This role, reporting to the Senior Mental Health Technical Advisor in PGLT, would help to strengthen UNICEF’s institutional mental health policy and advocacy capability, and lead on implementing the policy, advocacy and financing pillars of the UNICEF Global Framework and UNICEF/WHO Joint Programme, in line with the Global Advocacy Priority on Mental Health (co-led by PG and GCA).
Global Advocacy Priority:
Act as the PG focal point and co-lead of the Global Advocacy Priority on mental health 2021-2025, working with the PG and GCA sponsors, GCA co-lead, UNICEF HQ divisions and CO/RO and National Committees to implement, adapt and accelerate UNICEF’s advocacy agenda in alignment with UNICEF’s Global Multi-sectoral MHPSS Framework and the UNICEF/WHO Joint Programme. The role would report to the Senior MH Technical Advisor and form part of a core advocacy team across PG and GCA (including two co-sponsors and two co-leads).
Strategy development:
Lead on developing and implementing policy and advocacy strategy plans for UNICEF’s MHPSS Global Framework (Outcome 4) and UNICEF-WHO Joint Programme, in collaboration with UNICEF GF lead and UNICEF/WHO JP leads.
Drafting UNICEF policy guidance on priority areas and emerging themes e.g. MHPSS and climate, gender, employment, adolescent parents
Support OGIP, Innocenti and DAPM to ensure MHPSS research agenda supports our advocacy in global/regional fora and with national governments
Work with GCA advocacy colleagues to maintain an up-to-date advocacy toolkit with case studies of national examples. Co-lead regular advocacy thinktank sessions with UNICEF offices and design/implement bespoke training opportunities for advocacy champion countries
Work with global thought leaders and academic institutes and aid Global Mental Health Lead (supervisor) in ensuring child and adolescent mental health is well represented in research and evidence priorities to inform policy-making
Aid the Global Mental Health Lead (supervisor) in efforts to position UNICEF as thought leader on policy relating to child and adolescent mental health, working with communications and other colleagues on UNICEF op-eds and articles, e.g. in the Lancet and other publications.
Policy, advocacy and financing global processes, engagement and milestones:
Develop annual policy and advocacy roadmap to support internal strategy-development and planning, in particular building up to the annual Global Mental Health Summits. Support senior engagement in high-level MH processes and milestones.
Drive high-level global advocacy events, including Summits, panel events and bilateral meetings with Member States, and partners, ensuring senior staff engagement and strategic advocacy messaging.
Financing – build support for MHPSS financing through engaging key global and regional champions and engaging with funds and institutions (World Bank, Global Fund) to leverage funds for UNICEF/WHO Joint Programme and MHPSS more broadly (in line with GF Outcome 4).
Stakeholder engagement:
Engage with civil society and public sector partners in New York, including Permanent Missions, Group of Friends, UN agencies to inform UN policy processes
Lead relationship with United GMH and other global advocacy partners to implement key strands of GAP3
Lead engagement with GCA, PPD and PFP to ensure mental health policy priorities are incorporated within G7 and G20 processes, and other global multi-stakeholder platforms like WEF.
UNICEF and external policy, advocacy and financing capacity building and support:
Provide policy and advocacy support for UNICEF COs/ROs and National Committees, and UNICEF-WHO JP countries, including advocacy capacity building, strategy development workshops and other training as required, in collaboration with GCA ACBI team, MHPSS technical specialist for HICs and regional MHPSS focal points. Support development and implementation of technical and operational tools to support policy, advocacy and financing efforts in UNICEF CO/Ros and National Committees.
Provide technical and advocacy support and guidance for donors, including JML, and the Global Coalition for Youth Wellbeing, in conjunction with Multi-stakeholder Partnerships Communications and Advocacy Specialist PFP).
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in public health, policy and related field is required.
A minimum of 8 (eight) years of progressive responsible in the development field, programming, legislative, policy, financing, and advocacy at the national and/or international levels is required.
Experience in LMICs in particular is required.
Direct field experience in applying legislative, policy, financing and advocacy skills to mental health and psychosocial systems and services is desired.
Knowledge of the functioning of UNICEF MHPSS Operational Framework in particular is of great added value.
Fluency in English (written and verbal) is required, and Proficiency in French is highly desirable. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian, or Spanish) is an asset.
