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UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

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Individual Consultancy Advert - International/National Consultant – Review of the Mental Health Programme with a focus on the Helping Adolescents Thrive intervention.

For every child, the right to Health

Mental health and substance abuse are interlinked and pressing issues affecting children, adolescents, and families in the Maldives. Adolescents are particularly vulnerable due to the profound biological, psychological, and social transitions they undergo. Global data shows that half of all mental health conditions emerge by age 14, and many go undiagnosed and untreated. In parallel, young people are disproportionately affected by substance abuse, with early initiation often linked to poor mental health, trauma, and peer pressure.

In the Maldives, there has been a marked increase in mental health consultations following the COVID-19 pandemic. Administrative data from the National Centre for Mental Health (NCMH) indicates that children and adolescents account for over a quarter of mental health service users, and substance use among youth remains high, with first use reported at increasingly younger ages. These overlapping vulnerabilities underscore the need for integrated responses that address prevention, early detection, stigma, and support systems.

In recognition of these challenges, UNICEF Maldives and WHO Maldives signed a Memorandum of Understanding in July 2023, establishing a Joint Programme on Mental Health and Psychosocial Wellbeing of Children and Adolescents. This Joint Programme provides the overarching strategic framework guiding national-level implementation and resource coordination across four key strategic areas:

1. Leadership, governance, and advocacy
2. Integrated service delivery and family-responsive care
3. Promotion of mental well-being and prevention of mental ill-health and substance abuse
4. Evidence generation and information systems

Within this Joint Programme, UNICEF leads Strategic Area 3, focusing on prevention, promotion, and adolescent engagement. This includes the Helping Adolescents Thrive (HAT) initiative, stigma-reduction communication campaigns such as "Kihineh?", school-and community-based wellbeing spaces, and the integration of life skills, social-emotional learning (SEL), and peer support as protective factors.

UNICEF Mental Health and Substance Abuse Prevention Flagship “Kihineh?” addresses:

1. Stigma reduction:
   • Social behavior change communications and advocacy strategy designed to raise awareness and tackle stigma and discrimination against mental health and substance abuse.
2. Resilience building:
   • The Helping Adolescents Thrive (HAT) programme builds individual resilience and establishes stigma-free, adolescent-friendly wellbeing hangouts in schools or community spaces to promote holistic health.
   • Physical exercise through swimming helps children and adolescents practice healthy coping strategies and develop interpersonal skills.
   • Peer support provides adolescents with the chance to use their knowledge and advocate for mental health within their communities.
3. Early detection and response:
   • Building the capacity of counselors, with a focus on the school counselors and drug counselors
   • Establishing a referral pathway
   • Routine mental health screening and check-ins

This review will therefore focus specifically on UNICEF’s contributions under the Joint Programme, particularly those related to early prevention, adolescent wellbeing, community resilience, and demand generation.

How can you make a difference? 

Specifically, the programme review seeks to:

1. Examine the design, relevance and alignment of UNICEF Maldives’ MH intervention with national priorities, identified needs, and the broader multisectoral mental health landscape in the Maldives.
2. Map UNICEF-supported mental health interventions and to document key activities and contextual developments over the past three years.
3. Collect partner and beneficiaries’ perspectives and stories on the effectiveness and efficiency of mental health interventions and document results achieved.
4. Document the reach and equity of UNICEF-supported MH interventions, with particular attention to how they address the needs of vulnerable children, adolescents, and caregivers across diverse geographic settings.
5. Review of monitoring and reporting systems and the extent to which UNICEF has supported evidence generation for informed decision-making.
6. Provide recommendations to inform UNICEF’s future engagement in child and adolescent mental health in the Maldives, while also supporting the adoption of a holistic and integrated approach to child and adolescent well-being.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  VA - ToR for Consultant MH Programme Review.pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

Minimum requirements:

Education 

• At least a Masters’ Degree in psychology, public health, social work, child development, mental health, or other relevant social sciences.

Work Experience

• A minimum of 8 years of professional experience in conducting research, studies, or evaluations, preferably in the areas of MHPSS, child and adolescent wellbeing, or health and social services.
• Proven experience in evaluating multi-sectoral programmes, including those led by UN agencies or implemented in low-resource or geographically dispersed settings.

Competencies

• Strong understanding of MHPSS frameworks, approaches, and interventions, particularly in relation to children and adolescents and caregivers
• Proficiency in quantitative research methods, including participatory and child and adolescent friendly approaches.
• Demonstrated ability to collect data from various sources, validate findings with stakeholders, and synthesize complex information into actionable recommendations.
• Familiarity with UNICEF’s programming and research standards, including equity and human rights-based approaches.
• Proven capacity to lead reviews independently, including fieldwork coordination and stakeholder engagement.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English, with the ability to clearly present findings to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Sound understanding of ethical standards and safeguards in evidence generation, particularly when working with children and vulnerable groups.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and interpersonal skills, with flexibility and adaptability to different contexts.

Language Proficiency

• Fluency in English is required.
• Proficiency in Dhivehi is preferred; interpretation support may be provided if needed

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

[add the 8^th competency (Nurtures, leads and manages people) for a supervisory role]. 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:  

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.