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CFAs: MHPSS Services Mapping and Strategic Design (Armenia)

Deadline: 15-Mar-2026

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has launched a Call for Expression of Interest (EOI) to identify Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to partner in strengthening Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) services within Armenia’s child protection system. The initiative aims to develop a national guiding framework, minimum standards, training modules, and legal recommendations to improve quality, coordination, and sustainability of MHPSS services.

Background and Context

In response to multiple crises since 2020, including conflict-related displacement and the arrival of thousands of ethnic Armenian refugees, Armenia has expanded MHPSS services across its child protection system.

Since January 2020, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of Armenia has outsourced social rehabilitation services, including MHPSS, to NGOs through state grants. These services reach thousands of children and caregivers annually.

Currently, MHPSS services are delivered by:

  • NGOs and private organizations

  • State and local government institutions

  • Day-care centres and community-based support centres

  • Crisis centres

  • Educational institutions through the Republican Psychological Pedagogical Centre

  • Health system facilities

Despite these efforts, systemic gaps limit service effectiveness and consistency.

Key Challenges Identified

  • Insufficient human resource capacity

  • Unclear professional roles and responsibilities

  • Lack of standardized job profiles for psychologists and social workers

  • Absence of national sectoral guiding documents

  • Inconsistent eligibility criteria and service coverage

  • Overlapping interventions across sectors

  • No established monitoring and evaluation mechanism

  • Lack of minimum standards and harmonized quality assurance tools

Objectives of the EOI

Through this initiative, UNICEF Armenia aims to:

  1. Conduct a comprehensive mapping and analytical review of state and non-state MHPSS services across the three levels of the IASC MHPSS intervention pyramid.

  2. Develop a contextualized national guiding framework for MHPSS service delivery within the child protection system.

  3. Define clear professional roles, profiles, and job descriptions for MHPSS professionals.

  4. Establish minimum standards for quality, accessibility, and inclusion.

  5. Develop monitoring and quality assurance tools.

  6. Design and deliver training modules aligned with the new framework and standards.

  7. Create a national psychoeducation strategy for children, caregivers, and frontline workers.

  8. Formulate legal and policy recommendations to institutionalize and sustain MHPSS services.

Expected Outcomes

  • Improved coordination across social, education, and health sectors

  • Clear professional standards and job descriptions

  • Strengthened institutional and legal foundations

  • Enhanced service quality and accountability

  • Sustainable and inclusive MHPSS delivery systems

Who Should Apply?

UNICEF encourages applications from:

  • Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)

  • Consortium-type partnerships

  • Collaborations between CSOs, expert teams, and academic institutions

Given the assignment’s multi-sectoral and technical complexity, consortium applications are strongly encouraged to ensure comprehensive coverage of:

  • Technical expertise

  • Institutional reform

  • Legal analysis

  • Operational implementation

Implementation Focus

The engagement will support the development of:

  • Strategic frameworks

  • National standards

  • Legal and policy foundations

  • Practical operational tools

  • Capacity-building mechanisms

The ultimate goal is to ensure quality, sustainability, coordination, and effectiveness of MHPSS services within Armenia’s child protection system.

FAQs

1. Who is leading this initiative?
UNICEF Armenia in collaboration with the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.

2. What is the purpose of the EOI?
To identify capable CSOs to strengthen and institutionalize MHPSS services in Armenia’s child protection system.

3. Are consortium applications allowed?
Yes, and they are strongly encouraged.

4. What sectors are involved?
Social protection, education, health, and community-based services.

5. What are the key deliverables?
A national guiding framework, minimum standards, monitoring tools, training modules, psychoeducation strategy, and legal recommendations.

Conclusion

This Call for Expression of Interest represents a strategic opportunity to contribute to the systemic strengthening of Armenia’s mental health and psychosocial support services for children and caregivers. By fostering coordinated, standards-based, and sustainable service delivery, the initiative seeks to build a resilient child protection system capable of responding effectively to present and future crises.

For more information, visit UN Partner Portal.