See the terms of reference here: https://plan-international.org/uploads/sites/56/2026/09/4_SMAPS_Consu.pdf
TERMS OF REFERENCE
Consultancy in Mental Health and Psychosocial Support – Child Protection in Emergencies | Venezuela Purpose of the consultancy
Provision of specialized Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) services for girls, boys, adolescents and caregivers affected by the emergency. Technical Support Area:
Humanitarian Programs; Technical Counterpart:
Child Protection Specialist in Humanitarian Action; Place of Service:
Venezuela, with in-person and/or remote services according to the needs of the agreed-upon products; Geographic Coverage:
Carabobo, Yaracuy, and Falcón, and other priority areas of the response; Estimated Duration:
6 months; Expected Start Date:
September 28, 2026; Contractual Modality
: Consultancy with an independent contractor; Date of Preparation:
September 9, 2026
; 1. The Organization
: Through its work in 80 developing countries in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, Plan International seeks to reach as many children and adolescents as possible, particularly those in situations of exclusion or marginalization, through quality programs that generate lasting benefits, partnerships, and effective operations.
Plan International promotes children’s rights and is committed to their protection and to gender equality. The organization takes measures to ensure that its interventions and the actions of those involved are consistent with its policies of safeguarding, equal opportunities, and non-discrimination.
2. Background
The earthquakes that occurred on June 24, 2026, in Venezuela increased protection risks and psychosocial impacts on children, adolescents, and caregivers. Plan International requires specialized, long-term services to implement safe, timely, culturally appropriate, and coordinated Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) interventions, aligned with the Child Protection in Emergencies response.
3. Purpose of the Consultancy
To provide specialized services, with technical and organizational autonomy, to implement and document Mental Health and Psychosocial Support interventions for children, adolescents, and their families, strengthening coping mechanisms, resilience, protection, and emotional recovery, in accordance with humanitarian standards and applicable policies.
PLAN INTERNATIONAL | VENEZUELA
Terms of Reference · Independent, product-based consultancy
4. Scope of Services
Individual and group psychosocial care
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Conduct initial psychosocial assessments and implement individual and group sessions adapted to age, gender, disability, and cultural context.
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Facilitate socio-emotional, recreational, and resilience-building activities for children and adolescents.
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Facilitate support groups for mothers, fathers, and caregivers on stress, positive parenting, self-care, and emotional support.
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Apply Psychological First Aid when appropriate and within professional competencies.
Child-Friendly Spaces
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Provide technical support for the installation, adaptation, and operation of safe spaces.
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Implement safe, inclusive methodologies focused on psychosocial well-being and meaningful participation.
Identification and Referral
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Identify protection concerns or needs for specialized care and activate referral and counter-referral pathways.
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Coordinate with case management and other services, ensuring confidentiality, informed consent, data protection, and non-revictimization.
Community Work and Family Strengthening
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Carry out community-based actions promoting psychosocial well-being, violence prevention, stress management, and positive coexistence.
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Develop and disseminate key messages on emotional well-being, self-care, child support, and access to services.
Documentation and learning
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Maintain secure records and develop aggregated analyses of needs, activities, results, gaps, and recommendations.
5. Products and Deliverables No. Deliverable Indicative Deadline Acceptance Criteria
1
Work plan, methodology, schedule, and proposed instruments for the provision of SMAPS services.
Within the first 10 days
. Written approval from the technical counterpart.
2
Consolidated monthly SMAPS product that includes: individual, group, and community activities carried out; permitted aggregated and disaggregated results; assessments and trends without identifiable data; referrals activated; actions in Child-Friendly Spaces; materials developed; gaps, recommendations, and updated plan for the following month.
Monthly, within the first five (5) business days of the following month.
Complete, technically sound product, linked to the agreed scope and accompanied by corresponding annexes or evidence.
3
A consolidated final report, submitted as part of the last month’s deliverable, that includes the products developed, results, remaining gaps, lessons learned, recommendations, and organized file submission.
The last month’s deliverable must include
written approval from the technical counterpart and complete, organized final documentation.
PLAN INTERNATIONAL | VENEZUELA
Terms of Reference · Independent, Product-Based Consulting
6. Service Delivery and Technical Coordination
The consultant will provide services with technical, methodological, and organizational autonomy, without being subject to a work schedule or integration into Plan International’s hierarchical structure.
The technical counterpart will review the deliverables solely to verify their compliance with these Terms of Reference, the agreed-upon quality criteria, and the policies applicable to the service.
Coordination meetings will be scheduled based on the deliverables and will not involve attendance tracking, timekeeping, or subordination.
The consultant will organize the necessary resources and methodology to produce the deliverables. Any resources provided by Plan must be documented and used exclusively for the contracted services.
The consultancy does not grant the authority to contract, commit funds, issue work instructions, approve expenditures, or assume obligations on behalf of Plan International.
Any substantive adjustments to the scope, deliverables, or timelines must be formalized in writing between the parties.
7. Standards and Technical References
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Child Protection Minimum Standards in Humanitarian Action (CPMS).
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Sphere Handbook and humanitarian principles.
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Plan International policies on safeguarding, PEAS, AAP, equality, inclusion, data protection, and do no harm.
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Venezuelan legal framework applicable to the protection of children and adolescents and the secure handling of information.
8. Required Profile
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Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and current professional registration.
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Specialized training in psychosocial support services in emergencies, trauma, crisis intervention, or child and family care.
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Minimum of three (3) years of experience in psychosocial intervention with children and adolescents and families.
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Experience in humanitarian responses, disasters, displacement, human mobility, or crisis contexts.
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Experience in group and community activities and identification and referral of protection cases.
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Knowledge of CPMS, SMAPS, safeguards, PEAS, AAP, humanitarian principles and applicable Venezuelan frameworks.
9. Technical and Financial Proposal
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Technical proposal describing the service understanding, methodology, work plan, and availability to meet deliverables.
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Financial proposal broken down by monthly product, indicating the value of each monthly installment and including fees, taxes, and any costs necessary for the provision of the service.
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Updated curriculum vitae and relevant professional references.
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If applicable, samples of similar products previously developed.
PLAN INTERNATIONAL | VENEZUELA
Terms of Reference · Independent Product-Based Consulting
10. Fees, Payments, and Expenses
Fees will be established in the contract and will be paid in monthly installments upon delivery and written approval of the consolidated monthly product, after presentation of the corresponding tax documentation.
One (1) payment will be made for each month of consulting once the corresponding monthly product has been approved. The final month’s payment will include approval of the consolidated final report and the organized delivery of all products and files.
Each payment will correspond to the approved monthly product, not to periods of attendance, days, or hours worked. The specific deliverables of the timeline must be incorporated as annexes or components of the corresponding monthly product.
Essential travel expenses must have prior written authorization from Plan International and will be managed in accordance with the contract.
The consultant will be responsible for their tax, administrative, and social security obligations as an independent contractor, in accordance with applicable regulations.
11. Safeguarding, Conduct, and Confidentiality
The consultant must comply with Plan International’s policies and codes of conduct applicable to third parties, including safeguarding, PEAS (Personal Protective Equipment), fraud prevention, data protection, and information security.
All information obtained during the consultancy will be confidential and may only be used for the fulfillment of the contracted products.
Access to information on children, adolescents, and families will be limited to what is strictly necessary, applying data minimization, consent, security, and do no harm principles.
Products and materials will be delivered without personally identifiable information, except with express authorization and the existence of a legitimate basis for its processing.
12. Level of Contact with Children and Adolescents
The consultancy involves the level of contact indicated in the scope and initial information sheet. All interaction must be conducted in accordance with Plan International’s safeguarding, equality, gender and inclusion policies, PEAS (Personalized Action Plans), and reporting procedures.
13. Ownership of Products
The ownership, use, and delivery of the developed products will be governed by the contract. The consultant must declare any pre-existing or third-party material incorporated and guarantee that they have the necessary authorizations.
14. Nature of the Contractual Relationship
The contract will be of a civil or commercial nature, as determined by the applicable contract, and will correspond to an independent, results-oriented service. These Terms of Reference do not, in themselves, create an employment relationship, position, job title, work schedule, exclusivity, reporting line, disciplinary authority, or right to employment benefits. The practical execution of the service must be consistent with this nature and with the signed contract.
PLAN INTERNATIONAL | VENEZUELA
Terms of Reference · Independent Product-Based Consulting
15. Indicative Criteria for Evaluating Proposals Criterion Indicative Weighting
Experience and Technical Knowledge
40%
Quality and Relevance of the Technical Proposal
35%
Coherence of the Work Plan and Availability
15%
Economic Proposal
10%
How to apply
Proposals should be sent to Sonia.Huamani@plan-international.org by September 20, 2026 at 5:00 pm Venezuela time, indicating in the subject: “Consultancy in SMAPS and Child Protection in Emergencies – Venezuela”.