Psychosocial Support in Education in Emergency Resource Optimisation Consultant

REPORTING TO: Head of MHPSS Advisory Team, Global Programme Development, HO

DURATION: 15 days

MONTHS OF WORK: March – June 2024

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is a non-governmental, humanitarian organisation with 75 years of experience in helping to create a safer and more dignified life for refugees and internally displaced people. NRC advocates for the rights of displaced populations and offers assistance within the shelter, education, emergency, food security, legal assistance, and water, sanitation and hygiene sectors – referred to in NRC as “core competencies”.

For more information about NRC please visit www.nrc.no.

BACKGROUND

Over the past decade, NRC has been pivotal in delivering essential psychosocial support services (PSS) in educational settings through its flagship PSS in education intervention, the Better Learning Programme (BLP) – a key initiative developed in collaboration with the Arctic University of Norway (UiT). As part of NRC’s Right to Wellbeing 2025 initiative, the BLP is now operational in 34 countries, aiming to enhance the wellbeing and educational outcomes of children and youth impacted by displacement.

Recognised as a core component of NRC’s education efforts, the BLP is known for its effectiveness, adaptability, and evidence-based approach. With the programme’s expansion, there is a growing need to ensure the BLP resources – manuals and implementation guides – are as user-friendly and accessible as possible. This need is critical for maintaining the programme’s quality and effectiveness as it scales and adapts to diverse contexts and users.

This initiative aims to facilitate ease of use for NRC implementers and future partners, ensuring the materials are optimised for broad accessibility and practical application.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of the consultancy is to conduct a scoping review of all existing BLP manuals and implementation guidance documents. The review will identify opportunities to simplify and streamline content and structure, aiming to enhance the ease of use for NRC staff and future partners, with an eye towards resource digitisation.

The Psychosocial Support in Education in Emergency Resource Optimisation Consultant will:

1. Perform a comprehensive assessment of current BLP manuals and resources, identifying areas of complexity, redundancy, or potential confusion.
2. Engage with current implementers, including NRC staff and partners, to gather feedback on the usability challenges and areas for improvement of the existing materials, both on form and content.
3. Evaluate best practices in educational programme documentation that align with the needs of diverse users, including non-specialist implementers and partners in various contexts.
4. Develop recommendations for the process of restructuring, simplification, user-friendliness, and possible consolidation of BLP resources to enhance accessibility, understanding, and practical application with an eye towards digitalisation of the resources.
5. Assess the current BLP resources for suitability for digital conversion, including providing initial guidance of any content or structural modifications needed to optimise for digital use.

DELIVERABLES AND PROGRESS PLAN

The consultancy is expected to deliver:

1. A detailed report outlining findings from the review of BLP materials, including specific challenges and opportunities for simplification.

2. A set of actionable recommendations for restructuring and simplifying the BLP manuals and resources, supported by best practice examples and user feedback.

3. A comprehensive analysis of the digital readiness of existing BLP materials, including recommendations for content adaptation and simplification to facilitate digital conversion.

4. Guidelines for maintaining the integrity and effectiveness of the BLP content while ensuring flexibility for customisation and local adaptation by partners.

   REQUIRED COMPETENCIES

i. Educational Background:

• Degree in Education or Educational Psychology, or a related field.

ii. Professional Experience:

• Extensive experience (minimum 5 years) in instructional design, curriculum development, or educational content creation, with a proven track record of simplifying complex educational materials for diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated expertise in developing and evaluating educational programmes, with specific experience in areas related to psychosocial support, education in emergencies, or similar fields.
• As an asset experience with digital education technologies and platforms, understanding how to optimise content for digital delivery and engagement.

iii. Skills and Competencies:

• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to assess educational materials for clarity, usability, effectiveness, and user engagement.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, capable of working with a variety of stakeholders, including educators, programme implementers, and technical experts.
• Knowledge of best practices in accessibility and inclusive design.
• Familiarity with the humanitarian sector and the specific challenges and needs of displaced populations in educational contexts.