Full-time Individual Contractor (11.5 months, home-based in Italy with field travel): MHPSS Project Manager - Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECARO), Rome, Italy

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UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund

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IT Home-based; Rome (Italy)

Application deadline 1 year ago: Sunday 11 Sep 2022 at 21:55 UTC

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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, Protection

Purpose of the Activity/Assignment

Management of the UNICEF Programme in Italy on the mental wellbeing of adolescent migrants and refugees

UNICEF mandate is to ensure that children’s life, wellbeing, and rights are protected and supported. UNICEF works worldwide to strengthen institutional and governmental systems protecting children and adolescents, promoting their rights and supporting their development in a safe and conducive environment. UNICEF promotes community-based actions and programming to empower families and communities in attaining their needs fulfilled and caring for the most vulnerable groups. In a great variety of settings, from war-torn countries to disaster-affected areas, from low- to middle- and high-income countries, UNICEF commitment is to ensure that special attention is given to the most vulnerable children and adolescents so that their fullest potential can be achieved.

Protecting children and fostering their psychosocial wellbeing entails multiple actions that UNICEF carries out together with governmental counterparts, relevant institutions, and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs). In Italy, UNICEF work focuses on tailored programmes addressing the needs of the most disadvantaged children and adolescents, including migrant and refugee children and youth inside and outside the reception system, alternative and foster care for separated and unaccompanied children, including those of migrant background, children and adolescents at risk of protection risks and/or developing psychosocial distress, or whose mental health and psychosocial wellbeing is undermined.

Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) is an institutional priority for the UN and for UNICEF and is critical for the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The UNICEF Strategic Plan 2022-2025 identifies MHPSS as a priority area, building upon existing programming through child protection, education, and health, shaped by actions and standards set out in the Child Protection Minimum Standards (CPMS), Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action (CCCs) and the IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergencies. In Italy an outposted team from UNICEF ECARO Regional Office is operational since 2016 to respond to the unique needs of migrant and refugee children, providing technical assistance to national authorities and civil societies and direct services when needed.

Italy is one out of 9 Countries where UNICEF, in cooperation with National Authorities and Civil Society, is piloting a 2-years multi-sectoral and integrated programme aimed to improve the mental wellbeing of adolescent migrants and refugees. As resulted from recent evidence generation exercises conducted on MHPSS for migrant and refugee adolescents, though the socio-ecological model is widely valued in Italy, MHPSS services struggle to address the needs of both boys and girls and their caregivers, resulting often in partially efficient interventions and limited in their sustainability over time. This programme is thus intended to address some of the main gaps of Italian response, mainly the poor coordination between the reception system for migrants and refugees and external MHPSS combined with the lack of knowledge and reference to common MHPSS minimum standards across the Italian regions for the identification, referral, and support for the most in need children. In addition, service providers are not adequately equipped to provide age, gender and culturally appropriate MHPSS, schoolteachers are not systematically trained and equipped to deal with students with migrant background, the reception facilities provide only very limited psycho-social prevention activities and the external community-based MHPSS services are not sufficient, or there are barriers preventing access to them (such as the lack of cultural mediators, lack of information about services available, at times lack of support from the reception centre to enable access to external services, etc.). All these factors are exacerbated by the massive stigma and prejudice on mental health that prevent adolescents, especially migrants and refugees, in seeking support when needed and being aware of the importance of self-care, as well as their participation in planning and monitoring MHPSS programmes/interventions.

The programme will have three main areas of focus:

  1. Facilitate review/development of tools and approaches with local stakeholders for mental health promotions/prevention (based on WHO-UNICEF Helping Adolescents Thrive Package
  2. Pilot the adolescent mental health promotion/prevention intervention package (in coordination with Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labour and Social Policies and Ministry of Education), including direct services to adolescents and caregivers and capacity building to frontline workers, practitioners, and schoolteachers
  3. Generate evidence on effectiveness, as well as documented learning on pathways to scalable model

The programme in Italy will also contribute to the implementation of the National Action Plan of the EU Child Guarantee, which puts specific emphasis on mental health and adolescence and child and youth participation.

Scope of Work

The MHPSS Project Manager will be responsible for overseeing the entire programme, including planning and allocating resources, preparing budgets, monitoring progress, and keeping stakeholders informed throughout the project lifecycle, reporting to donor, ensuring oversight of implementation by partners, providing implementing partners and project consultants with technical advice. His/her work will be conducted under the supervision of the Child Protection Specialist and close technical guidance of the MHPSS Specialist.

In detail the MHPSS Project Manager will:

  • Set up and update a project management tool that includes timeline, activities, responsibilities, milestones, budget, expenses, risks and mitigation actions, to ensure that the project is completed on time, on budget, and with the expected quality;
  • Provide monthly status report documenting progress, bottlenecks, challenges and actions taken in relation to the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
  • Ensure an efficient and timely planning of activities is in place – including technical feasibility -, all outcomes are delivered on time within the stipulated scope and budget;
  • Monitor the purposeful budget allocation and utilization to ensure the progress is in line with the workplan;
  • Monitor and ensure that quality and minimum standards of the supported MHPSS programme and interventions are met, as per UNICEF global framework, mandate and commitments. Coordinate closely with the MHPSS Specialist to guarantee that this action is aligned to the other UNICEF-supported MHPSS programmes in Italy and with key inter-agency guidelines.
  • Coordinate with internal – including child protection, adolescent development and participation and gender-based violence sections of Italy Office, UNICEF ECARO advisors and HQ relevant sections - and external counterparts for the smooth implementation of the programme and alignment with the workplan;
  • Perform risk management analysis to reduce programme risks;
  • Support the management, oversight, and coordination of PCAs and related contracts with implementing partners for the implementation of the programme.
  • Monitor the delivery of service from implementing partners involved in the Programme, to ensure performance is aligned with the workplan and expected outcomes, as well as providing technical MHPSS programming guidance, under the coordination of the Child Protection Specialist and the MHPSS Specialist;
  • Support the definition of a monitoring tool and data collection from the implementation of the programme, in coordination with the project M&E specialist, the MHPSS Specialist and Youth engagement consultant to ensure a proper evidence generation is in place for the scale-up and replicability of the programme;
  • Create and maintain a comprehensive project documentation;
  • Ensure timely and quality financial and narrative donor reports;
  • Participate in meetings with stakeholders when relevant;
  • Update monthly, in written form, UNICEF Office in Italy with key programme implementation and progress information;
  • Ensure support for collecting material (such as human-interest stories) and organizing on the ground visit for communication purpose on the programme

Work Assignment Overview

*Tasks / Milestone******Deliverables / Outputs******Timeline / Deadline*****Management of the programme****Set up and update a project management tool that includes timeline, activities, responsibilities, milestones, budget, expenses, risks and mitigation actions, to ensure that the project is completed on time, on budget, and with the expected qualityMonthlySet up and update a data collection and monitoring tool able to report both on quantitative and qualitative aspects of the implemented program (in close collaboration and with the guidance of the M&E Specialist and the MHPSS Specialist)Monthly status report documenting progress, bottlenecks, challenges and actions taken in relation to the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluationRegular and final documentation of the overall programme, with achievements, lessons learnt and challenges for its continuous improvement, scale-up or replication. This implies developing and documenting human-interest stories and other qualitative evidence, including on the impact of delivered services, based on emerging needs.Month 11 Financial and narrative report for the donorQuarterly

Oversight of activities****Support the management, oversight, and coordination of Partnership Cooperation Agreements (PCAs) and related contracts with implementing partners for the implementation of the programme.Ongoing

Provide regularly technical advice, mentoring and capacity building on MHPSS programming for IPs to ensure quality and consistency across the programme, in collaboration with the MHPSS Specialist.Regular data collection for M&E purpose****Networking and communication****Participate in meeting with stakeholders, when relevantOngoing

Support provided for communication purpose****Estimated Duration of the Contract

11.5 months (October 2022 - September 2023)

Individual Contractor's Work Place and Official Travel

The assignment will be home-based in Italy. The Individual Contractor is required on a full-time basis for the period of the contract.

The Individual Contractor will travel to field locations in Italy. The Individual Contractor will be responsible for organizing their travel. All travel expenses (tickets, accommodation, public transport, meals) will be reimbursed. The maximum amount for travel overall will be EUR 5,000.

Travel Clause

  • All UNICEF rules and regulations related to travel of Consultants/Individual Contractors apply.
  • All travels shall be undertaken only upon the prior written approval by UNICEF.
  • The consultant is responsible for his/her for travel arrangements. The most economic and direct route is authorized.
  • Travel costs will be reimbursed after the completion of mission upon submission of the invoice together with the supporting documentation.
  • The consultant must be fit to travel, be in a possession of the valid UN BSAFE certificate, obligatory inoculation(s) and have a valid own travel/medical insurance and an immunization/vaccination card.

Estimated Cost of the Consultancy & Payment Schedule

Payment will be made on submission of a monthly invoice and satisfactory completion of the above-mentioned deliverables. Please indicate an all inclusive fixed monthly fee in EUR to undertake this assignment.

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

  • Master in Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology, Social Work, Education or related topics.
  • A minimum of 5 years of demonstrated relevant professional work in, implementing, monitoring and assessing MHPSS programmes
  • Demonstrated knowledge of migration and asylum context, including children on the move in Italy
  • Knowledge and familiarity with psychosocial case management procedures (including case planning, intake, monitoring, referrals, etc.)
  • Deep understanding and solid experience with multisectoral teams and interventions
  • Excellent planning and organizational skills
  • Excellent analytical, communication and writing skills
  • Excellent critical thinking capacity
  • Excellent ability to work in a team is required
  • Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
  • Fluency in English is required, in Italian is an asset

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core 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.

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:

Please include a full CV and Financial Proposal in your application. Additionally, indicate your availability and monthly rate (in EUR) to undertake the terms of reference above, bearing in mind that the maximum monthly fee for this assignment is EUR 4,200. Applications submitted without a monthly rate will not be considered. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

It should be noted that selected candidate will be responsible for arranging for their own health and medical insurance. This consultancy does not provide any other benefits other than the consultancy fee and 1.5 days leave entitlement per month and the UN official holidays. Selected consultant will be responsible for complying with local tax requirements and any tax liabilities that may arise as a result of the consultancy with UNICEF.

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.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you

Added 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: unicef.org