide high quality and relevant learning opportunities.

Terms of Reference / Deliverables

In line with the education strategy and to support the operationalization and implementation of mental health and Psychosocial support integration within the education sector, we are seeking additional support to elaborate a series of knowledge management and communication products around the role of education in promoting the mental health well-being of children, adolescents, and teachers.

In close collaboration and working with the Education Specialist, Systems Strengthening team in Education Section/PD, NYHQ, The Knowledge management and Communications Consultant will support the MHPSS in education agenda with the following knowledge and communication products:

1. Prepare twelve (12) Country cases studies around MHPSS in Education (24 days):  In close collaboration with education specialists and MHPSS consultant, and with the contribution of education colleagues from selected Country offices, develop 12 MHPSS in education case stories. Case stories should be 2 -3 pages long. Case studies should be elaborated taking into consideration the following criteria:

Primary criteria:

1. Solutions: address critical problems and bottlenecks that impede children’s learning; highlight transformative solutions to promote MHPSS of children, adolescents and teachers.
2. Results-demonstration:  demonstrate a significant change in the life of children; results for children need to be in the centre of the case-study (number of beneficiaries reached)
3. Scalability: proven intervention needs to show evidence of impact at scale
4. Cost-effectiveness, Value for Money, Return on Investment: point out to why every dollar spend is a sustainable and cost-efficient investment in a child’s education/ learning 
5. UNICEF’s added value: bring out UNICEF’s comparative advantage.
6. Design the layout for six MHPSS in education briefs (12 days) Lessons learnt reflect on how change was obtained (challenges, best practice)

 Secondary criteria:

1. Multi-sectoral work: point out how education is critical to deliver outcomes in health, nutrition and other sectors
2. Partnerships: emphasize relevant partnerships and bring out UNICEF’s role
3. Innovation: highlighted innovations should fall within stages 4-6 on the below scale taken from the Global Innovation Strategy. 

2. Prepare and design 12 PPT slide to summarizing each MHPSS in education country case study above. (6 days)
3. Elaborate a MHPSS in education communication plan, including dissemination of case studies and videos around MHPPS in education (4 days).
4. Prepare a Blog (2 pages + pictures) around MHPSS in education. The blog is to be published on UNICEF website under the name of senior UNICEF education leadership around MHPSS in education (2 days).
5. Prepare MHPSS in education slide deck:  An overall PPT with a minimum of 12-15 (content) slides on the thematic field of MHPSS in education (4 days).

This is a part-time position for a total of 52 days over 5 months.  The consultant will be working remotely with the supervisor, and no travel will be required. 

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will be a dynamic self-starter with demonstrable experience of producing engaging content, including digital platforms. (S)he will be technically competent as well as creative; (S)he should have strong copywriting skills and the ability to communicate complex ideas in an accessible and engaging way to different types of audience. (S)he will be an efficient and highly motivated team member who thrives in a fast-paced, purpose-driven work environment.

(1) Education

• Master’s degree in Education, Psychology, public policy, communication, or a related field 
• Excellent internal and external communications skills, verbal and written
• Ability to develop compelling messaging and content for different platforms (including social media) and audiences.

2) Work experience

• 3 to 5 years of relevant work experience in communication and/or information management, desirable in the areas of child rights, education or mental health, and psychosocial support.  
• Experience developing advocacy documents, talking points and briefing notes is desirable
• Fluency and strong writing skills in English are required. 
• Experience in writing and developing visually oriented content such as infographics, on education related topics.  PowerPoint skills and visual design skills are desirable

Enter Disciplines: Communication, Education, Social Sciences, Psychology.

3) Competencies

• Strong organizational, planning, and analytical skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication in English.
• Ability to work across international teams.
• Good judgment, initiative, high sense of responsibility, tact and discretion.
• Demonstrated cultural sensitivity and ability to establish harmonious working relations in a multicultural environment.)

Requirements:

• Completed profile in UNICEF’s e-Recruitment system and provide Personal History Form (P11) Upload copy of academic credentials.
• Writing sample and  a Financial proposal that will include:
• your daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference 
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability
• Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.  

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

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, race, sexual orientation, nationality, culture, appearance, socio-economic status, ability, age, religious and ethnic backgrounds 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.