[Hiring] MHPSS Intervention Development and Evaluation Consultant @AGORA

Role Description

How can you make a difference? Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) is an institutional priority for the UN, and for UNICEF. The UNICEF Strategic Plan identifies MHPSS as a priority area, building upon existing programming through child protection, education and health. Feasible, scalable, and evidence-based psychological interventions for children and their caregivers are a significant gap highlighted in current programming and research.

Over recent years, UNICEF has developed several state-of-the-art tools to support country offices in increasing quality MHPSS services to children and adolescents and their families. As these are rolled out, there is a need to develop additional tools to support country offices in quality implementation and address remaining gaps and challenges. Additionally, there is a need to consolidate lessons learned so far from multi-site implementation experiences, to identify achievements, as well as areas for improvement.

Notable recent developments include collaborations between WHO to develop new focused MHPSS interventions for children and adolescents with identified higher levels of distress. These include:

• The development and ongoing evaluation of BLOOM for ages 5-10
• The global roll-out of EASE for ages 10-15

The purpose of this assignment is to:

• Provide high-level technical support and oversee analysis and reporting on BLOOM research taking place in Ethiopia, Lebanon, and Albania
• Finalise the development of all accompanying tools needed for later implementation and roll out of BLOOM
• Support country offices in documenting their experiences with EASE in a systematic way
• Act as a focal point for EASE interventions, linking to necessary resources and technical expertise, and coordinating with WHO as the co-authoring institution

This consultancy will work under the supervision of MHPSS specialist in Child Protection, to produce high quality analysis and reporting on the implementation of BLOOM in 3 countries, produce high quality resources to accompany the BLOOM intervention package and enable roll-out, and compile country level lessons and outcomes for EASE implementation, alongside recommendations to inform future roll out. The consultancy will produce internal and external publications to advance UNICEF’s implementation and thought leadership role in child and family MHPSS interventions.

Qualifications

• PhD in Clinical Psychology or related field

Requirements

• Minimum 10 years experience developing and evaluating MHPSS interventions for children and families in humanitarian and low resource settings
• Demonstrated experience testing or researching psychological interventions for children and families
• Excellent experience leading multi-stakeholder projects, including the management of budgets and contracts
• Previous work experience in humanitarian and emergency settings
• Demonstrated organizational skills, including ability to work independently and productively with multiple stakeholders in fast-paced environment across time zones
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; the ability to effectively liaise with people in a wide range of functions in a multi-cultural environment
• Proficiency in English

Benefits

• Diverse opportunities for professional and personal development
• Attractive compensation and benefits package

Company Description

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence. At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture.