JOB DESCRIPTION

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.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built. We offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture., coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to health

The Republic of Moldova faces considerable challenges in ensuring equitable health services for vulnerable adolescent boys and girls, including refugees and host communities. The health system is under strain due to: limited capacity of primary health care (PHC) system to provide integrated mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services; insufficient outreach mechanisms of existing Youth Friendly Health Services ( YFHS), especially in rural and refugee-hosting areas; fragmented referral pathways between health, protection, and social services; human resource and financing gaps, including lack of trained providers in adolescent mental health and substance use prevention, and a sustainable financing strategy.

These gaps increase the risks of mental health disorders, psychosocial distress, and substance abuse among adolescents, particularly those exposed to trauma, social isolation, and economic hardship. Refugee adolescents and those in host communities face heightened vulnerability to alcohol, tobacco, drug use and gaming/gambling, often as coping mechanisms for stress and uncertainty. This trend threatens long-term health, safety, and social cohesion.

There is an urgent need to strengthen the capacity of specialists from the Community Centre on Mental Health (CCMH) and other cross-sectoral professionals at the local level (including health, education, and social protection) to ensure early detection, timely referral, and a continuum of care for adolescents at risk of mental health issues and substance abuse. This requires integrated approaches, shared protocols, and coordinated service delivery across sectors.

At the same time, the Government is making significant efforts to integrate refugees into the existing public health system, ensuring access to essential health and psychosocial services. In parallel, national stakeholders are working on the development of a Strategy and Action Plan for substance abuse use and addiction, which aims to address growing risks among adolescents and promote coordinated, evidence-based interventions across sectors. The Strategy will be aligned with Chapter 24 of the Moldova European Union (EU) Accession Plan and the EU Drug Strategy 2026-2030.

UNICEF aims to address these challenges through a nexus approach that links humanitarian response with development and peacebuilding, while expanding mobile Youth Klinic (YK) services and strengthening the YFHS and CCMH networks to deliver integrated health and MHPSS interventions, including substance use prevention.

How can you make a difference?

1. Purpose of the Consultancy

The consultant will support the implementation of UNICEF”s ongoing activities to strengthen the capacity of cross-sectoral specialists and to provide integrated health services through YFHS and CCMH networks, as well as through expanded mobile YK. Additionally, the consultant will assist in mapping existing programmes for adolescent substance addiction prevention and will shape activities targeting adolescents to be proposed for implementation of the draft national Strategy on Drug Use and Addiction 2026-2032.

2. Objectives of the Consultancy

The three primary objectives of consultancy are as follows:

• Provide support to strengthen MHPSS and substance use prevention among adolescents and youth in health and community services. Build the capacity of CCMH and YFHS specialists and cross-sectoral actors for early detection and continuum of care in case of MH issues or disorders and substance abuse among adolescent boys and girls.
• Strengthening the legal and regulatory framework, including the monitoring system and diversifying financing mechanisms of YFHS, including Mobile YK and a 24/7 support line, to ensure service provision to remote areas.
• Map evidence-based interventions related to the prevention of substance use and addiction among adolescents and youth to be further integrated into the existing prevention programmes.

The consultant is also expected to be responsive to additional tasks related to her/his area of expertise and within the scope of this TOR, as requested by the UNICEF Health Specialist. The consultant should be prepared to perform related tasks to support the country office”s system-strengthening and capacity-building goals as part of technical assistance in Public Health.

3. Details of how the work should be delivered.

The consultancy aims to provide technical, coordination, and advocacy support to the MoH, CCMH, and YFHS network on child-sensitive health policies, financing, and capacity building, with a focus on prevention. The work arrangements will be agreed upon with the selected consultant, in close coordination with the MoH. The consultant will participate in weekly meetings with the Health Team and the UNICEF team to update on work progress, challenges, and implementation. The consultant will develop a detailed working plan under the guidance of UNICEF’s Health Specialist.

4. Deliverables and delivery dates

#

Tasks 

Deliverables 

Timeframe

1.

Conduct an initial assessment, including a desk review and stakeholder interviews, to identify gaps and needs for the Action plan and Strategy on Substance Use and Addiction 2026-2032.

Inception report (3-5 pages), containing context analysis and evidence-based interventions for substance abuse prevention among adolescents and youth to be implemented through the YFHC and CCMH network.

By 31 March 2026

2.

Provide technical assistance in strengthening MHPSS and substance use prevention among adolescents through the network of YFHS: support the procurement of two additional mobile clinics and strengthen the capacity of mobile clinic teams; development of YFHS protocol/standards in provision of evidence-based services on MHPSS, prevention of substance abuse and HIV prevention; capacity building of YFHS professionals and volunteers in provision of MHPSS, HIV/STI and drug use prevention among adolescent refugees and other vulnerable groups.

• YFHS capacity building plan developed and consulted with UNICEF and relevant stakeholders.
• Two agreements with PHC at the local level on operationalizing the mobile clinic signed.
• Technical specifications for the procurement of two additional mobile clinics drafted and agreed with UNICEF and YFHS.
• Support in organizing the mobile clinic teams” training.
• Support provided in the development of YFHS protocol/standards and capacity building in terms of the provision of evidence-based services on MHPSS, prevention of substance use and HIV transmission.

By 29 May 2026

3.

Provide technical assistance in strengthening CCMH service provision to children and substance use prevention among adolescents: development of CCMH referral SOP /and or protocol in provision of evidence-based services on prevention and addressing of substance use; capacity building of CCMH professional and cross-sectorial specialists at the local level in provision of prevention and care services to adolescent boys and girls with MH issues and substance addiction

• Support in the development of CCMH referral SOP and/or protocol in provision of evidence-based services in terms of prevention and management of substance use.
• Support in the development of CCMH and cross-sectorial specialists” capacity building plan.

By 31 July 2026

4.

Provide technical assistance on developing the financial mechanism for YK mobile and Youth Support Line to be financed by HIC in 2027

• Support provided in the development of the HIC financial mechanism scenario for YK mobile clinics for 2027.
• At least 2 online technical meetings/workshops with relevant stakeholders on financing mechanisms coordination organized.

By 30 September 2026

5.

Coordinate the development of a monitoring and evaluation system of provision of YFHS, including YK mobile and 24/7 Support line that will allow to monitor unique beneficiaries and local disaggregated data

• At least 5 consultations on monitoring and evaluation system (M&E) with YFHS, HIC and the MoH held.
• ToR for contracting a developer for M&E drafted and consulted with UNICEF and relevant stakeholders.

By 30 November 2026

6.

Provide a final progress report for all activities performed.

Final Progress Report

By 31 December 2026

*Exact deadlines will be mutually agreed upon with the contract signature.

To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the individual consultant, under the guidance of UNICEF Health Specialist, will conduct briefing and de-briefing meetings with UNICEF, as well as other partners as required.

5. Reporting requirements

The consultant will report to the UNICEF Health Specialist, who will regularly communicate with the consultant and provide feedback and guidance on his/her performance and all other necessary support to achieve the objectives of the consultancy, as well as remain aware of any upcoming issues related to the consultant’s performance and quality of work. Additionally, the consultant will collaborate closely with the Health Team, Child Protection Team and Education Team.

All activities and deliverables undertaken by the consultant shall be discussed and planned in consultation with the UNICEF Health Specialist. The consultant is expected to deliver each technical component of the deliverables electronically in Romanian (in Word format), the inception report, final (progress) report and bi-monthly progress reports in English. At each stage, the deliverable shall be sent to the Health Specialist, with the Deputy Representative in copy.

6. Performance indicators for evaluation of results:

The performance of work will be evaluated based on the following indicators:

• Completion of tasks specified in ToR;
• Compliance with the established deadlines for submission of deliverables.
• Quality of work.
• Demonstration of high standards in cooperation and communication with UNICEF and counterparts

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

• • A university degree in one of the following fields is required: Medicine, Public Health, or another relevant technical field.
  • A minimum of five years of relevant professional work experience in Project management or project coordination is required.
  • A minimum of two years of managerial experience in Public Health, including public institutions and/or civil society organizations, is required.
  • Good understanding of Public Health System, including HIV control and Substance Abuse Prevention and Management systems is considered an asset.
  • Relevant background/familiarity with UN agencies” work, policy makers and technical staff of the national government is considered an asset.
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills in Romanian and working knowledge of English are required. Knowledge of Russian would be an advantage.

   

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…

• Builds and maintains partnerships
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
• Drive to achieve results for impact
• Innovates and embraces change
• Manages ambiguity and complexity
• Thinks and acts strategically
• Works collaboratively with others

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

For more details on the consultancy assignment and requirements, please refer to attached Terms of reference (ToR):

2026_TOR Individual consultancy_Health_VA.docx

HOW TO APPLY: Your online application should contain your Technical and Financial Offer (templates below):

Technical Offer_Health.docx

Financial Offer_Health.xlsx

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 nearmejobs.eu 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 candidates from targeted underrepresented groups 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.

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements