Consultant for local Staff Counselling Services (Iranian national only)

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

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, Joy

https://youtu.be/E1xkXZs0cAQ

How can you make a difference?

1. Background

UNICEF ICO has developed five improvement targets for staff well-being, improvement of office work environment and workplace culture. The office has identified practical measures for each improvement target including hiring a local counsellor to improve the office environment, workplace culture and enhance staff well-being.

2. Specific Objectives

This consultancy will contribute to achieving the following key objectives:

• To enhance knowledge and skills UNICEF COIR staff through the delivery of consultative group sessions on stress reduction and management, coping with grief, and reduction of demoralization, distress, psychosocial safety, and other wellbeing topics.
• To ensure effective delivery of individual and group counselling sessions for UNICEF staff

3. Methodology and Technical Approach

• Organizing Training/Consultative Workshop: the consultant shall provide half-day training/consultative workshops to enhance the knowledge and skills of

UNICEF COIR staff on stress management, coping with grief, reduction of demoralization and distress, and other topics that are relevant to the context and required for the wellbeing of staff through training, discussion, role-play and hands-on sub-sessions and practices.

• Provide Individual Counselling services: the consultant shall provide 20 individual, one-hour counselling sessions for UNICEF staff.

4. Activities, Deliverables, and Indicators

Activities and indicators:

• Organize a half-day consultative workshop on stress management, speak up, coping with grief, and reduction of demoralization and distress for UNICEF staff.
• Conduct face to face and/or remote (based on the need & through a secure platform) private counselling sessions for UNICEF ICO on a monthly basis for the duration of one year.
• Conduct face to face and/or remote (based on the need) thematic group counselling sessions for UNICEF ICO staff (upon request) in English.
• Provide ICO senior management and upon their request a report of the number of staff members using the local counselling system, the number of new staff members using the service, the pattern of visits (anonymously) as well as collective issues related to staff wellbeing; while maintaining confidentiality.
• Coordinate with the Regional Staff Counsellor on monthly technical supervision calls to discuss overall themes, practices, and best evidence-based intervention to support the staff.
• Explore and identify the key sources of stress in the sessions with staff members, suggest positive methods for stress management and make referrals to certified psychologists in case psychological aid is needed for any staff member.
• Support the office to analyse the outcome of the pulse check survey and come up with an action plan to improve the areas requiring improvement in the survey

Indicators of performance

• Submission of workshop report with most prevalent problems and possible recommendations without mentioning specific units and individuals
• Number of individual and group sessions held during the month
• Submission of counselling report with full respect to the anonymity of the clients and respecting the principle of confidentiality, to the HR Unit only with the purpose of declaring the number of individual sessions held during the month
• Satisfactory performance and positive feedback from the staff
• Development of a practical and effective action plan and road map for addressing the results of the pulse check survey
• The office Improvement Plan (the OIP) is updated, polished, and improved.

5. Management and Organization

5.1. Management: The consultant will work under the direct supervision of UNICEF Operation and collaborates with the Staff Association and UNICEF Regional Staff Counsellor.

5.2. Travel: NA

5.3. The UNICEF will be responsible for organizing and coordinating all meetings with the staff / senior managers as required.

5.4 Timeframe: The entire project will be conducted in 2 working days during the month.

6. Conditions of Work:

The consultant shall use his/her own facilities to manage the work, but, where circumstances demand otherwise, shall be allowed to make use of available UNICEF office space, computer and internet facilities with prior notification and arrangement with the supervisor and UNICEF Admin/ICT. The provision of these facilities by UNICEF shall be subject to their availability.

7. Special Terms & Conditions:

• CONFIDENTIALITY of the one to one and group sessions with staff members is the top priority. The staff counsellor is not allowed to give any report of any of the conducted sessions to anyone; including the UNICEF ICO senior management, UNICEF Regional Office, Staff Association, HR and any external individual or organization outside of UNICEF.
• The staff counsellor should be fluent in English and Farsi in order to conduct face to face/virtual group and private sessions, providing clear feedback to UNICEF Iran senior management and confidentially communicate with the Regional Staff Counsellor as needed.
• The counsellor can only flag/report the following cases to the UNICEF ICO senior management, child & elderly abuse, sexual exploitation and harm & moderate to serious suicidal tendencies.
• The staff counsellor is not allowed to engage in any HR-related cases of the staff member.
• The staff counsellor is not allowed to conduct an assessment of fitness to work for any staff member and provide a fit-to-work certification to any staff member.
• In case the counsellor has any business with any other UN Agency, sharing any kind of information from UNICEF with any other UN Agency is prohibited.
• The private and group sessions with staff members are not being considered as a therapy. The local counselling system will be provided as a psycho-social support mechanism to staff members with the purpose of supporting and maintaining the mental health of staff members.
• Staff members can attend therapy sessions outside of the office and based on their own decision, which will be partially covered by CIGNA (UN medical Insurance system).
• The local staff counselling service is provided/available to UNICEF ICO personnel ONLY (including UNVs, Interns and Consultants);
• The venue of face to face private/group counselling sessions is ALWAYS the office of UNICEF Iran and the virtual/remote sessions will be conducted through a secure platform introduced and provided by UNICEF Iran.
• The local staff counsellor is not allowed to make any home and hospital visits.
• The local staff counsellor is not allowed to make diagnoses and prescribe medication to any staff member. However, in the case of observing the need for taking medication, the local staff counsellor can only make referrals.
• Staff members will directly arrange their private sessions with the local staff counsellor.
• The local staff counsellor is not allowed to share the name of the staff members who attended private/group sessions with the UNICEF ICO senior management. However, he/she is responsible to monitor the fair distribution of sessions among the staff and is responsible to share with the management the number of staff members using the local counselling system, the number of new staff members using the service and the pattern of visits (anonymously) upon their request;
• The local staff counsellor is not allowed to record any of the private/group sessions.
• The local staff counsellor is not allowed to keep any communication records with UNICEF staff members i.e. email, SMS, Telegram or WhatsApp messages.
• The local staff counsellor is not allowed to take part in any investigation related to UNICEF staff members.
• The local staff counsellor is not allowed to conduct any teambuilding workshops and coaching sessions for UNICEF Iran staff members in order to maintain their neutrality.
• The quality assessment of the local staff counsellor is based on the feedback of UNICEF Iran staff members.
• The duration of private sessions is 45 mins to 1hr.
• The local staff counsellor is not allowed to play the role of HR, Peer Support Volunteer, Staff Association etc.
• The staff members are not allowed to use the local counselling system for cases of conflict resolution.
• UNICEF ICO is not responsible for any sessions being conducted outside the UNICEF premises.

8. Evaluation:

Applicants will be evaluated based on technical qualification and their financial proposal.

Technical qualification based on defined criteria: 70 scores

The financial proposal includes below items: 30 scores

• 24 individual sessions (as we mentioned in the ToR)

• 12 thematic group sessions

• Analyzing the results of two surveys (pulse check and another internal one)

Total Score: 100

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• University degree; PhD or Master of Science in Psychology or relating disciplines (counselling, social working and etc.),
• Minimum five years of working experience in the field of Life Skills Training and life coaching with the proven knowledge and skills on working with at-risk children and adolescents,
• Proven facilitation skills and training workshop experience,
• Previous experience of facilitation of Life Skills Training workshop. Previous experience to compile the service package on Life Skills Training will be an asset,
• Previous working experience with UNICEF/UN is an asset,
• Fluency in Farsi and English is required.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People, and Drive for Results.

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

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 be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

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

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.