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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, HOPE

Vacancy Announcement: Consultant

 Consultancy Title: MHPSS in CPHA and EQUIP MHPSS Help Desk Consultant

Section/Division/Duty Station: Gender , Child Protection, Programme Division, NYHQ

Duration: 1 October 2024 to 30 September  2025

Home/ Office Based: NYHQ / Remote

 About UNICEF – DO NOT EDIT

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/ Assignment:

 Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) is an institutional priority for the UN, and for UNICEF. The UNICEF Strategic Plan 2022-2025 identifies MHPSS as a priority area, building upon existing programming through child protection, education, and health.   Most people with mental health conditions around the world do not receive effective care. Among people living with depression, only 1 in 5 persons in high-income countries and 1 in 27 in lower-middle income countries receive minimally adequate treatment, in part due to an insufficient number of workers trained in mental health care. One way to address access to care is to expand mental health and psychosocial support services delivered by diverse cadres in different settings. With appropriate training and supervision, professionals and non-professionals can provide support and effective help. Ensuring Quality in Psychosocial and Mental Health Care (EQUIP) is a platform that makes freely available a workforce package to support organizations (non-governmental organizations (NGOs), UN agencies, governments, academic institutions, and others), both in humanitarian and development settings, in training, supervising, and assessing the workforce (especially non-specialized) to deliver effective support for adults and children across sectors. EQUIP aims to improve the competence of helpers and the consistency and quality of training, supervision, pre-service training, and service delivery.

Scope of Work:

The MHPSS in CPHA and EQUIP Help Desk Consultant will support the development, roll out and uptake of the EQUIP competency assessment tools, existing and newly developed tools, material and manuals.

The consultant will provide training and support to build the capacity of development and humanitarian  actors from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community-based organizations (CBOs), academic institutions, governments, among other implementing partners in using the EQUIP platform, assessment tools and entire workforce package across different sectors and areas of work to strengthen the cross-sectoral and MHPSS response. The consultant will also support the field testing and further development of new EQUIP operational competency assessment tools.

 Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

The EQUIP MHPSS Help Desk Consultant will orient new organizations (child protection, MHPSS & cross-sectoral partners) on the use and integration of EQUIP into their organizations in 10 orientation sessions.

• 5 reviews of organization’s EQUIP training and supervision plans and their capacity building materials to ensure alignment with EQUIP procedures and tools.
• 10 orientation sessions for organizations.

By 23 October 2024

Give trainings on the use and integration of EQUIP into country programs.

• 12 full trainings based on the EQUIP Consultation Model and development of training materials and handouts (6 trainings of humanitarian NGOs and 6 of development NGOs).
• Train at least 1 academic institution.
• Train and support governments in at least 1 country.

By 25 November 2024

The consultant will collaborate on and present in 4 intersectoral MHPSS workforce themed webinars

• 4 intersectoral MHPSS workforce webinars delivered

By 10 January 2025

The consultant will support the revision, analysis, and development of an EQUIP assessment tool for child protection case management

• EQUIP CPHA case management tool is developed and approved by the EQUIP advisory team. ready for platform upload and use.

By 5 February 2025

The consultant will coordinate the final review of foundational helping competencies working with children

• WeACT 13 training manual modules have been reviewed and feedback consolidated.

By 3 March 2025

The consultant will organize 9 webinars called ‘EQUIP in practice’ with a specific country case study and respond to requests from the EQUIP community of practice as needed.

• 9 webinars EQUIP in Practice delivered.

By 15 April 2025

The consultant will develop and finalize the WeACT training modules of the Foundational Helping Skills Training Package for development and humanitarian settings.

• WeACT 13 training manual modules finalized.
• All accompanying material of the training modules developed

By 1 May 2025

The consultant will review 5 field and global guidance documents in the areas of Child Protection, Education, and Mental Health and Psychosocial Support

• 5 field and global guidance documents revised.

BY 20 June 2025

The consultant will contribute to 22 EQUIP coordination and 13 strategy meetings on EQUIP roll out and implementation plans.

• Contribution to 22 EQUIP coordination meetings done.
• Input to 13 strategy meetings delivered.

By  13 July 2025

Contribution to monitoring and data tracking and report writing for successful finalization of EQUIP annual project report to donor.

• Online tracking sheet has had 24 updates with relevant data.
• Trello board is fed into 44 times with up-to-date data points and analysis to support each strategy meeting.
• 1 report is finalized and delivered to donor.

By 30 September 2025

Qualifications

Education:

Masters Psychology, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support, Child Protection in Humanitarian action. 

 Work experience:

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required *:

- A minimum of 10 years experience in Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in development and humanitarian contexts.

- Expert knowledge of the EQUIP platform, resources and tools and experience using it in development and humanitarian settings

- Experience (remote and in-country) supporting a diverse range of UN agencies, NGOs (international and local), academic institutions, governments in the area of MHPSS, child protection, health, education and other cross-sectoral partners in the implementation of EQUIP use, trainings, supervision and pre-service training.

- Strong knowledge of MHPSS in Child Protection in Emergencies.

- Strong knowledge in competency frameworks and competency-based assessment tools, trainings, and supervision specifically within the areas of MHPSS in Child Protection (for development and emergencies settings).

- Experience developing MHPSS monitoring and evaluation/ measurement tools.

- Strong knowledge in working and advising governments in competency-based supervision and training both in development and humanitarian settings required.

- Proficiency is English and French is required. Spanish a strong added value.

Fluency in English required. Knowledge of other UN languages is an asset. 

Requirements:

Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and

- Upload copy of academic credentials

- Financial proposal that will include/ reflect :

• • the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability

- Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.

- At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.

- Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. 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.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.  

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

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

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:  

Individuals engaged under a consultancy 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. Consultants 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.