Consultancy Title: Mental Health and Psycho-Social Support (MHPSS), MENARO

Title: Mental Health and Psycho-Social Support (MHPSS)

Type of engagement: Individual Contractor

Duty Station: Home based/Amman

Start Date: Asap – Jan 1, 2020

End Date: Nov. 30, 2021

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

In 2020, UNICEF HQ established a Global Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Acceleration Project to support six countries in three regions over a 1.5-year (to maximum two-year) timeframe to accelerate MHPSS priorities where UNICEF is already engaged and has ongoing commitments. Through this project, UNICEF aims to ensure UNICEF HQ and three Regional Offices (ROs) are supported in establishing dedicated technical capacity in MHPSS to support country offices (COs) and partners in policy level dialogue, field level coordination and advocacy, MHPSS assessments, setting up training and capacity building activities, and designing, monitoring, and evaluating MHPSS activities and programs.

The primary objectives of this dedicated regional consultancy is two-fold: (1) to support the operationalization and implementation of the Global Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Acceleration Project within the MENA region. Specifically, the MHPSS Specialist will work with MHPSS specialists at HQ and the RO level to provide technical support to the two selected country offices (Iran and Lebanon) – COs with programmes that are multi-tiered, multi-sectoral, and that can operate at scale; and (2) support the development of a Regional MHPSS Strategy (and feed into the Global Strategy), that will promote cross-sectoral coordination, inform regional capacity needs, and support knowledge and information management in the region.

Scope of Work:

The consultant will coordinate mapping, analysis and capacity-building initiatives on MHPSS in the MENA region in order to help shaping strategic programmatic response on MHPSS across sectors and ensure the inclusion of MHPSS in research, data collection/reporting and communication exercises. The consultant will work with country, regional, and global level teams.

More specifically, the consultant will support the Regional Office in three main areas of work and will be expected to complete the following tasks: 

1. Strategy development and cross-sectoral coordination

• Map existing UNICEF regional initiatives, programming, and tools on MHPSS and draft an analysis highlighting gaps as well as innovative approach to consider for scale-up.  (Inherent in this work will also be considering other MHPSS mappings that have been carried out, for example, by the No Lost Generation consortium of organizations also engaged in MHPSS work).
• Draft Regional Framework on MHPSS based on the Global Draft Framework developed at HQ and organize related consultation across sectors and with country offices.
• Support the UNICEF MENARO MHPSS Task Force and provide representation to other coordination bodies as required.

2. Capacity-strengthening and technical support

• Conduct a MHPSS capacity needs assessment for UNICEF staff in the region.
• With the support of the Child Protection Specialist for MHPSS, plan a learning series for UNICEF staff in the region through a series of webinars.
• Based on the webinar series, develop a staff toolkit on integration of MHPSS across sectors including during country planning process.
• Provide technical assistance to Lebanon and Iran Country Offices on the implementation of the 7% set aside funding programme.
• Provide technical review and inputs of MHPSS related documentation and guidelines developed by country offices and HQ.

3. Knowledge management and resource mobilization

• Work with the MENA MHPSS Task Force to establish and population a MHPSS knowledge management platform on UNICEF MENARO intranet.
• Develop or provide inputs to funding/donor proposal and/or case studies related to MHPSS(as required).
• Highlight needs and solutions related to MHPSS in UNICEF communication products and on relevant regional Sit Reps or human-interest stories.

Work Assignment Overview

Tasks/Milestone:

Deliverables/Outputs:

Timeline

Estimate Budget (payment %)

Monthly progress report

Introductory calls with regional and HQ teams and with a selection of COs to map and analyze ongoing initiatives on MHPSS programming. Roadmap for deliverable drafted.

End of month 1

9 %

Monthly progress report

Regional MHPSS framework drafted (aligned with HQ framework). Knowledge Management platform is established

End of month 2

9 %

Monthly progress report

Regional MHPSS framework validated through consultative process

End of month 3

9 %

Monthly progress report

 Mapping of regional capacity needs finalized

End of month 4

9%

Monthly progress report

Regional capacity monthly webinar series designed and launched

End on month 5

9%

Monthly progress report

CO toolkit on how to integrate MHPSS in country planning is drafted

End of month 6

9%

Monthly progress report

programme model including regional case studies drafted

End of month 7

9%

Monthly progress report

consultation with RECs on inclusion of MHPSS in national policies/systems is organized

End of month 8

9%

Monthly progress report

briefing to donors and country/ regional management on ways forward is organized

End of month 9

9%

Monthly progress report

Regional framework is revised based on field consultation/learning

End of month 10

9%

Monthly progress report

Final strategic framework launched

End of month 11

10%

Minimum Qualifications required:

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

 Masters 

Enter Disciplines:

Candidate must have a degree in psychology (with demonstrated practice experience), or social work (with demonstrated counselling experience), or psychiatry.

• At least eight (8) years regional experience with child protection and/or MHPSS programming for children, including in humanitarian contexts.
• Experience in project coordination and management.
• Good knowledge and understanding of humanitarian principles, child safeguarding measures and established international standards on mental health and psychosocial support for children in humanitarian and/or development settings.
• Strong organizational and facilitation skills whether face to face or remotely with diverse stakeholders.
• Comfortable to work independently while coordinating closely with different teams.
• Experience creating training materials and facilitating MHPSS trainings.
• Experience in MHPSS research a plus.
• Full and demonstrated command of spoken and written English is essential.
• Arabic language proficiency preferred.