Psychosocial Support Consultant

DETAILS I. Position Information: UNICEF Lebanon recruits a:INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANTSection: Child Protection  Title: PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT CONSULTANT Location: Beirut, LebanonReporting to: Child Protection Manager Contract type: Individual SSADuration of consultancy: (11 months – full time) Start date: ASAP II.OBJECTIVES The Child Protection Psychosocial Support Consultant will provide technical advice to Country Office programmes in UNICEF’s efforts to build and scale-up a national PSS programme, serving the emergency response efforts for Syrian refugees, as well as the Palestinian and Lebanese populations and contribute to the strengthening of the MHPSS sector within the country through the efforts of the MHPSS TF. III.BACKGROUND It is estimated that by the end of 2014 there will be over 1.5 million refugees in Lebanon, as well as 1.4 million Lebanese living in impoverished host communities directly affected by the influx, out of which 25% are women. Of this total, some 1.6 million are children and 50% of the children are girls. Those arriving in Lebanon from Syria have fled for their lives, often with nothing more than their clothes on their backs. The majority of Syrian refugees and Palestinians refugees from Syria have experienced or witnessed harrowing atrocities and suffer from psychosocial distress, significantly impacting children’s psychological and social wellbeing and development. Refugees risk exposure to harmful coping mechanisms including early marriage, child labour and involvement in armed groups and militancy. Furthermore, this current crisis and its impact on children and families in Lebanon must be considered in the context of a country and people which has experienced decades of conflict and turmoil, not to mention the Palestinian situation in Lebanon which has effectively become a protracted crisis. Combined, they begin to reveal a situation where the protection needs and concerns are complex and on a large scale, affecting hundreds of thousands of children, caregivers and communities.Given the significance that the need for psychosocial support (PSS) has assumed in the region and given it is one of the five regional and country strategic and programmatic priorities for UNICEF response to the crisis, UNICEF Lebanon country office has taken the initiative of advancing an office-wide plan for integrating Psychosocial Support (PSS) into the various sectors. Senior management has made it a priority and has requested the child protection section to take a lead in translating that office-wide commitment into action throughout the sectors. IV.SCOPE OF WORK The consultant will serve as technical advisor to provide mentorship and guidance both internally within UNICEF and externally with implementing partners and at inter-agency level under the supervision of the chief child protection. His/her scope of work includes: (1) Enhanced and standardised PSS knowledge and capacities of CP and non-CP staff, broader child protection in emergencies staff, and all partner staff built for strengthened Psychosocial Support results across child protection, in line with UNICEF’s global policies for strengthened results in child protection with a focus on emergencies.(2) Capacity of Psychosocial Support design, monitoring and evaluation as well as community mapping and situation analysis in emergencies methodologies strengthened and standardised at regional and country level.(3) Quality PSS interventions identified, standardised and contextualized for scale-up.(4) Evidence and learning of effective PSS strategies and results disseminated for wider replication within UNICEF regionally and outside UNICEF, with an emphasis on Community-based Psychosocial Support(5) Long term capacity building strategy for immediate and future needs in child protection in emergencies with inputs for PSS capacity building across child protection more broadly developed.(6) National capacity to meet the strategy needs identified, mobilised, trained, and standardised.(7) Effective partnerships outside UNICEF developed for wider application of the capacity building strategy for community-based psychosocial support(8) Enhanced capacity of UNICEF CO and UNICEF-led child protection sub-working groups/sectors to prepare, assess and respond to child protection and PSS issues and impacts in emergencies. V.DELIVERABLES AND SCHEDULES In coordination with the PSS sub WG and MHPSS TF and the PSS CP specialist within UNICEF: (note dates below are indicative and may change to be in line with the final action plan adopted by the working groups or other external factors) (1) To follow up on recommendations made in the PSS Technical Review through the PSS sub working group under the CPIEWG and them to implement and integrate these recommendation into the UNICEF programme (in accordance to timeline adopted by the PSS sub WG and agreed internally). This will include (2) Trainers and PSS Experts Identified to support Capacity Building Plan: June/July 2014 (3) Draw on good practices within and outside Lebanon to strengthen the PSS programme within Lebanon (*2) Ongoing between June 2014, Jan 2015• Document good practices and establish a data base  of these in Lebanon• Through the PSS sub WG and MHPSS TF assist in the development of tools to document good practices and lessons• Incorporate findings into recommended PSS interventions within the Lebanon National PSS strategy (4) Conduct regular Capacity Building Trainings June 2014 – April 2015• Meet weekly with partners on PSS needs• Deliver monthly Basic PSS Training to UNICEF staff and partners and contribute to sector trainings and in the implementation of the sector`s capacity building plan• Conduct monthly PSS Advisor Meetings• Represent UNICEF monthly in leadership of MHPSS Working Group (5) Design and Deliver CBPSS Community Mapping Research Curriculum Guidelines and Training August 2014• Guidelines for hiring Community Outreach Officers• Train and support partners’ community outreach teams (6)Design and Deliver Self-Care for Humanitarian Workers Training  August 2014 (7) Serve as technical lead for development of Contextualised CFS PSS Activities Manual: June-September 2014• dentify CP partners • Support coordination of manual development (8) Design and Develop PSS Certification Curriculum for Universities [conditional on university partnership] September-December 2014• Explore partnerships with Lebanese universities to develop PSS Certificate Course and offer as option within the curriculum for fourth-year students, and offered by Lebanese • If partnerships are possible, produce curriculum for implementation (9) Develop and organize trainings for PSS M&E Training Package July-Nov 2014 (to be confirmed)• Explore partnership with Dr Alastair Ager and Janna Metzler (Columbia University) to build on their CFS impact evaluation research• Develop/or update PSS Indicators• Develop standardized CFS Quality checklist for partners’ use• Offer project-specific Impact evaluation development trainings• Training of partners' M&E officers (10) Develop Translator Training Curriculum July-December 2014• Lead Development of Training Curriculum (English-Arabic)• Identify interpreters and translators to take part • Train translators and interpreters• Connect NGOs with certified Translators• Deliver similar training in Jordan as required (11) Support in ensuring translation of Quality PSS Materials Aug-Dec 2014• Select modules for Translation into Arabic• Proof modules for quality (12) Design Pilot CBPSS Project: July/August-September 2014; Pilot September 2014-Feb 2015• Consult with Education, CP and Palestinian Partners• Select Partners• Pilot programme: a. PSS Needs Assessmentb. Community Mapping c. Identify Partnersd. CP-Education Cross-Sectoral PSS Interventione. Self-Care for Service-Providers and Beneficiariesf. Impact Evaluation (13) Design and support development of PSS Communication for Development and Media Materials for donor and public use: June-Dec 2014• Create pamphlets with UNICEF Communications on what psychosocial support is and what is being done in Lebanon (14) Review all PCAs within the child protection programme and where relevant the education and health programme to ensure PSS fully reflected in line with best practice, sector standards, RO/HQ guidance, HRRP and where necessary provide guidance, training and advice to programme officers in this area in the development, content, implementation and monitoring of PSS component of PCAs, including appropriate referrals to MH among sectors. (ongoing as required /daily, weekly, monthly as required by the section). VI.TIMING The duration of the assignment is 11 months starting as soon as possible. VII.REPORTING REQUIREMENTReports: (1) Review PSS Review Report with supporting documentation finalised: June 2014. For content see section on deliverable above point (2) Monthly update reports on progress against deliverable: by 7th of each month for preceding month reporting period (e.g. 7th July for month of June). This report should contain a fully update against each deliverable  and any follow up action required; this report will be discussed in a meeting with the chief CP section and CP manager by latest end of second week of each month and any follow up action required/agreed on with consultant integrated into report. This report will be used by chief of section to evaluate payment of consultant’s fees against deliverable.(3) Quarterly progress report: at the end of each quarter, the consultant shall organise a half day/one day workshop to review and report on progress with UNICEF CP, other sector staff and use this opportunity to undertake any trainings required internally on the various products being developed in order to ensure that UNICEF are kept fully informed of progress and are provided an opportunity to provide peer review/feedback on latter. (4) Final report: one month before end of contract the consultant share with UNICEF a draft of the final report and tools or other documents required under deliverable for review and inputs. This will be discussed in depth with chief child protection, manager and team in UNICEF; it should include a data base/file established in shared drive of UNICEF containing all relevant reports and documents produced during the consultancy and owned by UNICEF. The contract will not be considered final in terms of deliverables without these documents. Other reports produced against deliverable: this will include NFR of every meeting held and to be filed on shared drive and included in monthly reports; reports must be produced for every mission undertaken, training, workshops, teleconferences; and all deliverables must be comprehensively documented. VIII.DURATION AND TIMING The duration of the assignment is 09 months, starting from the date of signature of the contract until 31 December 2014.• Training on MRM and child friendly interviews (1st week)• Joint interviews with victims and witnesses (2nd and 3rd week)• Regular contacts (phone, Skype) with the MRM focal point based in Beirut throughout the assignment • Biweekly debriefing and capacity building meetings with the MRM focal point, in Beirut or the field• Mid-term review of the performance/deliverables in July 2014• Final evaluation in December 2014 Upon inception of the assignment, the consultant will be provided with essential reading including the latest reports on children and armed conflict, the MRM Field Manual and Guidelines, relevant UN Security Council Resolutions and other MRM related report IX.PROFILE REQUIREMENTS • Education: Advanced university degree, preferably in the social sciences, law or other relevant field. A first level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree;• Work Experience: at least six years of professional work experience at national and international levels in child protection, psychosocial support or related field;• Background/familiarity with Emergency.• Language Proficiency: Fluency in English and a second UN language. Arabic and French preferred.• Communicates effectively to varied audiences, including during formal public speaking.• Able to work effectively in a multi-cultural environment.• Sets high standards for quality of work and consistently achieves project goals.• Has good leadership and supervisory skills; co-ordinates group activities, ensuring that roles within the team are clear.• Translates strategic direction into plans and objectives.• Analyses and integrates diverse and complex quantitative and qualitative data from a wide range of sources.• Quickly builds rapport with individuals and groups; maintains an effective network of individuals across organizational departments.• Identifies urgent and potentially difficult decisions and acts on them promptly; initiates and generates team- and department-wide activities.• Demonstrates, applies and shares expert technical knowledge across the organization. X.HOW TO APPLY Qualified candidates are requested to apply online on http://www.undp.org.lb/jobs/index.cfm, and submit a mandatory FINANCIAL OFFER (all inclusive) in the cover letter. Only candidates who are under serious consideration will be contacted and will receive official feedback. Incomplete applications or received beyond the deadline will not be considered. UNICEF is a non-smoking environment. UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organisation.