International Consultant -Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Specialist (MHPSS), Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea Country Office

  • Level: Consultant
  • Contract Type: Consultancy
  • Closing date: 13 Dec 2021 08:00 AM (Pacific/Port_Moresby)
  • Duty station:

Duration: 18 months from January 2022 to June 2023

Duty Station: Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

Closing date: 12 December 2021

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Purpose of Consultancy:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s new strategic plan (2018-2021), focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.
UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.
Under the overall guidance of the Representative/Deputy Representative, and with direct supervision of GBV Programme Specialist (GBV/SRHR), the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Specialist will support the Papua New Guinea Country office in implementing and strengthening MHPSS part of peacebuilding programming in the Highlands region. 
The MHPSS Specialist will provide overall technical and programmatic oversight for the Peacebuilding Fund supported programming of the Hela Province. The position is inter-agency between UN Women and UNFPA as partners in the Peacebuilding Fund support programme. Accordingly, the MHPSS Specialist will be expected to contribute to programmatic outcomes of each agency. 
The MHPSS Specialist will be responsible for the following:
Overall technical leadership and quality assurance of MHPSS peacebuilding interventions in line with international standards (50%): The MHPSS Specialist will be expected to lead the design of MHPSS interventions, tools and materials, leading training and coaching with implementing partners and key stakeholders and monitor and evaluate programmatic outcomes as they relate to MHPSS. 

Overall programme management of peacebuilding fund project (30%): The MHPSS Specialist will be responsible for the overall programme management and delivery of the project. They will work closely with a field based program manager to design project activities, oversee work plans and budgets and manage relationships with implementing partners. 
Monitoring and Evaluation (10%): The MHPSS Specialist will contribute to the quality monitoring and evaluation of project activities including providing inputs into mid and end of project evaluations. In coordination with partners and the project manager, they will lead programme reporting. 
Coordination (10%): The MHPSS Specialist will coordinate closely with implementing partners as well as other development and humanitarian actors in the Highlands region. This includes complementary peacebuilding fund projects through the as well as key actors in peacebuilding, livelihoods and MHPSS programming in the region. They will ensure close coordination with key stakeholders and through this, improve understanding quality MHPSS interventions and relevant standards and ensure linkages between programmes. The MHPSS Specialist will work closely with the PBF Coordinator to ensure interlinkages across programming across the region. 

Duration and working schedule:

The contract will cover the period 18 months from January 2022 to June 2023.  Payments are calculated on the basis of a daily rate.

Place where services are to be delivered:

The MHPSS Specialist will be based in Port Moresby with frequent travel to Hela Province. 

 

Required expertise, qualifications and competencies, including language requirements:

Education: 

  • Advanced 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.

Knowledge and Experience:

  • At least 5 years of specialized experience in community based psychosocial support interventions particularly as it relates to social norm change, 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 experience developing technical curriculum and materials for delivery of MHPSS programming/activities in low resource settings; 
  • Demonstrated knowledge of protection and peacebuilding 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.   

Required Skillset:

  •  Strong skills in communication including clear and concise writing skills and the ability to discuss MHPSS and peacebuilding in an accessible and intelligible manner;
  • Strong interpersonal skills including for effective relationship management. Skilled in facilitating collective decision-making and consensus building;
  • Analytical thinking to support strategizing for the strengthening of MHPSS and peacebuilding interventions;

Languages:
 Fluency in oral and written English is required.
 
Other Desirable Skills:
Prior experience in Pacific and/or PNG is strongly preferred;
 

How to apply:

Interested applicants should submit their applications of interest to:

The UNFPA Representative, UNFPA,  Level 14, Kina Haus, Douglas Street, PO Box 1041, Port Moresby on Email: png-recruitment@unfpa.org no later than 12 December 2021.

This should include:

Letter of Interest, CV, and UN Personal History Form

We are no longer accepting applications for this position.

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