Play and Heal Lead Research Consultant - LEGO, Amman- Jordan, 8 Months Home Based, with travel to region

Contract

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Background:

2023 saw multiple emergencies in the MENA region, from natural disasters to conflict and displacement, which have taken a toll on the mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of children and their families. Many countries in the region too, are still grappling with protracted crises and insecurity which can have long term negative impact on child development and mental health.

For decades, the relationship between play and children’s wellbeing has been observed. Play creates environments where children engage social, emotional, linguistic, physical and cognitive development, learning critical skills needed to cope with fears, to solve social problems, and interact with others. Particularly after potentially traumatic events or adverse childhood experiences, children’s developing language and abstract thought capabilities mean that the symbolism and metaphor of creative play and storytelling is likely to be the primary means of expression. Supporting children to feel secure in expressing their thoughts and feelings can help shape their understanding of events and environments in ways that may reduce feelings of anxiety and insecurity.

The Play and Heal project is targeting children with mental health and psychosocial support needs following the 2023 earthquakes in Türkiye and Northwest Syria and the protracted humanitarian crisis and recent conflict escalation in Lebanon. The project supports the most vulnerable children, including refugee children, by integrating play based facilitated activities that target mental health outcomes in UNICEF's emergency response and Early Childhood Development, Education, and Child Protection Programmes, with the aim of providing children at risk of poor mental health with emotionally safe and healing experiences.

LEGO’s Play and Learn has been rolled out already in 2024 in the project’s target areas in Northwest Syria, earthquake affected areas of Türkiye, and southern Lebanon, in preparation for the training later in the year with the new Play and Heal model.

To inform the development of the UNICEF-LEGO Foundation Play and Heal toolkit through regional research on how children’s play is affected by exposure to emergencies and protracted crisis.

UNICEF MENARO is supporting research to understand the effects of emergencies and insecurity on children’s play. This information will guide the development of the Play and Heal project – a series of facilitated group play based experiences that encourage safe expression and connection building for children following an emergency.

The research project will be undertaken in three parts: the first phase will involve a desk review of available relevant literature (Arabic and English) across the MENA and other relevant contexts, the second will involve case studies and consultation with facilitators of group activities for children following emergencies from around the region (to be carried out by UNICEF COs and Local Researchers, and the third will involve primary qualitative data collection in Lebanon*.

The Lead Researcher will be responsible for Leading on phases 1 and 2, and providing technical support to phase 2.

*Final location for primary data collection may be subject to change pending security considerations

Methodology: The Lead Researcher will provide technical assistance to all phases of the research to inform the overall project and will conduct qualitative research in the MENA region to help guide the UNICEF and LEGO Foundation teams in the development of the Play and Heal project. Their responsibilities will include helping finalise, oversee, and bring together the phases of the research to develop our understanding on how play is affected for children experiencing crisis in the MENA region. Details regarding the Lead Researchers involvement across phases are as follows:

Phase 1: After developing a research plan in collaboration with UNICEF MENARO, the Lead Researcher will then conduct a desk review of relevant materials to harvest key take aways from documented evidence and learning to date on children’s play following emergencies or experiences of insecurity, with special attention to the MENA region. Findings will be presented to the LEGO and UNICEF Play and Heal co-creation group to guide them in their project design. Geographic locations for phase 2 and 3 will be determined based on security assessments closer to the time of study.

Phase 2: In support of Phase 2, the Lead Researcher will then provide technical assistance to a local research institution that will conduct focus group discussions and key informant interviews with children, facilitators and caregivers associated. The institution will be managed by UNICEF MENARO, the role of the Lead Researcher will be to review data collection tools and processes and advise on additional quantitative measures to further the project’s learning objectives.

Phase 3: Under phase 3, the Lead Researcher will work with UNICEF programmes to examine children’s facilitated and unfacilitated play using detailed observation through methodologies such as ‘Day in the Life’, group observation, facilitator observation, etc. The Lead Researcher will include observations of facilitated group activities for younger and older age groups (video), and “un-facilitated” recreation for middle childhood and adolescence (without recording, observation only), and conduct two ‘day in the life’ observations with two families identified and arranged by UNICEF.

By Q4 the Lead Researcher will bring the three phases of research together in a final report of not more than 25 pages and a presentation of key findings and recommendations.

Throughout the research period, a primary objective is to collaborate with the Play and Heal toolkit co-creation team at pre-defined intervals to share insights, engage in discussion, review key concepts and findings to inform the overall project approach.

Work Assignments Overview

Deliverables/Outputs

Delivery deadline

1. Finalise research plan in collaboration with UNICEF MENARO, including but not limited to scope, detailed methodology, work assignment/timeline, ethical consideration, data collection tools and key questions across each research phase

Research plan

30 March

2. Support Local Researchers by reviewing developed tools for Focus Group Discussions and Key Informant Interviews

Approved tools presented back to UNICEF

15 April

3. Conduct Literature review exploring key take aways from documented evidence and learning to date on children’s play following emergencies or experiences of insecurity, with special attention to the MENA region

Detailed presentation to Toolkit co-creation team

20 May

4. Conduct detailed observation of at least 6 (six) group facilitated activities for children aged 6-10 years, mixed gender and 11-14 (girls group, boys group), and 4 (four) groups of children aged 11-14 (two groups girls and two groups boys). Exact locations and accessibility will be determined, however the consultant should plan for 10 one hour long observations of group activities.

10 facilitated play observations conducted and data collected

30 July

5. Design methodology and conduct observation to explore unfacilitated play across four identified groups, in line with safeguarding considerations*. Note, UNICEF will assist with in-country IRB approvals.

Unfacilitated play observations conducted across four groups and data collected

15 August

6. Provide informal report backs during the data analysis stage at pre-agreed times to inform the co-creation iterative process.

At least two report backs

Between July-September

7. Finalise literature review and analyse the mixed methods research, including the case study information, and develop informative presentation and final report for UNICEF and LEGO.

30-minute presentation of findings and final report (approx. 25-30 pages without Annexe, 10-12 pages for finalised literature review under assignment 3)

30 November

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

• A Master's degree in Childhood development, mental health, psychology, social sciences
• Extremely strong research background with examples of work with childhood development, play, mental health required.
• Proven experience with conducting observational research and analysis.
• Familiarity with mental health and psychosocial support interventions preferred.
• Fluency in Arabic and English required.

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.