Readvertised: National consultant for Development of a Guideline on Selfcare for IRCS SAHAR (Psychosocial Support) Teams and Conducting Workshops for SAHAR Commanders

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. 

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. 

And we never give up. 

For every child,  

Humanitarian emergency field works is acknowledged to be a high-risk occupation, presenting numerous challenges and exposures to hazards and trauma that significantly affect the safety, health, and wellbeing of frontline workers. Among these challenges are burnout, sadness and depressive feelings, anxiety, relationship problems, and emotional exhaustion. Chronic exposure to occupational trauma, although considered normal and expected in these types of professions, can cause significant issues if not addressed in a timely and proper manner. 

Every workplace has a responsibility to promote and support the mental health of its workers. This is especially crucial for frontline organizations, which must be keenly aware of their risk profile and adopt strategies to monitor exposure to trauma and manage mental health, wellbeing, and negative risks arising from their work. Ensuring the care and support of staff and volunteers is an essential responsibility for organizations responding to crisis situations. Therefore, provision of preventive and supportive selfcare interventions and active engagement in these practices are shared responsibilities of both organization and staff members. 

The IRCS SAHAR team, being the frontline volunteer body of the IRCS Youth Organization in provision of essential psychosocial support services in emergencies, particularly needs support related to selfcare.  

The successful completion of this assignment will contribute to the objectives of Activity 1.5 of the joint 2023-2024 workplan between UNICEF and the Youth Organization of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS). Specifically, it aims to support workshops on selfcare for SAHAR teams, thereby increasing their preparedness to provide provision CPiE services in emergencies. 

How can you make a difference? 

Considering the above, this consultancy will contribute to achieving the following key objective: 

• To strengthen IRCS’ capacity to promote and support the mental health of staff serving in SAHAR teams through development of a locally-adapted guideline on selfcare. 

To achieve the above-mentioned objective, the consultant should conduct the below activities:   

1. Develop a guideline on selfcare for SAHAR teams, focusing on three main areas of individual, family, and organizational interventions; 
2. Develop a monitoring and evaluation framework including indicators, baselines, targets, and means of verification, enabling IRCS experts to monitor and evaluate the above-mentioned interventions; 
3. Conduct training of trainers (ToT) workshops for 40 commanders of SAHAR teams. 

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

• Minimum Master’s degree in social work, psychology, counselling, or related disciplines; 
• Minimum three years of working experience in the context of natural hazard and/or social emergencies;
• Proven experience in development of protocols and guidelines;
• Proven experience in conducting ToTs;
• Previous working experience with UNICEF/UN is an asset.

Evaluation: The minimum score for technical competency (qualification plus technical proposal) is 70. The applicant should submit a technical and financial proposal, outlining methodology, proposed technical team members, timeframe, and financial breakdown. 

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). 

 To view our competency framework, please visit  here. 

 UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment. 

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check. 

 Remarks:  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. 

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.