Short-Term Technical Advisor for Psychosocial Support Programming

Type of Contract: Independent Consultancy (Individual)

Department: Program Quality and Impact

Language: English

Closing Date: January 10 2024

Estimated Start Date: January 22 2024

Location: Remote based

1.BACKGROUND

Right To Play is a global organisation that protects, educates and empowers children to rise above adversity through the power of play. We help millions of children each year to stay in school and out of work, to prevent life-threatening diseases and to stay safe from exploitation and abuse. We are the leading global development organization that uses play to transform the lives of children and youth impacted by poverty, war, disease and inequality.

Established in 2000, Right To Play reaches children through experiential programming in 15 countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and North America. These programs are supported by our headquarters in Toronto, Canada; London, UK and seven national offices across Europe and North America.

Right To Play is a global leader in leveraging the power of play to address child protection issues, with a specific focus on psychosocial support (PSS) for children and young people. We support work across the continuum of development and humanitarian contexts. Our approach to PSS centres on delivering focused non-specialised support, family and community supports, and safe referral systems for children in education and community settings. See our Play and Psychosocial Wellbeing Policy Brief.

OVERALL OBJECTIVES OF THE CONSULTANCY

Right To Play is seeking a short-term Global PSS Consultant to provide overall PSS related technical guidance and support to Right To Play’s Country Office programs in Africa and the Middle East, within the thematic areas of Child Protection and Education.

The overall objectives of the consultancy include:

1.1 Support Right To Play Country Offices to review select play-based training resources and approaches related to PSS outcomes and update and adapt resources based on learnings and global best practice.

1.2 Collaborate with Right To Play Country Offices to identify key learnings from existing PSS program model delivery and adapt approaches as needed to support the delivery of results.

1.3 Provide technical guidance and input on the development of project indicators, monitoring tools, evaluation approaches and other MEL guidance documents related to PSS programming.

1.4 Provide coaching and mentoring to Country Office Child Protection Specialists and Focal Points in Burundi, Ethiopia, Mali, Lebanon and the Palestinian Territories on best practice in PSS program design and implementation.

2. ANTICIPATED ACTIVITIES

2.1 Develop an inception report with a work plan, outlining the methodology for each objective.

2.2 Provide technical guidance on the design and delivery of priority play-based PSS programming approaches to support Country Office staff to strengthen the achievement of results and inform the design of new initiatives.

2.3 Support Country Office staff to conduct a review of Right To Play’s existing PSS programming models and approaches and provide technical guidance, including the development of tip sheets or other guidance documents, to strengthen approaches and support their adaptation to new or changing operating contexts.

2.4 Provide technical input on the development of project results frameworks, monitoring tools and evaluation approaches for PSS projects.

2.5 Develop and deliver a capacity building and mentorship strategy for Country Office Child Protection Specialists and Focal Points in Burundi, Ethiopia, Mali, Lebanon and the Palestinian Territories.

2.6 Regular meetings with the Technical Lead, Health and Gender Equality and other collaborators to support the achievement of contract deliverables.

2.7 Submission of final report, including recommendations and priority actions for Right To Play’s PSS programming and ongoing staff capacity building.

Additional responsibilities may be required and will be discussed and agreed with the Director, Gender Equality and Wellbeing.

3. DELIVERABLES

The consultant(s) will deliver the following:

3.1 An inception report, with agreed deliverables and work plan (English)

3.2 Final consultancy report, including a summary of activities undertaken, guidance notes developed, and recommendations. (English)

All materials and deliverables developed for this consultancy will be the intellectual property of Right To Play.

4. TIME FRAME

The anticipated start date for the consultancy is January 22, 2024, with a contract duration of four (4) months, ending May 31 2023. Total level of effort will not exceed 60 days.

5. REPORTING LINES AND LOGISTICS

The consultant shall work under the supervision of the Right To Play Technical Lead, Health and Gender Equality.

The consultant will collaborate closely with members of the Program Quality and Impact team, Global Partnerships team and RTP’s Country Office program teams.

The consultant and the relevant Right To Play team members will meet as per agreed timings at various stages of the contract.

6. SKILLS AND EXPERIENCES

• Master’s degree in related field (Psychology, Social Work, Child Protection, Social Science, International Development, or related field or equivalent professional experience, with at least 5 years of professional experience, relevant to this consultancy.
• Proven technical experience in the design and delivery of child focused PSS in humanitarian and development contexts, ideally working with international NGOs.
• Experience developing and facilitating training and mentoring programs on child protection issues, particularly PSS.
• Ability to support the formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development programs and projects.
• Knowledge of child centred and gender responsive approaches to program design, implementation and research.
• Excellent verbal and written English. French and/or Arabic communication skills are an asset.
• Excellent cross-cultural communication skills.
• Familiarity with Right to Play’s mandate and approach.
• Highly adaptable, demonstrating a flexible attitude and an ability to work with people from various backgrounds and cultures and across different time zones.