Lebanon: Consultancy – Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Coordinator, Lebanon

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CONSULTANCY - TERMS OF REFERENCE

UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and is mandated to provide assistance and protection to a population of some 5 million registered Palestine refugees. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip to achieve their full potential in human development, pending a just solution to their plight. UNRWA’s services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance and emergency assistance. UNRWA is the largest UN operation in the Middle East with more than 30,000 staff. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions.

Consultancy – Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Coordinator, Lebanon

Note: Consultancy is re-opened with extended closing date.

Applicants to the same previous consultancy need not re-apply.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITES

Under the direct supervision of Operations Support Officer Team Leader/Field Protection Officer, Lebanon and in accordance with established Agency policy and procedures, the incumbent will:

· Through close monitoring, evaluation and active involvement, ensures the effective management and technical quality of all mental health and psychosocial services to Palestine refugees, including children and survivors of trauma, gender-based violence (GBV) and domestic violence;

· Provide technical guidance, support and oversight to all programme and project staff engaged in the implementation of mental health and psychosocial activities, ensuring that international and national standards for provision of MHPSS services to conflict-affected children are implemented within UNRWA programmes and projects;

· Prepare and update Field level planning documents, coordinate and oversee the departmental and project work plans and activities of programme and project staff engaged in MHPSS activities and in the implementation of the referral system to maximize the benefit and achieve programmatic synergies that avoid duplications, including coordinating the full project cycle for all MHPSS-related activities, as well as effective planning, finance and budgeting, implementation, monitoring and reporting;

· In collaboration with Protection, Health, Education and Relief and Social Services Programmes establish and maintain quality and accessible referral mechanisms for refugees suffering from psychosocial trauma, protection issues and other psychological conditions to appropriate services as necessary;

· In coordination with the Head of Programmes and Chief Area Officers, establish and manage partnerships with relevant local authorities and organizations, UN agencies and regional MHPSS networks to optimize psychosocial and protection services to Palestine refugees and UNRWA staff and to achieve long-term sustainability of these services;

· Conduct, arrange and facilitate, in coordination with Protection, Education, Health and RSS programmes, regular technical training to staff involved in the referral system, as well as MHPSS mainstreaming workshops for programmes management to ensure the long-term capacity of Lebanon Field Office and frontline staff is built to deliver mainstreamed MHPSS services;

· Conduct regular field visits to schools, health centers, other facilities of UNRWA and its partners to monitor and evaluate the technical quality and effectiveness of MHPSS services and the functioning of the referral system;

· Represent UNRWA at Inter-Agency Sector Working Groups relevant to MHPSS;

· Provide regular updates and reports to Front Office and OSO Team Leader/Field Protection Officer on MHPSS implementation and activities.

minimum Qualifications and Experience

· Advanced university degree from an accredited educational institution in psychology, counseling, social sciences or a related discipline;

· At least ten years of relevant experience in management and/or coordination of mental health and psychosocial support programmes and activities, including preparing and conducting training, in humanitarian settings in a large governmental or international organization, including at least three years in a leadership or senior supervisory role;

· Excellent command of written and spoken English language.

Competencies

· Ability to develop clear goals consistent with agreed strategies; capability to develop, monitor and adjust plans and actions a necessary;

· Excellent communication, interpersonal and negotiation skills; ability to present data and information in a clear and constructive way;

· Acts in accordance with the profession’s ethics and values; respects and promotes individual and cultural differences;

· Ability to establish, maintain, strengthen quality and accessible referral mechanisms, in line with international standards and recognized good practices, for refugees suffering from psychosocial trauma, protection issues and other psychological conditions to appropriate services as necessary;

· Ability to prepare, coordinate and conduct training sessions and build institutional capacity at all levels, using international standards of training and mental health practice to target knowledge, skills and attitudes;

· Ability to work under pressure.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

· Working knowledge of Arabic and/or any other UN language;

· Knowledge of UN Rules and Regulations;

· Knowledge of Middle Eastern culture; and UN, NGOs and academic MHPSS networks working in the region;

· Knowledge and understanding of the Palestine refugee situation in the political context of the Middle East and specifically in Lebanon

Additional information

The incumbent will be required to reside in the Field of assignment and to travel in the Agency’s area of operations in the Middle East, as and when required.

CONDITIONS OF SERVICE

· The consultant will be based in Lebanon;

· The duration is 11 months;

· Remuneration for this consultancy will depend on the qualifications and experience of the consultant.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applicants should submit a cover letter and CV or UN Personal History Form demonstrating clearly the knowledge and experience required to meet the consultancy requirements via consultancy@unrwa.org indicating the title of this consultancy “Consultancy – Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Coordinator” in the subject line of the message. The deadline for the submission of applications is 31 January 2017 (late applications will not be considered).

UNRWA is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from both qualified and experienced women and men. UNRWA encourages applications from female candidates. Only those applicants short-listed for interview will be contacted. UNRWA is a non-smoking work environment.

knowledge and experience required to meet the consultancy requirements via consultancy@unrwa.org indicating the title of this consultancy “Consultancy – Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Coordinator” in the subject line of the message. The deadline for the submission of applications is 31 January 2017 (late applications will not be considered).

UNRWA is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from both qualified and experienced women and men. UNRWA encourages applications from female candidates. Only those applicants short-listed for interview will be contacted. UNRWA is a non-smoking work environment.