MHPSS Techncial Advisor

The Opportunity

The MHPSS Advisor plays a key role in ensuring high-quality, timely MHPSS technical support in Save the Children Afghanistan’s response. The MHPSS Advisor will provide hands-on support to SCI’s MHPSS programming. This includes providing hands-on technical assistance, strategic and programmatic support, capacity building (training /mentoring/coaching), and talent development. This position also includes contributions to SCI’s advocacy and new business development initiatives. The MHPSS TA will also work in collaboration with other advisors to support overarching responses and priorities, particularly program integration.

The purpose of the MHPSS Advisor is to promote access among children and families affected in Afghanistan to high-quality and well-coordinated MHPSS programming in line with global standards and the latest research. This builds on a growing and increasingly well-documented recognition of the critical MHPSS needs in Afghanistan, and of the lack of available national and local services, NGO responses, referral mechanisms, and documentation for this constantly growing challenge. More specifically, the purpose of the Afghanistan MHPSS Advisor is to continue to lead the setting up and delivery of Afghanistan Response Office MHPSS programs for children, adolescents, youths, and caregivers and contribute to the high-quality proposals and reporting.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Head of Technical Unit
Staff reporting to this post: MHPSS Specialist
Budget Responsibilities: none
Role Dimensions: The main purpose of this role is to provide strong technical leadership in the SCI Afghanistan Country Office on Mental health & Psychosocial Support. The aim is to enhance the quality of MHPSS work delivered by SCI and its Partners, bringing immediate and lasting changes in the lives of children. The focus of the role will be on technical capacity building, program quality assurance on MHPSS intervention, and ensuring MHPSS is properly integrated across the sectors in a technically sound fashion.
Context: Humanitarian
KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:
* Programme Strategy and Development
* Ensure quality MHPSS inputs for the Afghanistan Country Office teams to support the design of contextually relevant multi-sector response and recovery strategies and program plans, in line with SCI Humanitarian deliverables, and ensuring quality programmatic approaches and maximum integration between sectors
* Support the Afghanistan Country office teams to identify areas of shared priorities in MHPSS and develop approaches/plans to take these forward, as needed
* Carry out the responsibilities of the role in a way that reflects Save the Children’s commitment to safe programming and safeguarding children, by our Code of Conduct and Child Safeguarding Policy
* Technical Capacity Building & Mentoring
* Ensure that MHPSS activities have sufficient resources and expertise at hand to build capacity, monitor, quality-assure, capture evidence, and learning, and develop further in their ability to provide quality and needs-based MHPSS interventions.
* Be a focal point for the SCI Afghanistan response Programme for MHPSS-related activities and represent SCI in relevant groups and clusters, including relevant donor meetings as required.
* Supervise and support the field staff in the project sites in the planning, implementation, and monitoring of MHPSS activities.
* Support the development of effective supervision structures and processes for MHPSS staff in and across the Afghanistan Country Programming
* Organize regular meetings with the MHPSS focal points in each intervention location, provide technical supervision to relevant staff
* Lead the continuous assessment of MHPSS needs of children, adolescents, and youths and ensure that these are appropriately reflected in the Afghanistan Response program strategy and proposals.
* Identify training needs of the MHPSS teams and assist in the development of training modules, MHPSS implementation tools, and awareness-raising activities for staff, volunteers, key community members, and partners’ staff on various topics;
* Ensure that the PSS activities (such as the Child and Youth Resilience Programme) are implemented according to SC and international standards.
* Assist Save the Children in the development and rolling out of MHPSS Monitoring &Evaluation tools,
* Coordinate with other Technical Advisers (Health, Nutrition, Education, FSL, Child Protection)
* Programme Quality and Development
* Ensure the Afghanistan Country Office is supported to maintain the minimum standards of humanitarian relief by the CHS, Sphere Charter and Red Cross Code of Conduct, and SCI Humanitarian principles and global standards.
* Ensure the Afghanistan Country office is supported to develop quality project proposals.
* Provide MHPSS technical inputs to ensure the Afghanistan Country Office is supported to design and implement high-quality REALM processes, which are effectively informing decision making
* Ensure the Afghanistan Country Office are supported to build innovation in MHPSS, document lessons learned, best practice, and case studies to shape in-country strategies and program approaches and contribute to broader sector learning
BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)
Accountability:
* holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modeling Save the Children values
* holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities – giving them the freedom to have in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance, and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.
Ambition:
* sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, take responsibility for their personal development, and encourages their team to do the same
* widely shares their vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
* future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.
Collaboration:
* builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members, external partners, and supporters
* values diversity, and sees it as a source of competitive strength
* approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.
Creativity:
* develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
* willing to take disciplined risks.
Integrity:
honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates the highest levels of integrity
QUALIFICATIONS
Master’s degree in Social Work, Master in Social Science, or any Masters’ Level within the field of mental health, such as psychology, psychotherapy, or another relevant area.
EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS
* At least 4 years experience of working internationally in MHPSS in emergency settings
* Demonstrated successful experience in capacity building, mentoring, facilitation of learning, and provision of technical support
* Demonstrated program design, monitoring, and evaluation skills
* Experience in strategy development and planning
* Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including team leading and influencing.
* Experience in capacity building and training
* Significant knowledge and experience from the field of MHPSS, including child trauma, resilience & recovery, child development, and work with parents & caregivers.
* Excellent knowledge and experience in using key tools and approaches, including the IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergencies.
* Significant experience working in emergency response, protracted crises, or fragile state contexts
* Strong experience with learning exercises, including management of assessments and evaluations
* Proven capacity to technically support, train, and coach staff, including remote support
* Ability to write a clear and effective assessment, project proposals, and reports
* Excellent communication and influencing skills with experience in advocacy
* The capacity and willingness to be highly flexible and accommodating in difficult and sometimes insecure working circumstances.
* Experience in representation and ability to represent Save the Children effectively in external forums.
* Fluent in English and high level of English writing skills.
* Commitment to the aims and principles of Save the Children. In particular, a good understanding of the Save the Children mandate and child focus and an ability to ensure this continues to underpin our support
KEY COMPETENCIES
Technical competencies:
* Support the development of guidance or training materials on MHPSS in emergency settings
* Designs programs and strategies that identify and minimise the risks faced differently by young children, adolescents, and youth
* Designs and advocates for programs and policies that reach and protect the rights of children most impacted by inequality and discrimination
Generic Competencies
* Being the Voice of Children: Utilises being part of a global movement to promote change in the policy and public sphere on child-related issues
* Advancing Equality & Inclusion: Drives an enabling environment for gender equality and inclusion, and prioritizing the most deprived and marginalized children
* Builds & Strengthens Partnerships: Inspires others to embrace the values and principles that underpin partnerships and the localization agenda
* Child Rights: Promotes the rights of children in their work and work with colleagues and peers
Additional job responsibilities
The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within the reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.
Equal Opportunities
The role holder must carry out the duties per the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.
Child Safeguarding:
We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.
Safeguarding our Staff:
The post holder is required to carry out the duties of the SCI anti-harassment policy
Health and Safety
The role holder must carry out the duties per SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.