MHPSS and CPiE Regional Lead

PLAN INTERNATIONAL

Founded in 1937, Plan International, Inc. (“PII”) is a development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We strive for a just world, working together with children, young people, our supporters, and partners in both humanitarian and development settings.

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian (dual mandate) non-profit organisation that believes in the power and potential of every child, but knows this is often supressed by poverty, violence, exclusion, disasters and discrimination.

Working together with children, girls, young people, supporters, and partners, Plan International strives for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenge’s girls and vulnerable children face. Plan International has been building powerful partnerships for children for over 85 years and now active in more than 75 countries, delivering humanitarian assistance and driving changes in practice and policy at local, national, and global levels using our reach, experience, and knowledge.

Role purpose and background

The conflict in Ukraine is resulting in a major humanitarian crisis with over 6 million people having fled to neighbouring countries, and millions displaced within Ukraine. Children and adolescents are particularly exposed to risks of family separation, psychosocial distress, trafficking, child labour, and sexual exploitation. Plan International is responding to the crisis in Ukraine, Poland, Moldova and Romania and is working in partnership with civil society organisations to meet the key needs of those affected by the crisis as well as host communities.

Dimensions of the Role

This is combined role with Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) and Child Protection in Emergencies (CPiE) for Plan Ukraine programmes and for East & Central Europe Plan programmes. 

This role will focus 75% on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) and Child Protection in Emergencies (CPiE) for supporting the development and technical quality of Plan International’s (MHPSS) and CPiE programming in Ukraine. This includes providing technical leadership and support on programme strategy, strengthening the capacity of partners on MHPSS, and ensuring the overall technical quality of Plan’s MHPSS programming through the development of concept notes, project proposals and partner capacity building.

25% of the role will provide technical leadership in MHPSS and CPiE for East & Central Europe programmes in Moldova, Romania and Poland, contributing to evaluations, assessments and programme delivery as well as coordination with global technical networks.

This role will line manage Plan Ukraine CPiE officer and provide mentoring and skills development as required.

Accountabilities

Assessment and Programme Development 

• Lead the development of the MHPSS and support CPiE Ukraine programme, including the development of programmes in line with Plan International’s guidelines and Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action. 
• Define and develop programme interventions that consider short-term and longer-term programming to respond to the evolving needs of children and adolescents in Ukraine and other vulnerable children. 
• Ensure MHPSS and CPiE programmatic related activities are results-oriented and respond to needs identified in MHPSS and CPiE MHPSS needs assessments, and are based on cluster recommendations and internal programming lessons learnt, in line with the One Response Strategy.
• Work collaboratively with Plan’s other thematic sectors and cross-cutting areas, including education, gender and inclusion, and cash and voucher assistance to ensure that MHPSS and CPiE programming is coordinated and integrated whenever possible, build additional value and synergies to support programme development. 
• Work closely with BDMs on resource mobilisation, including the development of quality concept notes, proposals, providing technical guidance. 
• Support  Partner Due Diligence Processes, focusing on partners technical skills in relation to MHPSS and CPiE, and strategically thinking of what value partners could bring to Plan Ukraine’s programming.
• Contribute to the formulation of a coherent localised strategies on MHPSS and CPiE.

Technical Support 

• Conduct technical project monitoring visits to identifying opportunities and constraints and actioning any adjustments that are needed to meet technical quality standards 
• Capture key lessons learnt from programming interventions and support the Plan Ukraine and ECE Response Lessons Learnt process of case studies and recommendations. 
• Contribute to  donor reporting, ensuring reports are technically sound and of high quality. 

Capacity-Strengthening and Technical Resources 

• Oversee MHPSS and support CPiE capacity-strengthening plans for Plan International Response implementation partners, 
• Develop, adapt, and contextualize specialised tools and guidance on MHPSS and CPiE in line with global inter-agency standards and tools and Plan International’s guidance and technical resources.
• Develop, adapt, and ensure harmonization of MHPSS and CPiE training packages, including content related to life skills and parenting curriculum, unaccompanied and separated children, child survivors of SGBV, case management, community-level child protection, and anti-trafficking.
• Deliver technical trainings to Plan International, partners, government representatives, and other stakeholders on a frequent basis, focusing on strengthening partner capacity in technical areas related to CPiE and MHPSS. 
• Contextualise Plan International’s various manuals and tools so that they are fit for the Ukrainian context. Ensure the successful adaptation and piloting of any new approaches focusing on impact and sustainability in relation to MHPSS and CPiE
• Conduct partnership scoping exercises to identify new opportunities for programming by helping to select implementing partners with demonstrated technical capacity who are able to deliver high quality MHPSS/CP programming.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Learning

• Work closely with the MERL & Information Management Leads to design and develop appropriate monitoring, evaluation and learning systems/tools for MHPSS and support CPiE interventions, 
• Provide guidance and mentoring to partner staff on how to best measure impact, paying close attention to Plan’s own methodologies and resource kits such as PALs and PUPs.
• Evaluate the implementation of MHPSS and CPiE programmes and draft recommendations for improved programme design focusing on quality and impact.
• Disseminate learnings as appropriate among Plan International staff, partners, and other stakeholders, in close collaboration with Plan’s CPiE Specialist in the Ukraine Response Hub.
• Provide guidance, support, mentoring and line management to the Plan International Ukraine CPiE Officer, as well as other staff who could be recruited in the MHPSS and CP function to coherently work as a Team to implement high quality projects. 

Coordination and External Representation

• Represent Plan International at external working groups and cluster meetings, including the Protection Cluster and Child Protection Sub-Working Group, MHPSS working groups and ensure collaboration and network with peer organisations.
• Represent Plan International Ukraine in external forums, meetings and events, building Plan International’s brand and increasing the organisations visibility.
• Build strong connections with coordinating bodies, resource centres and local/international initiatives that are supporting MHPSS and CP related thematic priorities. 
• Provide timely and accurate information to support Communication, Media and Advocacy efforts for Plan Ukraine and ECE portfolios

Key relationships

• Strategy and project planning: Programme Quality Manager, Deputy Country Director Programmes, Partnership Specialist, Business Development Manager, M&E Specialist, CPiE and MHPSS Officer, relevant staff – both internally within Plan International Ukraine as well as at ECE Response team.
• Country operations: Support staff (HR, Logs, Finance,)
• Advocacy and coordination: Child Protection Working group, MHPSS Working Group

Technical expertise, skills, and knowledge

Essential Knowledge 

• A University Degree in Social work, international development, human rights, psychology, sociology, international law or other social science field is required. Higher Tertiary Degree would be seen as an asset. 
• Fluency in written and spoken Ukrainian and English languages is essential. Knowledge of Russian language is an asset but not mandatory. 
• Excellent knowledge of Ukraine’s MHPSS system, particularly for children, adolescents, and young women, and available services and supports for vulnerable and marginalized groups such as refugees and migrants.
• Knowledge of MHPSS standards related to humanitarian action, such as the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support considered an asset.
• Consolidated knowledge of the national child protection system, including local laws and policies, role and responsibility of local child protection authorities, and available child protection services and supports.
• Knowledge of the Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action and inter-agency guidance and tools related to unaccompanied children, alternative care, case management, family strengthening, community-level child protection, MHPSS, and cash and vouchers assistance for child protection. Additional knowledge of Sphere and the Red Cross/ NGO Code of Conduct.
• Requires general finance, administration, information management and telecommunication skills and proficiency in information technology/ computer skills.

Essential Experience 

• Minimum of 5 -8 years of progressively responsible professional experience in working with child-focused or child protection mandated civil society organizations or government agencies.
• Experience in child protection in emergencies work, ideally with experience in refugee and or IDP contexts. 
• Experience successfully developing CPiE, SGBV, and MHPSS concept notes and proposals for donors such as DEC, DFAT, GFFO, UNHCR, and UNICEF. 
• Experience of training on child protection interventions, such as alternative care, case management, community-level child protection, psychosocial support, and child survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, with a variety of audiences.
• Experience designing and implementing programs which consider gender and inclusion and utilize cash and voucher assistance. 

Essential Skills

• Excellent communication skills and ability to develop well-argued plans for response that can be justified and delivered, persuasive of others.
• Excellent ability to build collaborative and respectful relationships with local organizations and government authorities. 
• Excellent project design, participatory learning and monitoring and evaluation skills
• Excellent supervision and team leadership skills, including ability to motivate and support staff from diverse backgrounds 
• Ability to work independently and as a team player who demonstrates leadership and is able to support and train local and international staff and also able to work with disaster affected communities in a sensitive and participatory manner.
• Excellent negotiation, representation, skills and the ability to work comfortably with an ethnically diverse staff in a very sensitive environment.
• Ability to operate at advanced levels of authority and manage significant activities, budgets, and resources to produce and take responsibility for results
• Impeccable organisation and time-management skills, with the ability to cope and thrive working under pressure.

Behaviours

• Works with trustworthiness and integrity and has a clear commitment to Plan’s core values and humanitarian principles
• Aware of own strengths, weaknesses and pro-active in using feedback and self-development
• Aware of impact on others and uses impact to create positive climate at work
• Works and lives with a flexible, adaptable, and resilient manner. 
• Demonstrates awareness and sensitivity to gender and diversity.
• Patient, adaptable, flexible, able to improvise and remain responsive under pressure.
• Willingness to learn and be exposed to new learning opportunities

Plan International’s Values in Practice

We are open and accountable

We create a climate of trust inside and outside the organization by being open, honest and transparent. We hold ourselves and others to account for the decisions we make and for our impact on others, while doing what we say we will do.

We strive for lasting impact

We strive to achieve significant and lasting impact on the lives of children and young people, and to secure equality for girls. We challenge ourselves to be bold, courageous, responsive, focused, and innovative.

We work well together

We succeed by working effectively with others, inside and outside the organization, including our sponsors and donors. We actively support our colleagues, helping them to achieve their goals. We come together to create and implement solutions in our teams, across Plan International, with children, girls, young people, communities, and our partners.

We are inclusive and empowering

We respect all people, appreciate differences and challenge inequality in our programmes and our workplace. We support children, girls and young people to increase their confidence and to change their own lives. We empower our staff to give their best and develop their potential.