🇸🇱 Job Vacancy @ Handicap International – Mental Health & Psychosocial Support Technical Specialist

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT 

HI is seeking for a qualified individual to fill the above-mentioned National Position. 

  WOMEN AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY 

PLEASE NOTE:  

Handicap International has clear institutional policies on “Child Protection”, “Anti-fraud, Bribery and 

Corruption”, “Disability, Gender and Age” and “Protection of Beneficiaries from Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment”. It is therefore mandatory for all staff to commit themselves to respect, uphold and promote these policies, and to sign the HI Code of Conduct. 

PROGRAM BACKGROUND :

Handicap International – Humanity & Inclusion (HI) is an International NGO which has been working closely with the Government of Sierra Leone, international and national partners in the country since 1996, supporting vulnerable groups and people with disability.  Program areas include capacity building in rehabilitation, advocacy and rights, mother and child health, economic empowerment, mental health, protection, and inclusive education. HI is currently implementing three different projects for the promotion of mental health, inclusive economy and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR).

The Touching Minds, Raising Dignity (TMRD) project goal is to improve on the community-based prevention and response strategies, leading to an improvement in the quality of life and wellbeing/positive mental health of people suffering from psychosocial distress and/or living with psychosocial disabilities. This project is being implemented in a slum community (Susan’s Bay) around Connaught Hospital and Looking Town around the Kissy psychiatric and Teaching Hospital. The project works in partnership with Community Association for Psychosocial Services (CAPS), Service User’s and Family Members Association (SUFMA) and the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS).

The MHPSS Technical Specialist will be working with the Touching Minds, Raising Dignity project, which has been in implemention in Sierra Leone since 2018 and is now in its second four years phase (2022 to 2023).

The MHPSS Technical Specialist will not be involved in any team management role. He/she will be in charge of ensuring that the project activities meet technical standards.

Line Manager: Operations Manager, Mano River Program 

Functional Links: TMRD Project Manager, TMRD Project Officer; TMRD Income Generating Activity (IGA) Officer, Mano River Finance, Logistics and HR Managers. M&E Officer, Regional MEAL Manager, TMRD Chief of Party

Missions / responsibilities

The MHPSS Technical Specialist will be responsible for all the missions/responsibilities mentioned in the Standard Function for Technical Specialist.

Specifically, S/he will:

• Provide technical support and capacity building for HI TMRD project staff and two implementing partners (CAPS and SUFMA).
• Attend the National Mental Health Steering Committee meeting led by the Ministry of Health (MoH) and participate in actions (review of policies, strategies related to the committee.
• Organize regular field visits to carry out technical supervision on activities implemented by CAPS.
• Contribute to HI’s MHPSS advocacy efforts in Sierra Leone, by offering technical support to Organizations for Persons with Disabilities (OPDs)/Service Users.

General mission: 

The Field Technical Specialist contributes within the country where he/she is based to the implementation of the mandate and the 10-year strategy of Humanity & Inclusion. He/she ensures optimal quality and impact of the projects implemented in the country, through a delegation system with appropriate control mechanisms. He/she shares with all HI managers the responsibility of a sound management and successful functioning of the global organization, through paradigm changes.

MISSIONS

Expertise:

Contributes to the regional strategies in line with the global strategies.

• Provides sectorial technical input to the StratOps of the Programmes within his/her scope and in his/her sector, in line with the global StraTech and ensures relevant follow-up.

Ensures technical support to projects in line with the global technical frameworks and standards in his/her sectorial scope.

1. Provides adequate technical guidance and support to Project Managers when relevant (adapt standards to PM’s tools, contribute to proposal writing and reporting) in line with strategies, standards, and mandatory transversal approaches.
2. Ensures adequate support to multi-sector responses within projects, in line with the other specialists.
3. Ensures a local sectorial watch, best practices to adopt within his/her sectorial scope.
4. Contributes to recruitment and briefing when relevant.
5. Identify needs for skills development.
6. Participate in the development of training guides and materials.

Ensuring the technical relevance and evaluation of HI’s interventions in its sector in accordance with Humanity & Inclusion’s procedures

1. Participating in the development and adaptation of tools and intervention methodology
2. Ensuring that the tools and technical support are properly understood and appropriated by HI teams and external stakeholders.
3. Ensure the technical supervision of the teams and draw up recommendations and issue warnings where necessary.
4. To take part in the technical evaluation of activities in meetings and in situ (in this case to draw up monitoring reports) and to propose changes of direction or areas for improvement.

Contributing to the planning and reporting of activities carried out.

1. Participate in the planning of activities, ensuring technical consistency.
2. Contribute to the drafting of internal reports on the activities carried out.
3. Contribute to the preparation of external reports for donors.

Contribute to the project capitalization process.

1. Working with the MEAL department to set up a standard capitalization process.
2. Identify good practice (or promising practice) within projects.
3. Contribute to the dissemination of project good practice and to the adaptation and appropriation of these lessons learned by the project teams.
4. Participate in the drafting of capitalization reports.
5. Ensure the transformation of practices resulting from the capitalization process and its follow-up.

Contributes to the development of research and innovation projects in the region when relevant, in his/her sectorial scope.

Suggest and steer technical innovation projects.

• Identify the priorities of Research and Studies and steer R&S.

Contributes to the Technical Divisions professional channel animation.

1. Contribute to the global animation of the professional channels under his sectorial scope coming from the Technical Divisions (community of practice…)
2. Animate a local talent pool in his sectorial scope (carry out technical interviews of candidates and produce recommendations, identify needs regarding trainings)

Influence 

Contribute to the local external prestige and influence of HI’s expertise in his sectorial scope.

1. Represent the technical expertise of HI throughout the local relevant networks.
2. Contribute to advocacy on specific themes in line with global advocacy priorities.
3. Contribute to communication messages locally in line with global communication priorities.

Business development :

Ensure the development of major opportunities or new projects in the region under his sectorial scope.

1. Contributes to the context analysis in his sectorial scope.
2. Contributes to the design and writing of new projects in the region and when asked in other countries within the Geographic Division
3. Identify & transform major opportunities in the region under his scope.
4. Contributes to the conception of major projects (multiple countries, one theme) or of new projects in the region.
5. Identify & develop local partnerships and/or consortium with NGOs, Institutions, Companies on technical priorities or important topics in the region under his sectorial scope.

            Other skills /Qualification & Experiences

Essential

Qualification (s):

Advanced university degree (Master’s level or equivalent) in mental health clinical psychology from a recognized university or academic institute

Experience

At least 4 years of experience in the field of community or human rights based mental health and psychosocial support.

Experience in clinical supervision.

Experience in training and technical monitoring/supervising in the field of MHPSS with NGOs, in emergency and post crisis contexts.

Knowledge of MHPSS framework and references

Experience in analysis (donor environment, geopolitics) and ethical positioning.

Experience in partnership mobilization.

Experience in advocacy and liaison with national governments and stakeholders.

Preferable

Experience in the field of protection and/or disability inclusion is an asset.

Skills

Excellent communication and writing capacities in English.

Synthetic and analytic thinking

Pedagogical skills

Team motivation skills

Strategic thinking skills

Proficient: Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint

Preferable

Strong analytical skills (needs to understand systems of services’ functioning, needs of partners in terms of capacity building, etc.)

Personal qualities: Excellent communication skills and diplomacy

Ability to work independently and as a member of a team.

Flexibility

Strong attention to details

Good capacity to coordinate and consult with others.

Good organizational skills

Practical, dynamic and solution oriented

Open to cultural difference.

Salary: As per HI salary scale for National Staff & candidate’s experience

Probation Period: 3 months

Duration of Contract: One (01) year with possibility of renewal based on performance and funding     

               availability.

All interested candidates should send their CVs and cover letters only, with attachments bearing your full          name; example: John Doe – CV (for your CV) and John Doe – Cover Letter (for your cover letter) with the subject of the position applied for by email only to: [email protected]

 Closing date for applications is 10th May 2024