MHPSS Officer

Who are Plan International?

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it’s girls who are most affected.

Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.

We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for — and respond to — crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.

We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 85 years, and are now active in more than 80 countries.

How have Plan International responded to the Ukraine Crisis?

Since March 2022, Plan International has been responding to the crisis in partnership with civil society organisations in Poland, Romania, and Moldova to meet the needs of those affected by the crisis as well as host communities, and now we are ready to extend our operations in Ukraine itself.

We are supporting an integrated education and child protection response, incorporating mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), with cash and voucher assistance (CVA) as a modality.

What can you bring?

We know that this crisis will have devastating long-term effects on women and children in the region and Plan International will play a vital role in responding to these needs as we continue to establish operations in each of the four countries. We plan to transition from the current support provided globally by Plan International’s teams to locally based, longer term staffing.

This role will focus on the development and technical quality of Plan International’s Mental Health and Psychosocial support (MHPSS) programming in Ukraine. This includes providing support on programme strategy, strengthening the capacity of partners on MHPSS, and ensuring the overall technical quality of Plan’s MHPSS programming.

ACCOUNTABILITIES

Assessment and Programme Development

· Support the implementation of MHPSS programs for the Ukraine country program, following Plan International’s guidelines and Minimum Standards for Humanitarian Action.

· Contribute to ensuring that MHPSS activities are results-driven, aligned with needs assessments, and follow cluster recommendations and internal lessons learned, in line with the One Response Strategy.

· Work with the MHPSS and CPiE Regional Lead to design both short-term and long-term high-impact program interventions to address the evolving needs of children and adolescents in Ukraine and other vulnerable children, with a focus on sustainable, long-term solutions.

· Collaborate with implementing partners and stakeholders to conduct in-depth MHPSS needs assessments, adapting program design and advocacy as needed.

· Coordinate with other thematic sectors and cross-cutting areas (e.g., education, gender, inclusion, cash and voucher assistance) to integrate MHPSS programming, enhancing program development.

· Provide regular updates to senior management and the wider team on program progress, priorities, opportunities, and challenges.

· In coordination and cooperation with the MHPSS and CPiE Regional Lead, prepare weekly and monthly work plans with clear objectives that define short-, medium- and long-term priorities.

· Contribute to the development of coherent local strategies for MHPSS.

Technical Support

· Conduct technical project monitoring visits to identifying opportunities and constraints and actioning any adjustments that are needed to meet technical quality standards, in line with donor requirements and Plan International commitments.

· Capture key lessons learnt from programming interventions and support the Plan International Ukraine 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

· Develop, adapt, and contextualize specialised tools and guidance on in line with global inter-agency standards and tools and Plan International’s guidance and technical resources.

· Support the development, adaptation, and ensure harmonization of MHPSS training packages, including content related to life skills and parenting curriculum.

· Prepare and conduct trainings, coaching, mentoring training to partners on relevant MHPSS topics (e.g., Psychological First Aid (PFA), basic community-based MHPSS care principles/approaches, detection of acute distress and mental health conditions, referral pathways and procedures, etc.).

· Contribute to the contextualisation of 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.

· 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 programming.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Learning

· Work closely with the MERL Specialist to design and develop appropriate monitoring, evaluation and learning systems/tools for MHPSS interventions.

· Support the evaluation of the implementation of MHPSS 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.

Coordination and External Representation

· Represent Plan International Ukraine during external working groups and cluster meetings, including the 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.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

· Strategy and project planning: Head of Mission, Programmes Director, Program Implementation Manager, Program Quality Manager, MHPSS and CPiE Regional Lead, Partnership Coordinator, Business Development Manager, M&E Specialist, CPiE Officer and other relevant staff within Plan International Ukraine team.

· Country operations: Support staff (HR, Logs, Finance,)

· Advocacy and coordination: MHPSS Technical Working Group

TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, SKILLS, AND KNOWLEDGE

Essential Knowledge

· A University Degree in Psychology or Social Work, is required. Higher Tertiary Degree would be seen as an asset.

· Fluency in written and spoken Ukrainian and English languages is essential.

· 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.

· Requires general finance, administration, information management and telecommunication skills and proficiency in information technology/ computer skills.

Essential Experience

· At least 2 years work experience in psychosocial support/psychology, in clinical and/or direct practice settings.

· Proven capacity to train, supervise, and coach partner staff on key MHPSS topics.

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

· 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.

· 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

ACCOUNTABILITY TO AFFECTED POPULATIONS (AAP)

Plan International is committed to ensuring accountability to affected population and ensuring that programmes and operations are driven by the needs, priorities, and preferences of affect populations including men, women, boys, girls, and any marginalized groups. This is achieved by an all staff commitment to the ensuring the integration of participatory approaches, open, honest communication, and mechanisms to listen and act on feedback.

· Ensure the programme and/or emergency response is driven by the needs, priorities, and preferences of the people it aims to serve, through the integration of participatory approaches, open, honest communication, and mechanisms to listen and act on feedback.

SAFEGUARDING, GENDER EQUALITY AND INCLUSION

· Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures

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.

Please note that Plan International will never send unsolicited emails requesting payment from candidates.