Deployable MHPSS Specialist at Plan International

The Opportunity

Our new global strategy prioritises humanitarian scale up.

To respond to the growing unmet needs in emergencies and to strengthen the speed, quality, relevance and appropriateness of our emergency response and readiness work, we are investing in our  humanitarian deployable capacity.

The Deployable Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Programme Specialist is a member of Plan International’s Global Education in Humanitarian action unit. While on deployment, the specialist provides technical support to Plan International’s Country Offices (COs). This normally involves responding to medium and large-scale emergencies to develop, implement, monitor and evaluate humanitarian MHPSS programmes. This includes providing technical leadership and support on programme strategy, strengthening the capacity of staff and partners on MHPSS, and ensuring the overall technical quality of Plan’s MHPSS programming in line with humanitarian standards. Plan International’s MHPSS programming focuses on group activities for child and adolescent well-being, focused psychosocial care and support, including for parents and caregivers, and strengthening access to specialised mental health services. Plan International implements MHPSS programmes directly as well as with implementing partners and service providers.

This role will have a specific focus on MHPSS programming, with key interventions firmly embedded within or linked to humanitarian response programmes for child protection in emergencies (CPiE), education in emergencies (EiE), food security and nutrition (FSN) and other life-saving assistance. When not on deployment, the specialist contributes to Plan’s global humanitarian workplans for CPiE and EiE as agreed with both global units. This may include continued support and follow up from a distance with COs after a deployment.

ACCOUNTABILITIES

Accountabilities described apply during deployed and non-deployed time.

Programme Design and Assessment (15%)

• Integrate MHPSS into sector-specific and/or multi-sectoral needs assessments and support the data collection, analysis, documentation and dissemination of findings.
• Collaborate with Plan and partner staff, relevant inter-agency actors and community members, including children and adolescents, in designing and implementing MHPSS needs assessments.
• Support Plan International’s COs in designing response plans that address the identified needs and priorities for the MHPSS of children, adolescents, young people, parents/caregivers and people working closely with them such as teachers.
• Contribute to a global portfolio of high-quality, conflict-sensitive MHPSS programming for children and adolescents, covering priority emergency responses.
• Provide technical assistance to COs in the design of age-appropriate and gender-sensitive MHPSS programme strategies, plans and proposals for emergency preparedness and response, in collaboration with key sector teams (EiE, CPiE, FSN and other sectors), inter-agency stakeholders, communities, children and adolescents in all their diversity.
• Ensure that MHPSS interventions are in line with MHPSS and other sector humanitarian response plans and linked to longer-term programming and national plans and systems where possible.
• Ensure all MHPSS work has a strong gender and inclusion focus, in line with Plan International’s Global Strategy.

Programme Implementation (35%)

• Lead the roll-out of Plan International’s MHPSS programme framework in priority emergency responses, in close collaboration with other humanitarian teams (CPiE, EiE, GiE, and FSN teams).
• Support the development, roll-out and scaling of relevant programme models to support MHPSS of children and adolescents, including but not limited to life skills and parenting models.
• Deploy to COs to provide technical support and leadership on humanitarian MHPSS programming for children and adolescents, including preparedness and response.
• Work with other sector teams, including but not limited to CPiE, EiE, gender in emergencies (GiE), Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) and FSN teams to implement sector-specific MHPSS actions that contribute to the mental health and psychosocial well-being of children and adolescents.
• Ensure that MHPSS interventions are aligned with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Guidelines on MHPSS in emergency settings, the MHPSS Minimum Service Package and the Operational Guidelines for Community-based MHPSS in humanitarian settings, as well as INEE Minimum Standards and the Child Protection Minimum Standards.

Representation and Partnership (10%)

• Work with CO colleagues to represent Plan International in relevant working groups and other fora/initiatives related to MHPSS.
• Participate in the development of the MHPSS working group or task force response strategy, including the Humanitarian Response Plan, Humanitarian Needs Overview and Rapid Response Plan processes.
• Support the integration of MHPSS considerations in other sector resonse plans, specifically CPiE and EiE, in collaboration with other sector technical specialists and inter-agency coordination groups.
• Support COs to identify relevant partnerships related to MHPSS including local and community-based organisations, youth groups and local authorities.
• Support the development of Plan International’s profile in MHPSS programming, particularly in regards to adolescent girls in all their diversity.

Resource Mobilization (10%)

• Build and maintain relationships with relevant government departments, UN agencies and NGOs.
• Establish/maintain new/existing relationships with key donors.
• Support Plan International’s COs to build a diversified portfolio of funding for MHPSS programming, both stand-alone and as part of integrated programming.
• Support development and submission of quality proposals in response to identified opportunities at CO level and in collaboration with local partners.

Programme Monitoring and Evaluation, Reporting and Accountability (10%)

• Work closely with the Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) team in COs to integrate MHPSS indicators in (multi-) sectoral M&E framework, in line with humanitarian response plans.
• Strengthen the capacity of programme (MHPSS, CPiE and EiE, among others) and M&E staff to collect and analyse quantitative and qualitative data related to MHPSS, ensuring all data is disaggregated by sex, age and disability.
• Document and disseminate key learning from MHPSS programming, in coordination with sector teams, coordination groups, and communities, including children and adolescents in all their diversity.
• Prepare timely reports on MHPSS projects and interventions, in compliance with internal reporting and external reporting and donor requirements.
• Provide input for regular CO sitreps.
• Ensure accountability activities effectively and efficiently support community members, including children and adolescents in all their diversity and that feedback from all relevant stakeholders is considered and addressed throughout all phases of the response.

Learning and Capacity Development (10%)

• Provide training, coaching and mentorship to programme staff, partners and other key stakeholders on MHPSS programming framework. If necessary, adapt/develop programme resources related to priority MHPSS topics.
• Promote best practices on MHPSS and integrated programming, both internally and externally.

Research, Policy and Advocacy (10%)

• Drive learning, knowledge management and policy impact by authoring, commissioning and contributing to publications, policy documents, briefing notes and other resource materials ensuring that Plan International has distinct knowledge and evidence on MHPSS programming.
• Support COs to develop case studies and reports of MHPSS programme innovation and successes.
• Engage with key technical groups within Plan International, representing MHPSS programming with linkages to EiE and CPiE.
• Contribute to relevant global advocacy and policy objectives with documented learning and evidence.
• Work with relevant inter-agency coordination groups, including MHPSS, EiE and CPiE relevant fora, to develop MHPSS advocacy strategies informed by contextually relevant evidence and analysis.