Consultancy: Consultant, Meaningful and Safe Adolescent and Young People Engagement in Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) - ADAP Section, PD, NYHQ - Req

Contract

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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: Meaningful and Safe Adolescent and Young People Engagement in Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS)

Section/Division/Duty Station: ADAP/Programme Division/NYHQ

Duration: 40 days between 01.09.2020 and 01.06.2021

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

Up to 50% of all mental health conditions start before the age of 14 years, with suicide one of the three leading causes of death among adolescents. Given the adolescent burden of disease and disability caused by poor mental health and the impact of mental well-being on the survival, growth and development of adolescents and young people, this is a priority area of action for UNICEF. The organization is accelerating its work on adolescent mental health, including in the engagement of adolescents and young people in MHPSS advocacy and events, as well as in the design, implementation and monitoring of AMH programming in both humanitarian and development settings. In all this work, it is critical that well-considered, ethical protocols and standards are followed to both ensure the meaningful participation of adolescents and young people, and to ensure ethical standards of do-no-harm procedures are carefully adhered to in all UNICEF’s work with adolescents and youth people.

UNICEF requires the services of an experienced consultant to assist with the above task. The consultant will lead the planning, development and implementation of these protocols/standards with an accompanying training package. The consultant will work closely with the ADAP section, Programme Division MHPSS working group, and select representatives from UNICEF country and regional offices on this work.

To strengthen UNICEF’s work on mental health and psychosocial support, UNICEF’s ADAP section will develop an internal protocol and technical standards, with accompanying training package, for meaningful and safe engagement of adolescents in MHPSS advocacy, policy dialogue, and programming, with special attention to safe and meaningful engagement of services users and adolescents with lived experience. The audience for the protocols/standards and accompanying training are UNICEF Country Offices (COs) and partners.

Terms of Reference / Deliverables

Rapid review of 1. existing UNICEF guidance on meaningful and safe engagement of adolescents, including do-no-harm (safety) guidance and protocols; and 2. external (partner and other) guidance specific to MHPSS and do-no-harm (safety)

Develop detailed outline of protocol/standards (including tools) reflecting feedback from UNICEF

Hold online consultation(s) with MHPSS HQ, RO, COs and invited adolescents/young people

Develop draft #1 of materials reflecting feedback from UNICEF

Hold online consultation(s) on draft #1 of materials with MHPSS HQ, RO, COs and invited youth

Develop draft #2 reflecting feedback from UNICEF

Collect field feedback on draft #2 of protocol/standards from adolescents (in collaboration with Health and Data & Analytics)

Finalize protocol/standards content

Develop training module/exercises/activities on protocol/standards (targeting UNICEF staff and select partners) to promote knowledge and skills on how to operationalize the protocol (i.e., could be mapping of how to deliver training on materials, may include outline, materials, PPT)

Develop and help implement 1-hour webinar on protocol, in collaboration with UNICEF sectoral colleagues

Engage with designer to develop/review final product

Qualifications

(1) Education

• Bachelor’s degree in International Relations or a related field is required

2) Work experience

• A minimum of ten relevant professional work experience in youth/adolescent MHPSS and/or adolescent engagement
• Proven ability to analyze, evaluate and synthesize information
• Strong ability to draft ideas and concepts, clearly and concisely, in written and oral form
• Proven experience in developing toolkits and training, protocols, and related content
• Strong planning and organizational skills
• Knowledge of standard Microsoft operating products
• Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships, both within and outside the organization
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of second language is an asset
• Good judgment, initiative, high sense of responsibility, tact and discretion.

Requirements:

• Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and provide Personal History Form (P11) Upload copy of academic credentials
• Financial proposal that will include:
  • your daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference (can be downloaded here: https://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index_consultancy_assignments.html
  • 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, 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.

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.