Duration: 6 Months (Full time)
Duty Station: Yangon, Myanmar and travel to UNFPA Programme Areas in Kachine, Northern Shan State, Rakhine and Kayin States
Starting date of Assignment: As soon as possible
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PURPOSE OF CONSULTANCY
UNFPA manages programmes to support women and girls in target States as well as support policy and law development at the Union level. In all these programme areas, UNFPA is working with Government as well as international and national organisations. This requires building sustainable approaches to nationwide building of MHPSS capacity building and support networks.
The Women and Girls First programme (Phase II) will support the provision of multi sectoral GBV response and prevention services, delivered with complementary interventions to support women’s active participation and leadership in the peace process. As a critical component of GBV multi-sectoral response, UNFPA will employ an ethnographic and culturally sensitive stepped model of intervention to deliver appropriate mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS). That is, MHPSS interventions will commence with the provision of critical trauma support for an individual survivor followed by MHPSS interventions with the immediate family and community surrounding the survivor. This innovative approach in Myanmar provides both immediate, critical and lifesaving responses for the survivor as well as ensuring a supportive family and community environment enabling recovery and empowerment. This programme design supports a structured systems based approach which requires long-term thinking.
The International MHPSS Specialist will assist the Myanmar Country office in supporting the implementation of MHPSS interventions through sexual and reproductive health services and multi sectoral Gender based violence (GBV) response and prevention services supported by UNFPA. He/she will also support coordination among various actors to strengthen the availability of MHPSS services and systems, particularly to populations in conflict-affected states.
The International MHPSS Specialist will support the Myanmar Country office to undertake a range of activities to enhance the capacity of organisations implementing GBV and SRHR programmes to support compliance with IASC Guidelines for Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings as well as ensuring sustainable MHPSS interventions through building capacity of institutions including Government. The MHPSS specialist will oversee and support International and National MHPSS Volunteers based at the Field Offices in target states.
SCOPE OF WORK
The MHPSS Specialist will undertake a range of activities to enhance the capacity of organisations implementing GBV and SRHR programmes to support compliance with IASC Guidelines for Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings as well as ensuring sustainable MHPSS interventions through building capacity of institutions including Government.
Strengthening mentoring/supervisory structures 35%
· Support Peer Support Networks in Maungdaw, Sittwe and Myitkyina and ensure the networks are maintained and strengthened through ongoing supervision of facilitators, engagement in regular review processes and collaborative development of relevant tools and training materials.
· Support further expansion of Peer Support Network model through encouragement of wider participation (e.g. child case management actors in Myitkyina; SRH actors) and consultation with partners on its development in new areas (e.g. Lashio, HpaAn etc).
· Develop PSS mentoring training for GBV case management supervisors and support the roll-out to implementing partners including government departments across key regions. This will include the ongoing supervision of supervisors and set-up of a community of practice between supervisors.
Developing minimum standards for focused PSS interventions and supporting use of evidence-based MHPSS interventions – 35%
· Conduct regular assessments on PSS practices among UNFPA implementing partners providing GBV case management services. This will include the write-up of findings and recommendations in an assessment report
· Develop a structured package of PSS interventions for case managers that is compatible with mentoring training for supervisors through active engagement in government-led PSS task force to influence and support curriculum and material generation. This will include consulting with partners on materials developed, supporting trainings through training of trainers and promoting the use of this package among other actors providing case management service in Myanmar.
· Coordinate the wider roll-out of evidence-based MHPSS interventions across health and protection sectors through engagement with research and implementing partners, and donors.
Mainstreaming MHPSS/raising MHPSS awareness – 20%
· Maintain PFA and PSS training materials and manuals and where necessary adapt to increase MHPSS awareness and practice of basic PSS skills among a range of actors including government departments providing first line response to GBV survivors.
· Develop trainings materials and manuals for increasing MHPSS capacities in SRH service providers including government departments in line with MHPSS in SRH services assessment recommendations.
· Support PFA/PSS and other mainstreaming MHPSS trainings across sites among a range of partners including government departments, and UNFPA analysts and key staff among implementing partners supported to deliver trainings in line with TOT strategy.
Advocacy and coordination – 10%
· Act as co-chair for the national MHPSS Sub-Working Group, currently a sub-working group of the Protection Sector, and maintain strong links with other clusters/sectors including the Health Cluster. This includes building effective relationship with a range of MHPSS actors in Myanmar and ensuring their activities are coordinated.
· Further opportunities for expansion of MHPSS programming within UNFPA’s mandate identified and supported through contributing to the writing of funding proposals and donor reports.
Monitoring and evaluation – 5%
· Existing training evaluation materials refined and rolled-out across all capacity building activities.
· In collaboration with the M&E specialists, develop/strengthen tools and a clear framework for monitoring the impact of the different tiers of the MHPSS strategy developed and implemented across sites.
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
Education
- Advanced university degree with specialization in areas such as clinical psychology, clinical social work or mental health. It is desirable to possess a Master’s in Public Health.
Professional Experience
- At least 5 years of specialized experience in community based psychosocial support interventions particularly as it relates to GBV, and experience in this field at international level in a humanitarian context.
- Demonstrated knowledge of IASC Guidelines on MHPSS in Emergency Settings
- Demonstrated experience on Counseling skills and clinical supervision of lay counsellors
- Demonstrated knowledge of reproductive health issues and/or protection issues in humanitarian settings, and of humanitarian emergency operations and roles/responsibilities of humanitarian actors.
- Proficiency in English and in other official languages or the UN required/desirable.
- Strong Training and supervision experience required
HOW TO APPLY
Applicants with the required qualifications and experience should submit a written letter of application, a copy of curriculum vitae (CV), completed UN P11 form (http://myanmar.unfpa.org/en/vacancies/un-p11-personal-history-form) relevant education certificates and the names and contact information of three references.
Applications should be addressed to UNFPA Representative.
Attention: International Operations Manager, Room A07, UNFPA, No.6, Natmauk Road, Yangon.
Email: hr.myanmar@unfpa.org
Please click on the following link for detailed Terms of Reference
We are no longer accepting applications for this position.
