Location: Flexible, with regular presence in Brussels
Duration: Full-time consultancy, 12 months (renewable subject to performance and funding)
Start Date: May 2025
Reports To: Director, Protect Humanitarians
Application Deadline: 25th April 2025
Background
Protect Humanitarians is an independent NGO advocating for better protection, care and support for humanitarian personnel. We provide concrete support to NGOs and their staff, survivors of attacks, and victims’ families. We conduct research and promote best practices in Staff Care/Duty of Care, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) for humanitarian personnel, and provide legal assistance to support survivors after incidents.
In October 2024, we organized a consultative workshop in Brussels entitled “Strengthening Staff Care, Mental Health, and Psychosocial Support for Humanitarian Personnel.” The event brought together experts in Staff Care, Duty of Care, and MHPSS from various agencies (UN, IFRC/ICRC, INGOs, and NNGOs), as well as survivors of critical incidents. The event concluded with a set of priorities and recommendations for Protect Humanitarians to take forward, including the establishment of a Community of Practice to enhance Staff Care /Duty of Care and MHPSS for humanitarian personnel.
Purpose of the Consultancy
To address key shortcomings in Staff Care, Duty of Care, and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) for humanitarian personnel, the Community of Practice (CoP) seeks to unite the humanitarian sector in raising the bar for prevention and response—particularly towards national staff and local NGOs/CSOs.This innovative initiative leverages collaboration to fill existing gaps and establish new standards of prevention, care and post-incident support. By convening experts, practitioners, and academics, the CoP serves as a powerful collective working to enhance the protection and well-being of frontline humanitarian workers. The project is funded by the European Humanitarian Aid Office (DG ECHO) under the “Protect Aid Workers” initiative.
Scope of Work
Key Responsibilities
1. Community of Practice establishment:
o Develop the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the CoP, outlining its composition, functioning, and procedures.
o Engage and coordinate with experts, practitioners, and stakeholders to form the CoP.
2. Advisory Group creation:
o Establish an Advisory Group (AG) of 8–10 experts, including members with lived-experience expertise.
o Ensure the AG’s guidance reflects global best practices, research insights, and diverse approaches.
3. Mapping and resource development:
o Conduct a mapping of existing guidance, tools, expertise, and gaps in Staff Care/Duty of Care and MHPSS.
o Curate an online toolbox of resources, accessible in key languages, catering to the needs and capacities of national NGOs and CSOs.
4. Guidance and support:
o Develop tailored guidance materials on Staff Care/Duty of Care and MHPSS for national NGOs and CSOs.
o Establish and manage a helpdesk for organizations requiring additional support in implementing Staff Care/Duty of Care and MHPSS practices.
o Create and distribute a newsletter to share tools, resources, and updates on Staff Care/Duty of Care and MHPSS.
5. Advocacy and capacity building:
o Develop a Charter on Staff Care/Duty of Care and MHPSS for humanitarian personnel, ensuring alignment with the priorities identified in the October 2024 workshop.o Plan and deliver webinars to raise awareness and advocate for Staff
Care/Duty of Care and MHPSS.
6. Research and knowledge sharing:
o In link with identified academic actors, facilitate research efforts on Staff Care/Duty of Care and MHPSS, particularly for national personnel in humanitarian contexts.
o Coordinate collaborations between academic institutions and humanitarian organizations to produce and disseminate culturally adapted knowledge.
7. Workshops and Conferences:
o Organize a follow-up workshop and conference (October 2025) to reflect on progress, launch the Charter, and begin developing minimum standards.
o Draft minimum standards for Staff Care/Duty of Care and MHPSS, aligned with the recommendations from the October 2024 workshop.
8. Fundraising
o Conduct fundraising efforts to identify and secure funding opportunities for the activities of the Community of Practice, including grants, partnerships, and other financial resources.
o Prepare and submit funding proposals aligned with the CoP’s objectives, in collaboration with Protect Humanitarians’ Director to ensure the sustainability of the initiative.
Responsibilities and tasks may change according to need.
Deliverables
● Established Community of Practice with active participant engagement.
● Established Advisory Group and functioning structure.
● Mapping of available tools, guidance, and gaps.
● Online toolbox created with curated and accessible resources.
● Published guidance materials tailored for national NGOs and CSOs.
● Functional helpdesk for support requests.
● Charter on Staff Care/Duty of Care and MHPSS.
● Conducted webinars and archived recordings on the CoP platform.
● Workshop organisation and conference participation in October 2025.
● Fundraising plan for the sustainability of the CoP
Supervision
The consultant will be supervised directly by the Director of Protect Humanitarians. She or he will be part of the team and integrate the management structure of the NGO.
To deliver on communication and logistical tasks, the consultant will be supported by the existing Program Officer and Communication and Advocacy Officer. The position may include limited team management responsibilities.
Qualifications and Experience
● Extensive experience in MHPSS and/or Staff Care/Duty of Care initiatives towards humanitarian personnel.
● Bachelor or Masters Degree in Mental Health, Psychology or Human Resources Management. Medical profiles with experience in MHPSS programming are also welcome to apply.
● Strong background in humanitarian coordination, including clusters, community of practice facilitation or similar.
● Demonstrable experience in humanitarian contexts.
● Experience in the development and facilitation of capacity building on MHPSS and Staff Care/Duty of Care.
● Excellent project management and organizational skills.
● Outstanding communication, advocacy, and stakeholder engagement abilities.
● Understanding of challenges faced by national NGOs and CSOs.
● Fluency in English; proficiency in additional languages relevant to humanitarian contexts is an asset.
● Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
How to apply
Interested applicants should submit the following:
- A detailed CV.
- A cover letter highlighting relevant experience and motivation.
- A sample of your previous work related to the subject.
- A description of the approach, methodology and modalities for implementing the assignment.
- An action plan to meet the deliverables and the proposed monthly rate.
- Contact details of two professional references.
Submit applications to info@protecthumanitarians.org latest by 25th April 2025, with the subject line: “Application: Protect Humanitarians Coordinator, CoP on Staff Care and MHPSS for humanitarian personnel”.
Protect Humanitarians is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from qualified individuals from diverse backgrounds and regions.