Youth Engagement Consultant for the USupportMe project, individual contractor, full-time, home-based, Kazakhstan

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Youth Engagement Consultant for the USupportMe project, individual contractor, full-time, home-based, Kazakhstan

Type of contract: individual contractor, full-time Duration: 11 months from April 2022 to February 2023 Workplace: home-based

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, a fair chance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=E1xkXZs0cAQ

Background UNICEF is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children's rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. The UNICEF staff and experts/consultants should act in accordance with the UN Code of Conduct and UNICEF Mission. Mental health disorders are one of the most important public health challenges in Europe and Central Asia, with more than a third of the population estimated as being affected every year. Most countries in Europe and Central Asia have mental health policies and legislation, and many are making progress with the implementation of community-based mental health services. However, access to Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services (MHPSS) still varies considerably across the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) Region – from a high of 12.9 per 100,000 young people receiving help in Finland, to 0.5 per 100,000 in Bulgaria, down to practically no services available in some countries in Central Asia. For young people who are in situations of vulnerability, including due to living with a chronic or infectious health condition, or due to their migration status, institutionalization, or social exclusion on grounds of ethnicity, sex, religion or other factors the situation is even more precarious. Left untreated, the long-term risks of mental health conditions for these young people include poor performance at school, a greater risk of drug and alcohol misuse, contact with the criminal justice system, unemployment as well as stigma, discrimination and social exclusion, thereby limiting opportunities to lead fulfilling lives as adults. Furthermore, the consequences of being unable to find help can be catastrophic. Nearly one in five deaths among 15 to 19-year-olds in the EU is caused by intentional self-harm - second only to transport deaths. Countries in the ECA Region have among the highest suicide rates globally.

How can you make a difference?

An individual contractor is needed with expertise, skills, and knowledge in the area of project management involving young people, market research, communication, social media management in areas related to adolescents and youth mental health, web/mobile app/social media channel production/maintenance, social marketing targeting young people, social engagement of/for adolescents and youth including for stigmatised areas/topics. He/she will be responsible for implementing users’ engagement activities during 11-month process of development, testing and piloting USupportMe MHPSS platform (web and mobile app).

Purpose of the Assignment

The USupportMe MHPSS platform will pioneer an Uber-like app for on-demand psychosocial support services with the potential of reaching millions of young people (age group 16-24) in the Eastern Europe and Central Asian region. The USupportMe platform will build a bridge between existing mental health resources and connect them to young people in need of help by digitizing service delivery.

The USupportMe project will focus on the following priority areas: • Advocacy with national partners to support the use of online MHPSS platforms to address the psychosocial support needs of young people with a focus on the most vulnerable; • Creating social media campaigns to raise awareness of mental health, positive attitudes and increase demand for existing mental health and psychosocial support services among young people; • Capacity building of care providers to ensure better quality and more effective delivery of MHPSS services online; • Creating an Uber-like app for on-demand psychosocial support services to connect young people with care providers.

The USupportMe approach will lead to a paradigm shift in how young people receive psychosocial support for the most common and prevalent behavioural and development problems covering key areas of emotional health and well-being, conduct and hyperactivity disorders, and compromised peer and family relations.

The approach will blend social media engagement, online counselling tools for MHPSS of young people combined with advocacy with governments, national and international development partners to create entirely new frameworks for adolescent e-mental health.

UNICEF has defined MHPSS as a programming priority for the Region, not only in the context of the COVID-19 crisis, but also from a medium to long-term perspective. UNICEF in close collaboration with governments, civil society, youth organizations, academic institutions, the private sector as well as other UN partners (including WHO, UNODC, UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNHCR, IOM, and others) is working to scale-up access to integrated MHPSS programming for children, adolescents, youth and their caregivers and families. Online solutions are increasingly becoming a new way of responding to urgent needs and broadening access to information, support and services for a wide range of users. There is increasing evidence on the effectiveness of such platforms when compared to face-to-face support, proving them to be a relatively effective tool for reaching young people and providing information and services such as stress-reduction; anxiety relief; coping skills; emotional regulation strategies; anger management; support for addictions and eating disorders; relaxation & mindfulness techniques; cognitive behavioral therapies, etc. Globally, over 3000 apps have been developed to provide various forms of mental health and psychosocial support. While not all of these have been assessed or certified for quality, their use has skyrocketed indicating that they fill a real need for information and support, particularly among younger generations. UNICEF Kazakhstan Country Office is seeking a qualified individual to ensure a youth-centered approach to the development and testing of the USupportMe platform and provision of services to young people in Kazakhstan. The consultant’s approach to developing the platform will be iterative, based on an agile project development methodology building on lessons learnt from implementation of the various stages of the project.

The consultant shall work in close collaboration and continuous cooperation with a team of UNICEF staff, international and national experts/consultants and national/international stakeholders, including:

• Involved team of UNICEF Kazakhstan Country Office (Programme and Communication sections) • Involved team of UNICEF Regional Office for ECA Region • Technical product design and development company • Consultant/Technical product manager for digital mental health platform • USupportMe Project Monitoring Consultant on development of monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEAL) framework • Consultants on e-mental health services and materials • National and international stakeholders

Based on evolving developments of USupportMe project the consultant will coordinate with the above listed team members and work schedule as well as deliverables of the consultant might be adjusted respectively.

Scope of work.docx

Work Assignment Overview

Tasks and deliverables.docx

Recap of key Deliverables: - User analysis and Youth engagement Action plan available approved by UNICEF - 100% of User analysis and Youth engagement plan implemented - Key primary users and beneficiaries’ groups/subgroups profile available approved by UNICEF - User engagement plan targeting specific groups available approved by UNICEF - Market analysis on existing services on mental health and service providers to address violence and abuse Report available approved by UNICEF - Youth sensitive revision of capacity building materials approved by UNICEF - Users feedback’s consolidated note on the pilot testing of Minimum Viable Product (MVP) available - Youth friendly Website and App - Outreach and marketing strategy tailored to each key target group available approved by UNICEF - Inputs and recommendations for TOR on procurement marketing strategy aimed at promoting USupportMe app among key target groups available - Action Plan for youth engagement (digital influencers) for key UNICEF observance days available approved by UNICEF - Contributions to UNICEF TikTok house volunteering project development and implementation - 11 monthly Progress reports available + ppt, briefs and notes upon requests - Documentation of the USupportMe project (processes, steps, and findings) for scaling up/replicability, available.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… • Master degree in project management or communication related field, such as interactive telecommunications, PR, international relations, political science • Proven successful experience in youth engagement management process and/or management of projects with/for adolescents and youth, with particular focus on sensitive issues (e.g. mental health, reproductive health, bullying/violence, etc.) and/or involving social marketing. • Proven experience in marketing and marketing research involving young people. • Knowledge of social media monitoring technology and knowledge on how to use social media measurement and listening tools • Adept at using a wide range of social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Twitter • Fluency in Russian and Kazakh languages is a must, knowledge of English is an asset. • Knowledge of ICT is an asset. • Competencies: - Communication; - Working with People - Drive for Results - Management of the project targeting or directly involving young people - Advocacy and communication for/with adolescents and youth needs - Performance of social marketing for public products/ services targeting young people.

For every Child, you demonstrate… UNICEF’s core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability (https://www.unicef.org/about/unicef-culture) View our functional competencies framework Functional Competencies.pdf

Remarks: • Completion of the UN/UNICEF mandatory trainings is obligatory upon commencement of the contract. • Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. • 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, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. • All materials developed will remain the copyright of UNICEF and UNICEF will be free to adapt and modify them in the future. • The Individual contractor or Consultant will perform his/her duties in line with UNICEF standards and procedures. • The successful candidate will be required to have medical insurance (at his/her own cost), covering the whole period of contract, including travel. • 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. • Payment upon completion of each deliverable according to schedule. 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.