International individual consultancy to strengthen capacity of the psychologists working with children and women repatriated from conflict zones, 50 w/days, Dushanbe, Tajikistan
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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,
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 this commitment to 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. Therefore, 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.
Mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) is essential for improving the well-being of children affected by humanitarian emergencies. UNICEF works around the world to strengthen the resilience of children and their families, and to help them cope with adversity during and after a crisis. More than 30,000 individuals, including family members, from more than 80 countries are believed to have travelled to Syria and Iraq to join Da’esh and other UN designated terrorist groups. While some family members joined voluntarily, many others were forced, manipulated, or coerced to travel with family members or to follow them. Moreover, thousands of children were born into the conflicts in Syria and Iraq to foreign parents. Recognizing these challenges, some countries have made the political decision to repatriate their citizens. Since October 2018, Tajikistan has repatriated 243 children from conflict zones in Iraq and Northeast Syria. Of those, 57 children have been united with their biological/extended families, 84 children who returned from Iraq in April 2019 were placed in residential childcare institutions, according to their age, and 102 children who were recently (25 July 2022) repatriated from Syria and are released to the communities. UNICEF Tajikistan has been requested by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection to support the newly repatriated children with psychosocial support and social worker engagement for better and smooth social integration. A group of psychologist and social workers has been identified to provide support to the returnees. Most of these professionals have no practical experience in supporting children and women from conflict zones and require additional training and professional mentoring. A specialized curriculum/training programme needs to be developed for professionals to be able to support existing repatriated children and women and other future returnees. With UNICEF's support, a resource group consisting of representatives from the psychology faculties of leading Tajik universities and practicing psychology professionals was established. The primary purpose of this resource group is to make a substantial contribution to the development of training curricula, as well as the expansion and institutionalization of training courses focused on MHPSS. An initial introductory meeting and facilitation session were conducted for the group in November 2023. Recognizing the value and potential impact of this resource group, it is crucial to provide additional ToT sessions for the newly formed group. This additional training will equip the members with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively deliver high-quality training and disseminate their expertise to others.
How can you make a difference?
As part of this assignment, the objective is to conduct orientation, mentoring, and capacity building sessions for the recently formed resource group, enabling psychologists to effectively support children and caregivers returning from conflict zones. A short-term training program for psychology professionals and social workers, tailored to the Tajikistan context, will be collaboratively developed with the Tajikistan National University and local MHPSS consultants. The international consultant, with their wealth of experience and expertise in the field of MHPSS, will provide invaluable guidance and work collaboratively with the local MHPSS consultant. Together, they will ensure the seamless integration of best practices, cultural sensitivity, and context-specific considerations throughout the development and implementation of the course. Additionally, the consultant will closely work with the Tajik National University to design a semester-long course on child-specific MHPSS for the psychology faculty of the University. The course will be further integrated into the curriculum of the university's psychology faculty.
Estimated duration******: 50 working days between 1 February 2024 - 31 December 2024
Duty station******: Dushanbe, Tajikistan
Supervisor: Child Protection officer, UNICEF Tajikistan
DESCRIPTION OF THE ASSIGNMENT:
• Provision of strategic oversight and technical direction for the resource group on mental health and psychosocial support activity coordination in Tajikistan.
• Guide the development of the group's objectives, Terms of Reference (ToR), and ensure strategic alignment of activities and work plans.
• Provide expert guidance on meeting facilitation, participant engagement, and the development of the MHPSS knowledge hub and webinars.
• Conduct quarterly online meetings with the resource group. The purpose of these meetings is to review and discuss the progress made in developing relevant documents for MHPSS activities. Additionally, the consultant will provide an opportunity for members of the resource group to ask questions and receive clarification on emerging issues related to MHPSS. These interactive sessions will serve as a platform for knowledge-sharing, collaboration, and addressing challenges faced by the group.
• Oversee capacity-building initiatives and continuous improvement processes.
• Advise on stakeholder collaboration for MHPSS curriculum integration and development.
• Development of a semester-long course on child-focused MHPSS, drawing from the best practices of other renowned universities around the world. This rigorous and comprehensive course will incorporate the latest advancements in the field of child-focused MHPSS, encompassing theoretical frameworks, evidence-based interventions, and practical skills required for effective support.
• Anticipate and adapt to potential new initiatives, such as the organization of a Conference on Repatriation and Reintegration of Families and Children from Iraq and Syria, subject to government and stakeholder interest and support.
• Develop training package/programme for professionals working with repatriated children in Tajikistan based on UNICEF Guidelines on Community-Based Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Humanitarian Settings.
• Develop training package/programme for paraprofessionals and child protection social workers on basics on mental health and psychosocial support for children and their caregivers repatriated from conflict zones.
• Facilitate the ToT/Training on the developed programme.
Work Assignment
Tasks/Milestone: (in line with the scope elaborated in section-III)
Deliverables/Outputs:
Anticipated Timeline
% of payment
Provide strategic oversight and technical direction for the resource group on MHPSS activity coordination in Tajikistan.
• Guide the development of the group's objectives, Terms of Reference (ToR), and ensure strategic alignment of activities and work plans.
• Organize regular (at least monthly) meetings with the local MHPSS consultant.
- 4 quarterly meetings with the resource group
Guidance and capacity building activities for resource group
18 working days
Jan – Dec 2024
36% (1st instalment)
Provide expert guidance on meeting facilitation, participant engagement, and the development of the MHPSS knowledge hub and webinars.
• Conduct 4 webinars on MHPSS issues for practicing physiologists and civil society organizations representatives.
• Advise on stakeholder collaboration for MHPSS curriculum integration and development.
• Development of a semester-long course on child-focused MHPSS.
• Develop training package/ programme for professionals working with repatriated children in Tajikistan based on UNICEF Guidelines on Community-Based Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Humanitarian Settings.
• Develop training package/programme for para-professionals and child protection social workers on basics on mental health and psychosocial support for children and their caregivers repatriated from conflict zones.
• Facilitate the ToT/Training on the developed programme.
Development of training courses and semester long course for Tajik National University.
Capacity building sessions for psychology professionals and child protection social workers.
22 working days
Jan – Dec 2024
44% (2nd instalment)
Field mission to deliver/participate in training, and provision of expert support in designing conducting event on Repatriation and Reintegration of Families and Children returned from conflict zones
Training conducted
10 working days
Jan – Dec 2024
20% (3rd instalment)
Total
50 days
100%
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
- Education: Advanced university degree clinical psychology, social psychology, public health, social welfare, human rights, social research, or related field.
- Working experience: At least 10 years of professional work in human rights/child rights, MHPSS, psychology, experience in capacity building on child protection, MHPSS, human rights, etc. Proven experience in development of capacity building interventions and providing expert guidance on initiatives related to MHPSS for children and their caregivers who have returned from conflict zones in Central Asia, including Tajikistan.
- Demonstrated knowledge and technical capacity development of global level guidelines, toolkits and recourse packs on MHPSS in humanitarian settings for children associated with armed conflicts or returned from conflict zones. Expertise: Proven track record in providing technical guidance and assistance in development of global level guidelines, toolkits and recourse packs on MHPSS in humanitarian settings for children associated with armed conflicts or returned from conflict zones. Knowledge of the regional country context is an asset.
- Skills: Strong coordination skills, analytical and conceptual thinking. Ability to work with large teams and guide policy discussions. Excellent writing, communication, and presentation skills with stakeholders. Ability to work under pressure and commitment to work to tight timeframe.
- Languages: Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of Russian is an asset.
Qualified candidates are requested to submit:
- Cover letter/application/CV.
- A technical proposal with proposed approach to managing the consultancy deliverables, showing understanding of tasks. Special attention should be paid to organizing the process of co-development and capacity building.
- Financial quote (separate from technical proposal in USD) for the consultancy in per deliverable, also stating the timeframe for completion of deliverable and/or daily rate as well as travel costs and DSA for 10 days.
- Examples of previous, relevant work related to the deliverables.
- Applications without technical and financial proposals will not be considered.
Applications must be received in the system by 12 January 2024 on our website.
For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).
To view our competency framework, please visit here.
UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.
UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors 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 need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.
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.
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.
Added 4 months ago
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Updated 3 months ago
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Source:
unicef.org
